+1

I think honestly, enthuasiastic riders and maybe cat 5 racers are just around 14-17 average, riding solo and taken over a longer sample of 1 week or so, wind + at least 500 ft elevation climb

If you are starting a clydesdale and you are already hitting 16.7 mph avearge, that is already fast. Stretch that sample to a week or a month and if you are still there, then you are fast I would say.

My general rule is ignore all speeds going downhill and with a tailwind. If I am cruising at 24 miles per hour on the flats, I know my real average speed is 16 mph when the ride is done. 2/3rds of my comforable flat speed.

There is a guy who used to be a part of the Olympic team in the 90's (don't know if he actually competed in the Olympics) who lives in our town. 4 years ago, I got a chance to ride alongside him briefly. I thought I was doing pretty good holding 23 mph on a relatively windless day. But I cannot even talk to him easily anymore and he was still whistling as he dropped me really fast when the road started to just have a bit of an incline. My speed dropped fast to 17 mph.

Once three of us got behind a tandem which dragged us along at 28mph for about three miles. I was doing 115-120 rpm the whole time. Whew!

When the tandem rotated back we dropped down to a decent 21mph for a couple more miles then had to stop at an intersection. Once we got rolling again, nobody seemed to mind the 18mph pace I set up front.

There's a training ride here that runs in the upper 20's, low 30's for the whole ride. They caught my slower group at a turn and I jumped on the back with a couple of others. It was all I could do to stay in the draft and when I looked back to see if anyone else was there, I slipped out of the draft and WHAM! was suddenly dropped like a ton of bricks. Never saw so many carbon wheelsets in my life.

Hehe... I just laugh when I get humbled like that.

Me: *huff...puff...* "Howz' it goin?"
Fast dude: "Mm, doing good. Doo de doo..."
*DROP*
Me: *huff...puff...huff...* "F.....k.."

i was doing intervals last week and a guy pulled up in the middle of my hard effort and started chatting with me. i wanted to punch him in the teeth.

He wasn't on a downhill FS MTB, was he?

Last July I went to Quebec and competed in the Tour de l'Abitibi. It is only for 17 and 18 year olds and the best in the world where there, including Taylor Phinney, who won. The longest stage was 70.96 miles (114.2 Km), and we averaged 29.14 mph (46.9 Kph). Here is proof, now beat that.

downhill?

Landis hit 55 mph on the downhill run of his famous comeback ride, but some say that was drug induced.

I could probably hit 55 on a long enough downhill...

... if I was high.

I never thought of that...interesting idea I'd have to find some place safe to park my car half-way. I could easily save over $100 a month in gas that way!

just quoting Lemond himself. It was in that audio interview Pcad posted a while back. Sounded a bit ridiculous to me but yeah, he said it.

It's something I've considered with my commute too.

Go visit the commuter forum ... you'll get lots of interesting ideas like that there.

I've done 80 km/h (50 mph) before ... downhill ... on the back of a tandem. It's not an experience I'd ever wish to repeat.

I remember an interview with Robbie McEwen after one of the stages he won, and he mentioned that he hit 46 mph. That's about as fast as it gets on flat grounds.

Why?
Just jump in here and say,"I went 45mph today on the flats" like everyone else.

Nowhere did anyone claim that. It is not difficult to get to 50mph on a descent if you are not afraid to do so, especially given a sufficiently steep and straight grade.

Yeah, I'm starting to doubt Greg's claim more and more. They guy was a beast but...

Sprinters hit about 47, a race will average about 25, and I've done 61.3 on a downhill.

guads

Did 49.6 mph on long downhill a few years back.... now I know better and try to keep the max below that..
reached 38+ in a sprint once... and am pretty sure my heart was a few bike lengths behind me..

There is a big difference between 20 mph, 25 mph, and 30 mph...

Some wattage figures... using my weight, road bike weight and stats, aero position... and assuming I am on flat ground with no wind for the sake of comparison.

For me to cruise at 20 mph / 33 kmh I need to sustain an output of 145 watts and can do this all day.

For me to ride at 25 mph / 40 kmh I need to maintain an output of 261 watts.

To ride at 30 mph I need to put out 432 watts.

When I climb that short 12% grade on the way to work at 20 mph I am laying down just over 1000 watts of power.

To sprint at 38 mph / 60 kmh I also need to put out nearly 900 watts.

Professional riders are amazing.

Hahaha, I wasn't kidding. Thanks for the link

Lemond was dreaming. Maybe if he was being towed.

I'm going to have to see if I can find that link to the interview PCad posted.

where?