Broke the 30 mph barrier yesterday......

bungle73

Just.

Got up to 30 mph dead. Down a stretch of flatish, but slightly downhill road near me. 8)

Fastest I've ever been on a bike I believe.

Not for long though. I had to slow down for a bend, followed by a right turn over a foot/cycle bridge across the road that replaced the one I was riding along.

cougie

Almost at the speed that wiggo holds for an hour then! 40 next?

MiddleRinger

Find a bigger/longer hill to ride down.... :-)

pblakeney

Where on Earth do you live that doesn't have a decent hill within easy reach?

fat daddy

cougie wrote:

Almost at the speed that wiggo holds for an hour then! 40 next?

10mile TT on a Brompton record is around 30mph as well

sloppyschleckonds

PBlakeney wrote:

Where on Earth do you live that doesn't have a decent hill within easy reach?

He is describing Box Hill

bungle73

cougie wrote:

Almost at the speed that wiggo holds for an hour then! 40 next?

Maybe.

PBlakeney wrote:

Where on Earth do you live that doesn't have a decent hill within easy reach?

North Kent. There is one candidate: a long descent that runs for a few miles from the top of the North Downs to just outside the town where I live. It has a few bends though, so I'm not sure what kinds of speeds I could get up to on it. I could also extend the distance over the road I was on yesterday. It's an ex-A road so it's good for speed, but fairly quiet because it's been replaced by a newer dual carriageway.

A lot of the roads are either too busy, or narrow, twisty, country lanes.

The Rookie

Jeez, I'm 50 and not that fit and can hit 30 on the straight and level on my Hybrid for a few hundred meters.

DeVlaeminck

That's decent - anything over 30 on a flat road without a tail wind is good going especially on a hybrid

pblakeney

Bungle73 wrote:

North Kent. There is one candidate: a long descent that runs for a few miles from the top of the North Downs to just outside the town where I live. It has a few bends though, so I'm not sure what kinds of speeds I could get up to on it.

Try it and find out. Or, do what everyone else does and wait for a tailwind before hitting Strava.
30mph is easily achievable.

Frank Wilson

Should be looking where you are going not at the speedo or worse still computer or phone.

simon_masterson

fat daddy wrote:

cougie wrote:

Almost at the speed that wiggo holds for an hour then! 40 next?

10mile TT on a Brompton record is around 30mph as well

Hutch did a short 21 a couple of years back. Even without starting folded, that's impressive. IIRC Zak Carr did a 19 on an MTB with slicks.

cougie

The Rookie wrote:

Jeez, I'm 50 and not that fit and can hit 30 on the straight and level on my Hybrid for a few hundred meters.

You've probably calibrated your speedo wrong...

;-)

mfin

Who'd have thought it, different people capable of different speeds?

That said, if 30mph is the fastest you've ever been on a bike go out and find a hill. Most people can find a hill they can at least hit 50mph on.

OnTheRopes

Frank Wilson wrote:

Should be looking where you are going not at the speedo or worse still computer or phone.

Your Assuming rather a lot aren't you? Despite the fact that it is quite safe to glance at the Garmin most of the time, who said he did? Strava gives all the info after upload. And who said anything about a phone ffs?

sheffsimon

Frank Wilson wrote:

Should be looking where you are going not at the speedo or worse still computer or phone.

Imagine looking down at the handlebars whilst turning yerself inside out on the bike......that never happens does it?

tangled_metal

You really do need a hill down there. Using a cateye mity 2 (back then it was the recommended Speedo in a cycling mag- and yes we called them a Speedo then too) with a measured wheel circumference entered I got a 58mph going down a steep and straight hill. Scary but I was 17 years old and just bought my first helmet. I was trying to double the speed limit at the time.

Cue many years later in a new area (north Lancashire) I found a long, bendy downhill. I managed 58mph again using the same bike and Speedo. The difference was over 10 years. During the intervening years. Used to get 54mph to 56mph rather a lot on many local hills.

Now I ease up at 30mph, unless I'm chasing the car of a work colleague. Seriously feels good overtaking a work colleague in their car knowing they have to slow down to 30mph for the speed camera! For some reason I don't trigger it. That really winds her up. Revenge for the use of her horn!

Seriously though, speed gets scary once in the 50s. Not least because drivers pulling out of side roads do not realize the speed you're traveling at. The 58mph hill near me was one place to I got truly scared. Right near the bottom of the hill a side road had a guy pull out, stop then decide he can make it before I got there only to change his.mind right in the middle of the road!

I wasn't trying for a fast speed that day so only doing 40mph and was.already covering the brakes ready to slow to 20 odd to make the bend at the end of the hill. It still scared the brown stuff out of me. I was past him too quick for any verbal abuse I wanted to give.him. Partly my fault because i was going faster than cars do on that section.

Now my view is speed you can maintain is more important. I am more satisfied with a 16mph average commute speed these days than a 30mph top speed. I must be getting old!

MBCaad8

Tangled Metal wrote:

You really do need a hill down there. Using a cateye mity 2 (back then it was the recommended Speedo in a cycling mag- and yes we called them a Speedo then too) with a measured wheel circumference entered I got a 58mph going down a steep and straight hill. Scary but I was 17 years old and just bought my first helmet. I was trying to double the speed limit at the time.

Cue many years later in a new area (north Lancashire) I found a long, bendy downhill. I managed 58mph again using the same bike and Speedo. The difference was over 10 years. During the intervening years. Used to get 54mph to 56mph rather a lot on many local hills.

Now I ease up at 30mph, unless I'm chasing the car of a work colleague. Seriously feels good overtaking a work colleague in their car knowing they have to slow down to 30mph for the speed camera! For some reason I don't trigger it. That really winds her up. Revenge for the use of her horn!

Seriously though, speed gets scary once in the 50s. Not least because drivers pulling out of side roads do not realize the speed you're traveling at. The 58mph hill near me was one place to I got truly scared. Right near the bottom of the hill a side road had a guy pull out, stop then decide he can make it before I got there only to change his.mind right in the middle of the road!

I wasn't trying for a fast speed that day so only doing 40mph and was.already covering the brakes ready to slow to 20 odd to make the bend at the end of the hill. It still scared the brown stuff out of me. I was past him too quick for any verbal abuse I wanted to give.him. Partly my fault because i was going faster than cars do on that section.

Now my view is speed you can maintain is more important. I am more satisfied with a 16mph average commute speed these days than a 30mph top speed. I must be getting old!

Nob

fenix

I've got 56mph on some long descents - but with a tailwind too. I'd not be doing them on any roads that had sideroads joining though - that's just loony.

Frank Wilson

SheffSimon wrote:

Frank Wilson wrote:

Should be looking where you are going not at the speedo or worse still computer or phone.

Imagine looking down at the handlebars whilst turning yerself inside out on the bike......that never happens does it?

Just my personal dislike about cyclists Simon, the amount of times when on a cycle path I have had people coming the other way concentrating on their computer or phone and not looking at what they are aiming straight for (me) really gets on my nerves. Especially when we sanctimoniously have threads on this board about people using mobiles whilst driving.

Frank.

bigmat

Plenty of roads in North Kent where you can exceed 30mph without even pedalling, you need to either look harder or get off the brakes!

The Rookie

cougie wrote:

The Rookie wrote:

Jeez, I'm 50 and not that fit and can hit 30 on the straight and level on my Hybrid for a few hundred meters.

You've probably calibrated your speedo wrong...

;-)

Strava - I'm not looking at a speedo (that would be daft), there is a pan flat section at the end of my commute, usual speed is 23-25mph but a bit of extra effort can see over 30mph. That was on my old Carrera Gryphon with 26x1.5" tyres, now the roadworks have gone I'll try it on my PX LR (flat bar build) with 700x28c.

tangled_metal

Fenix wrote:

I've got 56mph on some long descents - but with a tailwind too. I'd not be doing them on any roads that had sideroads joining though - that's just loony.

It was near the end when you'll already be slowing down for the bend. Although you'd carry a bit of speed through the.bend to help the steep climb just round the bend. Side road was on or near the bend.

But yes absolutely Looney. I used to be into adrenaline when young. I've not even attempted to get over 40mph since I turned 30. Now I'm more likely to be pootling along at 8 to 10mph with my other half and son in.a trailer on my bike or seat on hers. Any attempt at getting over 15mph with the trailer gets stern rebuke from my.son and partner. She has no GPS or speedo but has a very good feeling for 15mph. I made the mistake of telling.her that Burly give a warning that top speed towing their trailers is 15mph.

I've only reached 58mph twice but those two hills were steep enough, long enough and clear enough to easily achieve over 50mph on a well maintained bike. One was a very steep, straight hill with long sightlines and a very nice and gentle slope the other side as a run out. Very quiet road too.

The second, more recent hill had reasonable sightlines round fairly open bends and a steady rate of descent too. To reach 50mph you just had to pedal to about 30mph right at the beginning (didn't take long) then freewheel in an aero tuck. You did over 40 sat upright. All times I rode that hill were in quiet periods without much traffic. All speed runs were ever carried out without any sign of other road users. The one dodgy encounter, as mentioned previously, was when I had slowed right down and the only dangerous behaviour then was.from the car driver. I'm not stupid and have lived my 40+ years cycling without any.accident worse than a few scrapes and grazes with the associated bruised ego/embarrassment caused by mate's ridicule.

As others have reached into the 50s as well I must not be the only Looney here. In my defence a youth throwing myself off waterfalls in a kayak did lead to a short period with fast reactions and a penchant for adrenaline. If it wasn't fast cycling, kayaking I'd be climbing to get over my fear of heights!

I'm not in that mindset anymore. As shown by an attempt 6 years ago to get.back into climbing which ended with me realizing I was getting too scared halfway up the indoor climbing wall.

bungle73

BigMat wrote:

Plenty of roads in North Kent where you can exceed 30mph without even pedalling, you need to either look harder or get off the brakes!

Not sure where here? Apart from the ones I've mentioned.

CiB

Best way to do 50+ is to find a decent hill where you can just hit 48, put a load of weight of over a year or so then go back to have another go and let gravity work its magic. Being a fat bloke with no concern for your own safety is a great way to be fastest down a hill.

Agree with others on here - anything up to the high 40s is a buzz, over 50 it starts to be a concern.

lancew

Bungle73 wrote:

BigMat wrote:

Plenty of roads in North Kent where you can exceed 30mph without even pedalling, you need to either look harder or get off the brakes!

Not sure where here? Apart from the ones I've mentioned.

There's loads of them. I'm Bromley and have done loads of hills in the area. Take a look at the Bigfoot.cc website and you can see some of our routes we use.

Breaking the 30mph marker is a good achievement. You will go faster and you will get there so welcome to the "how fast can I go" club.

thumperman

This hill's a bit loony and not even 30mph average. A car width wide, gravel, potholes 20% in places and blind bends.
https://www.strava.com/segments/11897116
At 45 I seem to be getting braver (ummm, more stupid?) down hills. I do get a bit worried when the forks start squirming around on the bends. But don't people say to live life to the full? :?
I managed an hour at 30kph average which I was very chuffed about.

bungle73

Thanks.

I'm actually in Sittigbourne, so that are a bit out of my area.

I don't do Strava tbh. There seem to be far too many people on it, and far too many ridiculous times that I probably don't have a hope in hell of beating, or even getting anywhere near for that matter. I prefer MapMyRide. I actually got the fastest time on one of their courses (equivalent to a Strava segment) recently: 1.1 miles (undulating road) in 2:49, average speed 22.95 mph. That took a bit of effort I can tell you,

I didn't put the same sort of effort into the 30 mph run, just smoothly accelerating though the gears, so no doubt I could go faster if I pushed it.

kajjal

If you want to go fast make sure you can stop on the road you can see and are aware of potential hazards. If you hit anything at 50mph plus wearing lycra you will be in real trouble. Being stravaman can be very dangerous.

Mad_Malx

Bungle73 wrote:

Thanks.

I'm actually in Sittigbourne, so that are a bit out of my area.

I don't do Strava tbh. There seem to be far too many people on it, and far too many ridiculous times that I probably don't have a hope in hell of beating, or even getting anywhere near for that matter. I prefer MapMyRide. I actually got the fastest time on one of their courses (equivalent to a Strava segment) recently: 1.1 miles (undulating road) in 2:49, average speed 22.95 mph. That took a bit of effort I can tell you,

I didn't put the same sort of effort into the 30 mph run, just smoothly accelerating though the gears, so no doubt I could go faster if I pushed it.

I only started with strava recently. I don't worry much about anyone else, but it's what I really like is looking at my own performance. Really motivates me on my commute. If I'm delayed on one segment then I ease off and try on the next, so I end up doing a series of intervals. After about a month it got really hard to improve times (and winter bike, carrying light, mudguards, more clothes...). Will be interesting to see what happens in the spring.
I avoid looking at the descent times though, that isn't going to end well.

The Rookie

Strava is great for tracking your own progress,