# Whats your top speed?



## omega301 (Apr 20, 2008)

On a mountain bike whats your top speed? KM's or Miles.

1mile = 1.6km


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## gregpl (May 19, 2008)

Hey my top speed using my sister cube acid mountain bike was 31km/h, average was around 13-15km/h casual riding. I am gonna be building my own bike when I get back to the states, I will post my speed on my bike. What is you top speed and average speed on a mountain bike. Also the 31km/h was not downhill. I don't know if this is correct might be something with my speedometer she has on the bike. TTYL


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## 2ridealot (Jun 15, 2004)

34 mph downhill on dirt and 48.6 mph with the same bike with knobbies on pavement:yesnod:


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## dwnhlldav (Feb 2, 2006)

51.5mph with knobbies on Pavement.

Dirt is in the upper 30's but forget the actual number.


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## venus1 (Aug 4, 2006)

Down hill is 50 something. 30 something on flat street. On knobies that is.


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## mtroy (Jun 10, 2005)

44.5mph on the Kamikaze DH, Mammoth, Ca., circa 1989. No suspension, no pads, no sense


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## Leland (Apr 6, 2006)

mid 30mph range sprinting on dirt, i dont really do much DH stuff so i have never see any crazy speeds on dirt. 
Have hit 58 on the road bike downhill though. 
you guys doing stuff in the 50's on a mtb are CRAZY!:madman:


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## Cypress (Jan 4, 2008)

MTB: 51~ on pavement. The bike was completely unresponsive to steering input but the noise my Chris King hub was making sounded AWESOME.

Road Bike: 62.1 

Both speeds were hit on the same stretch of Big Mountain Road outside of Whitefish, Montana before it got all chewed up.


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## ~martini~ (Dec 20, 2003)

mtb - 55 on semislicks in the blackhills
road - 65 locally


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## chucko58 (Aug 4, 2006)

14.999 MPH on the local trails. 

No idea on the pavement.


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## velotech (Oct 3, 2007)

55.5 on pavement on mtn bike with knobbies (road from NCAR down table mesa in Boulder)
65.3 on road bike (Chicovelo century, heading downhill out of Paradise)


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## befoot (Mar 11, 2006)

We hit 51mph on pavement with the mountain Tandem in the "Prescott loop Challenge". could have gone much faster but I was afraid Christi would kill me if we crashed  
the cool thing about the tandem is with the long wheel base the bike is very stable at speed. we were spun out in the 48t chainring so this year I may put on a 52t chainring...and some body armor


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## ddraewwg (Jul 22, 2004)

Low 40's (mph) on dirt....never ride on road.


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## BKnight (Mar 27, 2005)

mid 50s on the dh bike going down the freeway. 
don't know on the trail no speedo, but as fast as possible


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## mibrady2 (Oct 26, 2006)

A repost of this video seems appropriate. 170Kph (105 mph)


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## Cato (Feb 25, 2004)

Knobbies on dirt - 28 mph
Knobbies on road - 39 mph- couldn't get it to 40, nothing left to spin!
Skinnies on road - 43 mph 
These are fast for me cuz I'm chickin at speed


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

43 on dirt. So stupid.


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## Razorfish (May 9, 2008)

I think a few people full of s**t but I guess that's beside the point. Q: How do you know your top speed?


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## Guest (May 19, 2008)

53 on dirt at Beaver Creek

58 on road coming out of the mountains on 285 in Colorado


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## rckhopper87 (Jan 25, 2008)

41ish on knobbies, going downhill on pavement. Stable but scary as **** when I realized I was in shorts, T, and sandals... 


How do you know top speed? Cycling computer yo.


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## rckhopper87 (Jan 25, 2008)

41ish mph on knobbies, going downhill on pavement. Stable but scary as **** when I realized I was in shorts, T, and sandals... 


How do you know top speed? Cycling computer yo.


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## befoot (Mar 11, 2006)

Razorfish said:


> I think a few people full of s**t but I guess that's beside the point. Q: How do you know your top speed?


we have GPS it saves top speed...what make think the folks here are BS-ing you?


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## ClockworkLemon (Dec 26, 2007)

Hmm, so far my top speeds are 62 km/h on road with knobbies, and depending on where I ride off road, my top speeds are in the mid-30 to mid-40 km/h range.


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

Razorfish said:


> I think a few people full of s**t but I guess that's beside the point. Q: How do you know your top speed?


Garmin Edge 305: http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2920631

43.3 max speed on South Yuba trail last June.


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## brianthebiker (Nov 1, 2005)

mibrady2 said:


> A repost of this video seems appropriate. 170Kph (105 mph)


Note to self: Never purchase whatever model bike he was riding.


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## carrot_top (Aug 22, 2007)

i dont know my exact speed on dirt, but im guessing its in the low 20's

on pavement (again i dont have an exact speed) but i was going faster than the car i was racing, which was doing 36mph


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## xls (Oct 22, 2004)

chucko58 said:


> 14.999 MPH on the local trails.
> 
> No idea on the pavement.


LOL, you could have gone 0.001 MPH faster and it would have been well still. But yeah, better safe than sorry.


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## hokeypokey3 (Sep 27, 2004)

Sorry, mtroy...
I got you beat. Possibly the same year at the Kamakaze in Mammoth. I was clocked by the speedgun at 52mph. On a Yeti FRO w/ rigid Yeti fork. I also had no pads or sense! 
I think my big concession for the downhill was to wear a long sleeve jersey under my team jersey. 
At the risk of sounding like an old fart... Those were the days you rode the same bike for the uphill, downhill, xc races and at some races you even had trials courses to navigate as well for your overall points. 
Brings back good memories of good times!
Ride safe, Tim

P.S. - Road speed max is high 40s, I'm a big puss when it comes to pavement!


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## TrekJeff (Oct 12, 2006)

OK, how about fastest spped on FLAT ground, no hill. Any monkey can top 55mph going down hill.


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## Jettj45 (Jul 25, 2004)

68mph on road bike down a big hill
43mph on downhill bike on a course
40mph on road bike on flat could only hold that sprint for 30 seconds.


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## AtotheZ (Nov 16, 2007)

I have only been able to get her up to 88mph - Then the Flux Capacitor kicks in


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## TLL (Apr 28, 2008)

32mph . . . . on a skateboard. Standing, of course. My buddy followed me in his Corolla.

No brakes, helmet, or sense. Those were the days.


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## Roverbiker (Mar 28, 2008)

These threads are always great. Someone says, 61. Three posts later it gets up to 63. Eventually some dude posts 68. 

Fastest for me...68.1 mph. Just kidding.

On dirt, my fastest would have to be slow enough to not impress anyone, including me. Pavement? Who knows. I always have strong doubts anytime I hear of a speed over say 62-63. In a couple decades of racing I doubt I've reached those digits.


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## Razorfish (May 9, 2008)

Roverbiker said:


> These threads are always great. Someone says, 61. Three posts later it gets up to 63. Eventually some dude posts 68.


My point exactly.


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## sean salach (Sep 15, 2007)

TrekJeff said:


> OK, how about fastest spped on FLAT ground, no hill. Any monkey can top 55mph going down hill.


so, when the hill levels out for twenty feet and you come into it going 50+ then? :thumbsup:


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## Tackhammer (Dec 21, 2006)

High 20's on dirt, low 30's on pavement. MPH for both.


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## shimano4 (May 11, 2008)

I think some are skceptical of the top speed is becos they never really have a good setup of bike.

With good drivetrain and most important , a world class wheelset. Those mention top speed are attainable.

Forgot one thing. The human which act as the engine on the bic is equally important.

Me on flat with MTB, best at 42km/h but my current wheelset is lousy quando hub with jetstream rim.. Waiting for my new wheelset to be install.


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## 1LeSvT (Jul 5, 2006)

*Cruiser Speed*

Kinda OT but fun:

http://gizmodo.com/391602/the-75-mph-bicycle-thats-powered-by-a-jet-engine


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## Dragoneyes (Aug 12, 2007)

I'll be honest. Fastest on trail is 23 mph. Fastest on road with street tires on my mountain bike, 30 mph. The older I get, the smarter I get. On downhills on the trail and road I'm a little faster.


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## Razorfish (May 9, 2008)

It's highly unlikely anybody is hitting 50+ on dirt or anything close to that. The BS is getting deep. I've looked at dozens of "show your rides" threads with hundreds of bikes and have yet to see a single bike with a gps on it. Show a picture of your gps' max speed memory (which still doesn't prove it was on dirt).


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## rustus (May 28, 2004)

With my gearing I spin out at around 35 mph (downhill on pavement). The fastest I have clocked myself on singletrack was 28 mph. Scary, there were trees to dodge.


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## Frank West (May 19, 2008)

What the HELL kind of gears are you guys running, I've gone to the point of boingey-cadence in the top gear of road bikes without cracking 60km/h or 40ish-mph.


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

Razorfish said:


> It's highly unlikely anybody is hitting 50+ on dirt or anything close to that. The BS is getting deep. I've looked at dozens of "show your rides" threads with hundreds of bikes and have yet to see a single bike with a gps on it. Show a picture of your gps' max speed memory (which still doesn't prove it was on dirt).


:lol: Yes, we all live to prove ourselves to some whiny guy who didn't even know how one would determine their speed while on bike.


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## God of Everything (Sep 25, 2007)

105 mph. I'm the guy in the video.


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

God of Everything said:


> 105 mph. I'm the guy in the video.


I think you died.


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## Razorfish (May 9, 2008)

nachomc said:


> :lol: Yes, we all live to prove ourselves to some whiny guy who didn't even know how one would determine their speed while on bike.


I hardly ever ask pointed questions I already don't already know the answer to. :thumbsup:

But what do people live to prove? To prove they're better than the previous liar. Just a guess.


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## jeffscott (May 10, 2006)

I hit 67 km/h on knobbies downhill with the wind on pavement, that is about 160 RPM if I remeber couldn't go any faster, 

I hit 50 km/h down some dirt that was just gliding.


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## Guest (May 20, 2008)

Razorfish said:


> I hardly ever ask pointed questions I already don't already know the answer to. :thumbsup:
> 
> But what do people live to prove? To prove they're better than the previous liar. Just a guess.


Big ski mountain + downhill bike + gravity = 50mph+

Not everyone is a liar, just because you don't have the nerve.


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## Guest (May 20, 2008)

Razorfish said:


> I hardly ever ask pointed questions I already don't already know the answer to. :thumbsup:
> 
> But what do people live to prove? To prove they're better than the previous liar. Just a guess.


and who's the liar?

Razorfish MTBR Profile:

From
(City, State or Country):
Union City, Ca
Year started riding:
1983
Favorite type of riding
(can choose more than:
All Mountain
Favorite Trail:
Garin Park, Hayward, Ca.
Number of bikes owned:
1
Bike Setup:
Specialized Rockhopper Disc (stock)
Day job:
International Playboy / Spy


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## 2ridealot (Jun 15, 2004)

Razorfish said:


> It's highly unlikely anybody is hitting 50+ on dirt or anything close to that. The BS is getting deep. I've looked at dozens of "show your rides" threads with hundreds of bikes and have yet to see a single bike with a gps on it. Show a picture of your gps' max speed memory (which still doesn't prove it was on dirt).


You just said it yourself, You aren`t going to believe them even after they show you the proof. Just because you have the good sense not to go as fast as others or lack of nads to do so, does`nt mean they are full of crap,,,just pretty much means you don`t believe them.
Oh yeah, I don`t believe people that don`t know how a bike`s top speed is measured. I`m just sayin


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

:lol:


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## Razorfish (May 9, 2008)

pitanan said:


> Just because you have the good sense not to go as fast as others or lack of nads to do so


Please state your sources for this info. Thanks

Seeing how easily you guys get bent just adds to the utter nonsense of the 50mph + claims.

Being involved in auto, bike, and motorcycle racing for the past 25ish years on both street and dirt I'm really having a tough time believing 50 mph on the dirt. In all seriousness, I'd really love to be proved wrong.


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## Guest (May 20, 2008)

Razorfish said:


> Please state your sources for this info. Thanks
> 
> Seeing how easily you guys get bent just adds to the utter nonsense of the 50mph + claims.
> 
> Being involved in auto, bike, and motorcycle racing for the past 25ish years on both street and dirt I'm really having a tough time believing 50 mph on the dirt. In all seriousness, I'd really love to be proved wrong.


Why don't you take your question over to the Downhiller's forum and see the response...


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## Razorfish (May 9, 2008)

Did I make this thread.


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## 2ridealot (Jun 15, 2004)

Razorfish said:


> Please state your sources for this info. Thanks
> 
> Seeing how easily you guys get bent just adds to the utter nonsense of the 50mph + claims.
> 
> Being involved in auto, bike, and motorcycle racing for the past 25ish years on both street and dirt I'm really having a tough time believing 50 mph on the dirt. In all seriousness, I'd really love to be proved wrong.


I`m sure you will not accept whatever proof is provided...Just curious if you believe NASA really landed on the moon? We get it, you don`t believe that anyone on earth or at least mtbr can break the 50mph barrier on dirt even though one person provided video proof of a guy going better than double that. Is that fake video or was he only traveling 49.9 and it just looked like 105mph?


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## jeffscott (May 10, 2006)

pitanan said:


> I`m sure you will not accept whatever proof is provided...Just curious if you believe NASA really landed on the moon? We get it, you don`t believe that anyone on earth or at least mtbr can break the 50mph barrier on dirt even though one person provided video proof of a guy going better than double that. Is that fake video or was he only traveling 49.9 and it just looked like 105mph?


Not sure where you are going with this..

So not one person exaggerated their max speed....

Me thinks thou doth protest to much.


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## Gordothor (May 7, 2008)

25 on dirt, 30 on asphalt.
Don't need speed to enjoy the trails.


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## 2ridealot (Jun 15, 2004)

jeffscott said:


> Not sure where you are going with this..
> 
> So not one person exaggerated their max speed....
> 
> Me thinks thou doth protest to much.


Whatev


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## Razorfish (May 9, 2008)

Sure I will. I wouldn't even ask for proof, but just reasonable info from a reasonable person. Talking about nasa isn't helping.

Look, I know how guys love to exaggerate about the speed of absolutely anything they own or drive. This is nothing new and if you think it is then you've been living under a rock for your whole life. I also know what 50mph on a bike on dirt means and it certainly is not common or trivial. I'm just putting those two things together.

The video posted is neither common or trivial.


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## miwoodar (Mar 12, 2007)

On a typical ride I top out right around 30. If I'm in a bad mood or feeling really good I'll push almost to 40. I'm in Colorado though - it's all gravity assisted on dry trails and these speeds are only held for a few moments while the path ahead looks absolutely perfect. I doubt if I've ever gotten above 30 on flat ground be it dirt or asphalt.

50's...I can't imagine hitting 50 on a mountain bike. It's certainly possible. I don't have the nads or the bike though.


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

Did the GPS data I posted, with map, date, time, elevation, etc, etc, not satisfy you? I think I qualify as a reasonable person, and while I didn't hit 50, 43 isn't slow.


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## Razorfish (May 9, 2008)

nachomc said:


> Did the GPS data I posted, with map, date, time, elevation, etc, etc, not satisfy you? I think I qualify as a reasonable person, and while I didn't hit 50, 43 isn't slow.


It did. Thanks.

And this seems more reasonable as well, "...and while I didn't hit 50, 43 isn't slow."

I'm still calling BS on anybody that says 50 or more.


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## Roverbiker (Mar 28, 2008)

Speaking from a road perspective, getting to 45 is easy as pie. Bumping that up to 50 isn't a challenge, but now you're really paying attention. Getting to 55 requires a serious grade, favorable wind and a pretty good tuck. 60? Now we're getting to near perfect conditions, low humidity, thin air in the mountains probably well over 4,000-5,000 feet and tucked extremely well with nary a ripple in your kit. The gap between 55 and 60 is HUGE. Getting over 60 by more than a single MPH or two? Dubious.


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

Roverbiker said:


> Speaking from a road perspective, getting to 45 is easy as pie. Bumping that up to 50 isn't a challenge, but now you're really paying attention. Getting to 55 requires a serious grade, favorable wind and a pretty good tuck. 60? Now we're getting to near perfect conditions, low humidity, thin air in the mountains probably well over 4,000-5,000 feet and tucked extremely well with nary a ripple in your kit. The gap between 55 and 60 is HUGE. Getting over 60 by more than a single MPH or two? Dubious.


I would be peeing myself on my road bike at 60.


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## Warp (May 24, 2004)

Really slow... 

With knobbies on a flat racetrack (Parque Fundidora back straight): 52.6kmh (32.8mph)
On a DH fireroad: 59.9kmh (37.4pmh)


That was the old days when I was young and even more stupid.


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## archtop44 (Oct 20, 2006)

Razorfish said:


> It's highly unlikely anybody is hitting 50+ on dirt or anything close to that. The BS is getting deep. I've looked at dozens of "show your rides" threads with hundreds of bikes and have yet to see a single bike with a gps on it. Show a picture of your gps' max speed memory (which still doesn't prove it was on dirt).


I believe it. My top speed on straightish, very steep and not-too-lumpy fire road is 42mph, and I ride with a few loons that drop me easily and run taller gears on their bikes.

Here in the SF bay area there are some really popular loops that have big, steep rollers, so you're pretty safe (ahem) bombing the descents when you know the next rise is a good runout. We hit 35-37 max speed (That is, 14.988 mph) every ride on Bine Btn & Bepack without trying especially hard.

My bike computer is set by measuring wheel travel over a rotation on the floor, and I've paced people in cars, so i think the comps are accurate enough. I check MX spd, cause I damn sure ain't about to look down at the comp when I'm ridin' down the drop :eekster:


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## net wurker (Sep 13, 2007)

Mine, according to my Cateye 8 Enduro, which I believe is fairly accutrate.....

Down a fireroad...... 37 MPH

Fastest downhill singletrack to date (scary, trees too close to elbows) ....... 28 MPH

Both on panaracer fire XC's


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## Roverbiker (Mar 28, 2008)

nachomc said:


> I would be peeing myself on my road bike at 60.


I honestly don't know if I've ever been up to 60. I was on Freemont Pass in Colorado in the early 90s and got up in the upper 50s and about pooped myself. I can see doing 60. Maybe 63 in an absolute primo situation. 65? Fat chance.


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## adam728 (Jan 25, 2006)

Paved, flat, knobbies, 29 mph on GPS. 

The other night I did some errands and hauled the mail down a big ol hill on the way home. Probably didn't even hit 40 mph, but it was scary fast enough. The tires were screaming (or was that me?). Yea, my top speeds are wussy. So what?


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## I Like Dirt (Apr 10, 2006)

79.5 KM/hr on a dirt road near home - going the other way 4Km/hr
~48 km /Hr on fireroad when a goanna runs along the trail - 0 soon after that!!! 
I'm not sure of my top sped on singletrack it would not be terribly fast maybe 30km/hr


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## Photograph (Mar 27, 2007)

95.7 Kmh on a road bike with a single 72 tooth chainring in the front bombing down a paved service road on a ski hill (no, it was not smart and will not be repeated) I was taking turns with a bunch of friends with a bike we built up back in the 90s when we were a lot younger and stupider. We wore dirt bike armor, full face motocross helmet and we used a Avocet computer to get speed info, the five of us stopped after the second run when we had our first crash of the day that resulted in a broken frame, a perma bent fork, a destroyed front wheel, and my friend Paul with one busted collar bone and two sprained wrists and a lot of luck. But 105 Kmh was recorded on the Avocet, to this day the bike is mounted on the wall over the fireplace at Paul's cottage. 
Nowadays I usually don't exceed 60 Kmh on or off road as I value my life, and want to keep riding till my legs don't work any more.


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## longman (May 9, 2007)

Roverbiker said:


> Speaking from a road perspective, getting to 45 is easy as pie. Bumping that up to 50 isn't a challenge, but now you're really paying attention. Getting to 55 requires a serious grade, favorable wind and a pretty good tuck. 60? Now we're getting to near perfect conditions, low humidity, thin air in the mountains probably well over 4,000-5,000 feet and tucked extremely well with nary a ripple in your kit. The gap between 55 and 60 is HUGE. Getting over 60 by more than a single MPH or two? Dubious.


Lee Hill Drive or Sugarloaf Road here in Boulder, both are paved...60mph no problems every time on the road bike, there are long, straight steep sections on both roads.

Max on mtb was on Sugarloaf....63mph. blue sky day, monster tailwind, above 5000ft, almost stacked it on the bend
Max on road bike is on Lee Hill...63mph any day of the week

any doubters out there I'll gladly ride them with you and you'll get dropped faster than a hooker's knickers....just sayin...I was club freewheeling champion six years running. :thumbsup:

what is so hard to believe?...I can't drop 10footers in the park but I don't call BS when someone else claims to have done it


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## Ska (Jan 12, 2004)

MTB; 65km/h (40.3mph)
ROAD BIKE; 84km/h (52.1mph) on a long downhill section. Scary as bike doesn’t turn too well at that speed.
SKATEBOARD;70km/h (43.4mph) towed behind buddy's car years ago. Still grab the city buses when I'm on my longboard sometimes if I get too lazy to push. I'm getting too old for that stuff though. This pic (old – 5 or 6 years) was taken just after I let go of a bus one night. Moving quickly but nowhere near 70km/h in this shot.


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## 317000 (Mar 2, 2007)

87.9mph on skis, clocked with a radar gun.

Not sure how fast on the DH bike. Maybe mid 30's?


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## TrekJeff (Oct 12, 2006)

sean salach said:


> so, when the hill levels out for twenty feet and you come into it going 50+ then? :thumbsup:


Nah...fastest I've topped on my CrossCheck was 32.7mph, and if I remember right that was on a slight down sloping road in 48/11 and spinning. The road leveled out then went back up hill...at the end of that uphill I was back to my road/commuting average of 14.7mph.:thumbsup:


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## kc929 (May 1, 2008)

I don’t see why some people don’t believe the guys who claim they have topped 50 mph. I remember when Philippe Perakis topped 70+ mph on the Kamikaze. Back in the late'80s at Mammoth, according to my cycle computer (for what that is worth), I did 48 mph on my hardtail, and a year later 52mph on a full suspension with a 57 tooth big ring. Back when bikes came std with 48 tooth big rings, my buddies and I were regularly doing 40+ on Aptos Creek Rd. There might be some error in cycle computers but I don’t think it’s that much. And when you have 4 or 5 people riding nose to tail, all getting the same speed reading (give or take a MPH or two), with different brand computers, I think the speed readings are pretty reliable.

52 on a road bike on some hill, i think it's called Cazadero, near NAPA.


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## Roverbiker (Mar 28, 2008)

longman said:


> Lee Hill Drive or Sugarloaf Road here in Boulder, both are paved...60mph no problems every time on the road bike, there are long, straight steep sections on both roads.


I dunno. I spent a few summers racing in Boulder and I lived in Ft Collins for a while. I'm pretty familiar with the steeps of the front range. I don't think I've ever encountered anything that would regularly launch me to 60.


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## aussie tojo (Apr 3, 2007)

so lots of people have the skills / bravery to ride flat out down a huge hill and get a high top speed. Who is strong and what is your top speed on flat ground? Less skill involved, less bravery, but this is a true test of strength. I reckon it is more interesting than who rode the fastest down some huge hill. So what are people's max speed pedalling (not drafting behind a car or truck or anything) on flat ground?


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## miwoodar (Mar 12, 2007)

aussie tojo said:


> so lots of people have the skills / bravery to ride flat out down a huge hill and get a high top speed. Who is strong and what is your top speed on flat ground? Less skill involved, less bravery, but this is a true test of strength. I reckon it is more interesting than who rode the fastest down some huge hill. So what are people's max speed pedalling (not drafting behind a car or truck or anything) on flat ground?


We are on a _mountain_ bike forum, right?

Last night on the Red Mesa loop of the Deer Creek trail just SW of Denver I hit 28 on a flat-ish section of single track.


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## winchboy (May 2, 2006)

Indicated 47.9 downhill at mammoth mtn on a smooth dirt road about 12 years ago. I was on my old K2 and made a foolish attempt to spin the cranks. Bad idea, wobbled, recovered, tried the brakes, Avid Arch rim brakes at that time and was rewarded with more wobble. Just prayed for no rocks, no bumps, the road flattened out I slowerd down and have never tried that foolish BS again. I was shaking and adrenalin pumped, took a leak and peddled back to camp, I felt absolutley weightless. I wasn't scared at all, weird....
My buddy with me indicated 50+ on his max speed recorded, probably correct he was pulling away.


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## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*dang...*



omega301 said:


> On a mountain bike whats your top speed? KM's or Miles.
> 
> 1mile = 1.6km


43 MPH on a hardtail in the cross country Sea Otter Classic race a couple of years ago on that first big descent. Last time around on my 29er SS I hit 38.5 on the same section. I think my top speed on flat paved ground is around 35 MPH, and that hurt.

I hit 56 on my road bike once while wearing a large backpack. Prolly would have been faster without the pack.


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## Dirt Bringer (May 10, 2006)

About 45 on the street on knobbies. On the trail I have no idea but Ive gone pretty fast too.


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## Concho (Sep 18, 2006)

nachomc said:


> 43 on dirt. So stupid.


I pulled mid thirties with off road tires on a fire road and hit a pretty good bump on a down hill stretch that made me fly I don't even know how far but a big smile was on my face and a triumphant "Yoo-hoo" from my mouth. Pretty exhilarating but pretty dumb.


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## Ericmopar (Aug 23, 2003)

It was years ago in Pleasanton Ca. 
I used to hit about 54 mph, coming down through Golden Eagle Estates on pavement. I used to bunny hop the speed bumps at that speed. 
I had no idea, I was going that fast, because I used to pay attention to where I was going, not my speedometer. 
I found out one day, when I went riding with a buddy named Bob, that had a computer that registered max speed ! His legs were shaking at the end of that ride and I felt a little woozy, when I found out, just how fast I had been flying through that neighborhood for several years.


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

MTB on paved road: 53mph last month - Garmin Forerunner 201 wrist GPS
MTB on dirt road: 48mph - Cateye Micro
MTB on single track: 31mph - Avocet 30

Paved speed set on a long straight descent with a good run out at the north end of Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins, CO. A buddy and I were drafting each other and slingshotting past each other on the descent to increase speed.

All of the above were gravity assisted rides here on the front range of Colorado.


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## Psycho Mike (Apr 2, 2006)

Fastest I've managed was 66.7 km/h (41.5mph) on road with knobbys. Off-road, the best I can remember is in the 30mph range.


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## Doggity (Mar 27, 2007)

Road...48.2mph. Plenty fast enough, thank yew. MTB...have no freakin' idea. I ride a SS; I don't want to know how slow my average speed is, so I don't have a computer on it. Never saw the point of a 'puter on an off road bike...just ride.


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## seosamh (Mar 17, 2007)

road with slicks on my mtb is 41mph(began spinning out on my hardest gears about 37), fast enough tbh.(about 34/35mph with knobbies on road)
off road single track about 25ish, can't say i look down at the comp too much off road tho.

anyhow that's rough maximums, average dh speeds is probably way below these.


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## nnn (Feb 1, 2005)

79.8 km/h with Nokian Gazzaloddi 2.3 up front and Specialized pro 2.1 in the back down the Demandolx pass in south France (a few vids on youtube). 

62.7 km/h in London on 2.1s down the road from Hampstead heath to Golders Green. Both with a properly setup computer.
Not sure about off-road, it's more fun when struggling to get past 15 than 50 if you know what I mean 
I would be skeptical about trusting a GPS for top speeds as some tend to have sketchy signal at high speed and can sometimes drop and re-capture it some distance on claiming higher than actual speeds


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## Amber (Nov 21, 2005)

My top speed on my 05 Giant Reign 2 with 2.3" knobblies - 77.9 km/hr down my local dirt fireroad which I ride every day. Just started to drizzle at the bottom which made for better traction. Was only wearing shorts, tee shirt and an unknown at the time fractured XC helmet with an unknown at the time shoulder fracture and tendon tear that I found I had 2 weeks later from a crash at the BMX track 4 weeks previous.Pretty stupid I know but I was having life issues at the time. Man did it feel good though, what a rush. Plus it gave me an excuss to buy a full face and the new Fox Flux all mountain helmet.


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## JSD303 (Jun 15, 2006)

I think the fastest recorded time on my GPS was around 83mph... Unfortunately, I had left the GPS on the bike during the drive home.

I've seen some of longman's high speeds. Whenever we compare the stupid GPS speed at the end of any ride I think I was hauling ass during, longman always has a faster speed. I think he might be a robot, but it's still just a theory.


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## sean salach (Sep 15, 2007)

during stage 1 of la ruta last year i hit 46.2 mph on a ss hardtail with knobby tires. can't remember if it was on pavement or dirt though. gps crapped out after that, but i am 100% positive i hit higher speeds on pavement and on dirt on the big downhills of stage 4. http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/4472755

i reularly hit between 40-47ish on the last downhill of my morning commute on knobby tires.


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## MemphisR32 (May 3, 2008)

Yesterday I hit 31.5 mph on the mountain bike on a stretch of long flat road. I couldn't pedal any harder with my gearing but man did it feel good.


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## Boofhead (Apr 23, 2004)

*Too Fast.*

This scared the life out of me. Finished off a ride last summer with a tear down a long, buff fireroad and saw this at the bottom. Pretty confident it's accurate too. Never again.


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## iheartbicycles (Mar 14, 2008)

omega301 said:


> On a mountain bike whats your top speed? KM's or Miles.
> 
> 1mile = 1.6km


51 MPH offroad.


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## jeffscott (May 10, 2006)

How fast were you pedalling


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## iheartbicycles (Mar 14, 2008)

jeffscott said:


> How fast were you pedalling


No pedalling.


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## Gordon Shumway (Sep 17, 2012)

*Bump*

Found this thread while searching on this subject. I have been consistently going around 30mph according to my GPS on not so long straightaways. I ride a HT 29er. This is also without pedaling too hard... Is 30mph an average/decent speed or am I a chicken sh$&? I just got back into MTBing so I know I'll get faster but reading old posts in this thread I feel like I'm very slow.


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## Cary (Dec 29, 2003)

IIRC, 43 mph on a fireroad descent. Wouldn't do it again a dozen years later.


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

47 mph on the cross using a conti 42 on front and a ritchey 40 on the back.

44.1 on the 29'er using the stock conti 29'er race tires.

both were achieved on dry, paved surfaces.


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## Roaming50 (Apr 30, 2009)

Unofficially 100kph (62mph) on a 22lb Ti hardtail on road spinning out a 48x11 top gear. 

The reality? Probably somewhat less than that. I'm sure there was computer error in the reading. 

Still though to this day it is the fastest perceived speed I've done and it was in the mid 90s coming down the Winnats Pass in the Peak District of England. 

Off road I can hit 39mph quite regularly on one of my regular night time loops. Not sure that I have broken 40 though. At least not since I started tracking with a Garmin.


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## Bikemaya (Sep 24, 2012)

Man, I feel like a ***** :/

On my full rigid MTB; Around 18 on the downhill through the rockgarden and kitty litter. 25 or so on pavement. I don't think the 20 or so on the groomed dirt path counts for anything, but throwing it out there anyways. Would like to push a bit faster, but there is heavy pedestrian traffic on the pavement and paths and... well... kitty litter. Not worth the inevitable raspberry across the skidding side of my body. Hope to get some better speeds when I find some new trails and try out a road bike


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## tucoramirez (Aug 7, 2012)

42 MPH off road on a Heckler.whats next? asking about penis size?:eekster:


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## GrampBredo (Dec 18, 2007)

45-50 mph on a tandem with my GF on the road. Not sure exactly how fast we were going, the bike didn't have a cyclometer. But we did blow by my friend with a cyclometer who was doing 45. 

On dirt, I hit 40 on my old Kona Coiler, fire road on Killington in VT.


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## VTSession (Aug 18, 2005)

I hit 36 mph on pavement with knobbies. Not that fast, but the biggest (and only) front ring I have is a 32.


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## todwil (Feb 1, 2007)

*59.6 mph*

59.6 mph :eekster:1999 Big Bear west side practice run took the computer off for the race runs
the bike was a Storm H2 blue and Hannebrink LT9 fork Nokian gazza-something tires:thumbsup:
O and small weiner


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## RidingMyTrail (Oct 7, 2012)

49mph on a fire road at Park City on 6/21/97. Crossed from the left track to the right track to set up for the next corner. Unfortunately, didn't see the water-bar. Result was a helicopter ride to the University of Utah and about 200 facial and head stitches. I was lucky the on-call ER physician was a plastic surgeon. Broken nose and two broken ribs. Good times and very lucky. Great stories and chicks dig scars.

50mph on the road bike on a ride around Lake Tahoe.

48 mph on the same road bike in Salt Lake City when I heard a stomach churning *ting* followed by the sound of the freshly snapped spoke doing it's imitation of a playing card in my wheel. Longest, scariest, most gingerly application of brakes I've ever done or ever want to do.


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## iheartbicycles (Mar 14, 2008)

RidingMyTrail said:


> 49mph on a fire road at Park City on 6/21/97. Crossed from the left track to the right track to set up for the next corner. Unfortunately, didn't see the water-bar. Result was a helicopter ride to the University of Utah and about 200 facial and head stitches. I was lucky the on-call ER physician was a plastic surgeon. Broken nose and two broken ribs. Good times and very lucky. Great stories and chicks dig scars.
> 
> 50mph on the road bike on a ride around Lake Tahoe.
> 
> 48 mph on the same road bike in Salt Lake City when I heard a stomach churning *ting* followed by the sound of the freshly snapped spoke doing it's imitation of a playing card in my wheel. Longest, scariest, most gingerly application of brakes I've ever done or ever want to do.


hit 55 on my road bike recently.


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## Lawson Raider (Jul 24, 2006)

Not to brag but ------ 25 mph  and that was going downhill.

Won't be breaking any speed records anytime soon that is for sure.


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## PedalDangit (Jun 2, 2011)

I think my high speed off-road is right at 30mph. As far as on road, once on a cheap mountain bike with knobbies I took off down a long not terribly steep downhill, pedaled until I couldn't anymore, got into a tuck, looked down at the computer and I was going 42. When I looked down my handlebar wobbled for a second and I thought was going to die. There was a traffic light at the bottom of the hill and of course the light turned red just as I'm approaching the intersection. I squeezed those rim brakes as hard as I could and it was like I had no brakes at all. So I proceed to roll right through the intersection and luckily there were no cars around. Whew...

Until I read this thread, I thought that was fast.


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## Rockrover (Jul 4, 2012)

I'm not too into max speed anymore. For a number of years I was involved in down-hill skateboarding. A couple of years ago I hit 49.1mph and lost it. I'll tell ya', moving at that speed is FAR more intense than even 45mph. It is an entirely different universe. For about a year, I *thought* I was hitting well past 30mph on a local run. Even told my friends I was. Then to prove it, I stuffed a GPS in my pocket. Max speed: 28mph over three attempts! I'll tell ya' I felt like I was doing 40!

Here is my max speed record attempt...I'm the spode in the yellow leathers...BTW the world record is 83mph!


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

I've never had a cyclometer. The only time I was ever clocked that I know of, was 32mph. I got a speeding ticket for that. (25mph zone). I was so proud of that ticket, I carried it around in my wallet for 10 years, until it disintegrated. That was over 40 years ago.


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## jeffj (Jan 13, 2004)

kerryn said:


> Unofficially 100kph (62mph) on a 22lb Ti hardtail on road spinning out a 48x11 top gear.
> 
> The reality? Probably somewhat less than that. I'm sure there was computer error in the reading.
> 
> ...


On a road bike with 700c wheels and 52-11 gearing, I am spun out by the time I am approaching 50pmh, so if you were able to still feel you were pushing your drivetrain at all, I would guess you were going pretty fast, but a fair bit less than an actual 62mph.

If it's just me pedaling down a paved hill, I seem to be all spun out at around 48mph, but did hit 53.1 without pedaling at all one day with a hellacious tailwind  I found a broken spoke on that wheelset not too long after that and promptly got rid of the wheelset. At my size, the thought of a wheel coming unraveled at that speed is an unacceptable risk to me. I also run Specialized Armadillo road tires for that same reason.

On dirt, I can't seem to recall a max, but probably low 40's at most.


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## Bikemaya (Sep 24, 2012)

Trail Ninja said:


> I've never had a cyclometer. The only time I was ever clocked that I know of, was 32mph. I got a speeding ticket for that. (25mph zone). I was so proud of that ticket, I carried it around in my wallet for 10 years, until it disintegrated. That was over 40 years ago.


:lol: :thumbsup:

I hope I can get one of those one day!!


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## evasive (Feb 18, 2005)

The highest speed I've recorded so far on singletrack is 36 mph.


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## breckenridge (Jul 14, 2012)

Hit 45 on my road bike downhill last summer, 48 on a very steep road on my MTB years ago, and 58 on a steep ski hill section of a local XC race course on a MTB. I way overran the turn-off into the woods as I'd glanced at the speed, and ended up blasting through a hundred feet of waist-high grass while I stopped. Anything over mid-30s feels pretty dang fast on a bike, and is a lot scarier on a road bike.

My current 29er doesn't have a computer, and I both love it and hate it.


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## icedog (Sep 20, 2012)

Unofficially....62 on my Cannondale road bike on the approach to Fossil, Oregon on a Cycle Oregon some years ago. The difference between 45 on my commute to 60+ seemed very significant.


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

Bikemaya said:


> :lol: :thumbsup:
> 
> I hope I can get one of those one day!!


I'll divulge my secret. 
Grow your hair really long in ******* country. Find a state/provincial cop who is being punished by being posted to a radar trap in a tiny little village with absolutely no traffic. Zip by him on your 10 speed with a big grin on your face like you're really enjoying yourself.
Voila! Speeding ticket and offers of jail for being a "smartass". (I asked him if he though he'd be able to catch me in that old Plymouth if I hadn't stopped.)


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

I routinely hit 35 mph on a downhill here that is a combo of singletrack and fireroad. 

48 mph was the fastest I ever got on my cyclocross bike.


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## Roaming50 (Apr 30, 2009)

jeffj said:


> On a road bike with 700c wheels and 52-11 gearing, I am spun out by the time I am approaching 50pmh, so if you were able to still feel you were pushing your drivetrain at all, I would guess you were going pretty fast, but a fair bit less than an actual 62mph.


I would peg the actual speed as probably greater than 50mph and less than 60mph.

I was totally spun out. I could not pedal any greater and was in an aero tuck position with a good tailwind. The descent is a doozy. It drops about 600ft and start with a fairly brisk 11% grade then half was down, as you are already spinning out, it steepens and plummets at 20% grade.










I remember keeping an eye on the speedo, which was running in kph, seeing it increase up. The run was terrifying and once I saw it reach 100 I applied the brakes.

As I said this was in the mid 1990s, long before accurate GPS so it probably wasn't 62mph. Still, I believe it to be the fastest run I have ever done.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

I was riding down a long steep fire road one day with my friend right behind me. I hit a rock, broke my rear wheel, did a couple tank slappers and skidded to a stop. My friends max speed on his computer said 55 mph and some change.

Another time, I rode down this trail that I kept eyeing, on the north side of Hillcrest Ave. between Erbes St. and Westlake Blvd, in Thousand Oaks. This trail was so steep, that it was difficult to push my bike up. One of those trails, that you might as well unhook your brakes, because they will do you no good. And, when your at the top, you can't see the bottom because it gets steeper as you go down. So, I pushed off and hit some rollers a third of the way down and almost went over the bars. Then I hit the really steep section, were it felt like I was free falling. The tire got really light and smooth on the ground, but I was going so fast that I felt like jumping off. But, I knew that I couldn't do that, and that I had to ride it out. Then, I hit the bottom and bottomed out both ends and rebounded back up in the air a little. I never did that again and it's the only time I felt like jumping off, because I was going to fast. I didn't have a computer on my bike, but it was the fastest that I have ever been on a bicycle.

I did 110 mph on my KTM 530 once. That was right after gearing it down from the stock gearing. And when I got home I realized that the countershaft sprocket bolt fell out, because I forgot to tighten it. So stupid!!


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Apr 21, 2010)

When Salma Hayek and I were spooning on my cargobike (I was on LSD at the time while juggling midgets who lacked proper union paperwork), we were I think moving along at 78MPH. Is that a world record?


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## Fleas (Jan 19, 2006)

Not sure of the units on that...

-F


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## Delay1234 (Sep 10, 2008)

34 on single track on Mt Hood is the only GPS tracked speed. I was pretty excited until I went home and watched some World Cup Downhill. Awesome!


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## Bikemaya (Sep 24, 2012)

Trail Ninja said:


> I'll divulge my secret.
> Grow your hair really long in ******* country. Find a state/provincial cop who is being punished by being posted to a radar trap in a tiny little village with absolutely no traffic. Zip by him on your 10 speed with a big grin on your face like you're really enjoying yourself.
> Voila! Speeding ticket and offers of jail for being a "smartass". (I asked him if he though he'd be able to catch me in that old Plymouth if I hadn't stopped.)


:lol:

I thought about it further... I would FRAME that ****!  Maybe even try to snap a picture of the serious face cop writing the ticket to put next to it too! :lol:

If I went to jail? BEST NIGHT EVER. I would make lots of friends with the highly amused drunks and strung out hookers in overnight lockup  They would never let the cop (who they are usually on a first name basis with) live it down! :lol:


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## ProfGumby (Feb 27, 2008)

The fastest I know of on a Mtn Bike was 19mph on dirt and almost 30 on pavement (down a hill)

My road bike now was 37mph and my fastest ever was 47 when I was in my late teens going down the Daniel Hoan Bridge in Milwaukee.

Fastest in a car was 178 in a '71 Challenger T/A and fastest in a boat was 79 in an Allison Bass Boat.


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## bdundee (Feb 4, 2008)

39.9 on a fat bike downhill without a big ring!


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## reedfe (Sep 5, 2011)

about 26 mph spinning a 32-20 SS


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Apr 21, 2010)

todwil said:


> 59.6 mph :eekster:1999 Big Bear west side practice run took the computer off for the race runs
> the bike was a Storm H2 blue and Hannebrink LT9 fork Nokian gazza-something tires:thumbsup:
> O and small weiner


Gazzaloddi


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Weird thread. MTB, on flat pavement, I've only recorded 21.5. Strava seems to think I broke 30 several times yesterday, with a little help from hills. (Fire roads.) 37ish on a pipeline descent on one of my routes.

Track bike in a velodrome, Strava thinks 38, I think more like 34.

Road bike descents, probably over 50, but not sure. Highest I've recorded or caught on my computer was over 40. I tend to run out of descent!


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## John Kuhl (Dec 10, 2007)

Don't really remember what my best speed
is. However last week I had my HT a little over
26 mph on flat ground, and boy was I sucking
wind hard to do it.


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

third highest recorded top speed yesterday on pavement on an MTB.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

I was just at the bridge last Friday, passing through. We stopped at the visitor center to take pictures of the bridge. It was pretty cool. There were a few MTBs going by on the path.


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## DennisF (Nov 4, 2011)

37 or 38 mph downhill with 42-11 gearing. XC dirt tires. Removed my big ring and now have 32-11, and spin out at about 30 MPH. Fastet on dirt is 24.

I borrowed a carbon road bike at a factopry demo, and came down the same hill I did on with my MTB. I am an old motorcycle guy, but have never been so scared in my life. It didn't have a speedo, but I must have been doing 50, with practically nothing between my legs.

If you have never tried a road bike, do it. You are in for a thrill.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

DennisF said:


> with practically nothing between my legs.


I think I would keep that to myself.


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## bikesordeath (Sep 17, 2011)

45.2 mph downhill on mtn bike tires.


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## ehigh (Apr 19, 2011)

near warp speed


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## DavyRay (Apr 13, 2012)

shekky said:


> third highest recorded top speed yesterday on pavement on an MTB.


Impressive. Did you go by the spooky hospital? Say "Hey" to Yoda?


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## mykel (Jul 31, 2006)

from my GPS.

68kph out of the bottom chute toward the lift-line on Showcase at Blue Mountain Ontario.

Probably around the same maybe a bit faster than that hauling down Hootenany at Snowshoe West Virginia - no GPS or comp thou.

Bike is a Knolly Delirium.

michael


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## Wardy1 (Nov 4, 2012)

27mph downhill


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## PhaseSpace168 (Sep 13, 2012)

On dirt 31.4 MPH is my fastest known speed, I suspect i may have gone faster on some runs at Angelfire when i didn't have Mytracks turned on.


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## rbtcha (Nov 17, 2007)

About 45 off road at Sunrise Ski Resort near the top on my Turner 6-Pack 
69.8 on my road bike coming down Grand Mesa in Colorado clocked by the Highway Patrol that was blocking side roads during the Tour of Colorado. Gearing was 55-11.


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## BeanMan (Jul 6, 2006)

49 down the 38 road hill in Palisade. Pretty much maxed for me.


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