Howfast can you go on a flat road?

davylear
davylear Posts: 35
edited October 2011 in The bottom bracket
I can maintain 22mph and max out at 30mph for a short distance.

Interested to hear what everyone else can do so I can see howwell/badly I am doing at cycling compared to other cyclists?
Cannondale Supersix
Specialised Stumpjumper

Comments

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,244
    11mph.
  • STEFANOS4784
    STEFANOS4784 Posts: 4,109
    Average about 30mph max out at about 73.342, approximately.
  • Gazzaputt
    Gazzaputt Posts: 3,227
    Oh bloody hell this is can of worms to open! :lol:

    Call for Bhima.
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    I once did 140MPH on a flat road.




    In a Porsche. (No one specified it had to be on a bike).
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,244
    8 inches
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,217
    8 inches

    No, he doesn't want to know your height Rick :lol:
  • SLX01
    SLX01 Posts: 338
    Depends on your definition of 'flat' most roads are not flat for any distance, what you may think is flat when doing a nice long flat out effort is often downhill. Same goes for short distance what do you call a short distance? I can go faster over 100m than I can over 1km but I'd still class 1km as a short distance?
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    SLX01 wrote:
    Depends on your definition of 'flat' most roads are not flat for any distance, what you may think is flat when doing a nice long flat out effort is often downhill. Same goes for short distance what do you call a short distance? I can go faster over 100m than I can over 1km but I'd still class 1km as a short distance?
    Should use land speed record rules - timed flying runs over 1 mile (or km) in opposite directions. For bike sprinting I suppose you could use a shorter distance, say 200m.
    I've never been bothered enough to try it, but I'll bet that for most of us, at the times when we've been really chuffed at how fast we've been going, we'd get a very disappointing reality check if we turned round and went the other way.
  • If its flat round here it's still bloody windy.
    "A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"

    PTP Runner Up 2015
  • I am indeed new to the forum and to cycling and, in light of the varied and wide ranging responses, I shall now be much more careful in my wording in future posts

    Not sure how I ever lived without Bikeradar forum. Certainly keeps me going throughout the working day reading everyones posts on various topics
    Cannondale Supersix
    Specialised Stumpjumper
  • LeicesterLad
    LeicesterLad Posts: 3,908
    davylear wrote:
    I can maintain 22mph and max out at 30mph for a short distance.

    Interested to hear what everyone else can do so I can see howwell/badly I am doing at cycling compared to other cyclists?

    How fast you can go on the flat for a short period of time deffinately doesn't tell you A SINGLE THING about how good you are at cycling.

    you must define good first, and even after that i doubt it will still tell you how 'good' you are. Mark Cavendish can go pretty quick on the flat over a short distance, but can he feck climb the angliru side by side with Alberto Contador. Whos better? who knows?
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    88mph on the flat, then I disappear.
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    Don't be too hard on the poor chap. We all like to know how we're doing.

    The speed you quote is fine - it's not silly slow, and it's not mega quick. How you improve is what's important though. Further & faster & with some hills. Most of all, enjoy yourself.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • Gazzaputt
    Gazzaputt Posts: 3,227
    pastabake wrote:
    88mph on the flat, then I disappear.

    :lol:
  • Mr Dog
    Mr Dog Posts: 643
    Just faster than the guy who appeared from the side road behind me and just slower than the nice lady a yard ahead of me ..giggty. 8)
    Why tidy the house when you can clean your bike?
  • Whatever speed terminal velocity is - as long as the flat road is vertical...
    Visit Ireland - all of it! Cycle in Dublin and know fear!!
    exercise.png
  • hstiles
    hstiles Posts: 414
    Mr Dog wrote:
    Just faster than the guy who appeared from the side road behind me and just slower than the nice lady a yard ahead of me ..giggty. 8)

    +1

    Faster than blokes, slower than women.
  • Ginjafro
    Ginjafro Posts: 572
    I live in Cornwall, I don't know what flat is.....
    Giant XTC Pro-Carbon
    Cove Hustler
    Planet X Pro-Carbon
  • I'm too afraid to give it the full beans as I'm so powerful I would probably bend my frame, ho hum.
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    davylear wrote:
    I am indeed new to the forum and to cycling and, in light of the varied and wide ranging responses, I shall now be much more careful in my wording in future posts

    Not sure how I ever lived without Bikeradar forum. Certainly keeps me going throughout the working day reading everyones posts on various topics

    Well, as you're new, have a look at these threads, they've become the stuff of legend here on BR :D
    http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12692260&highlight=
    http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12718893&highlight=
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    pastabake wrote:
    88mph on the flat, then I disappear.
    Only if you're generating one point twenty-one jiggawatts ! I assume that you've got a power meter to verify that ?
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • holmeboy
    holmeboy Posts: 674
    How come chainreactions don't advertise here anymore?
  • Nuggs
    Nuggs Posts: 1,804
    I'm too afraid to give it the full beans as I'm so powerful I would probably bend my frame, ho hum.
    I once bent the space-time continuum when I got out of the saddle.
  • kev77
    kev77 Posts: 433
    at least 346 mph!

    boom

    :lol:
  • Mike67
    Mike67 Posts: 585
    I'm surprised no-ones mentioned time trials yet....oops :D

    Maybe because it's Winter and we're all a little depressed without the sunshine.

    A TT would be about as near as you can get to a proper speed comparison...same bit of road, same conditions etc. Others will have all the kit etc but that aside it's a level playing field. TT courses also tend to be flat(ish). You might have to wait til next year for that though.

    Have you got round to joining a club yet? Another way to see how you compare is to ride with others..perhaps maybe in a chain gang...it was an eye opener for me...managed about 3 miles on my first one before getting dropped off the back. That was at a steady 22mph :oops:
    Mike B

    Cannondale CAAD9
    Kinesis Pro 5 cross bike
    Lots of bits
  • Zoomer37
    Zoomer37 Posts: 725
    Friend of mine told me that if you do 31mph on the flat with a carbon bike the frame cracks.
  • Nuggs
    Nuggs Posts: 1,804
    Zoomer37 wrote:
    Friend of mine told me that if you do 31mph on the flat with a carbon bike the frame cracks.
    That is true but only if it's raining. In practice the frame usually dissolves before one reaches those giddy speeds.