Strava power awesome naughtyness

daddy0

BigMat wrote:

Sounds like you're from my neck of the woods - link to the segments? I don't know where in Greater London you could possibly hit 60 on a bike - I've never managed that speed even coming off the side of an Alp.

http://app.strava.com/segments/1482878

Its a really short hill, but steep, not sure what the incline actually is. You need to take the S bends at the top as fast as possible, then if the road is completely clear, hammer it down the hill. I'm currently 4th, but on that attempt I didn't take the bends at the top as fast as I could've done, and then at the bottom of the hill I realised I wasn't on my smallest cog. So probably got a few more mph in the legs, one of these days I'll hook it all up.

If you want to really risk your life then Anerley Hill is pretty crazy:
http://app.strava.com/segments/1036249
I used to get over 45Mph on my old hybrid, but I've been too chicken to do it on the road bike in winter conditions. I reckon 50+ is easily doable down there, and with some bravery/commitment/stupidity 60 could be possible...

I prefer to go down Crystal Palace Park Road instead of Anerley Hill, its safer:
http://app.strava.com/segments/2695755
I've had over 40 down there on the hybrid, but not had a clear run at it on the road bike yet. You really need there to be no wind, as when you get to the fastest part of road the buildings on the right disappear and you get a strong side wind that tries to blow you into the curb. I routinely overtake cars doing 30mph on the outside down this road in rush hour.

The best contender for a 60Mph descent I reckon might be this hill:
http://app.strava.com/activities/39608194#649802060
I've only been down it once on a very windy day. I was on the brakes but was still doing 35mph. The left hand side of the road isn't very smooth, so you really need to have no traffic, no wind and take the middle of the lane. Its a 60mph speed limit, so you wouldn't be breaking the law either.

daddy0

Rolf F wrote:

I can't see how it could happen. Most I've ever managed was 50.6 mph coming down the hill in the link below with a strong tailwind (10mph slower with more of a headwind last weekend!)
OK, I'm light which doesn't help but that descent is almost a mile long, mostly straight and drops over 300 feet before you have to hammer on the brakes before the broken tarmac and sharp right hander across bridge over beck combo at the bottom! (A shame as the steepest bit is the last bit but you'd die if you hadn't already scrubbed a good bit of speed off!)To get to 60 would probably need more tailwind, a much longer descent and a much bigger height loss. I can't believe that there is anywhere close to that in London.

http://goo.gl/maps/wvj7b

Check out these guys Rolf, guessing that this isn't in London, but its doable:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgegzwkBY9k

hegyestomi

Don't think you need to spin much: the pros take a very aerodynamic position and can reach more than 110kph.

bigmat

Daddy0 wrote:

BigMat wrote:

Sounds like you're from my neck of the woods - link to the segments? I don't know where in Greater London you could possibly hit 60 on a bike - I've never managed that speed even coming off the side of an Alp.

http://app.strava.com/segments/1482878

Its a really short hill, but steep, not sure what the incline actually is. You need to take the S bends at the top as fast as possible, then if the road is completely clear, hammer it down the hill. I'm currently 4th, but on that attempt I didn't take the bends at the top as fast as I could've done, and then at the bottom of the hill I realised I wasn't on my smallest cog. So probably got a few more mph in the legs, one of these days I'll hook it all up.

If you want to really risk your life then Anerley Hill is pretty crazy:
http://app.strava.com/segments/1036249
I used to get over 45Mph on my old hybrid, but I've been too chicken to do it on the road bike in winter conditions. I reckon 50+ is easily doable down there, and with some bravery/commitment/stupidity 60 could be possible...

I prefer to go down Crystal Palace Park Road instead of Anerley Hill, its safer:
http://app.strava.com/segments/2695755
I've had over 40 down there on the hybrid, but not had a clear run at it on the road bike yet. You really need there to be no wind, as when you get to the fastest part of road the buildings on the right disappear and you get a strong side wind that tries to blow you into the curb. I routinely overtake cars doing 30mph on the outside down this road in rush hour.

The best contender for a 60Mph descent I reckon might be this hill:
http://app.strava.com/activities/39608194#649802060
I've only been down it once on a very windy day. I was on the brakes but was still doing 35mph. The left hand side of the road isn't very smooth, so you really need to have no traffic, no wind and take the middle of the lane. Its a 60mph speed limit, so you wouldn't be breaking the law either.

I'll stick my neck out and say that none of those are 60 mph descents in a million years. The last one isn't London anyway. The Crystal Palace ones - maybe 50mph. Maybe. Although I think you would really struggle. 60mph down Anerley Hill you'd need a death wish. 50mph would be bad enough although I can see that would be possible - I'd only try it on very quiet roads though, usually a lot of buses and cars turning onto the road from either side. CPPR Isn't steep enough for 60 by a long way. I guess with a good wind and pedalling like fury you might make 50 . I'm a bit dubious about the KoM for that segment by the way (didn't realise I'd lost it!)

cyclingprop

Closest I've seen is Shooters Hill descending into Welling - it's long enough but not really steep enough.

http://app.strava.com/segments/2598372

I top out just over 45 on my best effort, which I think was gravity rather than pedal propelled, from memory.

pangolin

You should record it next time, you'll be KOM!

rjsterry

The claims of "I can do nearly 50 so 60 should be doable" seem to be missing some fundamental physics (quite apart from the lunacy of doing that kind of speed when there are side roads and your thinking distance alone is between 15 and 20 metres)

daddy0

BigMat wrote:

I'll stick my neck out and say that none of those are 60 mph descents in a million years. The last one isn't London anyway. The Crystal Palace ones - maybe 50mph. Maybe. Although I think you would really struggle. 60mph down Anerley Hill you'd need a death wish. 50mph would be bad enough although I can see that would be possible - I'd only try it on very quiet roads though, usually a lot of buses and cars turning onto the road from either side. CPPR Isn't steep enough for 60 by a long way. I guess with a good wind and pedalling like fury you might make 50 . I'm a bit dubious about the KoM for that segment by the way (didn't realise I'd lost it!)

Ah - you're the infamous Mr Hammond then!?? I see your name pop up a lot on the top of the Strava leader boards. I tip my skull cap to you sir.

Yeah, I agree none are 60mph apart from maybe the last one, which is inside the M25, just.

I have made 47mph down Anerley Hill on my old rickety hybrid wearing baggy clothes. That was before I used Strava last summer. I got the speed wobbles, a foot came off the pedals (was using flats) and it was very scary. I'm now a bit scared of that hill. I'll wait till summer before I attempt any more bravery/stupidity down there on the road bike. But 50 should easily be doable on a decent bike.

I've still not had a clear run on a calm day down CPPR, so I am still 25th. The KOM looks legit enough to me, looks like he had some help though. One day I'll go for that one myself!

bigmat

Daddy0 wrote:

BigMat wrote:

I'll stick my neck out and say that none of those are 60 mph descents in a million years. The last one isn't London anyway. The Crystal Palace ones - maybe 50mph. Maybe. Although I think you would really struggle. 60mph down Anerley Hill you'd need a death wish. 50mph would be bad enough although I can see that would be possible - I'd only try it on very quiet roads though, usually a lot of buses and cars turning onto the road from either side. CPPR Isn't steep enough for 60 by a long way. I guess with a good wind and pedalling like fury you might make 50 . I'm a bit dubious about the KoM for that segment by the way (didn't realise I'd lost it!)

Ah - you're the infamous Mr Hammond then!?? I see your name pop up a lot on the top of the Strava leader boards. I tip my skull cap to you sir.

Yeah, I agree none are 60mph apart from maybe the last one, which is inside the M25, just.

I have made 47mph down Anerley Hill on my old rickety hybrid wearing baggy clothes. That was before I used Strava last summer. I got the speed wobbles, a foot came off the pedals (was using flats) and it was very scary. I'm now a bit scared of that hill. I'll wait till summer before I attempt any more bravery/stupidity down there on the road bike. But 50 should easily be doable on a decent bike.

I've still not had a clear run on a calm day down CPPR, so I am still 25th. The KOM looks legit enough to me, looks like he had some help though. One day I'll go for that one myself!

Yeah that KoM looks legit, looks like it may have been on one of our club runs although I don't recognise the name.

Has anybody on the Strava leaderboard hit 50 down Anerley Hill? If not, I reckon it can't be that easily achievable!

meanredspider

As someone who has genuinely done nearly 60, I can comment that it takes quite some hill and quite a tailwind to achieve. The fact that I'm KoM down that hill also indicates how hard it is (and, even then, there were 3 or 4 of us properly trying that day - I think I had the edge as I was heaviest and freshest). According to Strava it was a 10% avg hill for about a mile. I don't know how many there are of those in London.

bompington

I've just hit 60 coming down from Glenshee: 14 stone rider with a tailwind.
I certainly wouldn't say it's impossible to get to 60 on a lesser hill, but TBH when I hear people claim it I suspect either technical inaccuracy or, errr, reporting integrity issues. 50 is a different ball game to 40, and 60 is a different planet altogether.

bigmat

Agreed - re Anerley Hill the Strava KOM tops out at 43mph - suggests 50mph extremely fanciful and 60mph dreamland. Once you get over 50 it takes me huge effort to push my speed up even 1mph, unless you have a long steep descent where you can get aero and let gravity do the work, but that doesn't exist in London.

cyclingprop

BigMat wrote:

Agreed - re Anerley Hill the Strava KOM tops out at 43mph - suggests 50mph extremely fanciful and 60mph dreamland. Once you get over 50 it takes me huge effort to push my speed up even 1mph, unless you have a long steep descent where you can get aero and let gravity do the work, but that doesn't exist in London.

Agreed.

Touched 49.8 here; http://app.strava.com/segments/820025 but in pre-strava days. Span out around 44, so I reckon I'd need a longer, steeper hill by some margin.

daddy0

BigMat wrote:

Agreed - re Anerley Hill the Strava KOM tops out at 43mph - suggests 50mph extremely fanciful and 60mph dreamland. Once you get over 50 it takes me huge effort to push my speed up even 1mph, unless you have a long steep descent where you can get aero and let gravity do the work, but that doesn't exist in London.

I got 47Mph down Anerley Hill, both computer and GPS gave me the same max speed. This was before I knew about Strava though

I spun out on my heavy old knackered hybrid with 48-11 gear ratio and then tucked down as low as I could. I think I had just got some decent tyres pumped up hard. I hadn't learnt about bike fit yet, so my saddle would've been down low, my chin was on the handlebars. I also weighed about 14 stone at the time. So I was unwittingly aero and pretty heavy all in all!

So its not possible to do 60 in London then :-( Anyone know anywhere where it is? :twisted:

Initialised

http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/79439298/1053236

Not Strava, but endomondo, my fastest recorded speed 51.1mph (on a Specialized Rockhopper on the road down from the Cairngorm base station).

More locally: http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/84674136/1053236
48.1mph down Consett Road (it's a 30 zone with a camera and a check your speed so cars are cautious and relatively slow) so if I can leave the traffic behind, open the taps and have a bit of a tail wind I can get a descent which is really worth the climb.