# Fastest speed for a bike?



## sabala (Feb 17, 2008)

Hi all, I'm just wondering what the limits are for a bicycle as far as speed goes. My fastest on my mtb going down a pretty long steep hill is 40.6mph with knobbies and locked out shock. The bike felt pretty stable getting up to that speed... although I'm not sure I can pedal my legs much faster than I was.

I've recently picked up a rigid, even lighter mtb from Craigslist and just put on some Forte 1.25 skinny slicks and was thinking about taking it down that hill for a new personal speed record!

So assuming a long steep hill with safe conditions and no traffic, how fast can a bike be taken up to? Whenever I get up to 30mph and up, (not very often at all) I can't help but think of the video of that dude eating it on the volcano!

Btw, first bike is a 2006 f400 and my current ride is a....I dunno what exactly but it's a Bud Light edition Cannondale...M-something, I think.

Also, what are _your _fastest speeds commuting? Anyone else constantly trying to bump up their speed record?


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## threebikes (Aug 27, 2007)

Some idiot cop gave my friends wife a ticket back in 1980 for going 42 in a 35
on a BIG downhill. Sure glad the police don't have any real crimes to be out preventing!


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## nnn (Feb 1, 2005)

Well the outright speed record is something ridiculous, but those are very special bikes.

I've done 80km/h on my AM bike with 2.3 Nokians down Demandolx pass in the Alps and that was with some help from buddies so couldn't really go much faster and it was *very* steep


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## Schmucker (Aug 23, 2007)

I spin out on my fixed gear around 45mph. Look up the hour records, for those the pedal actually pedaled. There are videos of idiots going down mountains on bikes to get the highest speed. Human powered machines also have high speeds.


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## fatdave (May 10, 2007)

In college (many years ago), my steel road bike and I often hit 50-55 mph on a hill outside san diego. That was with skinny tubular tires, and now that I think of it, no helmet. I didn't start wearing one until I got hit by a car the first time. Young and stupid... 

I think that the T de F guys hit 60 mph, and those mountain stages have scary turns too. According to wired, 81 mph is doable (http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2007/03/bikerecord_0330) on FLAT ground. But, you have to go to extremes...

There is a vid of a guy doing 163kph (about 100mph). Then is bike fails pretty catastrophically. http://www.bestofgooglevideo.com/video.php?video=116


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## mechBgon (Jan 28, 2007)

How about 57.3mph (92.3kph). It's possible that I was going faster, I'm not sure at what point a Cateye Velo8's sensor hits the wall.










That's on the bike shown below, except with 1.25" road tires, no fenders, and no front rack/bags (and no snow either!), descending Charles Road south of Spokane, WA (not part of my commute, unfortunately). It probably helps that it's a very heavy bike even in summer trim  However, I'm pretty sure my Paramount can beat that; I'll have to try it next Spring.










The main things to worry about are cross-traffic and flat tires. So if you're going for a new PR, be careful, and check your tires for embedded glass and stuff first.


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## Cayenne_Pepa (Dec 18, 2007)

I hit 57.9mph on a 5% downhill.......not really- my cyclometer will misread the front wheel speed, if I raise the front wheel, while going downhill(zero rolling resistance=outrageous speed reading). My personal best on that same downhill was 41.1mph. I ride a 19-pound Cannondale XC race bike:


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## sabala (Feb 17, 2008)

Heh, I guess I won't worry about my bike flying apart then!


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

I don't have a computer, but during a group ride I was told that we did something over 60km/h (35 to 40mph) on mountain bikes down a street. Maybe it is lack of practice but I start feeling vulnerable at those speeds.


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## emtnate (Feb 9, 2008)

I hit 26 mph on a singletack descent and felt vulnerable. My personal best is 32 mph on flat, and that's on the cross bike.


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## bigpedaler (Jan 29, 2007)

My old Schwinn 10-speed took me on a sweet downhil roll in '74...56mph w/ a mechanical speedo.

I've never topped 31 on my MTB, but my riding bud has done 37.6 on his Epic going home from work. He also had a Schwinn road bike once...hit 39.9, couldn't quite do the 40, on his commute.


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## Mr.P (Feb 8, 2005)

I broke 55mph a few times on the road bike. But after going OTB on Third Divide at full speed (40+ mph) on the MTB during the Downieville Downhill (and breaking my back) I don't think I'll be pushing for the speed again.

55mph, with only 18 pounds of bike underneath you is quite the thrill. 

P


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## cobba (Apr 5, 2007)

Here's a rocket powered mountain bike that did 236kph/147mph:

http://www.swissrocketman.com/ete09.html


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## harry2110 (Oct 18, 2008)

Ive done 66mph on my mtb it was very scary since at the end of the hill was a curb drop and then another curb you had to hop over. I didnt think the bike was going to stay together as it was waddling from side to side.


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## Psycho Mike (Apr 2, 2006)

I've managed a little over 43mph on the mtb with knobbies pedalling down an incline (moderate slope....nothing long or steep enough to generate truly scary speeds)


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## rabidweasel999 (Oct 22, 2006)

I probably hit 35 descending a 7-story parking garage today.


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## Ill Logic (Oct 30, 2008)

62.5 mph on a long, but not too steep, hill. Awesome tail wind. 1.125 slicks on a MTB.










Funny thing is; I didn't feel like it was that fast until I had to stop for lights at the bottom of the hill. Checked the speedo and wow!


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## rabidweasel999 (Oct 22, 2006)

Did the cars notice?


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## Ill Logic (Oct 30, 2008)

I don't think there were any. I live almost in the middle of nowhere. There may have been somebody at the bus stop though. :S


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## FireBallKY (Apr 15, 2004)

I hit 38 MPH one time on my mtb. It was on a short, steep paved road that abruptly stopped at a main highway. Not sure if I was worrying about crashing or  being able to stop at the stop sign and not skidding out into traffic. Thank God for disc brakes.:thumbsup: Flashes of my front wheel coming out of the fork kept popping into my head.


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## pursuiter (May 28, 2008)

- single bike, Canadian Rockies, 7% grade ~52mph frt/rear racks with 50lbs of camping gear

- tandem bike, TOMROV by Galena, 25% grade, 68mph (wife had her eyes closed)


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## apag7 (Jun 25, 2007)

Before I removed my outer chainring, I hit a little over 34mph on my bike, an Ibex Asta with knobbies on the local paved trail. I matched that on some roads in the Indiana dunes, and I know I could've hit 40mph if I had the outer ring on.


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## pro (Oct 7, 2007)

I've done 40 on my road bike. You just get these small hills that really can slingshot if you kick it into a lower gear and spin.


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## General Hickey (Jan 6, 2008)

50mph on Clipper St. in SF. Could have gone faster if it weren't for that pesky stop sign at the bottom.


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## haaki (Sep 15, 2008)

*gone close to 60*

on a road bike
never have slicks on my mtb so I've done close to 35 on a clean offroad descent


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## Astroboy (Sep 27, 2004)

FYI...

*"Bike Hits 130.7 mph. On Snow"*
- http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/09/bike-hits-1307-.html


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## comptiger5000 (Jun 11, 2007)

My best was about 36mph down a hill on my MTB with 2.0 Schwalbe Big Apples. Kept pace with the cars just fine. The one time I was glad I had the clipless pedals on (even though I don't use them on trails).


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## Scott In MD (Sep 28, 2008)

*42.6 Mph...*

... on a Specialized Tarmac, downhill, on Maryland Route 40 near the Appalachian Trail crossing. And I chickened out or could have gotten to 48, probably.


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## MABman (Oct 5, 2008)

Hitting the high speed bell is not where its at. Average speed is.


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## OhioGuy82 (Sep 11, 2006)

34.5 on my MTB downhill with knobbies.
27.4 Sprinting on the Utopia. Yet to get it down a hill.


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## rodar y rodar (Jul 21, 2006)

MABman said:


> Hitting the high speed bell is not where its at. Average speed is.


You`re probably right, but that isn`t nearly as interresting.

My fastest was 52 point something going down Kingsbury grade between the Tahoe Rim trailhead and my truck, parked near Genoa NV. Panaracer Fire XC 2.1s. Surprisingly, it wasn`t scary. The scarriest descent was about 42 with a BOB going down a short steep grade in a ritzy subdivision out of Doyle, CA. The road was almost straight with a little bit of sand on the surface and I was afraid to brake. I could see that it leveled off, so I just bombed it.


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## AkMJ29 (Jan 25, 2008)

On a long, downhill, dirt road, I hit 36.something on a Gary Fisher Utopia. It had 1.25 tires and a cheap sus fork. Honestly, I could have went faster, but I was scared. The road was full of potholes and I really didn't want to test the bikes components. Or wipe out downhill on a dirt road full of gravel. Yes, I had a helmet and might have been able to push it more, but I really enjoy not being in pain.


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## Fuelish (Dec 19, 2003)

Fastest I've ever gotten up to was maybe mid 40's mph, downhill on a roadbike way back when ('80's) ....fastest on my commute has been about 38 mph on my Fuel w/ slicks, downhill also, of course. Where I now live, there's not enough level ground to find out what max I can achieve by pedaling alone .... it's either up- or down-hill - I ain't complainin', just sayin'


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## enio (Jun 6, 2007)

51.2 kmh on a cross bike!


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## Team Fubar Rider (Sep 3, 2003)

Hit 55 on our C'Dale mountain tandem on road (with 1.25" slicks) going down a fairly big hill.

Hit 55 on my mountain bike on a gravel road...there was a bit of puckering going on there.

Hit 56 on my cross bike.


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## elvez (Jul 9, 2007)

man there are some real speeds on here.

Only really clocked it once with some roadies but I hit 36 mph on my single speed cruiser with 2.5 street tires on a really long hill.

I would love to try it again with skinny tires,a helmet, and a front brake.


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## pedalitup (May 30, 2007)

One time, with 10mph tailwind on a flat road, I sprinted my ass off to the point of pain and managed to maintain 35mph on a road bike in a 50/12 gear for a mile. Thats as fast as I've ever gone. I was blown away watching Cancellara, Leipheimer and the other pros last year in Palo alto who do that speed up a slight grade for close to 3 miles and make it look easy.


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## newaccount (Jan 3, 2007)

56 on a rigid mountain bike going downhill. It was scary when I looked down and my arms started feeling wobbly and was afraid my rim brakes would overheat.

Anyway, why do you even care about a max speed? It's all about average speed when commuting or racing.


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## upright mike (Jan 25, 2009)

*human powered vehicles*

82.33 mph on a streamlined recumbent bicycle called the Varna Diablo III. About 8 feet long, 17 inches wide, with only 5 gears (top gear of over 240 gear inches). Rider had five miles of flat desert highway to build up speed before going through a 200-meter long (1/8 mile) timing trap. I was a witness to history several times at an event called the WHPSC World Human Powered Speed Challenge in Battle Mountain, NV.
The above rider Sam Whittingham, is currently 36 years old, a former Canadian national cyclist, and has recently built a bike purchase by Lance Armstrong, however you won't see him riding it in the Tour de France. Sam generates about 500 watts of power during his run. Oh, did I mention, he won a prize of over $26,000 for going so fast..
Event website: http://www.wisil.recumbents.com/home.asp?URL=wisil/whpsc2008
Discovery Channel special on the event:


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## upright mike (Jan 25, 2009)

Recumbents are faster! I've gone down a hill at 48 mph on a recumbent lowracer bike. On the same hill, I reached only 42 mph on my Cervelo time trial bike. 

On a MTB bike with 26x1.25 tires, a 48 x 11 top gear, bolt-on aerobars, a heavy backpack, I reached 42.2 mph on a downhill. I was spinning at what I calculate to be 129 rpm.


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## shrpshtr325 (Dec 22, 2008)

well on my mtn bike w/ knobbies on a downhill i hit 45.x speed limit was 35 (went past a couple of cars, they DID give me looks ), got a followed by the cop that was sitting at the bottom for a little bit, but nothing came of it :/

btw this was on my trek 3700


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## scoodah (Sep 19, 2008)

I hit 55mph. on a mtb going down the watershed hill in Lincoln Ma. just east of Walden pond. I want a recumbent with a fairing now to blaze the rail trail on cape cod. and try to average 30mph or so .


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## liam2051 (Apr 19, 2008)

So far ive been 87.6KM/H on my Cervelo Soloist Carbon but ive got another hill in mind that could blow me well over the 100 mark possibly even over the 110 mark ill check it out and report with photos


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## Hellrazor666 (Oct 27, 2008)

I have done 41.5 on my fs mtb with a set of holly rollers on. It is short hill but pretty steep and not a lot of room to build up speed. I also hit 31.5 on a flat road with speed bumps with fs mtb and man I'm beat after that and also with the holly rollers on. My old bike weighed in at 33 lbs and so doing that on flat road is not an easy task from what I have been told


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## SelfPropelledDevo (Oct 2, 2005)

166.9mph

http://www.teammccallusa.com/history.html


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## Ultra Magnus (Jan 13, 2004)

Here in the high desert of Sunny SoCal with our wonderful prevailing winds coming from the SSW- I could regularly do 30 - 35mph on flat ground on my full knobbie mtb. The fastest I've gone is 45mph on short 5% downgrade, depending on the winds.


BM


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## harry2110 (Oct 18, 2008)

pedalitup said:


> One time, with 10mph tailwind on a flat road, I sprinted my ass off to the point of pain and managed to maintain 35mph on a road bike in a 50/12 gear for a mile. Thats as fast as I've ever gone. I was blown away watching Cancellara, Leipheimer and the other pros last year in Palo alto who do that speed up a slight grade for close to 3 miles and make it look easy.


Ive done 30mph on my HT with a full backpack for about a mile


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## harry2110 (Oct 18, 2008)

I just went even faster. I just hit 70mph going down mosier knob road in New albany, In on my MTB with 1.75 slick on it. Its a 600ft descent over 1miles but the bottom it really drops out and becomes straight so I just went for it. I was wearing sony in-ear headphones( not the cheap ones) and they were about to be ripped out from the wind.


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## spongstick (Feb 6, 2004)

Sounds likes some good fishing stories. :skep:


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## SelfPropelledDevo (Oct 2, 2005)

Gordon McCall
http://www.teammccallusa.com/

the current land speed record is 166.9 MPH

Gordon is trying for 180 MPH


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## harry2110 (Oct 18, 2008)

spongstick said:


> Sounds likes some good fishing stories. :skep:


nope gps verified


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## skottt160 (Apr 25, 2008)

harry2110 said:


> nope gps verified


lets see pics! Thanks in advance for when you do post em.


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

I have a GPS track that verifies I've done 136 km/h (about 85 mph) on flat ground, riding a singlespeed mountainbike (26er, 34/19 gearing). Others tell me they've broken the sound barrier on trails.


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## emtnate (Feb 9, 2008)

You do know that GPS does not take vertical drop or rise into account when it figures speed right? It knows distance and time from your lat / lon from the satellite's viewpoint. I'm familiar with New Albany, not sure exactly which road that is, but it''s hard to believe you got that much speed in a 600 ft drop over a mile. 

Even on skis with a speed suit and a good tuck, not many guys get over 60 on a 600 ft drop over less than 1/2 mile.

Sure you went fast, but 70? Hard to believe.


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## zadey1234 (May 7, 2007)

The fastest I've hit on flat that was recorded on the computer when I had it, was 35 km/h and I was hammering, but then again, I was riding a 45 lb toy'srus bike that was on the worst gear ratio about 2-3 years ago. I should get a new computer soon for the cannondale, I've been wondering what speeds I can hit now.


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## WR304 (Jul 9, 2004)

sabala said:


> So assuming a long steep hill with safe conditions and no traffic, how fast can a bike be taken up to? Whenever I get up to 30mph and up, (not very often at all) I can't help but think of the video of that dude eating it on the volcano!


If you want to go fast downhill then it's worth working on your aero tuck position. As you go faster wind resistance increases so the more aerodynamic you are the faster you'll go.

The basic descending tuck on the road is to have your pedals flat, your hands on the centre of the bars and then tuck down so that your nose is touching the stem. (pictured below). Having your pedals flat is more aerodynamic than having one pedal down.

If you watch the pro riders descend then they'll use more extreme positions such as hanging off the back of the saddle so that your chest is on the saddle (like Marco Pantani used to do) or sitting on the top tube. Sitting on the top tube is a bit more comfortable and you have more control over the bike. Just don't forget to come out of the tuck before any corners or braking zones!

You'll also sometimes see riders descending no hands with their hands behind their backs in a similar position to speed skaters. It may be aerodynamic but you don't want to hit anything doing that.

Have a look at this video of descending no hands too: 


__
https://flic.kr/p/2402927660

.


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## Cluckin' Hyde (May 14, 2007)

perttime said:


> I have a GPS track that verifies I've done 136 km/h (about 85 mph) on flat ground, riding a singlespeed mountainbike (26er, 34/19 gearing). Others tell me they've broken the sound barrier on trails.


Yep, my garmin told me i hit 431.5mph coming down laurel mtn trail in pisgah nat forest last week. Was a 10.5 hour ride though, so my avg speed still sucked! I've honestly hit 62.? coming down sauratown mountain in NC on a road bike. BUT i was 230lbs at the time so gravity was cheating for me!


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## harry2110 (Oct 18, 2008)

Actually mine has done that too. But i cleared it before the run. I was passing cars and speed limit was 40. I was on a MTB with 1.75 road slick and it was a newly paved street.


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## spazzy (Aug 15, 2004)

Man you guys are crazy, i felt very unsafe at 25-30ish on the road with my knobbies, (down a steep long hill) i just kept thinking to myself dont crash, dont bail, dont die. Thank god for good brakes!


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