CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

50 mph

(82 posts)
  • Started 7 years ago by nobrakes
  • Latest reply from LaidBack

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  1. LaidBack
    Member

    Darkerside - what were you using. UCI compliant or other?

    My own fastest was off Canick Chase moor hill following Ian F on his modified / faired Zephyr very low racer. This used correx to improve the aero. The empty road was so straight and long that I got to 50 on an early mk 1 Fuego. Basically we entered top of hill close on 30 then gravity as I spun out. Ian was using a 60T chainring on his so he could power up to around 40. Think he did 55. I drafted a bit!

    On the Stow to Lauder road I'm sure 50 might be possible. There are corners though.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  2. nobrakes
    Member

    LaidBack - the steepest bit is on an open road with a corner at the bottom which is 100% visible at all points, so you can see what's coming if necessary. Interestingly, someone has named the Strava segment for that steep bit 'can you do 50'. I will give it a serious attempt soon..... There's loads of good steep roads around the Borders but there are too many trees restricting vision on the corners. I generally feel braver at night when I can see if a car is coming by its headlights. I am assuming of course that Knight Rider is not out in ninja stealth mode.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  3. kaputnik
    Moderator

    53.1mph coming off the top of the Granites down towards the turnoff for Heriot with a howling tailwind. I had not hit terminal velocity but that was the point that I decided I was getting awfully close to that cattle grid and did something about slowing down. It was too scarily fast to think about putting the brakes on so the first thing I did was stand up to try and act like an airbrake.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  4. amir
    Member

    You soon lose the desire to break personal records going downhill if you had a blowout or similar on a fast descent, or even if you know others. Better to make the effort going uphill.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  5. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    I know bicycles are rated for maximum load when they are sold, but does anyone know if they come with a maximum speed rating?

    I'd feel very nervous on a skinny-tyred side-pull braked bicycle at 50mph. (If I was remotely capable of reaching such dizzy speeds...)

    Posted 7 years ago #

  6. Edinburgh Cycle Training
    Member

    A few hours ahead of the TdF peloton, I climbed buttertubs pass. It was brutal and I would have failed but for a couple of the many thousands on the hill giving me a wee push just as it looked like I'd fall off.

    The Adrenaline and exhilaration rush at the summit lead me to letting rip down the other side. Strava tells me I was doing about 43mph. I don't know how accurate that is, but I don't recall going faster on my bike.

    What I do recall is a long stretching descent on a glorious day and seeing about 4 folk walking up towards me, maybe a mile away.i gently drifted to the other side of the road but hit a cat eye. Both wheels were off the tarmac at the same time. I was rightly scared stiff after that.

    I still enjoy descending and do so reasonably quickly, but I'm always holding something back now. Always.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  7. fimm
    Member

    Do bicycles come with a maximum speed rating?
    I doubt it, given what the pros can do. TV coverage on descents is often poor/patchy because the motorcycles can't keep up.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  8. cb
    Member

    Top speed for me was Ratagan down to Glen Elg where my bike computer showed 47mph, although I'm not convinced it was calibrated correctly so probably slightly slower in actual fact.

    I almost failed to take a corner and ended up on the grass verge at an uncomfortable high speed.

    And there were sheep on the road.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  9. paddyirish
    Member

    124 km/h on flat

    Posted 7 years ago #

  10. gembo
    Member

    @paddy irish - pedalling or not?

    Posted 7 years ago #

  11. Darkerside
    Member

    @Laidback - MetaBike. Fastest on the Fuego was apparently 45.6mph and 33.3mph on the Urban Arrow.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  12. paddyirish
    Member

    @gembo- watch the video- not me

    Cojones grandes...

    Posted 7 years ago #

  13. gembo
    Member

    Ah, see it links to guy Martin when he goes over 100 miles per hour on a bike but that is in a controlled experiment

    Posted 7 years ago #

  14. chdot
    Admin

    I did 46mph on a 3 speed once (according to a Smith's speedo).

    Posted 7 years ago #

  15. Neil
    Member

    Pretty sure the fastest I've done was just over 47mph, on a long straight downhill and still had to pedal at >130rpm

    Posted 7 years ago #

  16. unhurt
    Member

    I know I hit high 40-something mph down some very long hills on the highway in Canada (smooth tarmac and a tailwind helped) - exhilarating after my long, sloooooow, hot ascents but also mildly terrifying on a heavily-laden tourer. Having since wiped out on a pothole zooming downhill in Edinburgh I don't think I would try for those speeds again. Suspect a serious wobble could be fatal!

    Posted 7 years ago #

  17. condor2378
    Member

    Just checked Strava and my fastest was 46.1mph on my first century, somewhere near Dover Castle.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  18. nobrakes
    Member

    Gave the Stow - Lauder hill a crack today. Slightly disappointing 45.6 mph although I have the seat at its highest angle and my wind catching helmet is back on. Must try harder

    Posted 7 years ago #

  19. HankChief
    Member

    Can I recommend this descent

    Got 47.6mph yesterday without even trying. Lovely smooth wide straight road that just heads down hill.

    50mph must be possible if you get a bit of speed up before you spin out, although I wasn't going slog back up the hill just to find out...

    Posted 7 years ago #

  20. fimm
    Member

    We went up and down BOFFOF's favourite hill (in a car) in Austria over the Christmas holiday - the road from the Kuehtai ski area towards the Oetztal valley, if anyone wants to try it... ;-)

    Posted 7 years ago #

  21. paddyirish
    Member

    @fimm, I might be trying that this summer- We're probably going back to Austria, and Oetztal is one of the candidates.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  22. ARobComp
    Member

    @hankchief - that's a lovely bit of road - you're correct! I last did it pre-strava but imagine you can get a good speed up with a tailwind!

    Posted 7 years ago #

  23. chdot
    Admin

    (Sunday Standard)

    Posted 7 years ago #

  24. Frenchy
    Member

    Not 50mph, but new record of 45.5mph heading east on Frogston Road.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  25. dessert rat
    Member

    Managed 41.something yesterday on Ronde ride - can't think I'll ever make 50mph, it just feels too fast. All I can think of is things that can go wrong.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  26. gembo
    Member

    @IainMcR go up red stone rig. Freewheel down to whiteadder reservoir, you will do 50mph. Used to be a bit gravelly at the bottom before the cattlegrid but that was sorted before the tour of Britain went through a coupe of years back.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  27. dessert rat
    Member

    CCE outing required

    Posted 6 years ago #

  28. gembo
    Member

    Tour of Britain going through in early September saw two or three forumites there the last time. One of them got up to fifty going down to whiteadder after the peloton and then bunny hopped the cattle grid at the bottom. For that moment in time he became the owner of the earth.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  29. amir
    Member

    I never really like that descent - it's disconcertingly rippled.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  30. HankChief
    Member

    Had 50mph coming south down both the Lecht & Glenshee yesterday :-)

    Posted 6 years ago #

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