Tuesday night during our Team ThinkCash ride, we had a nice tailwind on the 820 service road descent. So like most cyclists – we all tried to see how fast we could go. Comparing bike computer results as we soft-pedaled up to Chapin Rd., most of us fell between 40 and 45 mph. This started the conversation of, “what’s the fastest you’ve ever gone on your bike?”
I think I was the only one that had broken 50 mph on numerous occassions (no small feat since I only weigh 150 lbs). I know I’ve hit 50 mph while riding in the mountains of California a couple times. However, my most memorable 50+mph ride was in a Cat 4 race at Lago Vista (just outside Austin) last season. There was a steep downhill on the backside of the course and the peloton would hit 50 mph every lap. It’s definitely a little unnerving to ride in a pack when you’re doing 50 mph on tires the width of Scotch Tape.
As evidenced in the video above from the 2003 Tour de France (when Lance Armstrong does a little cyclocrossing), anything can happen (even to pros) when you’re going downhill that fast.
pros going downhill - don't try this at home
In fact, even the pros get a little skittish when speeds go north of 50 mph. In today’s Stage 6 of the Giro de Italia the pros hit ridiculous speeds on the descent off the Hochkrimml. The pros were even “comparing” their top speeds (just like the ThinkCashers on our Tuesday Nighter) after the descent. So who had the top speed? Saxo Bank’s JJ Haedo hit 117 kph – that’s 72.7 mph!
5 responses so far ↓
Mike D // May 14, 2009 at 9:44 pm |
72.7 MPH!! That is insane!
colin // June 24, 2009 at 11:45 pm |
i hit 61 kmph on my 87 falcon riding home from work today… thought i was bookin it. that guy went almost twice as fast!@
Billy Newport // July 19, 2009 at 1:59 pm |
I’ve done 67mph in a race in Ireland down Mount Leinster. Spinning out a huge gear that day.
Bob Thomas // July 22, 2009 at 8:40 pm |
There’s a hill near my house that I use to train for the Mount Washington Hill Climb. Coming down it I can break 60 mph. If you want to see the terrain on a map go to
maps.google.com and seach on
County Rte 51, Morris, NY
if you pan left and zoom in a bit left to the wooded portion then click terrain you will see a 1,000+ ft stretch that drops 200 ft – for an almost 20% grade.
TC // July 23, 2009 at 6:30 am |
I hit 65.9 mph on the Galibier (after climbing up from the Vallios side). Too much french food, I needed to find a rest-station…stat! The poor, fat german in his beemer pissed himself as I blew by him.