Newb Just got back from my 2nd ride. Is it possible for me to go 56.2mph?

[ax25nut]

I can't speak for others, but I've easily hit 40+ mph on my Bike-E recumbent, as well as my Giant Boulder Mountain bike going down nearby hills, and that is just coasting. On my Ross Gran Tour I once (and only once) passed a car on US Rt. #33 just north of the Lake Logan turnoff at SR #180, where headwinds are blocked, and the road was flat. After seeing that guy in my rear mirror all over the road in shock I decided not to push that hard again, as pavement can remove a lot of skin before braking occurs if you get "bumped". The speed limit was 55, and my speedometer, a mid-80's vintage analog unit, was pegged out over 40mph.

That said, it's easy enough to do, but for most of us unwise, for the aforementioned reasons. Of course, if you're actually training for some race, I'd say go for it, and regularly. I don't race. I ride bikes to slow down. As I've said before, if you can hit 30-40mph on a mountain bike with its balloonish low-pressure tires, you can pass a car at highway speeds with the same effort, and their automotive speedometers, as well as police radar, can verify this.

Slow down, grasshopper, and live. While you're at it, get someone to ride beside you on the road to verify your speedometer's calibration.

 

[globecanvas]

My take: 56 mph is believable and it doesn't take an experienced or strong cyclist to go that fast on a steep downhill with a good tailwind. All it takes is a good tuck and a death wish. You're obviously completely spun out at that speed in any conventional gearing setup.

In fact an experienced cyclist would probably be less likely to go that fast, being more keenly aware of the consequences of, say, hitting a pothole or squirrel at that speed.

 

[tenrec]

Another possibility I haven't seen mentioned: perhaps your cyclocomputer is set to read kilometers per hour instead of miles per hour? That would make for a more believeable speed.

Is your computer wireless? As some othere posters have mentioned, electrical interference from power lines and such can cause really crazy readings on some wireless computers if they are the older style of wireless computer using analog signals, and not the newer type which relays data from the sensor to the computer digitally.

 

[6fhscjess]

On a steep hill with a tailwind it is definetly possible.

 

[stevegreer]

Originally Posted by grandamn .

My first ride was from Cedar Creek Park to Jones Beach and back. Total of 12 miles. I just wen for a 10 mile ride down the Long Island Expressway. I bought this computer and calibrated it. I did have a heavy tail wind and it was down a steep hill. Is thish possible though? It felt really fast. I love biking so far.

Although I do think it is possible to hit those speeds with a decent decline and a tailwind I find myself wondering about a couple of things. Now, I will be the first to admit that math was never my strongest subject in school. Here goes: I see from the picture that your computer says you have 9.3 miles on your Odometer with an average speed of 11.9mph and a max speed of 56.2mph. So unless you topped out at 56.2 for only a second or two before dropping back down to a more normal speed of 12 - 15mph then it seems to me that your average speed would have been higher.
I say this because on my computer I have a max speed of about 42mph or so (done on my indoor trainer and held on at this speed for about 10 seconds before dropping back down to 17mph. Other than that my outside rides I roll between 14mph and 21mph depending on wind directions, and my computer shows an average speed of 15.5mph with 125 miles on my ODO.
Maybe someone who is better at math than me can make more sense of this. But I would say you should definitely trust your Garmin over your computer.
Happy riding and stay safe!

 

[kdelong]

I don't know what brand computer he has nor how its programming is set up but I have two older computers that continue to calculate average speed after you have stopped, effectively reading 0 mph, so that you can have an average speed of 20 mph during your ride, but only have an average of 5 mph an hour after you are done if you did not reset it.

 

[Snapper21]

Not meaning to hijack this post, but relating to the interference/calibration prob at hand. Are the "better" comp's also prone to getting interference? I'm just getting back into biking and was looking at the cheapie wal mart comp. Not that I need to know top speed but I would like to get accurate distances. That being said I still would like all functions to operate as best they can without dumping the whole savings in it.

 

[64Paramount]

I've been using a Cateye Wireless 7 for several years without any issues, and while that particular model isn't made anymore, I'm sure the newer versions work even better.

I've also been using a Nashbar Tempo Wireless for about 2 years and it's worked very well so far. It has more features than my Cateye and I paid about half as much for it as I did the Cateye. It almost looks like a Cateye clone:

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/CatalogSearchResultView?catalogId=10052&storeId=10053&langId=-1&sortBy=Dollar+Rank%2f%2f1&searchType=categoryId&searchTerm=200546&beginIndex=0&pageSize=16&ipState=c0%3di%253A1%253B1%253Biphrase%2bbundle%2btaxonomy%2bid%2bfrom%2broot%253B200546%253B%253A200546%253B1%252C1%253B0%26c1%3ds%253A0%253Biphrase%2bbundle%2btaxonomy%253B%253Ass%253BLights%253B0%26q%3d16%26a1%3diphrase%2bbundle%2btaxonomy%252F%252Fv%253A0%26a0%3diphrase%2brelevance%252F%252Fv%253A0%26i%3dsitemap%2bid%26k0.0%3d200546%26qt%3d1307306491%26qid%3dq06hVzZS9McaG%26vid%3dvQUxn3uqV0NlM%26ioe%3dUTF-8%26s2%3dsitemap%2bid%252F%252F1%26qtid%3dn06hVzZS9McaG%26s1%3diphrase%2brelevance%252F%252F0%26rid%3dr2NwWX4ECyiEY%26s0%3dDollar%2bRank%252F%252F1%26t%3d0%26m0%3diphrase%2bbundle%2bid%26mcmode%3dtest&cn1=f01%2f%2fLights+%26+Accessories%3aCycling+Computers+%2f+Heart+Rate+Monitors%2f%2fh%2f%2f1%2f%2f100%7c%7c&categoryId=200546

 

[tenrec]

I wonder about that. First of all, the wired computers are immune to the interference -- it only occurs with wireless models. Wired computers are generally cheaper than wireless models. Amongst the various types of wireless computers, I think that the digital models will not be subject to this type of interference. The older type wirelss computers that use analog signals can be subject to intereference. As to whether "better" computers are less prone to interference, I would suspect that they are, but I have experience with only one model It was an Ascent Delta V, which had been a moderate-level model but is or was widely available at a steep discount. It was highly prone to interference and I ended up returing it. My current computer, a Trek Incite, is digital wirelss and has no interference problems.

Originally Posted by Snapper21 .

Not meaning to hijack this post, but relating to the interference/calibration prob at hand. Are the "better" comp's also prone to getting interference? I'm just getting back into biking and was looking at the cheapie wal mart comp. Not that I need to know top speed but I would like to get accurate distances. That being said I still would like all functions to operate as best they can without dumping the whole savings in it.

 

[ax25nut]

Regarding bicycle computer interference: I've got Ascent wireless, model SV, I believe. Haven't noticed interference issues with it, but it does have a range problem which I feel is going to be typical of the wireless varieties. It's twice as far from my tire sensor to the control head as compared to a diamond-frame bike, and therefore worthless on my 'bent. I also haven't noticed any interference on my other hard-wired digital units, and they're all cheap Schwinn units from Wal-Mart. My favorite remains analog, though.

I must point out one thing nobody's mentioned in this thread, although perhaps not relevant, and that is the annoying fact that, limited range aside, wireless units require extra batteries for the transmitter unit that aren't needed for the hard-wired units. My trusty analog unit requires no batteries, but alas, pegs out at 40mph.

Go as fast as you want. Your cycle 'puter is quite likely accurate. Remember, however, that pavement is rather unkind to human skin while attempting to slow you down.