What’s your top end sprint speed?
08-24-19, 06:41 PM
#51
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I don't expect anyone in here to hit 40 mph by himself unassisted on the road, no freakin way.
Here's a vide of your typical club sprinter hitting 1300-1500w and hitting 33-35 mph
(there is no way these guys will ever get to 40 mph)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHxuCSa2upg
Local cat1 guys around here can hit 38 mph in a bunch sprint, but this includes major drafting.
Most Tour stage finishing sprint speed are under 40 mph.
If anyone can hit 40 on the road by himself without assistance, they're definitely a talent.
The only guys that can hit over 40 mph are world-class track match sprinters (these guys are freaks themselves, blessed with exceptional genetics).
Here's a vide of your typical club sprinter hitting 1300-1500w and hitting 33-35 mph
(there is no way these guys will ever get to 40 mph)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHxuCSa2upg
Local cat1 guys around here can hit 38 mph in a bunch sprint, but this includes major drafting.
Most Tour stage finishing sprint speed are under 40 mph.
If anyone can hit 40 on the road by himself without assistance, they're definitely a talent.
The only guys that can hit over 40 mph are world-class track match sprinters (these guys are freaks themselves, blessed with exceptional genetics).
Oh I'm still going for it!
But you do make me feel better about my performance so far this year. Hitting 33-34 has been hard this year. Two years ago my fastest was 37.4 and I'm nobody. Makes me wonder how much error my Garmin has. But I've been lamenting about how slow I've become....
I still want 40!
Oh and goggle says the Manx Missile can hit 48.47 mph so......
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08-24-19, 08:43 PM
#52
C*pt*i* Obvious
There isn't a single flat segment longer than 100 yards on my usual routes. Strava doesn't permit creating micro segments that qualify as sprints in terms of a typical crit, so I can only guesstimate my top speed at 32 mph for a few seconds. I'm not sure I've ever tried to completely max out my effort on a sprint on solo workouts, though. Usually those come when I'm on an easy ride and decide to try pushing a little harder, or during interval sessions.
I've set up a few private segments on undulating terrain where the rises and dips average out to 0%. Looks like my best speeds over a mile on reasonably flat terrain sheltered from wind are around 23 mph. My best on a 1/3rd mile segment was 30 mph. Fastest on a -1% downhill over 1.5 miles was 30 mph, peaking at 42 mph for 20 seconds.
Best over a 6 mile TT undulating segment with some steep punchy climbs was 25 mph. That was good for 2nd place on Strava for awhile but I've been bumped down to 8th. The KOM is 28 mph. That's on open prairie, lots of wind. It's never not windy there, usually crosswinds.
I rarely do max effort sprints. Mostly I work on climbs and sustained effort over 20-50 miles. My short distance max speed is okay. I have trouble with endurance. I'm not even fast among the serious cyclists in my age group. And my fastest times were a couple of years ago before injuries and illnesses. It's been a slow slog back into good fitness.
I've set up a few private segments on undulating terrain where the rises and dips average out to 0%. Looks like my best speeds over a mile on reasonably flat terrain sheltered from wind are around 23 mph. My best on a 1/3rd mile segment was 30 mph. Fastest on a -1% downhill over 1.5 miles was 30 mph, peaking at 42 mph for 20 seconds.
Best over a 6 mile TT undulating segment with some steep punchy climbs was 25 mph. That was good for 2nd place on Strava for awhile but I've been bumped down to 8th. The KOM is 28 mph. That's on open prairie, lots of wind. It's never not windy there, usually crosswinds.
I rarely do max effort sprints. Mostly I work on climbs and sustained effort over 20-50 miles. My short distance max speed is okay. I have trouble with endurance. I'm not even fast among the serious cyclists in my age group. And my fastest times were a couple of years ago before injuries and illnesses. It's been a slow slog back into good fitness.
Impressive, knowing where you started.
08-26-19, 08:39 AM
#53
Senior Member
Oh I'm still going for it!
But you do make me feel better about my performance so far this year. Hitting 33-34 has been hard this year. Two years ago my fastest was 37.4 and I'm nobody. Makes me wonder how much error my Garmin has. But I've been lamenting about how slow I've become....
I still want 40!
Oh and goggle says the Manx Missile can hit 48.47 mph so......
But you do make me feel better about my performance so far this year. Hitting 33-34 has been hard this year. Two years ago my fastest was 37.4 and I'm nobody. Makes me wonder how much error my Garmin has. But I've been lamenting about how slow I've become....
I still want 40!
Oh and goggle says the Manx Missile can hit 48.47 mph so......
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08-26-19, 09:00 AM
#54
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he ain't hitting that speed unassisted. A great leadout train and a tailwind will do that. I don't count that. A woman has hit 184 mph on a bicycle while drafting a special vehicle. Some guys who draft truck also hit 60 mph. I'll repeat, if anyone can hit 40 mph on the road unassisted, they should be in some Olympics track events already.
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08-26-19, 09:35 AM
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Oh I'm still going for it!
But you do make me feel better about my performance so far this year. Hitting 33-34 has been hard this year. Two years ago my fastest was 37.4 and I'm nobody. Makes me wonder how much error my Garmin has. But I've been lamenting about how slow I've become....
I still want 40!
Oh and goggle says the Manx Missile can hit 48.47 mph so......
But you do make me feel better about my performance so far this year. Hitting 33-34 has been hard this year. Two years ago my fastest was 37.4 and I'm nobody. Makes me wonder how much error my Garmin has. But I've been lamenting about how slow I've become....
I still want 40!
Oh and goggle says the Manx Missile can hit 48.47 mph so......
08-26-19, 10:29 AM
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34mph, this was at the end of a metric century where we averaged 23+mph. Finish was flat, no idea on wind. Got outsprinted and took 2nd.
08-26-19, 10:33 AM
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Did this metric century have a podium and payouts?
08-26-19, 12:14 PM
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33mph Road (sprinting to finish line (46x11) (cross bike))
40mph Track (flying 250m lap) (49x15)*
24mph for an hour.
*spinning out? What is this talk about spinning out?
I guess a velodrome doesn't count then. ;-)
That sounds about right. 1200 watts for 10 seconds at the track does it.
32 is pretty good. Concentrate on getting aero. Aero helmet tight clothes, zipper up to your neck, shaved legs, as low as you can go on the bars, smooth shoes, riding down wind ;-)
40mph Track (flying 250m lap) (49x15)*
24mph for an hour.
*spinning out? What is this talk about spinning out?
38 to 40 is harder than you think, nobody hits 40 by himself on the road
40mph takes about 1200W so tough to hit unless you're starting from something close and still have 1200W in your legs.
32 is pretty good. Concentrate on getting aero. Aero helmet tight clothes, zipper up to your neck, shaved legs, as low as you can go on the bars, smooth shoes, riding down wind ;-)
08-26-19, 01:07 PM
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08-26-19, 01:17 PM
#62
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wow im slow
i topped out at 27mph for about 1.5 miles on flats before i had to slow down the cadence
usual 1.5hr ride avg speed 17.4-17.8mph
downhill is the only time i can hit 30+mph
i topped out at 27mph for about 1.5 miles on flats before i had to slow down the cadence
usual 1.5hr ride avg speed 17.4-17.8mph
downhill is the only time i can hit 30+mph
08-26-19, 03:53 PM
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I have a hard time believing any recreational cyclist can do 40 mph on a flat.
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08-26-19, 04:59 PM
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How are all of you defining "sprint"? I keep seeing people putting up numbers for 1 minute efforts and others for more than a mile. Those are not sprints.
08-26-19, 05:11 PM
#65
Non omnino gravis
Well in track the 400m is the longest event considered a sprint, so should we go by the same reckoning? A "sprint" is anything up to a quarter of a mile?
And for the confines of this thread, flat ground, solo, without outside assistance. So any speed in a group just doesn't count.
And for the confines of this thread, flat ground, solo, without outside assistance. So any speed in a group just doesn't count.
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08-26-19, 06:07 PM
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I don't know about this ^. For example, I have hit 38.5 unassisted chasing a couple of guys and not even getting out of the saddle (people that know me give me crap because I don't get out of the saddle, even when climbing). Over 37 several times without drafting as well. And I'm not even particularly big at 5'4 and 150 pounds!
So I've got lots of recorded sprints in the past two year hitting 36 with the one at 37.4 or whatever it was I posted above when I looked it up. Is 3 mph really that much more? I mean, maybe it is but I don't believe so.
Oh and just to add to the fun. This is the bike I've ridden for all my fastest sprints.
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08-26-19, 06:11 PM
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You know as I think about the one area I hit my fastest times I do use the downhill before it to get up to around 27mph then hit the sprint zone, stand and get on it. Maybe that's my leadout even though it's only about a -1% grade?
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08-26-19, 06:12 PM
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he ain't hitting that speed unassisted. A great leadout train and a tailwind will do that. I don't count that. A woman has hit 184 mph on a bicycle while drafting a special vehicle. Some guys who draft truck also hit 60 mph. I'll repeat, if anyone can hit 40 mph on the road unassisted, they should be in some Olympics track events already.
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08-26-19, 06:57 PM
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Although I can kiss 40mph at the track, for a quarter mile on the road, I'm dong about 27mph - so you are not slow! For an hour, I'm doing about 24 miles (for those slow at math, that is 24 miles per hour).
You can max out your peak power and heart rate for a little over 10 seconds, and the hour pace shows you where your lactate threshold is. In my case, that is about a 16mph difference. So yeah, duration for a "sprint" matters a lot.
I'm about 24 miles in an hour if I hold right at my lactate threshold.
08-26-19, 10:57 PM
#70
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On the road, random air turbulence makes it harder to achieve the same max speed as on the track (unless that air is a tailwind)! So, no freaking way Cav could do 48 mph (or 41 mph) by himself on the road. There is no need to believe this or not believe that, there are plenty of evidence of him on the track.
08-27-19, 05:15 AM
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To be fair he had an avg speed of 44mph in the flying lap at the last olympics. Presumably his peak speed was a little higher, but likely not 48. Cav’s not really a track sprinter though, I think the record is 46+mph for a 200m flying lap.
08-27-19, 06:20 AM
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08-27-19, 06:22 AM
#73
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08-27-19, 06:27 AM
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If I can get some calm winds on this week's afternoon rides I'll throw in some sprints. Pretty dissapointed to only hit 33 mph a couple of weeks ago. If I hit 36 then I'm still believing that good riders can hit 40 cause I'm just a rec guy in my 50's. Guess I need to get the old Circuit ready, I really do hit my highest speeds on it. I think it's the less aggressive bar setting and all that puts me in my optimun sprinting position when I stand.
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08-27-19, 06:45 AM
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I bet the key is to find a training partner who can also hit those speeds. Riding with other fast riders is the only way to squeeze out that last 1-2% or so of talent, the 1-2% that makes the difference between 1st place and 20th place.
I used to hit 35 on flat ground routinely, in my late 20's, practicing sprints with other riders on my team, and riding hundreds of miles a week. Now in my 50's, I feel just as strong (though recovery does take a bit longer) which seems freakish to me. When I was a kid, there were no athletes in their 50's, so I didn't expect to still be able to perform at this level, at this age. It's an unexpected gift from my Creator, which I will graciously accept for as long as it lasts. People in my generation simply age different than my parent's generation, for whatever reason.
As far as my top sprint speed these days ... well it is what it is.
I used to hit 35 on flat ground routinely, in my late 20's, practicing sprints with other riders on my team, and riding hundreds of miles a week. Now in my 50's, I feel just as strong (though recovery does take a bit longer) which seems freakish to me. When I was a kid, there were no athletes in their 50's, so I didn't expect to still be able to perform at this level, at this age. It's an unexpected gift from my Creator, which I will graciously accept for as long as it lasts. People in my generation simply age different than my parent's generation, for whatever reason.
As far as my top sprint speed these days ... well it is what it is.