therhodeo

The answer is that the difference between your casual rider and a pro is huge. The difference in even a semi serious roadie and a typical Cat 3 racer is pretty huge as well.

vinnyvincent

Sooo....is it actually possible without taking performance enhancing drugs? lol

Dan333SP

Don't forget that when you see sustained peloton speeds that high, they're generally in a big group rotating on the front ever 15-20 seconds and/or have a nice tailwind.

Still, it is pretty mind boggling to see them finish ITTs averaging 31+ riding solo for an hour or more like Kiriyenka did in September here in Richmond when he won the world title.

Those guys can hold a speed for an hour that even fit riders struggle to touch just for a few seconds. It's otherwordly.

CliffordK

Drafting might be like doing 30 MPH with a 10 MPH tailwind. Of course, one still needs someone out front.

Certainly training would have a lot to do with it, with an amateur non-racer doing a few thousand miles a year, while a pro might be riding a few tens of thousands of miles, plus specific non-riding training too.

There is always the Nature vs Nurture argument. Perhaps it is a combination of both of them. One of the limits I hit is that I just can't move enough air. Somewhere around the equivalent of 25 MPH, I start wheezing, so the cut from 25 to 30 hits high on the anaerobic scale.

It is noted that a higher percentage of Pro athletes are treated for exercise induced asthma than the average population. Perhaps they are pushing harder on this threshold than the ordinary person.

Anyway, for me, assuming I don't magically increase the lung capacity, any speed gains will primarily be maintaining the sub-25 mph speeds for longer.

caloso

FWIW, I am a Cat 3 and it's my goal to be able to do 30 for 2minutes off the front and taking all the wind myself.(actually my goal is more wattage based, but this is close enough for this discussion's sake). I don't take PED's.

Now look up the newly established women's hour record. Emphasis on HOUR.

Kopsis

First off, there's a huge difference between 30 MPH and 40 MPH. If it takes 500W to do 30, it will take well over 800W to do 40. World-class riders can hold 500W for as much as 20 minutes straight but can't sustain 800W for much more than a minute. But in mass-start races, one rider rarely leads the pack at those speeds in the flats for long. Riders take turns at the front then drop back and catch the draft to recover. So a solo rider won't make it long at 40 MPH, but a group working together can do it for an extended period. And, of course, add in even the slightest tailwind or downhill grade and power requirements drop significantly.

Individual TTs are a slightly different story. Spare-no-expense aerodynamics become a big factor in reducing the watts required to maintain higher speeds. But even then speeds for world class riders tend not to go much above 30 MPH and the entire effort is typically less than an hour (instead of 5 hours with a mountain or two in the middle). The speed for the hour world record is just over 34 MPH (nowhere near 40).

bigdo13

34 mph ...

I can really wind it up on the flats...

dim

I use Strava and have a favourite segment that is 5.2km long (3.23 miles long)

The current guy who has the KOM averaged this distance at 42.1 Km/hr (26.2 mph) .... he is an NFTO Po cyclist ...

he would have been travelling at a much faster speed as there are parts that have a steep bridge and where you have to slow down a lot for bends which slows your ave speed down considerably over this short distance

.... and to top it all, he travelled much much further on that day (so he was not even going flat out)

My best speed on this exact segment was an average of 16.7 mph and I was breathless after the distance (and I had a bit of wind pushing me)

69chevy

30mph on the flats on a bike is like the 200mph barrier for a supercar.

At 30mph the air resistance has become so much, that large gains in power (or aero efficiency) are needed for small gains in speed.

Unless you are a seasoned sprinter who has trained for years, or a freak of nature, 30mph is likely your top speed.

PepeM

Lets also not forget that there is a lot of leniency when it comes to what is considered 'the flats.'

Seattle Forrest

Along those lines, a "fast" cyclist is someone who'll do a 40 k (about 25 miles) in under an hour. On flat ground without wind.

For the record, I don't do sprint workouts but I do hill repeats twice a week. They leave me ravenously hungry for two days afterwards because they use up my glycogen.

OldsCOOL

32.5mph for a short distance. Definately on the "flats". No tailwind. Tucked in tight in the drops.

NYMXer

We have guys in our club that are into top speed, then a mile later everyone passes and drops them. I never understood the idea of top speed but I do try hard to maintain a high average speed over a 2-3 hour ride.

StLaurent785

You got that right. Absolutely busted my ass out there today going as hard as humanly possible for me (almost puked later) and only improved my speed to 29.4 (from 29.3). I wanted to break 30 so bad. Those of you who are at 32, 34 are amazing to me.

Thank you everyone for your latest responses. Really learning a lot.

NYMXer

This thread got me curious, so I looked on Strava for a timed flat segment we use and low and behold, 32.8 mph for .6 mile.... I would have been happy with 30!
Oh, that was with no wind in any direction which is funny, because it is usually a head wind on that segment.

Dan333SP

Give it 2 or 3 more weeks of work, you'll be over 30 in no time, just focus on your form!

StLaurent785

Thanks for the encouragement bro

bobbyl1966

I am 49 years old. With my Lemond Tourmalet 2002 is steel bike my max speed is was 27 miles in sprint. The wheels is matrix when i put fulcrum wheels i see if i can go any faster. The crank is 53/39 and the cassette 12-25. I want fix my aluminum road bike and my TT bike and see if i go faster. Aloso in one mountain bike steel trek i have put crank 52/42 cassette no have deside yet when i finish that bike i want see the max speed.

StLaurent785

My precious

Dan333SP

Love that frame and color, good looking bike. You're getting at least 3 additional mph in your sprint because the bike is red

StLaurent785

Haha thanks…I've heard that red bikes are faster!

CafeVelo

If you're comfortable with your fit then don't change anything, but while we're talking speed:

Your position is pretty high. going fast is a function of position, being smaller head on reduces the power required to move forward. Getting low also allows you to employ muscles more effectively. You can get too low, and that is extremely uncomfortable, and can prevent you from breathing effectively, all of which makes you slower.

StLaurent785

Interesting…makes sense. I did have a fit by the bike shop and its quite comfortable now but I can see your point about being up high.

CafeVelo

Then don't change it. In the future you may find yourself riding lower and reaching out toward the front of the brake hood, or riding perpetually in the drops. In that situation you may consider flipping the stem and/or lowering the position. Fit evolves with fitness and the ability to employ the muscles necessary to both ride in that position effectively and just be in it for an extended period. Don't just switch to a really aggressive fit all at once, but it's something to consider as you ride more.

San Pedro

Don't resist it. Make sure your tires are properly inflated though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZmJtYaUTa0