Author Topic: Question: What is "high speed" wrt bicycling?  (Read 5705 times)

Danneaux

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Re: Question: What is "high speed" wrt bicycling?
« Reply #15 on: February 07, 2013, 07:54:39 AM »
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the cobalt blue with an Alfine which has been on the website recently
Oh! Now, this is exciting, Robert! I don't believe we've had any RST/Alfine owner-rider reports on the Forum yet, let alone photos. Especially nice if it helped trigger a Forum membership; very much looking forward to seeing it personalized under your ownership and to hear how it works for you. 
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'72 VW 1300 which is also cobalt blue
A match made in heaven, I'd say! What will you call it? Name it, and it'll be faithful to you always...

Best,

Dan. (...who really should think of better names than "The Nomad", "The Blue Bike", "The Maroon Bike", "The Tandem", etc -- all seem to belong to "The" same unimaginative family)

Andybg

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Re: Question: What is "high speed" wrt bicycling?
« Reply #16 on: February 07, 2013, 08:51:48 AM »
I am not normaly very aware of my instantanous speed on the bike but pay more attention to the avarage over the ride. However on night riding (Like last night) I need to pay much more attention to speed as with my lights (2 off Cateye 530) I have about 20m off well lit road so have to keep my speed down to a point where I can avoid any unforseen obstacles (potholes, cats, dogs boars deer and even the occasional bear) At night I limit the speed down to 40km/h as I feel that is safe.

In the voting I have gone for above 30mph as I would say anything upto that should be classed as normal riding speed. Not to say I ride that fast but I aim for about 20mph cruising speed on the flat on an expedition touring bike (unloaded) and in my old roady days it used to be 25mph solo cruising speed. At these sort of speeds a bike should handle in its "normal" manner and no "high speed" craveats should be put on it.

Over 30mph you are one or more of the following:

Really giving it some
Going down hill
In a very good race line
High speed tail wind

In these circumstances extra caution is required and you would accept the burden of paying more attention to both the road and the bikes behaviour.

Thats my two pennies worth

Andy

JWestland

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Re: Question: What is "high speed" wrt bicycling?
« Reply #17 on: February 07, 2013, 11:03:38 AM »
Depends on the road too...I have no speedometer but I know I get nervous around 30mph downhill from a ride where I did have one. Braking distance increases and so does ouchie if anything goes wrong.

But, there's few roads here where you can safely let rip.
There's nearly always White Van Man, sideroads, left turn into idiots, Vintage Potholes (tm) and other hazards. Especially potholes...everywhere!

So it's bikehandling + environment that determines speed for me :)
Pedal to the metal! Wind, rain, hills, braking power permitting ;)

Andre Jute

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Re: Question: What is "high speed" wrt bicycling?
« Reply #18 on: February 07, 2013, 04:00:57 PM »
I was once radar-trapped and booked for breaking the speed limit in front of the hospital at Clon, which is at the bottom of a hill. I went through the speed trap at 43mph/69kph, still slowing after seeing the hospital sign and remembering that it is a notorious speed trap location. This conversation ensued when the policeman stepped out from behind the bush and held out his hand to stop me.

"Good! I like to see my tax-euros at work, Constable. If you didn't get the number of the second bastard who passed me too close, I have—"

"It's you I'm booking, sir. On two separate charges. Exceeding the speed limit, doing it in front of a hospital."

"But those bastards passed me."

"They're local, sir."
« Last Edit: February 08, 2013, 12:03:11 AM by Hobbes »

John Saxby

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Re: Question: What is "high speed" wrt bicycling?
« Reply #19 on: February 07, 2013, 10:46:02 PM »
Well, Dan, there are old riders and there are bold riders, but not so many old, bold riders...

"It depends", surely -- on three clusters of variables: bike, rider and load, and terrain (the latter understood broadly to include not only road, surface,  slopes and corners, but also wind, rain, june bugs, other traffic, pedestrians, etc.) (Much like the old dilemma of judging musical quality: singer-song-or-audience?) (Too many sidebars-itching-to-become-tangents here; sorry about that.)

So, for me, "fast riding" = "approaching the limits".  But the notion of "limits" surely includes the bike's capabilities + terrain + how-much-do-I-want-to-terrify-myself-today, etc., etc.  So I'm reluctant to put a (kph/mph) number on it. Out-riding your brakes or headlight is surely "too fast".  60 kph down a 14% grade is "plenty fast" -- but stupidly fast if there are unseen sharp turns (esp at the bottom), unyielding walls or barriers, sand-gravel-wet leaves, and roadside forest where lurk the twitchy deer; or, if you're in Africa, where always there lurks a clutch of goats in the high grass, goats which cross the road only in single file & only at the last possible instant, and which always include a youngster who didn't get the memo, looked up, saw Mum mid-way across the road, and panicking, dashed into the empty spot you'd just chosen so as to avoid ploughing into the line.  So, "fast riding" = "approaching the limits" = "consciously diminishing one's margin of error".

I guess one could find out about shimmy, etc., if / if one could control the variables of "terrain" enough to be able to assess shimmy at speed, under load, etc. -- without finding out all-of-a-sudden that (dang!!) I've just crossed the limits of my bike or myself--funny they were there & not a bit higher as I'd assumed/hoped...

J.

jags

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Re: Question: What is "high speed" wrt bicycling?
« Reply #20 on: February 07, 2013, 11:06:09 PM »
last year i was out riding with the group in the cooley mountains well me and another guy got dropped on a long' ish climb.but when we were coming down the other side we let it rip 55mph, caught the group  in jig time flew by them. we couldnt understand what they were shouting at us  until we rounded a bend and ran out of road man it was scarey but lucky we managed to stay upright. i done over 60mph in spain coming off a mountain ah i've copped myself on since those days 16mph is fast enough these days. ;)

JWestland

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Re: Question: What is "high speed" wrt bicycling?
« Reply #21 on: February 08, 2013, 09:58:58 AM »
Well, Dan, there are old riders and there are bold riders, but not so many old, bold riders...


LOL  ;D

Hobbes that's typical isn't it! ;)

I personally HATE any near misses, so I don't push my limits hard when I feel there's any terrain risk, rain, mud etc. I just don't get a buzz from a near miss, more a panic feeling ;(

Going uphill on the other hand...there's a lovely 1 mile climb to get to a friend's house. The trick for me is to get the XTC (unladen) uphill on 52/16 and time the effort/RPM just so that I mash it up just to the house. Which doesn't always work...last Sunday it turned out that I am out of practice ;)

As there's no risk due to any em speed and the road is quiet enough and wide to take the middle of the lane (potholes and damaged rollsplit) I test fitness limits rather than speed/handling limits. Can't get floored on an uphill just stop if it's too much.

Yes it's very fast downhill but not for me lol if you want you can hit 40mph  ;D
Pedal to the metal! Wind, rain, hills, braking power permitting ;)

John Saxby

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Re: Question: What is "high speed" wrt bicycling?
« Reply #22 on: February 09, 2013, 11:59:57 PM »
Ah, jeez, Jags, J-M-&-J, please be careful, think o' your nearest and dearest and your wee grandkids....

J.