How fast do you go down hills?

[Mick F]

I really want a tandem too, but Mrs Mick F isn't interested.

[kwackers]

I really want a tandem too, but Mrs Mick F isn't interested.

Buy one of those blow up dolls and tie it on. It'll look like you've got a friend and I'd warrant it'd be a better visibility aid than any amount of lighting and hi-vis.

[Trigger]

The fastest I ever saw anyone ride a bike was down the steep hill at Cromford in Derbyshire.

I've only ever ridden up it

There's no way I'd just let the bike "go" down there, either I'm just a wuss (certainly not on track in a car or bike) or not crazy enough.

[Tigerbiten]

I just want a light-weight two wheel bent.
Mid or low racer type, USS, tail box, etc, etc.
But I cannot workout how to rig the brakes for a single hand so its safe.
If I could do that, I'd be that much faster, both on the flat and downhill ............... Weeeeeee.

[reohn2]

I really want a tandem. Do you think "they go really fast downhill" is a good tactic to use on my boyfriend? (He claims to have done 100km/h (60mph) down an Alpine pass (when he was young and foolish).)

It all depends if he's old and foolish

[Mick F]

Buy one of those blow up dolls and tie it on.

Blow up dolls?
What are those?
Where do you buy them?

[davo]

Fastest downhill........28 mph....70 inch fixed thats all i could manage

Slacker! I get to 32-33mph every day out of our village on my 63" fixed.

Occasionally over 50mph on the tandem - I've only been over 50mph on rare occasions on the solo bikes, but I don't think I get out without topping 30mph. It's all about choosing the road/conditions.

andy b thats some leg speed mate ......must be ablur

[byegad]

DF = Diamond Frame, aka upwrong.

Why not just say proper bike then?

No that's got one really big front wheel and a tiny rear wheel. At least that's what my Grandad told me.

[AndyB]

Fastest downhill........28 mph....70 inch fixed thats all i could manage

Slacker! I get to 32-33mph every day out of our village on my 63" fixed.

Occasionally over 50mph on the tandem - I've only been over 50mph on rare occasions on the solo bikes, but I don't think I get out without topping 30mph. It's all about choosing the road/conditions.

andy b thats some leg speed mate ......must be ablur

About 170rpm. It's a steep(ish) but short hill - I find it uncomfortable to keep up for any time!

[Vorpal]

I really want a tandem. Do you think "they go really fast downhill" is a good tactic to use on my boyfriend? (He claims to have done 100km/h (60mph) down an Alpine pass (when he was young and foolish).)

Maybe that depends on whether you want to "go really fast downhill" with him in control of brakes & steering?

[thirdcrank]

I really want a tandem. Do you think "they go really fast downhill" is a good tactic to use on my boyfriend? (He claims to have done 100km/h (60mph) down an Alpine pass (when he was young and foolish).)

If one thing's for sure about a tandem it's that the stoker must have 100% confidence (or even more) in the captain. Our tandem was pretty ancient, even when I first rode it stoking for my dear old dad (Saxon "Wings of the Wind" *) but it was a source of a lot of cycling pleasure for many people. I only remember one crisis of confidence and that was with me on the front and a young lady stoking and that was uphill rather than down. We arrived uphill at a junction with a major road in Leeds (Stonegate Road jct Meanwood Road for locals) and as I continued across, she unilaterally decided we should stop in the middle of the road. Terrifying and I think the spurt of adrenalin was what helped me to get us safely across the junction against her attempts to back pedal. Iirc, we stopped at the top of Stonegate Road for a short team briefing.

In short, if you want to be a tandem stoker, be prepared to be a subordinate for the duration of every ride.

* The Saxon company's motto - emblazoned along the tube (whose name I don't know) connectin the bottom brackets was "Tempered like a sword." Always seemed a bit strange to me because it suggests flexibility.

[SleepyJoe]

Talking about the double hills near Torrington on the B3227 reminded me of my fastest speed.
I used to commute from Braunton to Torrington and one sunny day decided to take the scenic route back via the B3227.
I hit 50+ mph down the steep hill. I can't be exact as I only glanced down at my speedo as my front wheel started to shimmy around a bit. It was a long walk up the other side as well!
During my commute I would usually use the A386 to Barnstaple and would cycle all those hills and normally hit over 40mph on the down hill bits and crawl up the other side a 5-6 mph. I have also found that a bike takes a long time to stop from 40 mph. I crested a raise and found a herd of sheep across the road. I followed Mike F's advice and used both brakes to stop but it still takes some time!
Personnally speaking, I find these roads a bit busy nowadays - I must be getting old!

Mark

[glueman]

A well braced tandem frame descends hills better than a solo IME, because of the long wheelbase. It feels more like riding a motorcycle. If it does get out of shape - and I've only come close when a front tyre blew out on a down hill - flying tandems are not easy beasts to subdue.

[thirdcrank]

I'd always assumed that tandems were faster downhill because of the greater weight to front area ratio, pretrty much the same reason as heavier riders descend faster than skinny climbers.

[meic]

I was thinking that and that a nicely loaded bike would match.
However we were forgetting that tandems have twice the horsepower too!