What is your lowest gear and how low is too low. Are new bikes geared too high?

[ColinJ]

54mph is a *lot* for the Snake. It only averages 6%, and is pretty constant.

Looking at my rides down there, the fastest average is 45kmh which maxed at 59 kmh. I'm a fairly fast descender, I remember waiting for my companion at the bottom that day. No way I'd get near 50mph on it.

There are a few hills in the Peak you can get to 50mph+, but that's not one of them (unless like Ethan Hayer, you're pro level and giving it everything).

It would be quite possible with the right wind conditions. I have sprinted downhill in my highest gear then gone aero and freewheeled to that speed on the descent to Littleborough which is around 6% for the first half.

I checked the maximum speed on today's ride... It was a bit lower than usual because of a cross-headwind on the fastest part of the descent. I have to freewheel on it because I don't have a high enough gear/cadence to use pedal power.

This is the descent - Blackstone Edge to Littleborough:

View attachment 470303
Speed:

View attachment 470304
71.6 km/hr = 44.5 mi/hr.

I have freewheeled to 88 km/hr (55 mi/hr) on that descent in the past with more favourable wind conditions. I often catch cars down there but never overtake them - just too risky! Apart from slightly unpredictable drivers, there are often VERY unpredictable sheep at the roadside.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I have sprinted downhill in my highest gear then gone aero and freewheeled to that speed on the descent to Littleborough which is around 6% for the first half.

Here's the KOM for that segment. It's a bit steeper than the snake.

https://strava.app.link/VrMx6iSNj1b

KOM average 86kph, Max 93kph (58mph)

So your fastest would put you very, very close to the KOM of 10,000 riders.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Yeah. Plus it's just not steep enough, at least for mortals on uprights.

Easily hit it on a recumbent. Here are the 1 hour speed records for recumbents (men). Average 92km/h over an hour with no hills involved.

 

[ColinJ]

Here's the KOM for that segment. It's a bit steeper than the snake.

https://strava.app.link/VrMx6iSNj1b

KOM average 86kph, Max 93kph (58mph)

So your fastest would put you very, very close to the KOM of 10,000 riders.

There was definitely wind assistance that day. Often, the wind hinders a lot on that descent and then I would do more like 45-50 km/hr.

 

[fossyant]

I generally don't top 40 mph these days. Used to do 50-60 but no more. Falling off hurts.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I do occasionally top 50 ... km/h

 

[cyberknight]

50/ 34 compact combined with an 11-28 cassette across all bikes for me is my standard set up.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Regards top speed, I'm very sceptical of some readings I see.
A mate I occasionally ride with is adamant his speed is correct but it's BS. I'm not a quick descender but I go much faster than him and we'll do same ride and I might hit 40mph and he'll barely get 30ish but his ride will say something like 63mph. That's mph not kph.
His rides consistently have this so it's his set up or something plus his denial!

All irrelevant of course but to claim you do something which is clearly incorrect seems a bit silly. But hey ho.

Yep, I have some roads I ride that are 9% max and around 7% average at about 1km length. Even pushing as hard as I can in a 52 x 11, the max I have ever hit is 61kph descending them.

 

[ColinJ]

I generally don't top 40 mph these days. Used to do 50-60 but no more. Falling off hurts.

I am getting much more nervous these days too! I throw myself down the start of some vertiginous ramp but then I often find myself thinking about what might happen next...

 

[Webbo2]

I am getting much more nervous these days too! I throw myself down the start of some vertiginous ramp but then I often find myself thinking about what might happen next...

The answer is you didn’t need to worry whether you had enough money to cover your later years.😱

 

[ColinJ]

The answer is you didn’t need to worry whether you had enough money to cover your later years.😱

I am already in my later years... I need to worry whether there is enough money to cover the cost of my funeral!

 

[cyberknight]

I am getting much more nervous these days too! I throw myself down the start of some vertiginous ramp but then I often find myself thinking about what might happen next...

I'm the same since I twatted the collar bone

 

[Mike Ayling]

FWIW my Thorn Mercury has 42 X 17 and my tyres are 37 X 622 whatever that works out to.
As an Octogenerian I am using the low gears a lot more.

 

[Ratchet Cat]

My mountain bike has a 30t rear sprocket and a 26t front chainring. This is a wall climbing gear on an old school bike with a 9 speed cassette and triple chainrings.

 

[ColinJ]

Suitability rated for my age, weight, and level of fitness...

(700C wheels.) My Devon bike has 42/42, my CAAD5 has 28/30, my CAADX has 34/36. All 3 bikes are fine on 15% climbs, hard work on 20%, very tough on 25+%.

(26" wheels.) My old mountain bike has a very low bottom gear of 22/32. That is as low as I would want to go because the front of the bike tends to lift on steep climbs. If I lean forward to counter that then the rear tyre sometimes loses grip. Assuming the tyres are gripping well, that ratio gets me up 25% slopes without major issues. [VERY slowly!!]