Stuck on 60 something

cyclic

I don't have the fear anymore. Yet max speed is always around the low 60kms after some nice descents on Military road, SallyGap and Stocking Lane, etc. How the hell do the pros get up to the 100s? I've a decent bike, decent tyres, staying low, leaning forward, picking a decent line- stuck on 60 something. How do you go fast?

DirkVoodoo

cyclic wrote: »

I don't have the fear anymore. Yet max speed is always around the low 60kms after some nice descents on Military road, SallyGap and Stocking Lane, etc. How the hell do the pros get up to the 100s? I've a decent bike, decent tyres, staying low, leaning forward, picking a decent line- stuck on 60 something. How do you go fast?

They are pros. I wouldn't kill myself trying to go faster just because I want to emulate Nibali.

Technique, position and confidence. If you keep at it, you will get better unless you are doing something terribly wrong (descending on the hoods? Big flappy jersey?) but let it come naturally.

Dermot Illogical

cyclic wrote: »

I don't have the fear anymore. Yet max speed is always around the low 60kms after some nice descents on Military road, SallyGap and Stocking Lane, etc. How the hell do the pros get up to the 100s? I've a decent bike, decent tyres, staying low, leaning forward, picking a decent line- stuck on 60 something. How do you go fast?

53x11, and pedal like a demon. It also helps if you're carrying some ballast.

Zyzz

Pedal like a demon..get in an aero position..reduce drag clothing..lighter bike..aero wheels/tyres..pressure in the tyres..

To name a few I've maxed out with 76km/h but only 1 or 2 that I mentioned above lol

RobFowl

Broke to 100 mark a few times but only on perfect descents and in perfect conditions. Kelly at his peak couid regularly descend at 125 +and not just for a few seconds either....

Harrybelafonte

Closed roads

Bikerbhoy

Its obvious really... No decents long enough in this country to get anywhere near those speeds and as previous poster said closed roads are kinda helpful aswell.

g0g

Tailwind, good open hill, nice surface and just hoof it.
Strangely I was able to hit higher speeds on my hybrid in the past than road bike now as I found I to be more "stable" - maybe it just takes time.... Have almost broken the 80 barrier but just a bit short a few times.

Never cycled a bike with a double, but assume maybe the gearing on that allows higher speeds with lower cadence? I've found 70+ to be a bit hairy - can only imagine what 100 must feel like! For these really high speeds I assume people are pedalling or are they freewheeling in the right position on a steep downhill?

manafana

think in Ireland I have hit 80km p/h 2or3 times at most, once coming down stocking lane.

In france you would hit about this on the long downhill straights easy enough and then run out of gears

Wishbone Ash

cyclic wrote: »

.... and Stocking Lane, etc.

manafana wrote: »

think in Ireland I have hit 80km p/h 2or3 times at most, once coming down stocking lane

:eek: I wouldn't have to balls to do those speeds on Stocking Lane. Too twisty, too many other cyclists weaving about on their ascent and other traffic driving in the middle of the road.

Old long hill should get you up to 70 kph easily. I got 81.5 kph there earlier this year. Careful near the bottom where a car could pull out in front of you there though.

My previous best was 79.5 kph, I put the improvement down to a good tailwind and a diet involving too much chocolate.

Plastik

Old long hill is a good spot. 86.3

AstraMonti

It's all about being comfortable on your bike and having in top condition. If it's rattling, squeeking, clanking or any other noise it kills the confidence.

ashleey

I generally find that gates in the hedges blow up my confidence but am too scared to brake also. There was some great filming in the giro this year with pro riders crouching over the top tube and off their saddle when descending for extra speed. Sean Kelly did say 'don't try this at home though'

Wishbone Ash

RobFowl wrote: »

Kelly at his peak couid regularly descend at 125 +and not just for a few seconds either....

He famously got to 124km/h at the Col de Joux Plane in the 1984 TDF.

Here's a Youtube clip an amateur has recorded of his descent on it (with traffic!):

manafana

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

:eek: I wouldn't have to balls to do those speeds on Stocking Lane. Too twisty, too many other cyclists weaving about on their ascent and other traffic driving in the middle of the road.

Stocking lane is pretty straight most of time only 3 real places you need sit up and get on brakes. Would back off if i see any cars or the park is busy.

old long hill is a great one, lovely wide road and mild bends.

Iwernia

In to the 90's regularly coming down Glengesh, sure isn't that the reason they built a shrine there.

ashleey

Iwernia wrote: »

In to the 90's regularly coming down Glengesh, sure isn't that the reason they built a shrine there.

That's for your heart on the way up

nomdeboardie

g0g wrote: »

Tailwind, good open hill, nice surface and just hoof it.
Strangely I was able to hit higher speeds on my hybrid in the past than road bike now as I found I to be more "stable" - maybe it just takes time.... Have almost broken the 80 barrier but just a bit short a few times. ...

I wonder whether it should actually be advantageous to keep an upright position until one starts to go faster than the tailwind? (Not suggesting that you had tailwinds strong enough to make the difference in your final speeds, though!)

smacl

Hit 78kph on the old long hill last year. Too fast for me tbh, and you need to stay close to the centre of the road to avoid the risk of cars coming out of the bottom. I rarely go much over 60 these days, which suits me fine. Wearing regular glasses doesn't help, as I find the eyes start watering over 50kph. Glenmacnass and the Wicklow gap are two other nice spots for fast descents around Wicklow.

munsterleinster

80 is fairly easy. Combination of technique and ballast..
Have never reached 90 in Ireland.

If you're going to practice, try to get good at corners as it's more rewarding keeping the speed thru the bends than a banzai straight downhill.
Just be careful you don't tense up on the corner as it'll be messy.


Surprized the health & safety brigade havn't hijacked this thread with sensible advice

Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

:eek: I wouldn't have to balls to do those speeds on Stocking Lane. Too twisty, too many other cyclists weaving about on their ascent and other traffic driving in the middle of the road.

manafana wrote: »

Stocking lane is pretty straight most of time only 3 real places you need sit up and get on brakes.

Apologies - I confused Stocking Lane with the other one that runs down by The Merry Ploughman's (Cruagh Road?). Got to 61 km/h coming down there today but wouldn't fancy going any faster (and a crossing dog scared the shit out of me near the bottom!)

DirkVoodoo

I've never understood how people go so fast down Old Long Hill...Calary maybe, but old long hill just has too many residential entrances. I never really feel comfortable going down it that fast.

Zyzz

A suggestion if anyone wants to hit a high speed without any major issues..

http://app.strava.com/segments/689033

Wishbone Ash

Zyzz wrote: »

A suggestion if anyone wants to hit a high speed without any major issues..

"Without any major issues"? Are you serious? The most deceptive bend/bridge in the country. :eek:

Zyzz

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

"Without any major issues"? Are you serious? The most deceptive bend/bridge in the country. :eek:

"Sally Gap Decent to Liffey Bridge"

I was talking about the drop..ending before the bridge..

manafana

can be pretty exposed to wind their, not one iv hammered too hard on my times down it,

that bridge bend is lethel

I think I hit mid 70s going down sally gap to the west (towards Kilbride), but I just didn't feel in control doing it. I found the road was a bit too bumpy of all things. Wouldn't be my favourite descent.

ugsparky

73km/h on the road from the Long Woman's Grave into Omeath - but tbh - kinda crazy doing this when there may be people/cars/sheep/dogs on the road as it's a twisty enough road. The descent from Mount Oriel into Collon is fairly straight and I'd love to crack 80 km/h ... it's a buzz ... probably until you go down at that speed ... thinking about the crap roads and all the loose gravel, I'm not even so sure it's worth the risk ... and of course not forgetting the yummy mummies pulling out of the driveways going to collect the kids who just wouldn't expect to see a cyclist ...

el tel

There's a short stretch near me where it's easy to hit 70 km/h with just a few turns of the pedals to get rolling then just tuck in and free wheel. The only problem is you have to brake real hard to make it round a wee kink and to stay on the safe side of he lane. Otherwise it's face full of hedge or shooting across a crossroads.

High Nellie

Lads, when one of ye gets killed I hope the relatives won't be suing boards.ie (or even Strava for that matter).

Zyzz

#YOLO

2 Wheels Good

Not sure has anyone else noticed this, but on roads where I used get decent speeds, thanks to ~20 or 30 years degradation with just pothole filling in between it's a lot harder to do any kind of a speed. The bike just seems to be slowed by bumps, hollows and potholes these days. It's starting to take the fun out of cycling (down west Cork at least)

-K2-

Zyzz wrote: »

A suggestion if anyone wants to hit a high speed without any major issues..

http://app.strava.com/segments/689033

I don't trust that road, too many sheep.

This road is better: good surface, no sideroads: http://app.strava.com/segments/652515

RobFowl

-K2- wrote: »

I don't trust that road myself, too many sheep.

FYP

g0g

-K2- wrote: »

I don't trust that road, too many sheep.

This road is better: good surface, no sideroads: http://app.strava.com/segments/652515

No sideroads maybe, but towards the end it's narrow enough with a fair few turns on it. Came down that way yesterday but unfortunately had a headwind

allez

Hit my PB 89.3 coming down off the lug this year, not sure how accurate it is as my garmin was going by satellite. i overtook two cars and felt really scared and even though i was wearing shades my eyes were watering haha

happened somewhere on this cycle haha http://app.strava.com/activities/54478203#

dave2pvd

Zyzz wrote: »

A suggestion if anyone wants to hit a high speed without any major issues..

http://app.strava.com/segments/689033

That's where I hit my fastest speed. In 1990, probably. I actually don't know what the speed was, but the guy I passed saw 60mph. I was on a Raleigh 501 frame with a 105 groupset, the other guy was on a beautiful Concorde SLX, probably with Record. Probably why he eased up and I didn't

I agree with others, the bridge is no joke. Neither are the sheep.

From what I recall from that day, as I was trying to scrub off speed to slow for the bridge, a sheep did try and end it all for both of us. No idea how I missed him. Perhaps he was a ghost sheep and I went right through him?

The Noble Nudge

Zyzz wrote: »

A suggestion if anyone wants to hit a high speed without any major issues..

http://app.strava.com/segments/689033[/QUOTE]

All conditions were nearly perfect last night on this segment.
No sheep, light enough head wind, few cars, met a motorbike on the bendy bridge and still got top 10......
Disclaimer: I did this of my own free will and not because of this thread or Strava........Zyzz suggested it to me!;)

Zyzz

The Noble Nudge wrote: »

All conditions were nearly perfect last night on this segment.
No sheep, light enough head wind, few cars, met a motorbike on the bendy bridge and still got top 10......
Disclaimer: I did this of my own free will and not because of this thread or Strava........Zyzz suggested it to me!;)

It's a beautiful decent Did you go back up it?

The Noble Nudge

Zyzz wrote: »

It's a beautiful decent Did you go back up it?

Have done but prefer the downhill....

josip

Stick the bike on the car and head down to Sliabh Coillte opposite Kennedy park in Wexford. It's a short descent, but the surface is/was great and the open run off on either side inspires confidence. If you go midweek you're "unlikely" to meet a car on the way up. When we were 16 we would get to 42mph on the mid section pushing 52x16s

derealbadger

Got over 70 for the first time today coming down of the Wicklow gap in the ww200 71 kph

mirv

I got 80.50kph coming down Old Long Hill with a tailwind and 52x13 gearing, so basically no pedalling after 65kph. Also, I'm 63kg so despite being fat for my height I don't descend very fast.

Carawaystick

Did 79.9 *twice* down the Navvy hill in Arkla back in the day, before they put speed ramps there. I was doing about 50 going over the bridge, on a mountain bike with slicks.

hit 57 down the forestry road to the bottom in the middle of this link
https://www.google.com/maps?ll=52.971316,-6.374605&spn=0.011527,0.025234&t=h&dg=opt&z=15

A complete absence of fear was probably the main reason for these ludicrous speeds.

derealbadger

mirv wrote: »

I got 80.50kph coming down Old Long Hill with a tailwind and 52x13 gearing, so basically no pedalling after 65kph. Also, I'm 63kg so despite being fat for my height I don't descend very fast.

If I am correct you were in the older boards kit yesterday in which case you are not fat,and if you are what does that say for some of the rest of us

smacl

derealbadger wrote: »

Got over 70 for the first time today coming down of the Wicklow gap in the ww200 71 kph

Got 70kph on that stretch myself*, following a great line of the guy in front and actually passing people on a descent for my first time ever. Much slower on the SM and SE descents, and not really feeling the love for them at all.


(*69.8kph tbh, but I'm going to round this one up)