Fastest you've been on your bike?

[ColinJ]

Fwiw, fastest is 56mph off the North side of Holme Moss. It's about half a mile straight of 12%. Hairpins at the bottom are a bit disconcerting though

I see the North side of Holme Moss mentioned – in my misspent yoof I used to see how many cars I could overtake down there on a Sunday morning. Such foolishness is not recommended and well behind me, but it is, much more recently, the site of my fastest solo recorded speed, 57mph. There must have been a tailwind.

I must have descended the north side of Holme Moss but can't really remember doing so. I have descended the south side on several occasions and that is pretty quick too, with a RH bend at the bottom. I did it 2 years in succession with another rider and both times his bike developed a terrifying shimmy as he braked for the bend, almost throwing him off! He was on a heavy touring bike the first time, and a light carbon fibre bike the second so it wasn't the bike to blame and I was right behind him and had no problems, so it wasn't the weather conditions either. I concluded that it was the way that he was riding, more specifically, the way that he was braking.

I had a scare myself another time down that descent when a vicious gust of crosswind caught me mid-descent. I shot across the road and almost crashed on the RHS of the road. I did the rest of the descent at 30-35 mph rather than 50-55 mph!

Now that I am in my 60s I am getting more nervous on descents unless conditions are absolutely perfect. If the road surface is good, traffic is light, there is no wind, there is no chance of sheep/rabbits/other wildlife running out, no side roads for vehicles to emerge from etc. then I would still do 50-55 mph, otherwise I'd probably stick to 40-45 mph.

PS I have just discovered that a scary rattling noise from my singlespeed bike on a rapid descent into Wigan yesterday was NOT due to a loose chain tensioner, it was the sound of the rear brake trying to fall off... I had upgraded the brakes before the ride but must have neglected to adequately tighten the cylindrical sleeve nut on the rear brake!

 

[Moodyman]

I try and cycle below 10mph.

I read on another thread cycling faster increases the likelihood of developing hearing issues.

 

[Paulus]

According to an old Cateye computer, I once did 300mph. I suppose there's the slim chance it might've been wrong...

I have had 74.9mph on a polar wireless computor, this was on the A5 near Dunstable under high tension power cables

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I try and cycle below 10mph.

I read on another thread cycling faster increases the likelihood of developing hearing issues.

I hadn't heard that before

 

[Moodyman]

I hadn't heard that before

Wind noise apparently. ColinJ posted a link:

https://cyclingtips.com/2017/08/listen-cyclists-risk-hearing-loss/

That's my excuse anyway.

 

[kapelmuur]

I have a vague recollection of Sean Kelly being asked by his co-commentator about his highest speed on an Alpine descent.

Kelly replied that he was at 75mph and was passed by another rider!

 

[Dogtrousers]

Where's @blazed when you need him?

In answer to the question, I don't know. Whatever it was, I'll have done it when I was young and carefree. These days I'm not too keen on high speeds.

 

[nickyboy]

I see the North side of Holme Moss mentioned – in my misspent yoof I used to see how many cars I could overtake down there on a Sunday morning. Such foolishness is not recommended and well behind me, but it is, much more recently, the site of my fastest solo recorded speed, 57mph. There must have been a tailwind.

Fastest tandem speed is identical, on the Rosneath peninsula, whilst trying not to melt the blocks. We now have a drag brake

NB, I noted only last week the Holme Moss descent features a Strava segment named “this is where I broke my shoulder”, or somesuch. Never try to go faster then you’re really comfortable with, don’t succumb to peer pressure.

The North side Holme Moss descent is fine providing you don't get scared and tense up as you go faster and faster down the steepest bit. You can get round the first left hander at the end of the straight without braking but unfamiliar riders get tense and start braking too late and that's what causes the problems. The hairpin right after that is an entirely different matter though. The Southern descent, as @ColinJ says, has a tricky compression right hander at the bottom. It's a 50mph descent so you either have to know about the compression and slow down before it, or go through it and trust the bike. What you mustn't do is start braking in the compression cos that's a recipe for disaster

 

[Salty seadog]

49.6mph.

So to crack the half century.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I used to regularly get 100Km/h on a well known descent ( with a rollercoaster profile) not too far from where I’m based. It’s a dead straight inverse curved downhill with no road turnings / field entrances for over a mile. However, no one told the wildlife that. One destroyed deer, bike, lid, and shoulder taught me a lesson about doing stuff like that , and that was only at about 85 Km/h that time.

 

[ColinJ]

Wind noise apparently. ColinJ posted a link:

https://cyclingtips.com/2017/08/listen-cyclists-risk-hearing-loss/

That's my excuse anyway.

Worryingly, the specialist quoted in the article suggested that there is some risk even at speeds as low as 10 mph, though it increases massively with speed.

I am going to try to make some windshields for my helmet straps. Even if they only cut (say) 15 dB off the noise, that would be a big help.

 

[Milkfloat]

I am not sure I trust my Garmin's figures.

 

[classic33]

I am not sure I trust my Garmin's figures.

View attachment 469804

Heart rate was low for the speed.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Worryingly, the specialist quoted in the article suggested that there is some risk even at speeds as low as 10 mph, though it increases massively with speed.

I am going to try to make some windshields for my helmet straps. Even if they only cut (say) 15 dB off the noise, that would be a big help.

Here you go. A snip at $17.95
https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Ears-Classic-Cycling-Noise-Reducer/dp/B01J2GDPFO

 

[ColinJ]

Here you go. A snip at $17.95
https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Ears-Classic-Cycling-Noise-Reducer/dp/B01J2GDPFO

You don't understand mean/poor - I was inspired by the Cats Ears but trying to save money!

It is okay trying to look like Sir Brad, but I will need to find 'Salt and pepper' coloured faux fur to match my bonce.