52mph dropping down the side of a decent climd here out in the mountains east of Phoenix.

I weight a lot, so my climbing isn't very good. Because of this, I need to be able to descend reasonable well to be able to keep up with people. This year at nationals I was doing close to 50 in my aerobars through turns while passing people. The more you ride, the more comfortable you get. I probably didn't use my brakes until I was about to dismount.

If you get a wobble, squeezing your top tube with your knees usually gets rid of it. It's caused by your body and bike hitting a resonant frequency, so changing the geometry (squeezing the top tube is like putting your finger on a fret on a guitar) will change that frequency. Don't squeeze the handlebars tighter, though....you'll likely amplify that resonance and make it worse.

dum dum dum resonant frequency of doom!!!! :eek:

No real big long hills here - topped out upper 40's

Thanks for the info guys. I have never really gotten to a point that I didn't feel comfortable, just the thought of crashing had me wondering.

Good advice on the wobble, hope I never have to use it though :)

Squeeezing the top tube going downhill not only stops wobble but gives you a cleaner line and a slight increase in speed.
62 mph off of Berthoud Pass in Colorado. Computer was calibrated using the rollout method, so I know it was spot on...

Wow, That is fast!

My bike has gone that fast too, tho it was in the back of my truck at the time!

Very scary...not while I was doing it, because I was too busy watching the road...but later when I looked at my max speed...I got a little gooey

so what are the top speeds like in le tour?

54 mph at Lake Stevens 70.3 this year, its a two lap course so i let it rip while in the aerobars on the second lap.

I've gone 45 - 50 on my tri bike on some descents around here, but tell the truth I'm not really comfortable going fast, and it probably limits me somewhat in races because I won't go super-fast down hills I'm not familiar with. But I've been busted up too many times in my life (not necessarily bike crashes, but motorcycles and other things) to want to do it again. I like my skin and bones intact, thank you. So I don't go that fast.

I say go with what you are comfortable with. Make sure your bike is tightened up every now and then - the last thing you want is a speed wobble and something coming loose.

Years ago there was a song that used to play on a local radio station...done by the jocks.
"Death By Mis-adventure"... some of what I can remember:
"I want a death by mis-adventure. Want to die face down in some dude's pool. Don't want to go lying on my dentures...When I die Jack, it's gonna be real cool!"
Buying the farm on an MTB most definately counts!

I maxed out at 26 here a while ago...

Seriously, even that speed freaks me out. Go any faster and I want to don the leather jacket and denim. I haven't gone more than about 7 mile radius from my house, and there is a lot of construction going on this area too, so lots of rocks and pebbles to hit.

I'm sure freaking out at that speed that is bad for a race, though.

what causes speed wobbles? i had them as a kid on a skateboard but never on a bike. i have been up to 51mph, but i ride a regular road bike. could it be the forward position on the aero bars. of course as a cyclist i have always squeezed the top tube with my thighs for aerodynamics and maybe that just always prevented it.
BTW, i am willing to go faster than 51 but my puny body seems to hold me back...

Man you guys make me feel slow.

We don't have much in the way of big hills around here, just lots of rollers. Ive gotten the ol schwinn up to 41mph, which got me yelled at by a local cop as i was in a 25 when it happened. No ticket though thankfully, just a stern talking to while he was almost laughing. But hey, hes still gotta do his job.

Holds the road like a champ too, not bad for a 28 year old bike.

-alan

Woohoo! I just hit 30 mph today.

Note to self: a nice looking ride on the map can have ripped up roads, a monster hill, and drivers trying to be nice who are actually making you nervous.

That hill... Hoooo, I crested up a regular slight uphill and suddenly I see it. A huge dip. It goes down really far, and then it went up farther. There was no way I could have made it without the speed of going down first, and that is where I got my 30 mph. But I only really 'owned' the speed and made myself go much, much faster about halfway down, as the height of it loomed in front of me and I knew there was no other way out except to walk the bike.

I was gasping by the top of that uphill, but I made it going about 5mph I think. It is the 'crest' of my ride, and the rest is all downhill to home.

My guess is that going rubber-side-up at 45 mph wouldn't be fun. I doubt I'd have the peace of mind to relax if I was wobbling that bad.