Top speed everrrr

[rogerzilla]

Reason I ask, I was looking at likely descents on Strava - Hartside, Ryals, Killhope Cross, the descent into Rothbury. And from what I can find, I've hit 59.8 miles per hour or, in other words, 96.2km/h.

Killhope would be a good one but, from memory, there is a kink in the road and a stone bridge just where you'd be reaching maximum speed on the west side.  I can't remember what the sheep situation is like.

The drop into Hughenden Valley on the FNRttS route is pretty fast but makes you realise how hard it is to take even a moderate bend at 45mph+ if you don't line up for it properly, which is a real problem in the dark when you're going too fast for the useful range of your front light.  I've nearly gone over the opposite kerb before.

[andrew_s]

Apparently the Puerto de la Bonaigua (eastbound) is the best place to go fast: 81.2 mph

[Somnolent]

I expect there will be quite a few AUKs for whom V_max has been achieved on the descent from Blwch Oerddrws towards Dinas Mawddy on the A470  (after the dreaded climb past the Cross Foxes on the BCM600).
Something approaching 80kph is usually possible on that stretch. 

[Phil W]

56 mph on mtn bike descending to Kirkby Stephen 11 years ago. 59 mph on road bike on Wild Atlantic Way Audax last month.

[TimO]

I did 45mph going down Cirencester Hill / A435 into Cheltenham, but that was measured on a Cateye computer, before the days of easily available bicycle mounted GPSs.  It was on my first "good" bike, a Harry Quinn Tourer, where I simply couldn't spin the pedals any faster!

These days, I'm not as young and stupid as I was then, and only occasionally get very near to 40mph as measured by GPS.  A tendency to do more of my longer rides, outside of London, at night, also means that I don't go terribly fast too.  Significantly over 30mph on a road I know poorly, or not at all, relying on a bicycle light, is a recipe for disaster.

[Mr Larrington]

Reason I ask, I was looking at likely descents on Strava - Hartside, Ryals, Killhope Cross, the descent into Rothbury. And from what I can find, I've hit 59.8 miles per hour or, in other words, 96.2km/h.

Killhope would be a good one but, from memory, there is a kink in the road and a stone bridge just where you'd be reaching maximum speed on the west side.  I can't remember what the sheep situation is like.

I have heard that at least one roadie has killed himself utterly to DETH on that wall and there are occasional sheep as well.  Going the other way I hit 64.5 mph on a recumbent with tailbox, front fairing and wheel discs but the last time I was there I only got 82 km/h on a Trice XXL.  The road is a lot rougher than it was twenty-plus years ago.

Apparently the Puerto de la Bonaigua (eastbound) is the best place to go fast: 81.2 mph

I've seen a few people go faster than that but you do need some fairly specialised kit to do it on a nominally flat road

[Deano]

Killhope into Weardale is potentially fast, but that gentle lefthander looks pretty sharp at around 40 mph. It's the only hill where I've hit 200 rpm on fixed.

Dale, a good local hill is Leggs Cross from the Royal Oak. It's dead straight, and if you pick a day with a decent northerly and thrash it to the crossroads, I reckon you could top 60 mph. Generally, if you're hitting 30-35 mph at the crossroads, you'll top 50 without any effort.

I haven't the nerve anymore - especially after some 'orrible shimmy going down that hill last autumn.

[andrew_s]

Apparently the Puerto de la Bonaigua (eastbound) is the best place to go fast: 81.2 mph

I've seen a few people go faster than that but you do need some fairly specialised kit to do it on a nominally flat road

Specialised kit is good at what it's designed for, but I expect the pilot would dissolve before getting the chance to go fast if he started from the same place as Mr Burghardt.

[Feanor]

Got 82.4 kph coming off the Cairnwell yesterday.

[Paul D]

Sutton Bank, after the hairpin. 57.5 mph earlier this month (Mille Pennines) without knowing the road or trying very hard on a bike with 'guards and bags. Decent road bike and you'd see 60mph+ no bother.

A470 to Dinas Mawddy (as mentioned earlier). 56 mph one lovely sunny calm Chapman Sunday morning. Again with a saddlebag but without guards this time. Have tried again a couple of times and not gone faster so I reckon that's about the limit without fitting the 58T ring or sitting on the crossbar and being prepared for some degloving .