New maximum top speed, I think.

[Renard]

Not sure if I believe this myself. Yesterday I was cycling around the Eden valley in Cumbria and decided to give Great Dun Fell a go (now I think this is the hardest climb in the UK but that's a different story). I knew it was steep on the way up but on the way down it seemed even steeper and I knew I was going to set a new top speed. It was a perfect windless evening and I was really going for it but I was gobsmacked when I checked my computer. It read 70.9 mph!!!

I reset the computer at the gate half way down and even on the lower section I hit 50 mph without trying. Now I'm not sure if this is actually possible and I am wondering if the radar station at the top is responsible for some electronic jiggery pokery on the computer receiver which is cordless. I am wondering if anyone else who has tried descending this hill and what sort of speed did you achieve?

 

[XmisterIS]

Best way to check is to do it again, measure your time point-to-point, then check the exact point-to-point distance on the google route planner (which takes elevation into account), and divide the distance by the time to give average speed.

 

[longers]

I am wondering if anyone else who has tried descending this hill and what sort of speed did you achieve?

I think I got about forty five mph, a bit narrow for blatting down first time for me. Might be quicker next time but that'd mean going up again.

We had a headwind for the descent but did enjoy the assistance on the way up.

I though it looked like a slalom course from the top with all them poles.

 

[Auntie Helen]

I got 158mph from my Garmin whilst ascending a hill on my recumbent trike. One can't always trust the gadgets.

 

[asterix]

The gearing on my bike allows a maximum speed of little more than 50mph. It'd never get to 70mph without a strong wind as well as a steep descent!

 

[Globalti]

I've seen 49 on an MTB and still accelerating before I had to brake for a gate so I'd have thought 70 on a road bike was perfectly possible

 

[Auntie Helen]

From Wiki:

The highest speed officially recorded for a bicycle ridden in a conventional upright position under fully faired conditions was 82.52 km/h (51.29 mph) over 200m

The highest speed officially recorded for any human-powered vehicle (HPV) on level ground and with calm winds and without external aids (such as motor pacing and wind-blocks) is 132.449 km/h (82.3 mph).

The second one was a recumbent, a front-wheel drive recumbent lowracer.

These are all on the flat, of course.

 

[rich p]

From Wiki:

The highest speed officially recorded for a bicycle ridden in a conventional upright position under fully faired conditions was 82.52 km/h (51.29 mph) over 200m

The highest speed officially recorded for any human-powered vehicle (HPV) on level ground and with calm winds and without external aids (such as motor pacing and wind-blocks) is 132.449 km/h (82.3 mph).

The second one was a recumbent, a front-wheel drive recumbent lowracer.

These are all on the flat, of course.

Is an HPV a bike?

 

[Auntie Helen]

Yeah, with a fairing usually. But I think it's also an official term for any kind of bike that isn't a standard upright, as these aren't allowed in normal bike records, if that makes sense.

 

[numbnuts]

if you put 2 magnets on it will go twice as fast

 

[MajorMantra]

As Asterix mentioned, cadence should give you an idea of whether that speed was possible. Put your highest gear in here and see what rpm that corresponds to. If it says you were doing 280rpm or something then it's probably down to interference.

I like my wired comp...

Matthew

 

[thomas]

I've done over 50mph on one hill (outside goodwood). I think if you knew the road was clear and that there was definitly no que of traffic/dip stick doing a 3 point turn, etc...then you could hit about 60mph.

70 doesn't seem unfeasable on a good down hill.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Wasn't Sean Yates clocked as the fastest TDF rider hiting something like 79mph on an alpine descent?

50mph on a bike feels blisteringly fast, mind you, we clocked one of Bentmikeys mates at 42mph downhill on rollerblades!

 

[asterix]

In the old C+ days a forummer claimed 69 point something or other MPH on a trip to the Alps. Others who were with him backed up his claim.

I'm sure my bike would not have done that speed as my best effort was 83kph down Holme Moss which is probably steeper than most Alpine roads although rather bumpy. My legs were close to melting point and some barsteward still overtook me.

I've retired from doing that sort of thing now and use the freewheel.

 

[Renard]

This is a unique hill in that it is a closed road which gives access to a radar station at nearly 2800feet. Its over 2000 foot descent to the bottom and there's a stretch where you can see well over a mile ahead of you. The road is very steep too and I'm 14 stone at the moment . There was no way my legs could've been able to spin fast enough to pedal.