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What is the fastest speed you have reached on your bike?

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  • 18-06-2007 10:55pm
    #1
    BossArky
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 9,501 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    As I was saying over on the fitness logs forum yesterday I did the London to Brighton cycle and got up to 74kmph going down a very very very long hill.

    http://arky.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055073146&page=3

    In the end I had to take my hands off the aerobars and back to the traditional mountain bike handle bars to brake as was terrified things were moving a tad too fast. Was on slicks at the time, not chunky tires.

    Before that & over the 2 years+ that I have had the bike I usually used to max out at about 55kmph or so.

    So, what kind of speeds have you gotten up to?.. and do you feel comfy at? I reckon anything over 45kmph-ish.. i.e. when you cannot "pedal down then hill" as chain gone slack is getting into speed wobble territory.


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    #2
    Pherekydes
    Registered Users Posts: 16,134 ✭✭✭✭Pherekydes


    I was very amused to see 74kph on my cycle computer after finishing a spin recently, as I hadn't got anywhere near that. It turned out to be a spurious signal from some power lines I went under.

    That said, I don't like going over 50 on my yoke, especially as I'm the one who puts the wheels on. :rolleyes:


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    #3
    mikemac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,986 ✭✭✭✭mikemac


    46km/h coming down Howth Hill.

    Nowhere near as fast as the OP but I'm only a beginner


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    #4
    mloc123
    Registered Users Posts: 9,454 ✭✭✭mloc123


    42mph was the fastest I've been. Heading to Enniskerry from the Sallygap/Roundwood direction. It gets quite scary at that speed tho, water running out of your eyes, bike feels like its gonna shake itself apart.


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    #5
    JayRoc
    Registered Users Posts: 1,603 ✭✭✭JayRoc


    69kph down a massive hill, coming into (I think) Sligo, on a recent Mizen to Malin tour.
    Absolutely karking it the whole way down


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    #6
    The tax man
    Registered Users Posts: 4,557 ✭✭✭The tax man


    I remember hitting 40+mph along the Tallaght bypass while slip streaming a milk tanker. Was coming back from Blessington with the CTC heading into O'Connell st to catch the end of the Nissan classic and about seven or eight of us caught the tow from it.Gently spinning the biggest gear i had,it just pulled you along. Once I lost the tow I got shot out the back and the unstable air around that distance made things a bit wobbly to say the least.:D

    Just out of interest does this kind of thing still go on? I haven't seen someone on their bike stuck behind a bus or truck in ages. OK I know it's dangerous and isn't recommended but do you still do it if the chance arises?
    BTW when I raced we only had those stupid sponge type helmets so safety wasn't high on the list,no one wore them,only time you had to was when racing.


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    #7
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,350 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    I suspect about 40-45km/h.

    The world land speed record for a bicycle is about 250km/h, but that was cheating through using the slipstream of a car in front.


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    #8
    DeVore
    Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭DeVore


    57kph down a mountain in the Masif Central in france. Straight into a hair pin bend which I misjudged and ended up on the world's most insane controlled-slide on a touring bike. Oh, the bike was loaded with all my gear too. A friend an I had a bet on who could clock the highest peak speed during 2 weeks but called if off when he hit 57kph too the same day and we both agreed it was a recipe for "bad things".

    I never ever want to go that fast again on a bike, lol!

    DeV.


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    #9
    conor rowan
    Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 108 ✭✭conor rowan


    62 kph down a hill in achill, bike started vibrating and shaking which put the ****s up me. paul cycling behind me got up to 69kph but prob wouldve have pushed it a bit more if i wasnt in front of him pulling on the brakes


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    #10
    clearz
    Registered Users Posts: 880 ✭✭✭clearz


    60 kph on the Donegal Town bypass near Mountcharles and 62 kph on the Cavan town bypass. Diddn't have my helmet on either time and I remember thinking WTF am I at. Scary sh*t but a good rush. Bike was very stable at them speeds. Trek 7500 '06


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    #11
    wowy
    Registered Users Posts: 709 ✭✭✭wowy


    50+ mph coming down Glen Gesh in Donegal about 4 years ago. Used never have any problems with speed descents, right up until Christmas eve just gone, when I landed on my face coming down Killiney hill at 30 mph. At least with it being Christmas eve, A&E in Vincents was very quiet, so didn't have to wait long. Every cloud has a silver lining!


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    #12
    Drag00n79
    Registered Users Posts: 2,746 ✭✭✭Drag00n79


    JayRoc wrote:
    69kph down a massive hill, coming into (I think) Sligo, on a recent Mizen to Malin tour.
    Absolutely karking it the whole way down
    Letterkenny perhaps?


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    #13
    kincsem
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,013 ✭✭✭kincsem


    75 kph (+/-1 kph not sure) coming down the Long Hill on the Djouce Mountain road towards Enniskerry. Had to hold my knees against the crossbar for stability, and had difficulty getting around the corner hundreds of yards after peak speed.


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    #14
    mockerydawg
    Registered Users Posts: 247 ✭✭mockerydawg


    Depeding on the lights and if I'm pushing it, I can hit about 55kph coming down the hill to work in the morning.
    Fastest I've ever gone was 58mph on the hills down to glengariff


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    #15
    Membrane
    Closed Accounts Posts: 345 ✭✭Membrane


    Relatively good fast decends:

    * Coming down Slievenabawnoge (between Oldbawn and Brittas); short but v steep, possible to do > 70kp/h easy, but only attempt it if you have strong brakes. Dozy golfers with their carts can wander across the road at the bottom.
    * Coming down Djouce towards Enniskerry; perfectly straight, again easy to reach > 70kp/h, but watch the hidden car park to the left where it first levels out. If anything pulls out of there without looking properly you're toast.
    * Coming down the South side of Slieve Maan; nice and loooong, also easy to do > 70kp/h, faint bends only. Only safe if there's no other traffic around.

    But going down Sally Gap towards Glencree is where the master can distinguish him/herself from the merely brave. The twists and turns on that descend require more than a dare devil mentality to keep the speed up.

    I'd avoid going fast down Howth hill into the harbour, road surface can be tricky in places, typically too much traffic and too many side streets and people around.


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    #16
    Chips Lovell
    Moderators, Politics Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,269 Mod ✭✭✭✭Chips Lovell


    I've gone over 70kph a good few times, usually coming down the Roundwood side of Djouce or the Long hill. My compter logged 77kph going down Cornelscourt Hill Road once, but I think that was some sort of fluke interference as I didn't thing I was going that fast.I used to be a lousy descender, but I'm slowly getting better since I've started riding with people who're better bike handlers than me.


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    #17
    ashj
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14 ✭ashj


    I got 65.7kmph on my mountain bike with slicks just over a week ago, funniest thing was I max'd out pedalling at about 45ish, so it was just gravity powered!
    It may have been heading out of a 30mph zone also :D


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    #18
    is_that_so
    Registered Users Posts: 32,136 ✭✭✭✭is_that_so


    Down Howth Hill through the village, not 100% sure as the speedometer was hopping , but I believe was 50 mph or so. Exhilarating and scary at the the same time.


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    #19
    luckat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,366 ✭✭✭luckat


    I once did almost 60km/h going down a hill in France, screaming all the way.

    My son had found a big metal boule on the road as we cycled a few days earlier, and as he whizzed down the steep hill in front of me I saw that his pannier bag was unravelling, and the boule was swinging nearer and nearer to his spokes.

    I pedalled as fast as I could, crouched down over the handlebars and chased him, terrified, trying to call him but my voice snatched away by the wind and the speed. Finally, about a kilometre after the end of the hill, he stopped, and I caught up and pointed shakily to his pannier. "Oh!" he said.


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    #20
    Chips Lovell
    Moderators, Politics Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,269 Mod ✭✭✭✭Chips Lovell


    ashj wrote:
    It may have been heading out of a 30mph zone also :D

    Yep, there's nothing quite as strange as seeing a speed limit sign and glancing down at your computer and seeing you're over. Usuualy happens to me coming into Laragh after hurtling down from Glenmacnass.


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    #21
    LordSutch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,078 ✭✭✭✭LordSutch


    BossArky wrote:
    As I was saying over on the fitness logs forum yesterday I did the London to Brighton cycle and got up to 74kmph going down a very very very long hill.

    In the end I had to take my hands off the aerobars and back to the traditional mountain bike handle bars to brake as was terrified things were moving a tad too fast. Was on slicks at the time, not chunky tires.

    So, what kind of speeds have you gotten up to?.. and do you feel comfy at? I reckon anything over 45kmph-ish.. i.e. when you cannot "pedal down then hill" as chain gone slack is getting into speed wobble territory.

    I suspect the hill in question was "Ditchling Beacon" just before you reach Brighton? there are other down hill streches on the Sixty mile trip to Brighton, but 'Ditchling' is the Biggie and an absolute bugger to climb before that crazy three mile drop onto Brighton Promenade :)

    I am doing the 'London to Hove' this year just for a change (Capital to Coast) only two thousand entrants as opposed to the (27 thousand) that usually block-up the roads on the London to Brighton ..................


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    #22
    Mucco
    Registered Users Posts: 714 ✭✭✭Mucco


    I got flashed by a speed camera last week while doing 62kph in a 48 zone. One of my proudest moments!

    M


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    #23
    Civilian_Target
    Registered Users Posts: 5,618 ✭✭✭Civilian_Target


    Yeah, I often break the speed limit coming down Notting Hill in the afternoon...
    unfortunately the gearing of my bike isn't really condusive to reaching speeds over about 50kmph.

    No idea what my highest speed is because I don't measure.


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    #24
    Collumbo
    Registered Users Posts: 180 ✭✭Collumbo


    Clocked 96kph :D ... Descending Glenshane pass a few miles before entering Dungiven, during Stage 7 of the Rás this year...


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    #25
    Chips Lovell
    Moderators, Politics Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,269 Mod ✭✭✭✭Chips Lovell


    Collumbo wrote:
    Clocked 96kph :D ... Descending Glenshane pass a few miles before entering Dungiven, during Stage 7 of the Rás this year...

    Now you're talking!


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    #26
    Pherekydes
    Registered Users Posts: 16,134 ✭✭✭✭Pherekydes


    Mucco wrote:
    I got flashed by a speed camera last week while doing 62kph in a 48 zone. One of my proudest moments!

    M


    48?? :confused:


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    #27
    Alanstrainor
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 23,157 Mod ✭✭✭✭Alanstrainor


    56kph flying down hill from massey wood, i was on an old mountain bike, when i got to that speed everything started to shake violently, so i figured, yeah. now is the time to slow down:rolleyes:,


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    #28
    hunnymonster
    Registered Users Posts: 5,365 ✭✭✭hunnymonster


    Slow coach wrote:
    48?? :confused:

    probably 30 mph convereted to kph?




    I lose my nerve about 50ish kph. There are certain hills with lots of twists that I actually climb as fast as I descend. I'm such a wimp.


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    #29
    Stereophonic
    Closed Accounts Posts: 182 ✭✭Stereophonic


    is_that_so wrote:
    Down Howth Hill through the village, not 100% sure as the speedometer was hopping , but I believe was 50 mph or so. Exhilarating and scary at the the same time.

    Yeh you do get some speed there coming into the village and the angle of the hill too. It's doesn't last long though but going back towards Sutton is longer and more pace. I got 38mph - 40 mph before I got spinning with good deal of winds, last time I checked coming down Howth

    40mph+ on Tallaght bypass would be great.


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    #30
    Cabaal
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,470 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cabaal


    Last I had something to clock speeds at I managed 42mph but thats many many years ago on a crappy mountainbike on a small hill, god knows what I'd do now adays :)


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    #31
    Quigs Snr
    Registered Users Posts: 4,145 ✭✭✭Quigs Snr


    92kph coming through a long tunnel with smooth tarmac on the descent of Col Du'Lauteret in last years Etape du tour. Got one hell of a shock when I came out the other side and the blast of wind hit me. Bike started vibrating like crazy.


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