scott967

I have a segment where I get in the low 40s, BUT, it is subject to pretty good cross winds and even though I am +/- 190 lb, on my 38 section rims I get blown around a bit and that "encourages" me to dial it back a bit.

scott s.
.

doctor j

Outstanding!

I've been trying to break 50 for a while and have come within a few tenths thereof. Close but no cigar.

Well done!

GeneO 

Awesome

Doctor Morbius

Holy cow, that's fast! Congrats.

I get nervous when I hit half that.

Siu Blue Wind

Moved to General from 50+

f4rrest

But he went 50+
?

OldsCOOL

One of the backroads routes that connect East Jordan and Boyne City, Mi. It's a terribly steep short section ending a decent 2 mile grade out of EJ. When descending, you just dont dare going too much faster because of the blind curve. You just dont dare to run the center for caution of oncoming traffic. It all happens in a flash.

WNCGoater

I sometimes look at it like this. Imagine climbing into the back of a pickup truck wearing your biking kit. Then jump out onto the road at 50 mph. Not sure the lycra shorts and nylon jersey will do much or even still be on your body. So while I do on occasion hit 40 mph on a downhill, I generally keep it around 35. And then I envision jumping out of that same pickup at 35 mph and frankly, the outcome isn't much better. Though the sliding, rolling, tumbling may end in a shorter distance! I live in a mountainous area and most downhills are accompanied by sharp curves and switchbacks. Thankfully, this prevents a lot of otherwise high speed temptations.

OldsCOOL

The roar of the wind is a rush!

MinnMan

I just wouldn't trust myself to go that fast. My record is somewhere in the low 40s and i was scared $hitle$$

Trsnrtr

Chapeau!

oldmanchapeau by trsnrtr, on Flickr

ctpres

50+ mph - Not yet but got 47 down Hurricane Ridge, Port Angles, WA. Since I was 76YO at the time it was a real rush. Road was closed for event so anything goes. My first attempt at going UP a mountain with a road bike - never again.

jamesdak 

OMG, I got the worse death wobble on my 1987 Circuit the first time I did a fast descent on it. Was pushing to finally hit above 55 mph and had to hit the rear brake going into a turn due to traffic in the way. Worst death wobble ever and I couldn't stop it. Still nightmares over that.

Still I've descended with it several times since, you just never know....

jamesdak 

Awesome job OP! It's a rush isn't it? If you know the road, your abilities, and your equipment I say, "GO FOR IT"!

kevrider

that's awesome! brings back memories....

my speed record may or may not be 50.0mph, questionable due to being recorded on a cateye cyclocomputer, i was not gps-enabled at the time. it was about 10 years ago, i really wanted to crack fifty that day. i was on my first roadie machine, which had a triple, top gear was 52-12. i was on the right road for it, going northbound on GA 348 (aka Hogpen Gap) gives you a long, straight and steep descent, but conditions were not ideal. it had rained overnight and there is a 90 degree right at the bottom of the straight and the turn was shaded by the tree canopy. i started down from the top with my goal in mind, but as i clicked thru the gears, i could begin to see glistening pavement in the curve. i wavered in my commitment. i glanced down at the cateye and saw that i was close, pedaled a bit, read the curve again, pedaled bit more, and eventually decided that i was already going too fast to not touch 50. so i did and immediately throttled back. oh, how i wish i could repeat that ride on a dry day!

i once again live near mountains, after a few years in the flatlands, and have been enjoying those climbs and descents this year. my top gear is, again, 52-12, but i haven't been on a long, straight, steep section like that one. my gps record is a mere 48.5, per mapmyride. there is a disparity between the Vmax recorded in my phone and what's reported online (49.6), but i'm short either way. pretty sure there is an 11t cog in my future.


YOLO!!!

kevrider

that's funny, when i was riding those NGa hills, i would tell my cousin that i wished i could cycle up in my cycling kit like normal, then have a wardrobe change at the top, donning my complete, head-to-foot moto kit -- maybe with clipless boots?
https://www.cycleworld.com/sites/cycl...?itok=VYeCyhpD


then i could fly down the hill at ludicrous speed without concern for my safety. but, it turns out that i do the same in lycra. yes, i'm an optimist.

WNCGoater

Well there IS that. :-)

jefnvk

Nice! I hit mine this month too, a relatively paltry 42MPH on a loaded touring bike coming down a loose gravel chipseal 14% grade. Still kick myself for not going for 45, but I didn't have the gears to pedal it out and I knew there was a car somewhere around the corner! Bike was rock solid tho, as assuring as any motorbike, and I made it down a minute quicker than friends!


Is this on a route commonly used by DALMAC? I believe I've heard of it before, wondering if I should prepare my brakes...

f4rrest

I've done this, but using soccer slider shorts and goalie shirt. It actually looks a lot like cycling Lycra but with strategically placed impact pads.

Also, just having a base layer or extra pair of shorts on saves a lot of skin.

OldsCOOL

It is! I live in the downtown area of Boyne City and each year I keep an eye out for the DALMAC riders. Dont prepare your brakes....prepare your legs. You will be going up the hill I went down on. There is an alternate route that day, though.

OldsCOOL

I ride an '88 Cannondale Criterium Series (the one with the reputation for giving scro-butt, fillings jarred loose and numb hands) that has upgrades for hills, there is the 39/53 matched to a 12-28 cassette on very light wheels. Very solid and a ton of fun on hills. I was living with excitement reading your excellent recount of the descent. I was almost grabbing the brakes at the telling of the approaching curve with the shadetrees.

jefnvk

Dang it! Well, maybe I'll turn around, ride back down it, and then go back up a second time

I don't know the actual routes, this is the first time I am doing it. I think the longer route that day largely retraces the Zoo de Mack ride we did earlier this year, so we'll probably just stick to the shorter ride on new roads. I wouldn't mind hitting up the hill, though, I want to tackle some serious grades not on a touring bike! Got enough leg prep in Iceland on those hills

OldsCOOL

I love this picture!

BlazingPedals

What??? You're doing DALMAC? Which route? I am signed up for the 5-day West. All routes except the 5DE include The Wall; although as I wrote earlier, after riding up it for almost 20 years, I finally started taking what they call the Advance Route, which I believe is hillier but doesn't have that one serious grade. And the roads are much better. I definitely recommend that anyone on their first DALMAC should do The Wall, just for bragging rights. In keeping with Photobucket's new policy, I'll just provide a URL to the map/elevation graph:
https://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...s/walltopo.gif

indyfabz

The Smithsonian called. It wants its Garmin back.