Maximum speed on a Road Bike

[ndwgolf]

Today I nearly hit 60 kilometers an hour and could have easily smashed that as I was braking the whole time going down the hill.......
What would be a safe maximum speed for a 61 year old on a road bike???!

After today I do t think I would like to go much quicker than that anyway.

Neil


I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my wobbly bog brush using hovercraft full of eels

[Ant...]

My best on a fully loaded tourer is 78kph down a big hill in Kyrgistan, on a road bike 98kph as I tried to get over the 90kph speed limit, it was in Franch and had one of those warning signs that showed your speed, a great piece of road that was downhill, lovely smooth surface, and wid open so you could see all the way down the road, great fun!
I'm 64 as if it matters.

[reohn2]

The simple answer is what you feel safe with and within your limits of controlling the bike,that varies enormously from person to person.
One thing I would advise against is dragging your brakes for any length of time especially if they're hydraulic discs as you may boil the fluid and end up with no brakes at all,better to pulse the braking(let the bike run a little brake to bring the speed under control then let it run again and repeat)and alternate front and rear to give each brake a little more time to cool.

FWIW,I'm nearly 66,last Friday out for a ride on mixed terrain on a bike with drops and 2inch knobblies my maximum speed on tarmac was 38mph on a descent which I felt perfectly safe.

[ndwgolf]

One thing I would advise against is dragging your brakes for any length of time especially if they're hydraulic discs as you may boil the fluid and end up with no brakes at all,better to pulse the braking(let the bike run a little brake to bring the speed under control then let it run again and repeat)and alternate front and rear to give each brake a little more time to cool.

.

Thanks for that. I will definitely pay attention to that.
Neil

[reohn2]

One thing I would advise against is dragging your brakes for any length of time especially if they're hydraulic discs as you may boil the fluid and end up with no brakes at all,better to pulse the braking(let the bike run a little brake to bring the speed under control then let it run again and repeat)and alternate front and rear to give each brake a little more time to cool.

.

Thanks for that. I will definitely pay attention to that.
Neil

BTW,never brake on a bend ie: when banked/leaned over especially in the wet or on a damp road,better to bring the speed down to a comfortable speed before the bend,and let the bike roll around.

[mjr]

I think dragging any brakes is a bad idea. Hot rims or hubs can also cause failures.

Personally, I tend to slow above 30mph because I think a sudden puncture would then hurt too much.

[thirdcrank]

In the old money, 60 kph is around 40mph. Anybody who can achieve that on the flat is probably Olympic standard. Downhill, it's nothing.

[ndwgolf]

I think dragging any brakes is a bad idea. Hot rims or hubs can also cause failures.

Personally, I tend to slow above 30mph because I think a sudden puncture would then hurt too much.

The hill I was on had quite a few bends and without a doubt I could have quite easily hit 80 kph......... I’m guessing it’s like when you see a steep hill going up then change gears early, vise versa when you see a steep downward hill brake early.
Neil


I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my wobbly bog brush using hovercraft full of eels

[[XAP]Bob]

Today I nearly hit 60 kilometers an hour and could have easily smashed that as I was braking the whole time going down the hill.......
What would be a safe maximum speed for a 61 year old on a road bike???!

After today I do t think I would like to go much quicker than that anyway.

What ever you are comfortable with. Messrs Froome et al hit 130kph (80mph in real units).

I've done over 50mph, though not on a road bike ('bent trike) and would feel fairly happy with that on any decent road. But it's all about visibility, and braking cabability...

Although mostly it's about what you are comfy with.

[fossala]

Road bike - 51mph
Recumbent - 55mph
Fixed - 37mph

It's about the bike and the conditions. The easiest wast the recumbent, then road bike and in last place the fixed. These where all done on the same hill 10% for a mile with few bends. I wouldn't mess around with the speeds above on roads I didn't know.

[pete75]

58 mph on a tourer with front and rear laden panniers. Happier doing high speeds like that on a fully laden bike as they seem to be more stable and feel a bit like a motorbike leaning into fast corners. Only problem is they take a bit more stopping.

[geocycle]

My max on my tourer was 44mph down a very straight hill in Scotland. Personally I'd not feel happy going faster. The main variable for me is the road ie how far ahead you can see and the surface -what are the chances of hitting a pothole/ironwork/whiteline/frozen rabbit.... The pros can reach speeds above 80mph partly because they are brilliant bike handlers with no nerves, changes of shorts and good eyesight, but also because they don't have traffic to deal with. Confidence in your brakes is also important and as reohn2 suggests not getting the rims too hot.

[Mick F]

In the old money, 60 kph is around 40mph. Anybody who can achieve that on the flat is probably Olympic standard. Downhill, it's nothing.

Agree.
52mph is my max. That was coming down Pork Hill off the western side of Dartmoor.
I regularly hit 45mph down Gunnislake Hill and have even reached at 48mph.
I did 47mph coming down it on a Raleigh Chopper once, though by then I'd modified the braking system.

[Syd]

Nudged 85km/hr on the upper slopes of Mount Tiede a few years ago.

Speed was tempered lower down as I was being held up by cars

[fastpedaller]

Did over 65MPH descending the Snake Pass many years ago - How much over I don't know 'cos the speedo stopped functioning A clubmate and I were descending most of the time between the O and the W, as needed to keep away from the edge and straighten the bends as much as possible
Were reduced to only 3 or 4 MPH going up in some parts though!
Don't think I'd be brave enough to do 47MPH on a chopper - chapeau to you sir!