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Guest
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
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