Max speeds

goonz

It seems there are quite a lot of racers on BR and pretty much everyone is on Strava so I was interested to find out what peoples max speeds are on a flat.

Lets sort the sprinters from the climbers!

The one time I used Strava it showed my max speed of 38mph but I am a bit sceptical whether this is accurate as it sure didn't feel that fast to me? I guess compared to a lot of guys here that will be a snails pace.

Oh and how do I get that faster???

Grill

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40020&t=12791986

bernithebiker

Are you talking a few seconds, few minutes or few hours?!

Because obviously hitting say 60km/h may be possible for a few seconds, but not for a few minutes.

My Strava max speeds are all downhill, so not sure about on the flat. I can hold 40km/h for half an hour + (25mph), and I would think I could do a good 60km/h for a few seconds (40mph).

But definitely not my forte, I'm small and light and just don't have the brute power to push the air out of the way. For this kind of thing, better to be big, strong and powerful as weight doesn't really matter at all.

bernithebiker

Grill wrote:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40020&t=12791986

Different, 'cos he's talking about on the flat.

diy

Living in a valley - its very hard to find flat. I've pulled 53-55mph on the MTB (off road), not managed over about 43-45 on the road bike. I just don't feel as confident with the skinny tyres and weak brakes.

goonz

diy wrote:

Living in a valley - its very hard to find flat. I've pulled 53-55mph on the MTB (off road), not managed over about 43-45 on the road bike. I just don't feel as confident with the skinny tyres and weak brakes.

On a flat on a MTB? Or you mean on a descend?

I'm really interested in flat max speed...

goonz

bernithebiker wrote:

Are you talking a few seconds, few minutes or few hours?!

Because obviously hitting say 60km/h may be possible for a few seconds, but not for a few minutes.

My Strava max speeds are all downhill, so not sure about on the flat. I can hold 40km/h for half an hour + (25mph), and I would think I could do a good 60km/h for a few seconds (40mph).

But definitely not my forte, I'm small and light and just don't have the brute power to push the air out of the way. For this kind of thing, better to be big, strong and powerful as weight doesn't really matter at all.

I mean whatever your top speed would be on a flat, i'd assume for most people this would be only for a few seconds at most.

i agree with the power issue, I am small and lightweight too, but my legs have never been my strongest muscle. I can only dream of hitting hitting 40mph+ I guess.

chrisaonabike

I have a very short Strava segment which is very nearly flat.

My best speed along that is 23 mph, but I'm fairly dead at the end of it.

junglist_matty

My top speed on the flat:

27.3mph average over 2.2miles (4th overall) - Strava elevation shows a -4% grade at points, but this is wrong, it's flat:
http://app.strava.com/segments/1095721


30.1mph average over 1.2miles (KOM):
http://app.strava.com/segments/1256383


I tend to struggle at sprinting to speeds over about 35mph as my gearing starts to max out I struggle to maintain maximum power output at higher cadence.

DavidJB

bernithebiker wrote:

Are you talking a few seconds, few minutes or few hours?!

Because obviously hitting say 60km/h may be possible for a few seconds, but not for a few minutes.

My Strava max speeds are all downhill, so not sure about on the flat. I can hold 40km/h for half an hour + (25mph), and I would think I could do a good 60km/h for a few seconds (40mph).

But definitely not my forte, I'm small and light and just don't have the brute power to push the air out of the way. For this kind of thing, better to be big, strong and powerful as weight doesn't really matter at all.

40mph on the dead flat from a solo speed start? Then you should be an elite level bunch sprinter lad.

Grill

I'm more diesel than petrol as I don't put out much power (around 260W for a 10), but I can hold around 20mph pretty much indefinitely. On sprints I've seen mid 30s, but the lactic acid buildup is almost immediate and I can't hold it. At least I recover quickly though.

junglist_matty

Grill wrote:

I can hold around 20mph pretty much indefinitely

That's quick!

Buckie2k5

i once reached 88mph , and now im stuck in 2013.

Grill

Buckie2k5 wrote:

i once reached 88mph , and now im stuck in 2013.

Win

thegreatdivide

Is this with or without a tailwind? I managed to average 30mph on a 3.6 mile stretch near me the other week with a very strong tailwind – and the help of a bin lorry in front of me. It was a total Breaking Away moment

This is about as flat as it gets round here http://app.strava.com/segments/3652404

displacedaussie

For what it's worth (not much ), this sprint got me 1st place in a 4th Cat race (into a headwind and slightly uphill).



The bunch was doing 55km/hr. I hit 65 getting into position, slowed a little round the corner coming around an Exeter Wheelers leadout, then kicked again up to 55 to hit the lead and held it reasonably high all the way to the finish line to win by a few lengths.

It's all a bit meaningless though, isn't it, when it's so wind and gradient dependent?

bernithebiker

DavidJB wrote:

bernithebiker wrote:

Are you talking a few seconds, few minutes or few hours?!

Because obviously hitting say 60km/h may be possible for a few seconds, but not for a few minutes.

My Strava max speeds are all downhill, so not sure about on the flat. I can hold 40km/h for half an hour + (25mph), and I would think I could do a good 60km/h for a few seconds (40mph).

But definitely not my forte, I'm small and light and just don't have the brute power to push the air out of the way. For this kind of thing, better to be big, strong and powerful as weight doesn't really matter at all.

40mph on the dead flat from a solo speed start? Then you should be an elite level bunch sprinter lad.

I was thinking rolling along at 30kph, then going balls out for 30 seconds or so, I think 60kph should be doable. Tell you what, I'll try it next ride, would need to be sure no wind.

Here's my 20km at 40kph, hilly too! Normal road bike.

http://app.strava.com/activities/45304526#777883627

NITR8s

I did 46.3mph on my turbo trainer last night for a couple of seconds, does that count? hehe

danowat

My bullshit meter just melted after reading this thread

jotko

The other day I was sprinting at 69kmh on the flat but then my enormous internet penis got stuck in the spokes and I went over the handlebars :shock:

thegreatdivide

OP asked the question what's the fastest you;ve gone on a flat. People post speeds, some with links to Strava sections which show average/max speeds on a segment. What's wrong with that? They're answers to the question. Do you expect everyone to say 12mph?

seanorawe

My garmin had a blip once and said my top speed was 70mph. so my top speed is 70.

motd2k

Why is it so hard to believe that people have done 40mph on the flat? It's really not that unlikely... and to be fair the 'bullshit meter' comments are more annoying than the exaggerated claims anyway.

diy

goonz wrote:

diy wrote:

Living in a valley - its very hard to find flat. I've pulled 53-55mph on the MTB (off road), not managed over about 43-45 on the road bike. I just don't feel as confident with the skinny tyres and weak brakes.

On a flat on a MTB? Or you mean on a descend?

I'm really interested in flat max speed...

oh god no it was a -8, -10, 43-45 was a -3, -4

motd2k

Oh, and to back up my previous - he's little old me doing 40mph on the flat... http://app.strava.com/activities/45278301#777449244

goonz

motd2k wrote:

Oh, and to back up my previous - he's little old me doing 40mph on the flat... http://app.strava.com/activities/45278301#777449244

Where does it tell you speed? Im not good with working strava yet... :oops:

goonz

Ah i see you need to be signed in to see it fully. My bad.

oldhairylegs

As others have said, it's difficult to compare speeds from one place to another due to wind and gradient differences, but I just had a look back at my Garmin data for some circuit races with a flat finish over the last couple of years and the finishing speeds are pretty consistently between 36 and 40mph.

This would have only been for 10 seconds at best and may well have involved a lead out of some sort; the results show that there were plenty of guys who were going more quickly than me!

Apparently, Cav usually tops out around 45-48mph in the sprint; his maximum recorded sprint speed is 49.

bernithebiker

motd2k wrote:

Oh, and to back up my previous - he's little old me doing 40mph on the flat... http://app.strava.com/activities/45278301#777449244

Er, that's km/h, not mph............

40km/h on the flat = easy, 40mph on the flat = very difficult.

goonz

I'm interested to know would I be able to hit a higher top speed if my bike was fitted with a triple rather than compact gearing?

Grill

If the triple has a 53 ring and you have the strength to push it at that sort of intensity then yes, but IME it's only worth going to a triple if you do serious audaxing/touring.