Speed and other cyclists

[flecc]

If it isn´t too personal a question, would you mind telling me if your wife/siblings/children know of this stuff of letting the bike have its head downhill and so reaching such speeds?
Not having your years of cycling, and after my foolish crash I never let myself over 30 kmh...

I make all my own decisions based on my own judgement Poppy, doing those speeds when I judge it to be safe. Since I've never as much as scratched myself from cycling over 62 years, I'm beginning to trust my judgement.

It depends on the bike of course, some far safer at high speed than others, and where the bike isn't suitable I keep the speed to what is safe on that one. After all, I'm happy cruising at over 110 mph for long periods on a motorbike (on private land of course ), so well under half that on a stable two wheeler in safe road conditions isn't so serious.
.

 

[Mussels]

After all, I'm happy cruising at over 110 mph for long periods on a motorbike (on private land of course )

Pussy.

This is just to make the minimum 10 characters required for the post.

 

[seeker]

What the ......?

My experiences are similar, occasionally passed by keen club riders, but often the reverse when they've been tackling a prolonged slight slope and are getting drained. I also cruise at around 23/24 mph when I'm on one of my few flat stretches, but spend most of my time either at around 16/17 mph uphill or betwwen 28 and 40+ downhill. Question for geologists. Why do hills get steeper as one gets older?

Ok Flecc,

I'm sure you've got a wisper too. I got mine at the end of July this year and I don't anything like the peformace your getting. Uphill I do about 11, on the flat I'll get 17 if there's no head wind and downhill no more than 27 (30 if I pedal like a nutter, very uncool). I reckon you've probabley taken yours to bits and rebulit it with loads of modifications. How can I get to go as fast as yours?

grovelling regards

seeker

 

[seeker]

Eh!?!

Cheer up Poppy. My average on the Giant Lafree Twist through four years was 12 mph (19 kph) solo, less when towing.

That was Panasonic motored like yours, and also in a hilly area, so there's not much difference. Probably most of the difference is that I let my bikes have their head when downhill, anything up to 45 mph (72 kph) at times.
.

45mph!?! I'm sorry, my mistake. I thought this was the Electric Bicycle Forum.

 

[Mussels]

45mph!?! I'm sorry, my mistake. I thought this was the Electric Bicycle Forum.

You must have little hills, I can get over 40mph on the way to work.

 

[seeker]

Gosh!

You must have little hills, I can get over 40mph on the way to work.

No wonder you needed to upgrade the brakes. does it feel stable at that speed?

regards

seeker

 

[Mussels]

No wonder you needed to upgrade the brakes. does it feel stable at that speed?

regards

seeker

It feels a little more stable at high speed, the only unstable part of it is me trying to duck down out of the wind.

 

[seeker]

It feels a little more stable at high speed, the only unstable part of it is me trying to duck down out of the wind.

OK, getting scary images of an unguided missile now. Please tell me your doing this on a long wide road that you can see for miles on?

worried regards

seeker

 

[Mussels]

OK, getting scary images of an unguided missile now. Please tell me your doing this on a long wide road that you can see for miles on?

worried regards

seeker

Of course.

 

[poppy]

I make all my own decisions based on my own judgement Poppy, doing those speeds when I judge it to be safe. Since I've never as much as scratched myself from cycling over 62 years, I'm beginning to trust my judgement.

It depends on the bike of course, some far safer at high speed than others, and where the bike isn't suitable I keep the speed to what is safe on that one. After all, I'm happy cruising at over 110 mph for long periods on a motorbike (on private land of course ), so well under half that on a stable two wheeler in safe road conditions isn't so serious.
.

I stand duly chastised by your first paragraph.

 

[flecc]

Ok Flecc,

I'm sure you've got a wisper too. I got mine at the end of July this year and I don't anything like the peformace your getting. Uphill I do about 11, on the flat I'll get 17 if there's no head wind and downhill no more than 27 (30 if I pedal like a nutter, very uncool). I reckon you've probabley taken yours to bits and rebulit it with loads of modifications. How can I get to go as fast as yours?

grovelling regards

seeker

Not a Wisper seeker, but this one.
.

 

[flecc]

I stand duly chastised by your first paragraph.

No intention to chastise Poppy.

Some of us enjoy speed and I'm one of them, but others really don't like it at all, and I suspect that describes you. There's no right or wrong in this of course, just personal differences. I think either is intrinsically just as safe as the other, those liking speed being prepared through regular usage to cope with it, those who prefer to travel more slowly only conditioned to coping with that.

All other things equal, the end result is that both are likely to be just as safe. It's when individuals go against type that accidents are likely to happen, such as the slow rider suddenly using unaccustomed speeds, or the fast rider trying to do a slow trip and letting his attention wander.
.

 

[Barnowl]

45mph!?! I'm sorry, my mistake. I thought this was the Electric Bicycle Forum.

Thanks that was funny

Flecc - These high speeds seem to be down longer steeper hills. My personal best was 34 MPH. The hill just wasn't long enough. It was madness but it had to be done . Not that I don't like speed just that everytime I get to cycle down a decent hill theres bumps, potholes, poorly finished roadworks, manhole covers, parked cars all coming at me far too fast to dodge (especially with cars constantly sneaking up behind me). The lack of suspension doesn't help either. I feared for the poor hub motor in the front wheel not to mention my backside.

So I guess it's mostly down to terrain. Also a good freewheel and plenty of extra weight don't go amiss.

 

[flecc]

Flecc - These high speeds seem to be down longer steeper hills.

Only sometimes, I do over 40 mph at times down a fairly short but very steep one, where it's all the more enjoyable as it's past a Gatso speed camera.

Naughty? Not in any way, UK speed limits don't apply to bicycles since they are part of motor vehicle legislation.
.

 

[Tiberius]

Naughty? Not in any way, UK speed limits don't apply to bicycles since they are part of motor vehicle legislation.
.

Is that so? Now that I've got a few things sorted, I can easily go over 30 on a downhill, but I've been putting the brakes on to avoid drawing attention.

I bet the average policeman would assume the 30 mph limit applied to bikes. Explaining otherwise to him would probably make the situation worse.

Nick

 

[poppy]

I give up! Surrounded by speed freaks. And some of you over 60, to boot. Haven´t any of you any incident whose effects would have been less serious if you had benn riding at a much lower speed...? I´m afraid I know the answer to that.

 

[Barnowl]

Is that so? Now that I've got a few things sorted, I can easily go over 30 on a downhill, but I've been putting the brakes on to avoid drawing attention.

I bet the average policeman would assume the 30 mph limit applied to bikes. Explaining otherwise to him would probably make the situation worse.

Nick

Never heard of a cyclist being done for speeding. Most bikes don't have speedos so how would we know :confused

 

[Barnowl]

Looks like you can be done for the old offence of "cycling furiously" but not for speeding.

 

[Mussels]

Never heard of a cyclist being done for speeding. Most bikes don't have speedos so how would we know :confused

Cyclists get speeding tickets in Richmond park, there's some bylaw restricting them to 5mph. This goes against the usual law and the fact that most pushbikes don't have speedos, but then park police are far from normal themselves.

 

[seeker]

?

Cyclists get speeding tickets in Richmond park, there's some bylaw restricting them to 5mph. This goes against the usual law and the fact that most pushbikes don't have speedos, but then park police are far from normal themselves.

So how do they work this law exactly? Arm they armed with speed guns?