i know i'm going to sound like a noob here.

reading this review: https://www.roadcycling.com/reviews/2...w_003988.shtml
the dude mentions that during a descent he went from 45 - 54mph on the bike he was testing.

to me, that is insane. i think my top speed was 38mph downhill and i was scared to death. my usual rides top out around 34.

if a car comes around a corner unexpectedly? if there's a wet leaf in the way as you go around a corner? if there's a stick in the road? if there's a couple who decided to stop halfway down the hill? if there's a raccoon (or, in my case, a wild turkey) that darts out in front of you?

all these have happened to me. a crash at highway speeds wearing nothing but a helmet and spandex...eek. anyone else feel this way?

i have been trying to HTFU about it. pushing myself to go a bit faster each time. I can my will, but not my skin.

I wouldn't go that fast either. At age 37 with kids I figure it isn't worth the risk.

I've hit 51 before. Buddy I was riding with coming down Cheaha mountain last weekend said he hit 52. It's not scary if your bike is well maintained and properly setup. My limited experience has been that bikes are perfectly stable at high speeds, even with the occasional bump. I've clipped a reflector on the road on more than one occasion at 40+, it's not pleasant, and it's ideal to avoid it, but your not going to be instantly thrown off the bike.

Just keep your eyes open and watch the road.

Confidence comes with experience, maybe this will help?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBtWB8TM9wg

I've gone down (edit: as in hit the ground) at 35ish. It was not pleasant, road rash from shoulder to shin, I still have some residual scaring on right knee and knuckles. But I was healed enough to be back out and running/cycling by the following weekend. Just got to HTFU, and tegaderm is awesome stuff.

It's not hard to go that fast on a good downhill. I've hit 56 on a 10% grade.

As for the "what ifs", just try not to think about them too much, but be prepared to react if needed.

I've also crashed at ~40mph. Not fun but higher speed crashes actually tend to be not as bad as slow speed ones, to some extent...

depends on the size of the hill.
Coming down mountains I've hit 50+ easily and repeatedly, 60 has happened, but for me 60 is a lot harder than 50... need more mass.

and no, I don't worry about that stuff. (well, I did the first time, but not since then)

I like speed.

58mph so far is the fastest clocked descent for which I have a computer file.

I've posted this video before, gives a good idea of what it's like going fast down a decent. This is the same decent I did 56 on. Also (and not at the same time) on this road I've had a car pull out of a driveway in front of me, and another time my brake cable snapped near the bottom. Fun stuff.


Edit: Anyone who races anywhere with any kind of hills just has to accept fast descents.

60mph on a single bike, 62mph on a Tandem.

Both were in races, so there was at least some potential reward for the risk. Outside of a race, I usually keep it under 50mph these days.

Ironically, the older you get, the more you're consciuos of your own mortality.

I like speed to but my speeding down hills days are generally behind me. Fastest was 55mph going down Interstate 8 many moons ago. I wouldn't do that now unless it was a race. Now I don't go much faster than 40-45 but usually around 38. I'd be pretty p.o.'d if I mangled my bike, carbon wheel and my face on a training ride just to get down a hill a little faster. I'll make it up on the flats. Fun to watch the pros do 60mph in a technical descent though.

I love a twisty descent. It's one of the few parts of a race where I might have an advantage that does not require additional suffering.

Regularly descend at 50+
Hit 64 on the TT bike this summer.

Started descending ala pro style sitting on the top tube with a narrow bar grip - I just don't think about the fall should it happen

Going back a few years I can remember descending in a race at 112 km/h (70 mph) and had a teammate (great descender) come by me like a bullet - he said he was doing 122 km/h (76.25 mph) - the descent was literally like falling off a cliff Weeeeeeeee

I like to say in the low 40s. But one of my regular riding partners flies by me like I"m standing still.

never thought of it as pro style



the 58mph was definitely in this position, albeit with a better-fitting jersey than this Empire State Games blouse they gave me.

Man you really fill out that ladies medium

It's a little unnerving to descend like that at first but gets more comfortable with time.

that's a "small" (unisex)

I think they are going with Good Ol' 'Merkin Vanity Sizing.

if they manage to resurrect the ESG from the dead again and I make the team I'd have to ask them for a child's size XXXXXXXS.

thank god i haven't had any major falls, but i've had some close calls and a few minor falls that have done well to intimidate me.
first real fall was on a descent where i suddenly got the feeling that i was going too fast, tapped the brakes, bike disappeared from under me, and now i have scars on my knees to remember it by.

the closest big hill to me is in New Jersey - i was using that to slowly ratchet up my downhill confidence.
then someone posted a message on my racing group forum that two of his friends were clipped by a car coming around a corner on that hill and they're in the hospital.

back to square 1

yea, check out that video at 1:46. almost gets flattened by a bus head-on.

Eat a lot and stay off the brakes, lol.


I think, "This would be pretty slow on a motorcycle."

lol

i have tried to keep in mind that i know my reaction time is good enough to handle a car at much higher speeds

Just get a street motorcycle. After you get accustomed to riding 90 on the freeway with cars a few feet away, 54 on a bicycle feels like child's-play.

Barring that, just go as fast as you feel comfortable for now. Eventually your comfort level will expand. Also, resist the urge to clench up and imagine all the horrible things that could happen; remaining loose and focused on the moment is much, much safer than being distracted by the yucky things your imagination can produce.

A good number of motorcycle crashes happen when the motorcyclist loses focus on navigating the turn, and instead starts scanning for the softest place on the guard rail to impact.

"Your focus determines your reality." -Qui-Gon Jin

Yea... luckily it was a bus, struggling up that hill and not a sports car enthusiast blasting up it. Gotta stay in your lane on public roads.

I also don't advise passing cars... even properly on the left like he does... I've done it... not one of the smarter choices I've made in life but nothing bad came of it. Was blasting down a mountain, I think Neel's up in N GA, got stuck behind a suv poking along at 30ish mph. Motorbike came up beside me, we chatted a bit, and when the twisties let up, he went around... somehow that gave me the nerve to follow and I did.

i'm still not comfortable with this aero tuck. Something about weight that forward and sitting on the TT unnerves me. The one i normally do, i put my hands on the drops and have my nose as close of the stem as possible.




I think this was last weekend when people were trying to go for the state-line sprint. Someone invariably swung to wide...

As for descents in the area, the one on 9W southbound that starts at CNBC and goes down only to crest a bit at the Exxon station, i (5'8.5", 153lb) can consistently hit 35mph when putting down about 200W. As for the descent past the state-line, i've gone 42mph while putting down 200W. I haven't coasted down a hill in a long time as it's good to practice ratcheting it up to 120rpm.

Irrelevant.

1. 4 wheels on the ground
2. WIDE large contact patch 4 wheels on the ground
3. powerful hydraulic brakes
And in worst case scenario you have air bags, a massive and rigid steel chassis around you and impact absorbing crumple zones.

Depending on the car and setup of course, they can out corner/brake motorbikes and definitely bicycles.

Corner yes... brake in a straight line... Nope when it comes to motorcycles... back to the OP