TysonCook

67mph off the top of Mt. Mitchell, NC. Pretty stupid looking back. Definitely keeping it under 40 from here on out.... definitely stupid.

turky lurkey

I agree, fun video to watch; but, that was some pretty irresponsible riding. I can just imagine the cursing going inside the cars.

Eric S.

I think I've gone a bit over 50mph a few times.

One other comment - does anyone else think its BS when Paul & Phil talk about riders hitting 60-70mph in the Tour (or any other pro races)? On a 53x12 bike, you're pretty much spun out above 40mph yet in racing coverage they're shown pedaling with some gear left at the time they're said to be descending at 60mph.

therhodeo

Really?

caloso

53x12 at 40mph is a little less than 120rpm, which is not even close to spun out for a professional road rider. Track riders are a whole 'nother ballgame.

therhodeo

Not to mention that alot of guys spin their cranks while descending just to keep their legs loose.

coasting 

slow down. it ain't worth it.

jsutkeepspining

we did 62/63 on a 52/14 max gear ratio at junior natz. Tucking works wonders

zymphad

I keep it safe, so I can stop if anything weird happens.

Eric S.

As far as the "false reporting" I was mostly making a point of, this video of the '89 World Championship is a prime example. Start around 4:20; there's a brief image of a motorcycle speedometer, then Drebber says they're going 60mph.

That's the BS I meant to call out. I know there are plenty of people that can spin faster and want to descend faster than me.

1989 World Cycling Championships Finish - YouTube

RoadTire 

I just broke 40.5 yesterday, (logged on my Blackburn Delphi 5) and not the legs to go faster. Flyingblind9 busted 43 just ahead of me. New personal record for me, and not sure I'll be smart enough not to do it again. The bike felt smooth and stable.

moonlessnight

35 going downhill (could have been faster but I was braking). Fastest flat around 28. Seem to average 16 to 20 depending on conditions.

djb

I don't have the opportunity of descending big hills often, but if the wind is right and I nail the right hander going down Mount Royal, Camilien Houde road, I can nearly spin out my 50-12 to 70k or 45mph.

spectastic

how fast do pro's sprint? high 30s low 40s?

I think P12 lead out at like 36...

zymphad

Cavendish claims he's the fastest sprinter at 49 mph on a flat.

martinus

"Sitting-on" the ( back of the ) local A ride ...

spectastic

yea but cavendish is a mutant

Jeepnut22 

47 mph on a downhill, 31+ mph on the flats...

47 mph was definitely an eye opener. Fun AND frightening.

CourtJester

That would be a trip.

Fastest on road has been 40.1. Stupid bumpy county roads around here though.
I hit 192 per the GPS on my GSXR if that counts as a bike here...

denvertrout

Finish line sprint 41 mph at my last race. Yee haa

grolby

Somewhere in the mid-50s. The speed I remember most definitively is 53, but I've been in that ballpark a couple of times, may have reached 55 or 56. To those who are fussing about how it's too fast and dangerous, roads where you can hit those speeds that aren't designed for cars going at about those speeds as well are pretty rare. I've been on 30 mph descents that were far sketchier than most of the 50+ downhills I've done.

Not the highest speed, but the coolest high-speed moment I can remember was five years ago at the Tour of the Battenkill. I was in the first chase group, we were railing a long sweeper on a descent. I glanced down at my computer and saw we were doing 50 through this corner. It was awesome, I was totally in the zone, felt totally comfortable and in control, I had no idea we were going that fast.

These days I don't get to go that fast very often. In the last five years, I haven't lived somewhere with many hills long enough to get my skinny butt up over 40. Especially not now that I live in Boston, it's basically flat-to-rolling out here.

More than that, Cav is full of BS. I have no doubt that he can break 40 mph, but the only way he's hitting 49 in a flat sprint is with a pretty stiff tailwind.

twainmark

My PR is 48.3 mph (Cateye reading), coming down Mile Hill Road from the Visitor Center on Mt. Wachusett, an hour west of Boston. I'm not a fast rider -- downhill, flat, or uphill. But I can get pretty close to that each time, weather permitting. One of the Park Rangers at the Visitor Center did tell me once that, at the right time of the year, you have to watch for acorns, because hitting one can cause a wreck at high speed. Don't know if that's scare talk or fact.

Stravacyclist79

51mph Lake Ave Pasadena, CA.

big chainring 

My wheels aren't round enough to go really fast. Up around 30mph I get a lot of thumping.

djb

re the first part of your comments, I agree and would add that there is a time and a place for going fast, if the conditions warrant it --you have good line of sight of the road surface, no weird cross winds, good surface, not in areas where people would pull out etc etc all that stuff that one has to evaluate at that moment. If all that stuff is good, and you are competent at speed, its no worse than my commute through city traffic.

re the last part, makes me think of going 80k on my touring bike fully loaded somewhere along the west coast, down a perfectly smooth road, tailwind, no traffic. It was just as you describe, calm, completely in control, the tailwind made it be very quiet which was pretty neat--thats what I remember was looking down and seeing 80 and being rather surprised. Totally uneventful, as you say, much much slower descents on much sketchier roads were way more attention grabbing.