What is the top speed that top cyclists can reach on flats?

nolight

I am more referring to for a typical road race with road bikes, not super specialised time-trial/track bikes, how fast can a top pro go in neutral conditions (windless condition, flat smooth road, no uphill, no downhill):

1. Top speed that can be reached momentarily
2. Top speed that they can maintain for a long time.

Rigga

I think Cavendish reaches 45 -50mph in his sprints sometimes, pretty sure i read it somewhere.

marcusjb

Rigga wrote:

I think Cavendish reaches 45 -50mph in his sprints sometimes, pretty sure i read it somewhere.

That is about about right. Bloody fast!

The typical cruising speed for the pros will be around 25ish and when they are cranking it up to catch a break etc. it will move to 30ish (and more as they enter the final part of a stage to setup the sprinters).

I, on the other hand, require gravity assistance to reach those sort of speeds for any sustained period.

Welsh boy

Ian Cammish set competition record for a 100 mile time trial in 1983 before the use of tri bars or disc wheels so I would consider that a pretty standard road bike, in fact it was less aerodynamic than modern off the peg bikes you can buy now for £500. The course started and finished at virtually the same place so any benefits from descents were balanced out as climbs on the return leg. So, his average speed on a non-aero bike on flat roads with no bunch to rest in, no one to pace him and over a long distance? He did the 100 miles in 3 hours 31 minutes and 53 seconds, an average speed of 28.317 mph!!!! By the way, Beryl Burton held the record (which was open to men and women) in 1968 at over 25mph. I think that there are a few modern riders who need to forget about aerodynamic equipment and think about those speeds and their ability before splashing out many thousands of pounds on "aero" frames and deep section wheels.

MattC59

I find that the stairs cause me problems in flats.

Hoopdriver

MattC59 wrote:

I find that the stairs cause me problems in flats.

Maybe he means flat pedals as opposed to clipless...:-)

alihisgreat

nolight wrote:

I am more referring to for a typical road race with road bikes, not super specialised time-trial/track bikes, how fast can a top pro go in neutral conditions (windless condition, flat smooth road, no uphill, no downhill):

1. Top speed that can be reached momentarily
2. Top speed that they can maintain for a long time.

1. Cav Sprinting 45-50mph


2.
a) Stage 9 Tour De France 2012 - Wiggins wins and averages 30.35mph over 26 miles.
b) Stage 6 Tour De France 2012 - Peter Sagan wins and averages 27.9mph over 129 miles

On normal road race stages the speed obviously depends on the terrain - stage 6 was classified as a flat stage - as well as the racing.. eg if a dangerous breakaway gets off the front then the speed is going to pick up.. but if everyone is saving legs for a big climb then the pace might slow down.

simon_masterson

I would assume somewhere between 45 and 50 in typical road races.

But the difference lies more in the duration, the dynamics of the race (i.e. the constant acceleration and deceleration, etc) and the terrain. I've proven that I can average 24-25mph, but I can do it for 17-18miles (and probably not a great deal more) on a very flat course; there aren't any mountains in Bedfordshire. Brad Wiggins may be 10 times the cyclist that any of us is, but he can't go 10 times faster.

Mickyg88

He can probably do 10 times your 17 miles at a higher average speed than your 24-25 mph though.

saprkzz

On today's 45 mile ride, there is a flat section with one up hill and one bridge to go over, this section is just over 2 miles and i averaged 32.8mph.. (OK i was slipstreaming a horse box lorry), but i still did it!!

Monty Dog

Reached 68kph in a vets race down the back straight at Dunsfold..there was a mild 'breeze' that day

simon_masterson

Mickyg88 wrote:

He can probably do 10 times your 17 miles at a higher average speed than your 24-25 mph though.

Exactly what I was getting at.

charlie_potatoes

Monty Dog wrote:

Reached 68kph in a vets race down the back straight at Dunsfold..there was a mild 'breeze' that day

I've done a lot more than that Sadly, on 4 wheels :oops:

desweller

The average speed for last year's men's WC race was 28.472mph over 161 miles. Pretty close to the conditions you describe.

wellbeloved747

pushing on perfect flat tarmac 45 mph cruising 32mph

de_sisti

Another macho "pissing" thread. :roll:

TheCornishMong

I could only manage 10mph. You did mean flat tyres, right?

lotus49

It is 268kph!

Admittedly this was behind a huge fairing attached to a drag racing car and is therefore rather silly. Have a look at his web site at http://www.fredrompelberg.com/en/html/a ... record.asp.

I don't know what the opposite of a compact crankset would be called (I'd hardly call this traditional) but this has to be it.

farrina

Interesting article here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycling_records#Speed_record_on_a_bicycle

They don't talk about how many survived (e.g. riding down side of volcano - presumably outside rather than towards crater!


Regards

Alan

Pross

Just looked at the data from my last road race which was a pretty steady race held in pouring rain. Other than a short downhill section where speeds were about 37mph the fastest I had recorded was just over 32mph.