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We were out on Saturday, lovely warm evening and we ended with this fantastic steep hill that starts off as rubble, which turns to big stones and dirt, which turns to tarmac and it’s at this point that it goes crazy steep for over another mile. It’s just a farm track so never has any traffic on so you can really give it beans, it’s great fun and provided a fantastic ending to the ride, we both arrived at the bottom grinning like loons. With my friend on Saturday I clocked it at 34mph so went back by myself last night and clocked in at 36mph, which I was pretty chuffed at. This was on a 26” wheeled HT with 2.3 knobbly tyres and my a**e off the back like Pantani descending. Still didn’t get KOM, came 8th! Obviously need to go back with clown wheels.
What’s fastest speed you’ve ever clocked unaided (not drafting) on a MTB? And what were the circumstances?
My Garmin clocked me at 39.2 mph on tarmac on part of the SDW on Sat, was following a couple of riding buddies but not close enough to be drafting. The 4x4 pulling a trailer that was as wide as the singletrack road coming around a corner was fun though!
42 mph, Maxxis Advantage front & rear, Sutton Bank on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors (going downhill 😉 )
Top speed reached in the steep section just after the hairpin right-hander.
Bloomin scary in hindsight.
Cars get very close very quickly..... 😯
I hit about 56mph on my old Kona Hei Hei back when I was 17. A dead straight and pretty steep road, with a slight rise at the end to slow you down. I pedalled into it full pelt with a 44t big ring then tucked and held on. I dread to think of the road rash I'd have got if it had all gone wrong!
Garmin tells me I hit 79kmph/49mph whilst riding the CVMBC the other week, also on a 26er with knobblies on it (on tarmac, obviously!). The year before I only managed 78.7kmph on the same bit, I'm getting faster in me old age... 🙂
(I don't know how accurate that is, by the way, it is a fast bit of road though.)
The big grass hill opposite queen Elizabeth country park near Portsmouth in 98, my cat eye computer clocked it at 53.4 mph even allowing ruffle - 10/15% it's about 45/48 mph and that was on an old school orange P7 with pace rc36 forks.
No way I'd do that now 😯 😆
Last year when cycling to Slovenia I did 70kmh with a trailer, which was scary as it had a speed wobble between 52 and 54kmhm, and slowing down with 160mm rotors was interesting. I have also hit 78kmh on a BSO in Switzerland about 5 years back, when I went to slow down for a corner I melted the rim brake pads and tyres (rear tyre went as I got to about 15mph so I bailed into the bushes)
We could crack the 90kph mark on GPS coming straight down the piste in Les Gets, aero tucked on dh bikes.
I got 50mph on a gravel track in the Dark Peak once. Still trying to beat it! I don't understand this small chainring stuff, I need big gears!!!
On my MTB, got to 64kph (40mph) dropping off Black Park towards Barden Tower near Skipton. Not sure what my fastest off-road is, probably not very high.
Drum mountain so off road.
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Probably mid 40's.
MTB feels a lot less stable than road bikes at speed. Quite happy doing 60+ on a road bike, but no way on an mtb
44mph many moons ago on a Zaskar LE and yes it had purple anodised stuff. 8) Did that quite often, with canti brakes and no helmet, no chance I would even attempt it now, especially on "that" hill. 😯
As for off-road, no idea, but I was pretty happy to hit just under [url=
on Veni Vedi Veci on my Hardtail[/url] (2:17).
According to Strava (when I used it) 42.5 mph offroad. In the Wolds no less.
52mph.
GT talera with a 52t. Some purple stuff.
Hill going past Dartmouth Naval College.
Low 40's, 42 or 43mph to be exact. Twice, both on-road. Once coming down a steep mountain road on the other side of "seven mile climb" just outside of Brecon (I don't know the name of the road) heading towards Cardiff on a charity ride.
Almost exactly the same speed coming down the road from Avoriaz to Morzine.
I'm convinced if there's a terminal velocity for me/my bike then 42.5mph is it, as steep and as long as those roads were - I just seemed to stop accelerating how ever much I tucked, both times I wish I was wearing leathers.
Low-mid forties going into High Wycombe on Desborough Avenue into town.
40mph off road in the Clwyds
43mph, heading back towards Wrexham station after a day at Llandegla. The road from Gwynfryn towards the dairy/Fiveways junction seems best to produce the highest speeds, having a long straight section with good visibility and few junctions, although the road is pretty steep the whole way back. The steepest section is closer to Wrexham but it turns into a 30mph zone with junctions and residential areas so it's not very clever to be going fast there.
Usually get high 30s mph but depending on the wind/how tired I am I can sometimes breach 40mph, best of 43mph. Feels fast enough.
51mph somewhere in Yorkshire about 20 years ago (mtb on a road). Overtook four cars and didn't dare brake. I spoke to a track cyclist at Manchester a few years ago and he said falling off on the road is like jumping out of a car naked at 40mph… I really don't want to find that out for myself.
39.9mph down Keeper Lane if any of your South Leeds riders are in. Kept trying to top 40mph but never managed. Getting too old to try these days.
@batman11 That's Butser Hill which we went down on Sat at the end of our ride, hit 30.3 mph but was on the brakes most of the way as there were lots of walkers with dogs. Have hit more than 40 down there so next time we do it during the summer solstice ride we do I'm hoping to record over 40mph on the garmin 🙂
FYI Butser Hill is a chalk hill and one of the highest points in Hampshire. It is also the highest point on the chalk ridge of the South Downs and the second highest point in the South Downs National Park after Blackdown in the Western Weald.
Back in the day -- late 80s I would guess - down a tarmac road in the Pentlands, I seem to recall when folk checked their bike computers at the bottom (no way was anyone looking on way down) - think it was in the 40s - 44, 47 or thereby..
Later on holiday, down off Buttertubs Pass into towards Hawes, would easily hit 40 and I'm sure you folks will hit a lot more than that..
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actually that's my 2nd fastest, but is all I have evidence for
55mph on a MTB tandem with road slicks. Think we could have done better as had to slow down for a car that we caught up.
327 kilometers per hour = 203.18838 miles per hour!!
You're kidding andytherocketeer? or is your forum handle correct? If that speed is correct you're a world record holder: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycling_records
gives cycling speed record as 268 km/h (167 mph)
I was on the CX bike when I took the video but I've done the same (and faster) on the MTB.
53mph down a very steep hill in Bavaria while I was over there on a work placement, as recorded by a Cateye wired cycle computer.
A girl I was over there with used to go to football training at a nearby village. The pitch was at the top of the hill that I could barely get up in my granny ring & while watching training one evening I figured it would make a decent high speed attempt.
This was one a £200 Apollo Equito (first mountain bike) with cantilever brakes. I got a bit of a wobble on about halfway down and couldn't pedal any faster than I was (I think it was a 48t ring and not sure my pedalling was actually contributing as I got near max speed).
I didn't have glasses on & my eyes were watering like mad.
Scared myself enough to not try it again! I figured an attempt to go faster would probably end up with me in German A&E having gravel pulled out of various open wounds & bits of me stapled back together.
That one may have been CX bike (would need to check).
The fastest was mach 1, but I can't find the log, and was definitely on ye olde world hardtail with flat, narrow bars that are almost hipster fixie width.
52.1mph on the descent into Champery on the 2012 PPdS
Mtb
On road 46mph on a scandal 29er with cinto 2.4
Off road 37mph
Scared witless on both occasions
48MPH on a NS Suburban down the killer mile.
35MPH down Charity lane... Loose rock.
I've clocked 50.9mph going down butser hill with a tailwind.
Being 6'5" and 16+st so gravity and the wind was on my side!
Never hit 60 + on a road bike .Managed 59 but ive not ridden any mental Alpine stuff to try !
Does it count if it were off road!? :-d
Guessing you're mostly defining your max speeds on mtb by going onroad down a hill.
Well in that case I have achieved 44 mph down a short hill "on road" so a mph for every lb in bike weight.
With a 36T ring.
Pretty sure I over took a mini cooper or reliant robin as can remember it feeling a bit odd. Not sure why...
The quick bit of the Butser Segment is here - https://www.strava.com/segments/2388865?filter=overall which is the quickest place offroad round here (assuming safety is a consideration)
Quickest speed I can see on the faster bits is 91km/h - 56mph - which is believable as back in the day I used to see 48-50 on a rigid 'mtb' down there. Praise be 48T chainrings.
On road, back when I was stupid you could easily see high 50's on Long Harting descent or Farlington Avenue Nr Portsmouth before they put the fun spoilers on it.
55.5mph on Devil's Dyke outside Brighton. Which is a big, steep, straight hill so not exactly hard. Freewheel alone and you can crack 50. Great fun, especially at night.
I regularly get 48mph down Steyning Bowl (leads off the SDW at Steyning), and over 50mph on a strong-nerves day and if there's a bit of tailwind. It's a concrete farm track with a bit of an 'S' at the bottom, can always feel the frame flex steering though that flat-out.
55.5mph on Devil's Dyke outside Brighton. Which is a big, steep, straight hill so not exactly hard. Freewheel alone and you can crack 50.
So I tried this a couple of summers ago, and although going flat out, I didn't get anywhere near 50, although it felt like it...I cant remember my top speed but it was disappointingly low, as measured on my Garmin (using GPS only not speed sensor) ...
This got me wondering if the GPS speed measurement allows for the additional distance traveled when going down hill...if it didn't then your speed would be underestimated....
54mph down a steep road into danebridge - pre 1x11. Won't have the gears to beat it now
56mph on a steep road near Linlithgow decades ago. being stupid.
also, around the same time, i put a water jet on my front tyre to see how fast my computer could record... hit 79mph then the screen when blank never to be revived.
never much faster than 35mph in these days of responsibility.
56mph down a fireroad near the Marin Trail.
That was quite a number of years ago, not sure I'd want to do it again!
So I tried this a couple of summers ago, and although going flat out, I didn't get anywhere near 50
I've found if you follow the actual bridleway route, there's a bit of a right right turn near the top, where it's a bit rutted. Cut that out and start right from the fence adjacent to the road so you're looking straight down the hill. Sprint flat out and then you'll be going faster before you get onto the steep/straight bit. Get into a decent tuck position and you should crack 50 easily.
Been riding down that hill for years and the only things which slow you down are a headwind or if the ground is heavy going.
43.8 at "work" a few weeks ago.
I am building a wind farm and living on site in a remote part of scotland, every so often I ride up to the wind farm for exercise. Usually my highest recorded heart rates are coming down, not going up 😯
Its twisty, loose and fast but quite wide as its the haul road up there. Doubt I'll go much quicker as its freewheeling at that speed - not got the gears and to achieve it, Ive got to hit a series of corners just right.
tarmac, hardtail, 2" hutchinson python tyres = 46.9mph according to endomondo, I recon the hill in question is good for 60mph on a road bike, not managed it myself yet, don't quite understand the "scared myself" comments, speed never seems that scary to me & at 50yo I'm no youngster either
Crag
39.9mph down Keeper Lane if any of your South Leeds riders are in. Kept trying to top 40mph but never managed. Getting too old to try these days.
Try chipping off all the year old mud,you might get 0.1mph more
56mph down Ingleby Incline, about 20yrs ago. I didn't believe my computer but one mate clocked 52 & another clocked 49. It felt bloody fast whatever it was!
I hit 40mph on the way home most days, on a 90's Raleigh MTB with almost completely useless canti brakes gets a bit scary when cars pull out on you
I had 49.5 mph on my mtb off road down butser hill back in the day. Fully rigid I think, but a big chain ring, bigger balls and youth! Find it hard to get past 44 now. You need the top gate open as well.
Digging deep into the memory banks so not 100% on accuracy. Bike was a Giant Coldrock with a wired Cateye computer - much more accurate than this new fangled gps nonsense!
On road, descent from Ben Lawers visitor centre 46 mph, then emergency stop due to sheep wandering onto road!
Off road was a forest track in Glen Affric 49mph, then another emergency stop as I tried not to hit a gate which I knew was there. Slid into it sideways which was quite memorable.
Also got 40 something with brakes and transmission all frozen after a sledging trip up the Campsies - oh to be young and carefree again.
Fastest recorded offroad - 44.2 mph down Eyam Quarry on my Orange C16 back in the day.
About 5 years ago I cleared the entire length of the Pic Blanc glacier section of the MegAvalanche feet up, clipped in, during practice (first thing in the morning, freshly piste bashed). No idea how fast I was going but it was absof****lutely terrifyingly quick, even behind a full face and goggles. I knew that if I even thought about trying to brake it would go awfully bad awfully quick.
I'm going to get LittleMissMC (aged 8.5) her own log in as she has told EVERYBODY that she hit 20.3mph at the weekend!
56mph on a 1999 Merlin malt 2 with rim brakes back I the day, it felt fast too.
I towed a mate on his dh bike from a local offroader centre after he'd fell off into a proper muddy puddle and was brown all over...i refused to let him in the car....im not proud of it in retrospect but we did reach speeds in excess of 60mph..(he was wearing more than suitable safety gear)
MTB on road - 47 mph coming back form Rivington down Chorley old rd towards McDonalds about midnight, went across the roundabout and nearly lost it.
Off Road - 30 mph somewhere above Settle last summer.
The fastest I remember was 53mph measured on one of those old cycle computers, on road (steep hill off the back of qecp towards buriton) when I was a kid. Nowadays 50kmh is my limit (on and off road).
sparkyrhino - MemberCrag
39.9mph down Keeper Lane if any of your South Leeds riders are in. Kept trying to top 40mph but never managed. Getting too old to try these days.
Try chipping off all the year old mud,you might get 0.1mph more
Most of that is older than a year Sparky, and it's only that which holds the bike together 😉
Not as fast 55kmh down a local country road here. Pot holes like you have never seen weaving between them. Including a bunny hope over a big one I misjudged and ended up lined up for the middle of. Si
Speedy silliness is mint
In 1996 on a fully rigid mtb I did 46mph down what is now the Strava segment "roller coaster 2" in Bow Brickhill woods.
I managed 51mph on the same bike down Ditchling Beacon while doing the London to Btighton charity ride. Now I am an old fart with 4 kids I am much more cautious but regularly get over 30mph on the Landrover tracks coming down of the grouse moors here in Aberdeenshire. Were bikes in the 90's faster or was it the exuberance of youth?
62mph on the A9 dropping down the into Inverness on a Orange p7 with tri bars on & slick road tyres.
53mph on the rigid Clockwork. Where the southern end of the Roych Clough track emerges onto the road to Rushup/Winnat's Pass there's a wee road dead opposite - Rushup Lane. Straight as a die and drops steeply downhill. I remember 3 or 4 of us together, all tucked down and praying nowt came the other way.
I suspect you may have been one of them JonEdwards, and I suspect Paul@Cotic was the other.
Happy days 🙂
Rob
72mph at thetford in the granny gear.
52.1mph on the descent into Champery on the 2012 PPdS
Same stretch of trail, same top speed (give or take the 0.1!) for me too! Was a good few years earlier mind...
52mph off-road is quite frankly, really effing scary I found, especially when you realise just how on the ragged edge the bike was all the way down the trail, and that body armour will only do so much if you come off! Would bottle it at those speeds off-road these days.
Hit 50mph on my road bike end of last summer for the first time. Much less drama, but equally satisfying! 🙂
This at the 42 mile mark was like falling of a cliff
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