running 40mph DH on a tree infested terrain. is it possible?

denzzz28

can a non pro MTB rider do 40mph down hill, avoiding trees and obstacles? on a road bike I can barely do 40mph downhill and thats with out trees in the middle of the road. lol! the funny thing is when im going fast downhill on my MTB my eyes are glued to where im going (or landing) specially if its a rugged tricky trail or terrain. so i dont have time to look at my speed and this is why i never know how fast im going. so i was wondering how some people can still have the time to look at their speed whilst zooming down the hill.. would you say that they think they are going 40mph or do they really know they are doing 40mph :?:

if they really are, is in not really dangerous or down right stupid? at 35mph downhill on my road bike all I can think of is DEATH and PARALYSIS if something wrong happens.

nicklouse

Yes and you are looking at the wrong point. You should be looking further ahead. Oh and you use a data logger.

cooldad

But if it's your mate he's probably lying.'

denzzz28

cooldad wrote:

But if it's your mate he's probably lying.'

denzzz28

nicklouse wrote:

Yes and you are looking at the wrong point. You should be looking further ahead. Oh and you use a data logger.

yeah, data logger i forgot about that

tenfoot

denzzz28 wrote:

at 35mph downhill on my road bike all I can think of is DEATH and PARALYSIS if something wrong happens.

Lol - sure you've picked the right sport?

At 35 mph downhill on the road all I can think of is WWWHHHHHEEEEEEE

denzzz28

tenfoot wrote:

denzzz28 wrote:

at 35mph downhill on my road bike all I can think of is DEATH and PARALYSIS if something wrong happens.

Lol - sure you've picked the right sport?

At 35 mph downhill on the road all I can think of is WWWHHHHHEEEEEEE

LOL! I wish I can feel it that way too.! or I could if i was younger, single, no kids and no responsibility. cycling can be a challenging sport but need not be dangerous.

bennett_346

I've done 42 down a loose gravely fireroad in the alps, that was hair raising. The surface was hardpack covered head to toe in fist sized lumps of rock. You had to drift round the bends.

craigw99

my cateye said i was doing 56 on a downhill fire track in scotland (near loch venacher if i remember right ) i wasnt too sure but my mates said they were doing 40 ish when i was passing them at shoulder height after hitting a nice jump so it must be true :-) I was young at the time and injury was the last thing on my mind -dont think i would have the bottle now!

tom_howard

craigw99 wrote:

my cateye said i was doing 56 on a downhill fire track in scotland (near loch venacher if i remember right ) i wasnt too sure but my mates said they were doing 40 ish when i was passing them at shoulder height after hitting a nice jump so it must be true :-) I was young at the time and injury was the last thing on my mind -dont think i would have the bottle now!

kph?

craigw99

nope mph
5miles of decent it was good :-) brain was left at top of hill and id spun out on a 48 11 ratio from what i can remember

concorde

craigw99 wrote:

my cateye said i was doing 56 on a downhill fire track in scotland (near loch venacher if i remember right ) i wasnt too sure but my mates said they were doing 40 ish when i was passing them at shoulder height after hitting a nice jump so it must be true :-) I was young at the time and injury was the last thing on my mind -dont think i would have the bottle now!

You jumped past someone at 40mph at shoulder height?! That sounds scary to me! Expecially on loose shitty fire road!

craigw99

as said above brain was left at top of hill! it was a great rock built in the side just asking to be jumped off! things have slowed down now - i shattered both elbows on an 'off' the next year - never been the same since :-( this is one of my best memories from my teenage years if only i could still go as fast....

Stu Coops

craigw99 wrote:

as said above brain was left at top of hill! it was a great rock built in the side just asking to be jumped off! things have slowed down now - i shattered both elbows on an 'off' the next year - never been the same since :-( this is one of my best memories from my teenage years if only i could still go as fast....

Think you need to check that computer or perhaps you do it for charity sponsored bullshit that is

Mojo_666

craigw99

bit harsh but thats what it said never done it before and never done it since ( + 40 on the right tracks are doable)- my fasted ride ever - im not going to question what it said :-)
ps ...but whats the charity bs about ?

mojo love the pic ;-0

Ginjafro

Watch out, its willy waving time!

bennett_346

Ginjafro wrote:

Watch out, its willy waving time!

That's a funny method of calculating your current speed

craigw99

bennett_346 wrote:

Ginjafro wrote:

Watch out, its willy waving time!

That's a funny method of calculating your current speed

flaps per second is the only tru measurement of speed

i just thought id share a fond memory from when i was young fit and stupid now im feeding the ... ill keep to myself.

.blitz

Have collided with far too many trees to get anywhere near 40mph through the woods.

ilovedirt

Depends entirely on the track... you might do 40mph momentarily if you're a pro...

Northwind

40mph is pretty rapid. 60km is a high speed-trap score at Fort William, but I think the trap is at the Wall- which is a straight line plummet, nothing to dodge other than midges. And I tell you, even at my feeble speed going down the Wall feels fast.

There's some speed trap times here:

http://www.mtbworldcup.com/dhi/speed_trap

denzzz28

Northwind wrote:

40mph is pretty rapid. 60km is a high speed-trap score at Fort William, but I think the trap is at the Wall- which is a straight line plummet, nothing to dodge other than midges. And I tell you, even at my feeble speed going down the Wall feels fast.

There's some speed trap times here:

http://www.mtbworldcup.com/dhi/speed_trap

ilovedirt wrote:

Depends entirely on the track... you might do 40mph momentarily if you're a pro...

I agree, i have no doubt that top Pro riders can do 40mph but the OP was questioning the NON PRO riders who are claiming to do 40mph.

denzzz28

they said they can go 40mph downhill!

peter413

denzzz28 wrote:

Northwind wrote:

40mph is pretty rapid. 60km is a high speed-trap score at Fort William, but I think the trap is at the Wall- which is a straight line plummet, nothing to dodge other than midges. And I tell you, even at my feeble speed going down the Wall feels fast.

There's some speed trap times here:

http://www.mtbworldcup.com/dhi/speed_trap

ilovedirt wrote:

Depends entirely on the track... you might do 40mph momentarily if you're a pro...

I agree, i have no doubt that top Pro riders can do 40mph but the OP was questioning the NON PRO riders who are claiming to do 40mph.

You do get non pro riders that are actually quicker than pro riders at points . What would you class a pro rider as anyway? If it's just someone that's on a team then you get so many different skill levels of "pro rider".

cooldad

I'm quicker than pro riders at some points, but only between falling and hitting the ground.

denzzz28

cooldad wrote:

I'm quicker than pro riders at some points, but only between falling and hitting the ground.

lawman

done around 38/40mph down the final stretch at cut gate, that was back in the days of the Ht too, yet to take the susser down there, will be interesting to see how it goes

done 45+ on a road locally, its covered in tiny stones, is a completely blind left-hander for most of it, and then it heads over a blind bridge... seeing a car t'other side of that bridge in mid-air at 40+mph is a butt clenching moment thats for damn sure!!

Beatmaker

my cateye said i was doing 56 on a downhill fire track in scotland (near loch venacher if i remember right

I'd say your computer was not logging correctly. The fastest I've been on my road bike on a long, smooth, steep downhill is 57mph.

craigw99

Beatmaker wrote:

my cateye said i was doing 56 on a downhill fire track in scotland (near loch venacher if i remember right

I'd say your computer was not logging correctly. The fastest I've been on my road bike on a long, smooth, steep downhill is 57mph.

you may be right im sure it was set up correct but it was 15 years ago so makes little difference now - it was a long decent and it was certainly the fastest ive ever been, i can get to 40 on a local road no probs and it felt much faster. if there was trees close no way would i be doing that, hitting a tree at that kind of speed would most likely be fatal imo

bluechair84

130mph without trees, I reckon you could do 90mph with trees (based on very extensive geometric forestry principles, Newtonian physics and stoiciometric ratios that I worked out in biro on my palm just now).