the shark

On a common loop in Austin - Dam loop - if you do not cut around the big donwhill on 2222 it is pretty easy to hit 50-54. I take the lane - it is straight and does not feel that scary. Now I would not want a blow out however.

umd

The types of injuries will be change at different speeds. You are more likely to break things at lower speeds and more likely to get road rash at higher speeds. Since you are saying it is not uncommon to die of road rash, you could just as easily die of injuries from a 40mph fall as a 60mph fall.

56cbr600rr

I don't know what my top speed is on a bicycle, however, i've seen 174 mph several times on the back straight at Road Atlanta. I somehow feel 60+ on a road bike will be scarier.

chrisvu05

redlined a BMW M5 in high school (156mph in the States) in a 45 mph zone. Yeah that was dumb...but that car was awesome!!!

Top speed on the bike is 55+ descending in Chattanooga. could go faster with a longer straightaway

umd

Obligatory pictures

RichinPeoria

2000 Honda RC51 163mph

Alky

You should watch Moto GP sometime.

W Cole

Very nice! I wish Honda still made a v-twin. Good pic, is that you? If so, very nice form.

And no, that isn't Rossi But the only difference between Rossi and I is he doesn't believe he is me..

RichinPeoria

sorry no that's Miguel Duhamel...I think it was from a test/press day ride

I have black Syed leathers and an AGV helmet. My '00 RC51 is exactly like that one (stock)

khatfull

The fastest I've gotten to here in eastern MN is 47, and that was on a very short but steep hill, maybe a few hundred yards long. For the 20 seconds or so I got to go that speed the bike felt completely solid, and I think I did too. Could I do 60 on the right descent? I'm sure I could get there...but I have a guess that 47 and 60 probably feel completely different.

johnknappcc

I've got to find bigger hills . . .

KiddSisko

Also, of the 100 (those who live) in your dumb scenario, none will die of secondary infections from road rash. Maybe in Calcutta, but not here in the US.

umd

I'm not saying you won't get injured. But the chance of dying from those injuries is not going to be high. I have crashed at over 30 on a descent. Not fun, but nothing but some scrapes. The injuries I got at 20 were far worse. My point was that speed is not necessarily the primary factor in determining the extent of injuries. If you can die from secondary infections from the road rash then how fast you were doing doesn't really matter as much as how you fall and land. I mean, you could be trackstanding and fall over and hit your head on the ground and die from a brain hemmorage.

MrCrassic 

Not crazy at all.

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terrymorse 

60 mph on a tandem isn't that hard to attain. On a single bike, it's pretty tough. At least it's tough for me at 135 lbs, max speed 55.

umd

I agree you would probably get more road rash at 60 than say 30. But I can say from experience that to some extend more speed does not have to equal more rash. Even if it did I don't think many people are dying from infections from road rash, which was the whole point of my (and several other people's) objection to you saying that death from road rash infection is "not uncommon"

diphthong

62.5 mph was the high and it took a conscious effort to "disconnect" from the risk vs. reward
scenarios literally flashing before my eyes to achieve that speed. was trading drafts down the
palm springs aerial tramway road (not exactly the smoothest surface) held it for roughly 20 seconds
before sanity returned and said "sit your rumpus up." even though it was a straight drag, a blowout, rut or
good ol' shimmy coulda launched me instead of going straight down; at that point, all bets are off.
tried stupidly, to replicate/beat it a year later on the same road with an 853 reynolds steel (instead of the
original, bombproof cro-moly '88 bianchi) '02 lemond buenos aires and barely managed to bring the bike (and me)
unscathed to a stop after some bad shimmy love and pleased to meet you crosswinds @ 55 mph tops.
i'm done with the speed racer thing. your friend may not be crazy but he likely doesn't have anyone
or anything to live for other than (the) speed addiction

umd

Sorry that was W_Cole. What I said was ridiculous was the idea that it is common that people are dying of road rash. Are you saying you think it is common?

Part of the problem is debating between more than one person at the same time and people taking statements out of context. Here is the thread of what I said:

That's where W_Cole chimed in with death from infection was not uncommon. I think the burden of proof is on him to show the evidence of all the people dying from road rash.

I didn't say that injuries can't be worse at higher speeds, I said that generally they aren't worse because of speed. All of the bad injuries I've had or seen have been impacts. Again, breaking things seems to be more likely at low speeds and road rash is more likely at high speeds.

I personally know 2 people who have been involved in accidents on high speed downhill sprints, both went into barriers and both broke bones. They were going nearly 40.

W Cole

I'm trying to find some data. Road rash can be so severe it is similar to a burn victim. I think we are arguing over semantics here - I would say the possibility of dying from secondary infection from road rash is somewhere between rare and not uncommon, really these are subjective terms and I apologize if my use of them caused confusion. My purpose was simply to illustrate the point that road rash is not just discomforting; it is possible to actually die from it. I have friends who like to ride "skins" on their motorcycle with the reasoning that road rash won't kill them and if they wear a helmet they are just as safe as me in full gear. I make sure to correct them and explain that it is possible to die from road rash alone and additionally your body can only take so much damage and survive (as you age this threshold decreases).

I am attempting to find the study where they studied motorcycle injury severity survival rate vs. age.

W Cole

As far as speed vs. accident severity.

In a lowside crash the inital impact of falling off of the bike and hitting the ground will be relatively similar regardless of speed. However, at greater speeds you will sustain greater road rash and you will tumble longer (if you're lucky you will just slide) which increases the odds of breaking your extremities (wrist, ankle, finger injuries are typical). Also obviously if you collide with any object the forces will be greater.

In a highside crash the faster you're travelling the higher/harder you will be flung and obviously the initial impact with the ground will be harder. And again any subsequent impacts with another rider, guard rail, etc. will be more severe due to the greater speed.

I've fallen at 20mph and I've fallen at 60mph (and 5, 10, 15, etc.). The 60mph crash was A LOT more violent.

ImRael

It depends on what caused the spill and where the rider goes.

56cbr600rr

The scondary infection thing from roadrash is crazy, ivenever heard of it happening. Although it's not impossible. It would be mre likely from even a simple outpatient surgery as far as lethal infections go.

W Cole

Heres what a quick google search uncovered about road rash and secondary infection. I have been reading reports for years and have seen it mentioned several times. Ill let you guys know if I find anything else.

-"Road burn or road scrapes result in the loss of skin from areas that come in contact with the ground, leading to serious infections of the skin, bones, joints, or the entire body."

-"In calling every major hospital system in the Philadelphia area, and the Mayo Clinic and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it seems everyone knows road rash is a bad deal, but hard data is limited. Christine Pearson a spokesperson for the CDC said your skin, the body’s largest organ, is your vital first defense against all kinds of infections and diseases. In 2007, she said the Mayo Clinic estimated 95,000 Americans were infected with the antibiotic-resistant infection, and 19,000 people died from it. Dr. Priya Sampathkumar, consultant in infectious disease at the Mayo Clinic said cases of “superbugs” like MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ) are becoming surprisingly more common. “And then it goes in through your skin into your bloodstream,” Sampathkumar said of the rising numbers of cases, “and that’s the scary part. We are used to thinking about this in older people, and it is happening in young and previously healthy people.”

-"Road rash is the common term for a skin abrasion that results from skin sliding along road surfaces. It may be the only injury a rider suffers in an accident, or may occur in tandem with other injuries such as broken bones or head and spinal injuries. It can range from a minor irritant to a severe, life-threatening injury."

-"A significant amount of bacteria can ... be introduced into the wound area. These injuries can be more dangerous than third degree burns. Picture a third degree burn with a handful of dust and road dirt ground into it. With road rash, infection is a certainty unless the wound is treated quickly and proactively."

I have known several people who have gotten staph infections (causes not limited to road rash) and everytime the Doctors have said that it is potentially life threatening infection.

DenisMenchov

I believe it's possible, especially on a road bike. On a hill over here I can hit 45 on knobby tires at 60psi. On Cross tires at 80 psi I've hit 51 on that same hill.

Anyways...

I think the chances for collision going 60mph is pretty high since you have so much momentum. You don't really have control which direction you are going to be flung at that speed, I don't care how good of a rider you think you are. And last time I checked, roads have curbs, cars, dividers, etc. which can easily take you out for good at those speeds.

This idea of going 40+ and just suffering a small road rash if you go down is idiotic at best. Plus you roadies are built so fragile. You have hardly any muscle or any kind of padding on your bones. You guys watched the tour, a lot of guys went home even when falling at pretty normal speeds...around 20mph.

If you go around 40+ you take a chance of getting severely injured. At least on a motorcycle, your probably wearing jeans, steel toe boots, leather jacket, and a more rugged helmet which should minimize injuries if you do survive.

kr32

I can agree with this 100% route 210 heading south I have seen it and thought what a bunch of idiots.