djb

me too, but I am especially fond of a good coast at 70 or 80kph.

(but not on gravel, I best stick on topic here)

52telecaster

i usually top out around 35mph. Last year in Wisconsin rolling hills i coasted for 3 continuous miles.

djb

Ya, me too usually around that speed. It's rare to go faster than 60, and even then we get into the proper time and place of going fast, depending on the conditions, and when its wise not too.

cyccommute 

Don't get me wrong, I like a good coast too. I just like get more speed up before I coast.

Going that fast on gravel isn't that difficult but you gotta have the right bike for it. Back when I was younger and my bones healed better...and I was mostly stupid..., I had no problem with doing near that speed on a rigid bike on gravel. Now that I'm older and my bones heal slower...but no smarter...I let the suspension handle the gravel. My "gravel" bike is the one that I've posted many times

DSCN1146 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

It's not geared as high as my road touring bike so I can't get up to quite the same speed but I can still push 40mph (mid 60 kph) on it. Wheeeeeee!

djb

That made me smile, the part about healing slower but still being slightly stupid. I'm paraphrasing but I feel the same.
As you said about the right bike, and what I said about judging the variables, it comes down to simply being comfortable on a given surface, with a given line of sight, and having the experience and judgment to be comfortable with how your bike is in that given situation at x speed.

cyccommute 

I didn't say I was "slightly" stupid. For the most part I'm almost completely stupid

djb

preaching to the converted.
We make jokes about being stupid and whatnot, but it's interesting that even at our advanced age of decrepitude, well for me anyway--all the same enjoyment of being on the edge of traction, or at least being keenly aware of where the limit is and enjoying being at 80 or 90 or 95% percent of the limit, and being comfortable at a given level of speed/traction/reaction time/ etc, hasnt changed all that much from lets say, 35 years ago.
I hope anyway that I still listen to that little voice that is calculating all the variables and says, "ok, for your level of concentration right now, back off X %" and also hopefully still making proper assessment of all the variables.

I very much believe that by keeping active, and pushing the limit to a safe extent, it keeps us "sharp" at this, like practicing any sport. It is exactly this reason why I find it fun riding in winter a bit. The whole bike control thing is at a slow speed, feeling for traction, judging the surface, body language, dealing with slides , and I like the challenge of it all, to keep sharp.