Top Speed

[slowmotion]

Would that flat have a spare room I could rent (I may want to join you )

In answer to your earlier post, I would reckon 19-25 would be a respectable speed for a good flat level road with no bumpy bits. I average 16mph across my route, but try to maintain 22 on the flat bits (whizzing up into the 30's for the down hill sections….normally with both feet in the air screaming WHEEEEEEEEEE!).

Hey, that post might have saved my life. On nice flat tarmac, no wind, and on the hybrid, I can hit a top speed of just over 22 mph, but I just can't seem to get to 23. I'm far from fit, and only went back to cycling in June, after an absence of a number of decades.

 

[Stephenite]

LOL, me too. I'm on a recumbent, and you can see the serious downhill speed differential between my bike and that of a fast upright rider in this video:

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FejPFthpsQo

What speed would u be doing there? Using the afterburn?

 

[BentMikey]

I don't remember exactly, but I would think 42-ish on the steepest part of leaves green hill, dropping to perhaps 32-35 as I pass the other rider. I'm not putting in very much power at all there, I was trying to save energy so as not to get too tired after many weeks of full house commutes.

 

[Downward]

37 tonight without pedaling.

 

[rchomba]

48mph down Sawyers Hill in Richmond Park

 

[Molecule Man]

My all time top downhill speed, according to my wireless cycle computer is 138 kmph (86 mph), and on the flat (South Carriage Drive by Hyde Park), it's 58 kmph (36 mph).

Both due to glitches of course. For some GPS-based fun along similar lines, have a look at what happened when my girlfriend wore her Garmin in bed one night:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yersinia/sets/72157605181068240/

My real top commuting speed is probably around 30 mph, coming anticlockwise round the south circular between Forest Hill and Catford, there are some nice, longish, straight, gentle downhill sections. I would struggle to go faster than that, partly because my tyres are fairly wide, but mainly because I'm a bit of a wuss.

 

[BentMikey]

I've managed 36 on South Carriage Drive, LOL!

 

[HaloJ]

I've managed 36 on South Carriage Drive, LOL!

Do you commute in your arm chair Mikey?

 

[Mr Farley]

Call me jealous skeptical, but I'm struggling to believe some of these top speeds of high 40s and 50+ mph???

I've only been riding a couple of months and I've been through some of those flashing speed signs downhill at 33-35mph and once at 37mph (but that was probably the car coming up behind me ).

My highest gear is a 50 tooth on the front and a 12 on the back. My gear calculator says that would be 33.5mph@100rpm or 36.8@110rpm.

I feel I do run out of gears when going down hill though. If I changed the cassette to a 11-25 I would be able to manage 36.5mph@100rpm or 40.1mph@110rpm. Might think about doing that in the future! (or just find some steeper hills ).

 

[Cubist]

Call me jealous skeptical, but I'm struggling to believe some of these top speeds of high 40s and 50+ mph???

I've only been riding a couple of months and I've been through some of those flashing speed signs downhill at 33-35mph and once at 37mph (but that was probably the car coming up behind me ).

My highest gear is a 50 tooth on the front and a 12 on the back. My gear calculator says that would be 33.5mph@100rpm or 36.8@110rpm.

I feel I do run out of gears when going down hill though. If I changed the cassette to a 11-25 I would be able to manage 36.5mph@100rpm or 40.1mph@110rpm. Might think about doing that in the future! (or just find some steeper hills ).

Pedal 'til your legs can't keep up, then tuck and coast.

 

[Dan B]

South Carriage Drive is flat?

 

[CopperBrompton]

54mph down the far side of Ditchling Beacon.

 

[jonredhornet]

I normally max out in the early 30's on my commute, although I did 36 once when chasing some van who'd p*ssed me off.

 

[BentMikey]

Do you commute in your arm chair Mikey?

Of course! South Carriage Drive has enough of a dip that I don't have to work too hard to get over 30mph, but 36 is on a good day when I'm not tired and there's at least no headwind.

 

[BentMikey]

Call me jealous skeptical, but I'm struggling to believe some of these top speeds of high 40s and 50+ mph???

I've only been riding a couple of months and I've been through some of those flashing speed signs downhill at 33-35mph and once at 37mph (but that was probably the car coming up behind me ).

My highest gear is a 50 tooth on the front and a 12 on the back. My gear calculator says that would be 33.5mph@100rpm or 36.8@110rpm.

I feel I do run out of gears when going down hill though. If I changed the cassette to a 11-25 I would be able to manage 36.5mph@100rpm or 40.1mph@110rpm. Might think about doing that in the future! (or just find some steeper hills ).

LOL! I'm more believing of those on recumbents, you have to see the downhill speed differential to believe it.

Oh, and your gearing calc perhaps makes some assumptions on rpm that it shouldn't - speak to people who ride fixed. I've done 38mph down Leaves Green Hill @ 185rpm. That's 48x19, btw. 185rpm isn't particularly impressive either, serious on-road fixed wheel riders will have done over 200rpm.