Who is the fastest cyclist?
 

This is meant to be entertaining. But I am curious on the definition. What are the rules to make that claim?
How do YOU DEFINE FASTEST?

"The 21-year-old is one of the fastest cyclists in the world, able to accelerate from 0 to 40 in just 18 seconds. He's so fast, he has a good shot at making the 2020 Olympic team."
https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs...EmpATMbSaqHNyo

To the mods - bike racing is about winning. This is not a post about racing or winning - just what is the fastest. Please consider before moving the thread.

I figured the guy who motor paced at 140MPH (or whatever it was) is the correct answer.

But I reckon it depends on how you define fastest.

Wouldn't acceleration be "quickest?"

I AM curious on other definitions.
That was Dr. Alan ****t - originally. Later it was broken by I forgot who.

To me it is time to get back to the start under own power and same average wind. Using stored/other's energy to get there is interesting, but does not count.
I can see that argument for peak speed too.

Running: 100m, 400m or marathon are different, but we generally give it to the 100m person.
But even in running there was some discussion that peak speed may be hit in the 200m. So for a brief period - the 200m runner may be faster.

In cycling it needs to be a current comparison. It is way too hard to compare Eddy to Sagan. Lotto did over 35mph in that TTT today. That was fast, but not an individual thing.
But comparing them to what USPS with Lance did is too difficult.

Highest acceleration, yes, but thread is fastest and it may not be that.

Also in the link in the OP 0-40 in 18 sec I assume is on a fixed gear. I'd think that is beatable on a geared bike. I never measured it.
Most TTs discourage starting too fast. A 200m flying track TT may be the fastest.
But this is a road cycling forum. So I was not really thinking of track.

An inspiring story. I wish him luck and success.

But of course, the journalist is just using words in their vocabulary, not really knowing how to describe a strong track cyclist.

So, FWIW, it all depends on your reference point. One could argue that the astronaut is traveling about 5 miles/second when he is pedaling at the end of this video.

Denise Mueller-Koronek got 183.9 last year.

I'm with you, though, that these records do not count.

What you're really looking for is a continuation of the "Merckx rules" hour record, where people would run basically the same equipment Eddy used in 1972. Those rules were abandoned in 2014 in favor of modern aero bikes/wheels/skinsuits, but something along the lines of fastest human-powered effort over the course of an hour on a standard road bike is pretty close to what I'd consider the "fastest cyclist".

Well, can't really record that on Strava, so it didn't happen.
Ref point is on roads attached to earth and returning to the same point (wind) and no other energy used - and record-able (right or wrong due to sampling rates) by Strava.
So like a 200m track TT, but this is road.

A sprint - after drafting others might be the fastest, but they definitely used others to do that.
A sprint just riding off the front counts.

My kid got a Strava KOM here that will be difficult to repeat.
Anyway, I would DQ this one too, but along the same lines of your post. I think it entertaining - to me. Old family vacation video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN-s...ature=youtu.be

Yea, I think "std road bike" is somewhat a key. Even though we know non-standard is faster. But I am not looking to the hour.
More - just top speed. That is me, and I totally understand why someone else is more interested in an hour like others are more interested in a mile vs 100m.
I think comparing what they were then is too hard. Even a Eddy bike then ridden now, other things are different from roads, tires, venue.

Flying 200m on the track is the best measurement for all out speed.
Anything else you are just guessing as there are no proper events, measurements, criteria and competition.
Track sprinters are undoubtedly the fastest accelerating and top speed cyclists. They are the only ones that train exclusively for that.
The flying 200m qualifying rounds is the event for them to show that speed with nothing else compromising it.

But, as I posted above, they are not road cyclists. They also have a fixed gear. I would think the gear would matter for acceleration. Flying TT, I agree with you, but they are not road cyclists.

Then, most TTs on road and track measure highest average speed, not fastest speed.

Todd Reichert has done 89.5 mph unassisted on a flat road.
I guess that would make him the fastest road cyclist.

There's simply no such thing. You could find the fastest participant in any given discipline, but there absolutely is no "fastest cyclist."

Let's take two runners for example.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...012703e7a2.jpghttps://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e645596d94.jpg

These are inarguably two of the fastest runners in the world. But Kipchoge would get annihilated by Bolt in the 100M, and there's no guarantee Bolt could even finish a marathon in a decent time.

Put a 200M track sprinter in the 112 mile bike leg of an Ironman and see how he does. Put the fastest Ironman finisher in the Tour Divide. There is no such thing as the fastest cyclist.

Also not road cycling, or on a road bike

So you are asking who is the fastest "road cyclist" using the parameters in which their are no events, competitors, or measurements?

Battle Mountain isn't a flat course. You can tell because they don't take the average of two-way runs -- it's a one-way run only.

The answer to this thread is @Doge's kid :)

Denise Mueller-Korenek, last year.

But fastest road cyclist? We'll never know for sure because that record will be made on a descent with no witnesses save fellow riders (maybe). So, either that moment was not documented at all or we have to believe the 79.3 mph that so-and-so claims. Yeah, right!

Ben

When it comes to running "the world's fastest human" is pretty much accepted to be the person who can cover 100 meters in the shortest time from a standing (zero speed) start. In cycling there is no such agreement and I doubt that there ever will be. I don't even have a suggestion as to what that standard should be (and this is BF where EVERYBODY has an opinion on EVERYTHNG :-) .

dave

I don't know who it is, but it sure as hell ain't me. :D

Kinda what I was thinking. There needs to be some parameters of some sort.

Fernando Gaviria?

In time trial territory, guys like Anquetil, Merckx, LeMond, Indurain and Cancellara would still be fast under any conditions with any equipment.

I see what Doge is digging for..........which is awesome. Kudos.

Raw finish speed? Using only your teammates and not silly salt flat car drafting.........a downhill sprint finish in the World Tour. Though, I'd imagine that's super super rare they'd do that versus giving a technical setup to the sprint that slows them down.

In that case, routinely the flying 200m on track.

If we're going after something longer than blinking and it's over.............individual and team pursuit. I'd say Kilo, but it's not an official Oly event anymore......I think.

Outdoor TT is super fast but has environmental factors to consider that track does not*.

*assuming indoors