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What is your top speed down the hill?

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

What is your top speed down the hill?

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Old 10-02-11 | 12:15 AM
  #51  
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This reminds me of an article in "Car and Driver"
https://www.caranddriver.com/features...ger_man-column
It relates to driving, but what he replied to his mom is how I feel.
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Old 10-02-11 | 03:17 AM
  #52  
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Around 30 mph. I think the most I will go is around 40 mph though but we'll see....
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Old 10-02-11 | 03:42 AM
  #53  
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Old 10-02-11 | 03:46 AM
  #54  
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And just by the way, I would point out Rule 24.
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Old 10-02-11 | 01:14 PM
  #55  
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50+ then a speed wobble that scared me so badly...

25+ years ago - something over 50 mph coming down a hill from Oregon into the Columbia River Gorge. 50+ mph on a nice smooth road and a terrible speed wobble began. I was a serious motorcyle rider and reverted to experience - I gripped the top tube with my knees and eased up the pressure on the handlebars. Wobble decreased but was still scary. Eventually got it under control.

The same thing happened several more times - rebuilt front end - new headset, new forks, new hub - no wobble for 15+ years. It was quite a few years before I was able to get my nerves back up to 50 mph downhill.

Coming down Lake Tapps highway (into Sumner WA) at 48 mph - huge speed wobble on a very narrow shoulder with Armco to my right and 50 mph traffic just two feet to my left. The wobble lasted for many, many seconds but I finally got it under control.

That was six years and two bikes ago. Now I can easily ride at 35 - 40 mph on gradual downhills where I am pedalling hard. BUT...on on long steep downhills where I could coast at 50 mph I am scared silly and do not have the nerves to allow the bike to get over 30 mph,

Coming down Mt Ranier the other day - no problem pedalling at 36 mph but on some really steep, new chip seal shaded and wet pavement, I was scared to death coasting at 25 mph. If I pedal against the brakes I can manage 30 - 35mph.

Wierd - EH?
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Old 10-02-11 | 01:51 PM
  #56  
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Originally Posted by and1homer
And just by the way, I would point out Rule 24.

Hell no...that would require math.
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