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What's Your Speed Limit.??

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What's Your Speed Limit.??

Old 04-27-19, 09:51 AM
  #26  
Kedosto
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If I was to believe my CatEye wireless computer, I hit 68 mph on my commute sometime this last week. Closer to reality, I’ve seen 42 mph on a long downhill. I’m just too big and catch too much wind to go much faster. Besides, I ride motorcycles and hit 162 on a CBR1000RR at an undisclosed location. On my Concours I can more than double the speed limit in mere seconds. The motorcycles satisfy any need for speed.


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Old 04-27-19, 10:23 AM
  #27  
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falling down .. its the stopping that hurts ...
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Old 04-27-19, 10:34 AM
  #28  
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We limit our tandem on downhills to 40mph after a scary incident a few years ago when, at 35mph, I braked to slow which initiated front wheel wobble. Yikes! Were able to brake to an upright stop and much later found out our front rim had a sidewall crack. No problems since with rebuilt wheel but still keep the speed down.
Have been into the mid-40's on my single bikes and would like to hit 50 if conditions are suitable - smooth road, good visibility, etc.
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Old 04-27-19, 11:04 AM
  #29  
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a 747-400 is said to be good for Mach 0.8. , bike was in a box in the luggage hold, then..

I, in a seat in Economy , Coach.
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Old 04-27-19, 11:18 AM
  #30  
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I hit 50+ mph once going downhill near Buena Vista, CO. Here on the Delaware coast it is very flat. The only "climb" is going over the Indian River Inlet bridge. That is only about 1/3 of a mile with an altitude gain of maybe 150 feet. I can hit 40 mph if I have good speed at the top, after the uphill side, and a wind at my back going downhill. I will sometimes go over the bridge 3 or 4 times consecutively for the work. Northern Delaware does have some hills to climb, but still no real climb. If I really want climb hills/mountains the closest area would be western Maryland or southern Pennsylvania. How fast would I like to go? As fast as gravity and my legs would carry me.
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Old 04-27-19, 11:24 AM
  #31  
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I don't have one.

There is a hill by my house that regularly sees 50mph (80kph)...just don't hit the manhole covers.
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Old 04-27-19, 12:03 PM
  #32  
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So 110 kmph is not the limit for the pros, but it's close.

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Old 04-27-19, 12:05 PM
  #33  
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I've just hit 50 mph. Didn't brake, but was OK with not going faster.

With cross winds, I'll keep it to 35.
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Old 04-27-19, 12:20 PM
  #34  
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A lot of the responses are dealing with top speed. Mine is 45 mph. I have since imposed a 35mph limit. I might allow a tad over on a descent, but not by much. I love the speed, but no longer bounce well.
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Old 04-27-19, 12:56 PM
  #35  
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Only one of my bikes has a computer, it's also the one with the best stability and brakes. I get nervous going downhill at high speed. Same when I'm skiing, maybe due to some minor fear of heights. I don't know that I've ever gotten above 29 or so, and I usually slow things down long before that point.
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Old 04-27-19, 01:00 PM
  #36  
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My comfort level is dependent on the situation. I don't go above whatever speed feels safe. Safety depends on the bicycle, the road surface, visibiltiy, and corners. The only time I got really worried was when I had a 2 mile decent down a very steep gravel road. My rims were getting really hot and my brakes were starting to fade. It was not a good situation. Corners often limit my comfort level. Sometimes wind resistance is the limiting factor. I once hit 56mph in ideal conditions with a good road and a tailwind. 45 is fairly common.

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Old 04-27-19, 01:23 PM
  #37  
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Like others, it's entirely situational. If I know the road, know the behavior of my bike at high speeds, do not have blind corners where there might be sand/gravel/giant potholes, and am not being rocked around by wind, I'll let 'er rip.

On a normal road ride, I'll max out around 40-45MPH; the big guys will hit 50-55, and some of the shorter gals who can get really aero go faster as well. A bit of fear sometimes kicks in ~35MPH, but if I can just pay attention to my surroundings and enjoy the rush, it's all good.
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Old 04-27-19, 01:37 PM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by BirdsBikeBinocs
Title poses a question I've been thinking about lately. Last Fall I rode my Schwinn hybrid down a fairly steep hill on a well maintained road. At 29mph I started to give the bike a little brake. In otherwords, I didn't feel safe going over 29mph on that bike.

I have a new road bike and I've topped it off at like 24mph once. I wanted more but the grade didn't allow it.
24 MPH should be easy enough to hit on the level. No hills needed.

I can pretty easily punch it up to 25 MPH, and have averaged > 25 MPH on the level for about a mile or so. I am a bit of a slow rider, but I'm working on getting faster.

I can also hit 30 MPH (or slightly higher) on the level, but that takes more work, and I can't keep it up as long.

Despite all the mantra that it is the rider, not the bike, that is only half true. Hit that range 25 to 30 MPH, and the bike makes a big difference. If I can hit 30 on the road bike, I'm stuck at about 25 on the cross bike, if that fast.

My downhill goal is to hit 55 or 56 MPH.


So far my max is 54.1 MPH pushing pretty hard on a descent. And, that is right on the edge of an urban area. I need to hunt for a better descent challenge spot.
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Old 04-27-19, 01:48 PM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by jeffpoulin
So 110 kmph is not the limit for the pros, but it's close.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT2MwG9gMgI
Fun question.

I think I need to do some tuning of my bike. 135 KPH? = 84 MPH.... Whew.

I will say that when I got up to about 50 MPH on my old bike, it just wasn't that comfortable. Far too much flex everywhere. Just reaching down to shift could induce a shimmy.

When I hit 54 on my new-er bike, it was far more comfortable, although somehow, I broke two spokes on descents on that ride. Ok, no crash, but it was frustrating. Not quite sure what happened. I think I had stressed my spokes during an earlier dishing operation. And, then may well have been hitting higher power than normal with my attempt to not spin out at > 50 MPH.
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Old 04-27-19, 01:50 PM
  #40  
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Oh, one thing, if you do choose to try descending at > 30 MPH, > 40 MPH, or > 50 MPH, choose your roads carefully. Be careful about blind corners. Keep in your lane. Be aware about potential hazards. Blind driveways?
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Old 04-27-19, 02:25 PM
  #41  
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Around here the roads get torn up by people (people, trucks, farm equipment) braking at the bottom of hills. Potholes get patched, but even the patching is so-so, and that keeps my from really letting fly on steeper hills. On long moderate descents though I'll let 'er rip if conditions are right.
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Old 04-27-19, 02:46 PM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by CliffordK
24 MPH should be easy enough to hit on the level. No hills needed.

I can pretty easily punch it up to 25 MPH, and have averaged > 25 MPH on the level for about a mile or so. I am a bit of a slow rider, but I'm working on getting faster.

I can also hit 30 MPH (or slightly higher) on the level, but that takes more work, and I can't keep it up as long.

Despite all the mantra that it is the rider, not the bike, that is only half true. Hit that range 25 to 30 MPH, and the bike makes a big difference. If I can hit 30 on the road bike, I'm stuck at about 25 on the cross bike, if that fast.
Is that considered a "slow rider"? I don't really think so, unless you're comparing yourself to a pro or someone who races competitively.

Those are almost exactly my numbers. Hitting 30 on the flats with no gradient or wind assist is difficult for me, but doable. I can sustain 25-26 by myself for a mile or two depending on wind and gradient (I live in a flat area).

I'm a terrible Paul Sherwin-like climber. I do have lots of torque and acceleration though, I think that's my main talent. I like to think I would have been a good track rider, but never got the opportunity to try one out. Tried a few criteriums, but there was just too much pain involved compared to the enjoyment for me, track racing probably would have been the same.
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Old 04-27-19, 02:46 PM
  #43  
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I once did 45mph downhill and don't plan on doing that again unless I rode the same hill 2 minutes ago and know it's condition.

Normally about 35mph is enough for me.
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Old 04-27-19, 02:52 PM
  #44  
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My highest speed on flat road is 48 km/h (30 mph). I have an alluminium hybrid bike with 700x38c wheels, lockable front suspension fork, fenders and rear rack. It weighs about 16 kg. My highest gear ratio is 42/11 and I have Menjoin front hub with ceramic bearings from AliExpress, Shimano BB-UN26 stock bottom bracket and Shimano HB-475 stock rear hub. I also have toe clips on my bike.

Note: I measured that speed with GPS.
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Old 04-27-19, 02:56 PM
  #45  
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Years ago, I broke 50 on one of my road racers, going down a particularly nasty route on our resident mountain. Now that my racing/heavy training days are over, I'm running some pretty wide, comfy and slow Continentals, on some relatively heavy SwissDT rims, w/ 105 hubs.
I hit 40mph the other day, on a winding route down the mountain I don't usually take, but that was unusual (and right at the edge of scary, given the turns), but I typically have to pedal like I really mean it to get over 35, with these wheels and tires.
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Old 04-27-19, 02:59 PM
  #46  
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Originally Posted by Lemond1985
Is that considered a "slow rider"? I don't really think so, unless you're comparing yourself to a pro or someone who races competitively.
Yeah... Slower than snails.

Those, of course, are the top speeds. Most of my riding is much slower.

I have a several top 10 places on Strava, but generally only because I'm near a smaller city. Go to the big cities, and I might be struggling to get a top 100.

Wind can help a bit.

I find it extraordinary those that can race 100 miles at 25+ MPH, then finish at 40+ MPH uphill. And, not just pros, the young amateurs, and even a few old geezers.

Of course that isn't taking the wind for the whole 100 miles, but everyone is expected to take the wind some of the time.

Then, there are those riders who are averaging > 30 MPH for an hour? 30+ miles? SOLO.
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Old 04-27-19, 03:04 PM
  #47  
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I've been over 40mph a few times and I think 44 is the fastest.
Very few times each year am I even in a position to have the chance to go that fast due to location. Iowa just doesn't have sustained descents.
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Old 04-27-19, 03:06 PM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by wolfchild
Speed is irrelevant and doesn't mean anything, just because going fast or passing somebody else doesn't mean that you are a fitter and stronger rider...I don't care about speed. I stopped using bike computer many years ago and I don't keep track of speed or distance.
I don't think anyone has said or even suggested going fast or passing someone means you are a fitter or stronger rider.
Odd thing for you to post.
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Old 04-27-19, 03:12 PM
  #49  
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
I don't think anyone has said or even suggested going fast or passing someone means you are a fitter or stronger rider.
Aren't there some who say that the heavier riders descend faster?

Even on the level, speed takes raw power, and is relatively independent of weight.

It is only on the climbing when thin and trim makes a huge difference.
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Old 04-27-19, 09:01 PM
  #50  
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My limit is usually about 3 mph slower than my wife's. I usually start easing off when I go over 45 mph, and she is pulling away from me. She was a triathlete, and is fearless on the downhills.

This picture pretty much tells the story

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