How Fast Have You Gone?

[Guest]

Here is a titbit on speed. This hill behind my house as mentioned in earlier posts is quite a fast one for decending. It has a reletively flat lead up for about 200 meters after which there is a lip and the decent starts with a slight right hand bend about 30 meters after the lip then a straigt part for say another 300 meters or so then a gentle curve for another 50 meters into the last part before a robot 600 meters from the start. Now I usually crank up to around 40-45 kph before the lip. At the first turn the speed is rocketed to about 70kph (Within 30 meters) from there it is just a case of spinning that last gear to the upper 90's.

Now for the fun, I hit the lip once at just over 40kph and my front tube burst as I went over. Instant flat tyre from 11 bar to 0 in a split second. I almost crapped myself when it went. But I kept my cool and eased it down the hill. There was no way I could stop it on this downhill. I eventually stopped at the bottom by the robot. Get this, top speed.... 70kph. This was one of the scariest rides I have ever done and actually was the slowest ride I have ever done down that hill.

Just a note: Decents are not always a big guys area, I weighed around 62 to 64 kg while in Holland and I did that 110kph+. Wind resistance is a bad thing for big riders.... I feel it now days seeing that I now weigh 81kg. But your ability to dodge wind with your position on the bike also helps a lot. I am able to freewheel away from other riders while they pedal just cause I can get into a really aerodynamic position. So it ain't the heavies who rule on the decents. It's us sleek sometimes skinny guys with no fear for speed.... ;D

 

[Guest]

;D

Colnago Dream Plus with Campy Shamals', I got 102,5 km/h going down Doreen Ave in Roodepoort - my club mates say I should change to mountainbiking. The fastest speed my computer has registered is 128km/h also on a downhill on the west rand of Johannesburg - my wife nearly divorced me when she checked the speed.

 

[Merlin]

On/offroad?...<br /><br />I go faster offroad...<br /><br />Reached 80+ down a Gravel track on my F/S...<br /><br />What are you Mt Bikers speeds o/r?

 

[Lazarus-g]

[quote author=Lazarus-g link=board=6;threadid=331;start=0#3815 date=1026817071]<br />Okay I managed 42mph/67kmh yesterday on my roadbike, whilst I know it's nowhere near anybody else's speed , it's the fastest I've gone on a bike  , but the thing I loved was the fact that the bike was waiting for me, so the speed above is work in progress .<br /><br /><br />[/quote]<br /><br />What's going on ? despite everything I can't get passed 42mph I'll still keep trying but I'm getting a bit fed up with seeing that bloody number as my Max Speed

 

[admin]

[quote author=Lazarus-g link=board=6;threadid=331;start=15#21297 date=1033323064]<br />What's going on ? despite everything I can't get passed 42mph I'll still keep trying but I'm getting a bit fed up with seeing that bloody number as my Max Speed <br />[/quote]<br />You need to find a steeper hill ;D

 

[Rhodent]

A steeper hill, bigger gears and a couple of buddies to lead you out. I'm also a slow coach compared to these other guys but in the Tour de Gold down some pretty average hills I managed to get to 80kph with another guy purely with a bit of good slipstreaming. Just because we were working together we must have been going 10kph faster than anyone else, with minimal pedalling. Something else which helps a lot is to lift your butt off the saddle a tiny amount and take the shocks etc in your legs, its amazing what a few bumps can do to your speed if you allow them to hit the 'sprung' weight on your bike (i.e. you). Just let the bike rattle around under you, that way its only hitting the bumps with 10kg's, not 85 (as in my case)

 

[Lazarus-g]

Rhodent it has to be said that the last time I hit 42mph it was a bump that stopped me going any faster. I hit a pothole and the front wheel wobbled like I couldn't believe So I sat up pretty quickly and let wind resistance slow me down. I wasn't to sure what pulling the brakes might do in a situation like that, so I waited until the thing sorted itself out before I tried braking.<br /><br />Still 40mph on the Mtb today wasn't too bad ;D<br /><br />Now if I can just find that steeper hill that steve was talking about.

 

[poppaspoke]

My hat's off to you descent freaks! I have a related question: Have any of you experienced flatting or serious mechanical problems at these speeds? How did you handle it and did you live?

 

[Duckwah]

I haven't gone out and tried to set any new speed records on the new bike yet but on my MTB a few years ago i used to ride through a really scary big dipper that i did daily at 80-90km/h.<br /><br />you had to pull out into traffic, accelerate down the hill and then pedal like crazy to get as far up the other side before hitting the granny ring and churning out. Might go back there and try it on the roadie plus get some photos.<br /><br />the other one i need to try again is a hill near my parents place, dead straight for about 1km and very very steep, nice quiet road so again i might go do it on a sunday morning and get some photos. <br /><br />If i survive i'll post the results soon!

 

[roKeMS]

2 weeks ago we were on a steep hill so my mate ran a video cam in the car behind me as I sailed down the hill. He clocked 110kmh in the car and I was pulling away! ;DI bottomed out down the bottom and slammed my chest on the seat (Full-sus bike).<br />Awesome rush. Never been that fast before! ;D

 

[maarten]

on the 1 km descent off the halembaye 114km/h<br />flat behind a lorry 90-95 max 80 average on a 4km stretch<br />flat on my own power somewhere between 65 and 70 once, with favorable winds 75km/h did 61km/h with a 50x16 gear when Iwas 15 years old(nice lead-out by the national sprint champion who i passed on the line)<br /><br />all the others where on 52x13or12<br /><br />Once rode my cyclo-cross(30size tires with mud profile) bike with 58.5km/u into the first bend on flat roads.<br /><br />fastest crash: been hit on a flat rode by a police motorbike and went down at 60-65km/h In the same race Now US-Postal pro Boonen went into the woods at 90km/h this was the 3d bike he wrecked in the weekend and he retired from the race.<br /><br />A training mate once blew his front tubular at 120km/h no'one knows wy but he managed to stop the bike without falling, I saw his brother who turns pro next year mis the same bend into the bushes on two consecutive days with speeds above 70km/h. I once blew an MTB tire on some rocks at 75km/h when I left the dirt road to enter the asfalt. I later wrecked the fame skidding it into a metal barrier at 65 km/h there was a railway passing just behind the turn(I didn't see the train comming down the hill and had to brake hard not tho crash into the barriers of the crossing, instead I hit the barriers on the outside of the turn )

 

[wazat]

[quote author=poppaspoke link=board=6;threadid=331;start=20#msg23050 date=1038204818]<br />My hat's off to you descent freaks! I have a related question: Have any of you experienced flatting or serious mechanical problems at these speeds? How did you handle it and did you live?<br />[/quote]<br /><br />See further up in this thread. I had a front blowout at around 40 kph but it was on the start of a steep decent and I couldn't stop until the bottom. My speed climbed up to 70kph after the blowout.<br /><br />Fastest accident was at around 60 to 70 kph into a hairpin bend somewhere in Holland going down a mountain pass. Wrecked my wheels and got a small cut next to my eye. Was very lucky cause the other guy that came down with me went under the barrier and he got some serious &quot;roasties&quot;.

 

[big_h]

Hi Guys<br /><br />My fastest blowout was with the tandem on a downhill doing 70 km/h. The tube popped from a damaged sidewall and I lost all the air immediately. I had the definite taste of tin foil in my mouth but all you have to do is to keep your cool and DO NOT attempt to make any erratic moves. Everything must happen slowly. Refrain from braking and let the bike slow down on its own. Handling a tandem like that becomes very verrrry physical and you have to fight it all the way with &quot;brute&quot; strenght.<br /><br />Had a nasty experience over the break when I went into a slipway at the bottom of a slight hill close to my home. You can take this bend quite fast and then accellerate very fast down the straight. We have been able to reach 50-60km/h on this straight. As we leant into the bend the front tyre folded under us. We must have developed a leak down the hill. As the wheel started getting away form us I slapped my left foot on the ground and jerked the tandem up. We went straight across the road. Luckily there was no cars but I had the definite taste of tin foil in my mouth again!!!!!!!! I was almost disappointed we did not fall.!!!!!<br /><br />Keep those wheels spinning and those top speeds up!!!!<br /><br />Big H

 

[Blimp]

247 km/h on a GSX 1100 Suzuki in 1982. The nice policeman was not impressed.

 

[Rhodent]

Geez Blimp, have they given you your license back yet? (its only been 20 years after all!!!)<br /><br />

 

[Blimp]

Without giving too much away, I was a policeman at the time... (although I left 17 years ago).<br /><br />I think the only thing that got me off the hook was the Sergeant on the pillion seat. It was, after all, his motorcycle.<br /><br />I am much more sedate these days. Last time I tried to start my mc after 4 years of inaction, it caught fire. I stick to the faithful Raceline now.

 

[Julian Radowsky]

The fastest ever was about 103 kph down Wynberg hill in Cape Town on a Sunday morning just after a light drizzle, gearing was 52x13, cadence over 170, age 15 - I must have been insane!!

 

[percious]

44 mph with nobbies.

 

[retrogeek]

1988, Blue Mountain Pass, 61mph, about 102kph I believe. I was Riding a very strong steel frame bike with an equally strong wheel set. I'm not sure I would do it again on the lightweight stuff I ride on today. All that weight and strength under me felt good and stable.

To be honest after that experience I never tried to go that fast again, not that it was anything I was frightened of, but I think once was enough. Been there, done that, lived to tell about it, but don't want to risk it again, especially now that I have a family. I think it was beautiful to see the CSC rider in the Tour, Sastre I believe, carry a pacifier with him to remind himself not to chance it too big on the descents

 

[halien]

My fastest was in 1992 - 92kph down Coach Road in Moe on my road bike (got speed wabbles at the bottom of the hill which was quite scary). I regularly get up to 72 on my mountain bike coming down Warragal Road from High St on the way to work.