grantelmwood

Rode 3.5 miles in 17 mins.
Noticed my cruise speed on flat ground, in top gear, was 15mph.
What is your cruise speed in top gear on flat ground?

Fahrenheit531 

Top gear on flat ground isn't really for "cruising."

Koyote

I would never be in my top gear on flat ground, at least without a massive tailwind.

mstateglfr 

I enjoy blowing out my knees, so I rock 50/11 on flat road at 80rpm. That means 30mph. Anything slower and you are doing it wrong.

Eric F 

By "cruise speed", I will assume you mean a fairly easy-to-moderate effort level that can be sustained for a long distance. Assuming flat ground, with no wind, riding my road bike, it's probably going to be somewhere around 18-20mph (I'm guessing, since we really don't have much in the way of actual flat ground). I would not use my top gear (53x11) for that kind of riding, however. I would use a gear ratio that results in 85-90rpm, which is were I tend to be most efficient.

eljayski 

50-11 for me yields about 15 mph at a comfortable pace

DaveSSS 

That would be an incredibly low 42 rpm cadence. The lowest I ever do is around 68 on a difficult climb. I use 85 to 105 on the flats.

VegasJen

Flat ground is relatively difficult to come by where I live. However, when I go visit mom in ironing-board flat Florida, I would say my cruising speed is around 16-17mph. I can sustain 20+ (on flat ground) for a few miles, but not long term.

pdlamb

What is this "flat" of which you write?

12 mph on the uphill flats, 20 on the downhill parts?

terrymorse 

My speed in top gear on a flat grade is indeterminate, because I never use the top gear on a flat grade.

My "just pedaling along, I could do this pace forever" speed on a flat grade with no wind is, um, about 18 mph. But it's really hard to find those conditions around here, so that speed is a guess.

grantelmwood

I have 1/2/3 and 1/2/3/4/5/6/7 for my gears.
On flat, I put it on 3/7 and can hold a moderately resistance pedal
I will try to count rpms next time

eljayski 

I'm starting to see the error of my ways: Have always assumed that the objective is to ride the tallest gear that is comfortable and that i should ride front-big and rear-little as much as possible.

Poking around the internet this afternoon has made me aware of the benefit of higher cadence and the availability of cadence sensors. A change in technique may be in the offing for me.

Eric F 

With experience, you will find your most efficient/preferred cadence in different conditions. There are always exceptions, but most experienced riders tend to prefer somewhere in the 85-95rpm range for rolling along on flat(ish) terrain. Learning how to judge changes in grade, and shifting to the appropriate gear early enough so that you can stay at your preferred cadence, and don't have moments of getting bogged down or spun out, is a skill that takes practice.

shelbyfv

Here is a calculator, you can figure speed with any gearing and rpm w/o wondering. calc

LarrySellerz

Your top gear is probably 48-14 which isn’t as big as most bikes, but still pretty big and hard for most people to “cruise” in. Try 3-6, which for you is 48-16, often considered the “golden ratio.” I bet you would cruise at closer to 16 mph there

beng1

I cruise at the speed of fun, which varies day to day.

urbanknight

If you didn't do it on a velodrome, it doesn't count as "flat"

And like others, I only use my "top gear" for descending.

Russ Roth

My average cadence is only about 75rpm, just never seem to have the ability for faster for any real length of time. My cruising speed is about 19mph, always hard to fully estimate due to wind which would be about a 75rpm in a 53/16. Track bike runs a 53/15 and it seems easier maintaining my 75-80ish cadence on a fixie though I'm still not fast enough on it for the competition.

jaxgtr

My normal cadence and gearing on my own generally 17-19 depending on how bad the wind is. If the wind is low to non-existent, 20 to 22 on avg. If I am in a group and they are going quick, I can normally hang up to 24-25 for a good distance. But that is not in my top gearing, I will probably never be in that as I have no hills to descend on.

Reflector Guy

It's very flat where I live but I get worn out quickly if I ride faster than about 17 MPH for a long time. Sure, I could go faster.... But not for a long time. I'd need to be on a downhill to utilize the faster gears.

On the other hand.... My old Sears 10-speed bike (2x5) was geared such that the fastest/hardest combination was just about ideal for cruising speed. I was also younger and stronger in those days.

The Chemist

Very little ground here in Shanghai isn't flat, so I'm very familiar with riding on the flats. On my new Ti road bike I could probably hold 32km/h for hours at a cadence around 90. My large chainring is a 50t, and I think I'd probably be running around 16t or 17t out back in the most comfortable gear for long distance cruising.

Wildwood 

Cruise speed in top gear on the flats?
Well, as always, that would depend = on the bike and it's gearing.

54/12 down to 46/14, because ... cruising requires variable speeds to best take in the scenery.

rsbob 

Jeremy Clarkson may have some thoughts on Top Gear (speeds).

Troul 

not sure what I can sustain in such a gear range, & if I can sustain a good speed with a comfortable cadence then I would be looking to change my gearing up.... If the big ring with small cog doesn't give me a struggle, then I'm either getting younger or it's the wrong gearing.

Chuck M 

Probably not as fast as it was 40 years ago. But I still enjoy riding.