What's the fastest speed you've ever reached?

Eleven Benevolent Elephants

Me: A paltry 45 km/h downhill on a hybrid.

CramCycle

According to my old Cateye over 84kmph coming down a mountain in Wales. Since I have gotten a proper GPS thing, tipped over 70 a few times on the way home a few times but you are acutely aware that if anything goes wrong you ain't walking away.

themandan6611

68km @ Luggala earlier this year, was extremely unenjoyable as I dislike descending at the best of times

Wanderer78

CramCycle wrote:

According to my old Cateye over 84kmph coming down a mountain in Wales. Since I have gotten a proper GPS thing, tipped over 70 a few times on the way home a few times but you are acutely aware that if anything goes wrong you ain't walking away.

Jesus theyre scary speeds, certainly no collecting 200 if that fails

cletus

Fastest I actually recorded was just over 61kph coming down Boston Hill. Things got a bit squirrelly at the sharpish right turn at the bottom.

I'm pretty sure I was faster coming down coming down Keeper Hill in Tipp, but I had paused my Garmin at the top, and forgot to start it again before the descent...

It's scary and exhilarating at the same time, but as Cram said, you're acutely aware that a small mistake is going to be serious

Doc07

78km In Wicklow first summer I got back into cycling. Hardly ever went above 60 since.

Deagol

Max 82kph for a short stretch coming down a road on Mount Teide. Over 60kph for 10 minutes coming down the road from the 'top'.

Regularly hit 70's coming down hill near me for a very short time.

I love speed, faster the better - I'd love to have a crack at the hill Kelly hit 124kph on in the '84 tour

MangleBadger

70kph is my fastest. Going down from Bray Head into Greystones. Road was nice and straight so at least I could see what was ahead. And it had a natural incline at the end to slow me down. Exhilarating but also frightening.

Bambaata

86km/hr in the Wicklow mts on a less than ideal surface! Have clipped over 70 in races a few times and low 80s too but 86 being top. Helps to be about 80kg I suppose

velo.2010

Heavier riders will reach higher speeds on descents. I've hit 80 odd in Wicklow and Carlow — other lads have hit over 90 on the same descents.

The real eye opener was when I did a the Clonard races a few years ago. We had a howling tailwind on the way to Kilbeggan, and at one stage, I looked down at my computer to see we were doing 72kph on the flat!

Anyone here who's done the Ras or A1 races could attest to frequantly reaching those speeds on the flat.

Daroxtar

I've one ride with a top speed of 88 that I'm dubious about but I'm fairly sure about a few others that are between 80 and 82. The fastest I've sustained for any proper distance is a stretch in northern Spain where I covered 3km at 67kmh and a segment of 14km done at 54kmh. They were real fun.

Planet X

84k'ish with Astramonti....Raid Pyrenean.

Plastik

94kph on a descent in Yorkshire when we were over for the World Champs last year. Haulin'.

crosstownk

78 km/h down the the Old Long Hill a couple of years ago. Not a fan of high speeds - too dodgy. Sheep at the side of the road make me nervous at anything above 40 km/h.

The Buster

82 descending in lanzarote. I nearly hate descending more than climbing. Let go of the brakes on one decent and hit 82. Didn’t do it a second time. The cross winds used make it worse.

G1032

82km/hr coming down a hill in Achill. The descent after the climb back out of Keem Bay.

Hit over 70 a good few times also. One of the first open races I did was Ras Maigh Eo A4. Down by Doolough there was a line out and I was about 7th or 8th back. We were flying it. I was thinking at the time that the speed we were doing was absolutely insane but was focusing on the road and didn't want to look at the Wahoo. But then I glanced down to see 73km/hr. It's nuts. It doesn't bear thinking about the damage you'd do if you came off the bike at those speeds

Don't Chute!

MangleBadger wrote: »

70kph is my fastest. Going down from Bray Head into Greystones. Road was nice and straight so at least I could see what was ahead. And it had a natural incline at the end to slow me down. Exhilarating but also frightening.

That’s the only hill I feel in any way comfortable descending fast these days. Think I’ve reached 72 down there. The last bit before it rises up again is the best bit for letting rip!

ednwireland

55mph (90kmh) down holme moss when i first got a bike speedo

over 70kmh regularly on local hills

Dr_Colossus

Deagol wrote: »

Max 82kph for a short stretch coming down a road on Mount Teide. Over 60kph for 10 minutes coming down the road from the 'top'.

Regularly hit 70's coming down hill near me for a very short time.

I love speed, faster the better - I'd love to have a crack at the hill Kelly hit 124kph on in the '84 tour

76kph for me slightly reigning it back coming down Mt Leinster on an Audax years ago, was ****ting it.

Was listening to Sean Kelly mention that alright when another commentator asked him what his max speed was, mind boggling stuff and he said at the time a Dutch rider passed him out.

at1withmyself

88kph on the hill going into Letterkenny, back in the days of non GPS so it was 88 at the final look but think I was braking very quick after that look.

On the same hill I hit 78kph with a GPS but had to brake much early due to obstacles :-(

crosstownk

Weepsie wrote: »

Fastest here is 81 on some road between blessing to and Dublin I think. Very short, steep road that Im fairly sure I just misjudged

I'll take a stab that it was the Dowery Descent.

https://www.strava.com/segments/4408762

positron

Southside of Mamore Gap is great for a fast decent - straight road and good visibility. I think it has been resurfaced lately, but I recall being sh1tscared going down it doing 70+ kmph and that's with some braking.

CramCycle

I did have a tailwind on the N11 one day and had to slow as I passed 70kmph as I caught the 145 in the bus lane and traffic was too heavy to overtake. Those speeds on the flat are so much fun, way more comfy than on a descent.

07Lapierre

84 in Lanzarote, 81 descending the Wicklow Gap.

lennymc

Planet X wrote: »

84k'ish with Astramonti....Raid Pyrenean.

that was a class spin. I'd love to do it again. I saw 90+ on one of the cols i think

magicbastarder

the quickest i can find from a short search is 72km/h in bellewstown.
fastest i've hit on the flat is 60.1km/h.

Gallant_JJ

100.8kph on the straight descent of Mamore Gap.
86 on the drop into Letterkenny on the Ballybofey Rd.

AndrewJRenko

76 kmph coming down from Bohernabreena into Tallaght - decent roads with decent visibility.

I'd get over 60 kmph fairly regularly coming down Ticknock Road.

rubadub

55km/h on the N11, slightly downhill after a run of green lights on a hybrid. I remember it one time as there was a 50km/h limit for traffic at the time due to roadworks, of course none were obeying it!

Have likely gone faster down steep hills but no speedo.

Feidhlim Dignan

I tipped 102kph down Coronet Peak in Queenstown NZ. I was a few years younger then 😅

Morrisp

Around 15 years ago down think Wicklow gap. Crazy won’t do it now a days

dom_1000

88 kmh on the only desent on the tour of kildare a few years ago.

115 kmh on skis in kaprun Austria.

breezy1985

About 55km down gallows hill Clare. Would love to have pushed it but there are too many things can happen on the way down but Id love someday to do it on a closed road as I love a good descent

Wishbone Ash

Gallant_JJ wrote: »

....86 on the drop into Letterkenny on the Ballybofey Rd.

79.9 on the same stretch (Lurgybrack). I was spinning out on a 50/11 and could have done with a standard. It's a great stretch for speed - good surface, wide, straight, good visability, minimum entrances/exits etc. I'd love to have another go at it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/599736229

I've other rides from abroad where Strava has indicated higher speeds but I'd be dubious about their accuracy due to GPS interference with tunnels.

byrnem31

70klm coming back to tallaght from blessington. I was passing cars out and everything. Its some decent from blessington, I'd say you could get more but it was busy.
I can easily get it up to 50klm on a flat. I have legs like a horse as I do kickboxing.

Conway635

About 35 MPH (just under 60 km/h) aged 14 on a Triumph 20. (had n old-school analog speedo on the bike) I was coming down a long hill near Rockbrook and the bike ran away with me. When I tried to slow down i wobbled, and came off. Luckily I ended up on the verge - I had scrapes on my hands, legs and head, and a gash on my leg, but it could have been much worse. Frightened the life out of a car coming in the other direction - they were very good to me.

C635

is_that_so

About 80 kph down through Howth village! Was very young and foolish! Also got to about 60kph on the flat with a gale at my back.

arsebiscuits82

92kph on the hill from Ballybofey into Letterkenny, strong south westerly wind behind me.

On another occasion on the same hill, i over took an artic, I knew the driver so did it for the craic, he gave me some look!

CountNjord

It was fast enough, I was going down a hill in Glenmore county Kilkenny in the 80's on a sprick racer , remember those bikes from the 80's

Anyway I knew if I pulled the brakes at this stage I'd be summersault faster than I was cycling,so I decided to veer into the ditch slowly and eventually tore the side of me in briars and slowed down incrementaly..

The locals used to call it kill hill..

Andrewf20

77km/h down past cruagh woods a few years back. Gets a bit spooky at those speeds but you just get into tunnel vision to give it your all for a few seconds and hope for the best. I don't think I would be as brave now.

Wishbone Ash

Conway635 wrote: »

...had n old-school analog speedo on the bike ....

Jesus I'd forgotten about those. The hand on mine used to shake violently when near the limit on it which I think was 40mph.

Seaswimmer

Daroxtar wrote: »

I've one ride with a top speed of 88 that I'm dubious about but I'm fairly sure about a few others that are between 80 and 82. The fastest I've sustained for any proper distance is a stretch in northern Spain where I covered 3km at 67kmh and a segment of 14km done at 54kmh. They were real fun.

I have hit 70+ touring in Spain on a road bike with saddle bag. However a lot of the Spanish roads are great for this. Perfect surface, you can see for miles, light on traffic..
I am not sure I would come anywhere need that speed on the some of the roads listed in this thread!!

Cee-Jay-Cee

79kmph coming down Lurgybrack outside Letterkenny...was raging that I didn't tip 80kmph.

crosswords

91 kph sitting at the back of the astana training group - descending off the south side of Mt Teide (Tenerife) to Vilaflor.

They were drafting their VW Transporter team van at the time. No let up on the hairpin turns. I eventually chickened out once once we were above 90kph.

Wishbone Ash

crosswords wrote: »

91 kph sitting at the back of the astana training group - descending off the south side of Mt Teide (Tenerife) to Vilaflor....

I also jumped on the back of an Astana group in Tenerife a few years ago. I lasted about 10 seconds (It was on a flattish section).

North of 32

90.6kph at the Nürburgring according to my wahoo. I am not a good descender, had several speed wobbles that day and very nearly hit the barriers trying to corner at the bottom of a hill. The ambulance was on the track more than once. I was incredibly relieved that I finished my time on the track just before the lashings of rain started.

Macy0161

72kph for me. I'd be more wary now, having had a pal wiped by a car doing similar speed and getting away with just broken bones coming down from by the pier gates!

loyatemu

MangleBadger wrote: »

70kph is my fastest. Going down from Bray Head into Greystones. Road was nice and straight so at least I could see what was ahead. And it had a natural incline at the end to slow me down. Exhilarating but also frightening.

this is where I've hit my top speed as well - it's a great road for descending, good surface, wide, sweeping bends - get in the big ring and on the drops and you can fairly easily hit 70.

07Lapierre

Clearly the driver of this car is a cyclist as he gave me a "Thumbs up" as i passed.
(at the very end of the video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwr3FVc1YfU

smacl

Trying to figure out a max all-time speed from Strava and Garmin connect seems to draw a blank. From memory it was 71kph coming down the Wicklow gap some years ago but very rarely go above 60kph these days, mostly maxing out in the early to mid 50s on a typical spin. Bad crash a few years ago and advancing years has made me more cautious. Also moving to a gravel setup with wider tyres and losing a good bit of weight has cut my freewheeling descending speed a fair bit.

MojoMaker

07Lapierre wrote: »

Clearly the driver of this car is a cyclist as he gave me a "Thumbs up" as i passed.
(at the very end of the video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwr3FVc1YfU

Nice! That a VIRB Pro or the basic model? Love the information overlays.