Cyclists really are in their own world

[oxymoron]

The hill outside Wissant, is about 2 mile long which starts off steepish then slowly eases out. The road is just a normal one lane each side, so as we were overtaking cars going down there were cars coming up quite close. To have touched the brakes would have put myself and the club leader into the tarmac as he was tucked into my back wheel, and I was point. His computer said he hit 49, wheras mine only said 48. Either way it was scary and fun

Devils advocate here so let the lambasting begin,,
You thought it was ok to ride on a single carriageway overtaking and getting quite close to oncoming traffic whilst someone was on your back wheel with little room for error ?
If you had an incident and came together with a car the driver would have had to live with that as he would in all probability been unscathed but you 2 would have probably been
seriously injured at best . It sounds like racing on the public highway to me , did you have adequate insurance ? Was it a club outing ? If so it was so foolish it beggars belief
you as a club , who are representing cyclists in general showing reckless behavior.
And you wonder why cyclists get bad press .

Now waiting for the inevitable "but motorists drive like that " comments but as i said , playing devils advocate to see how you can justify your actions.

 

[Jacko_G]

Fortunately I was at uni in St Andrews where they were quite used to "student antics" so there wasn't a problem and I was sent on my way with a promise not to do it again. Even though as soon as he went round the corner in his car I jumped back on the bike and cycled to the next pub. The same as when me and a mate decided to play Gladiators one night on the way home from the pub with traffic cones on our heads and signs from the roadworks strapped to our arms. The policeman simply told us off and made us put the signs and cones back and sent us home to sober up.

Golly gosh what a rebel! Did that make your best man's speech?

 

[ScienceBoy]

As a cyclist commuter I can confirm this for some, not all however, on my daily commute.

Sometimes I feel like I am the only one looking ahead down the road/cycle way and not staring at the back of the cyclist/person in front of me.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I have no idea what my fastest ever was. It was coming down a hill in Keswick I think, couldn't catch the freewheel in my highest gear, but was to scared to look down at the speedo. Also too scared to actually tab the brake so had to roll it out for quite a while. Never let it go that fast again.

Possibly the main road down to Grasmere from Dunmail Raise? (coming from Keswick via Thirlmere) A cyclist could get very scarily fast down that.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Devils advocate here so let the lambasting begin,,
You thought it was ok to ride on a single carriageway overtaking and getting quite close to oncoming traffic whilst someone was on your back wheel with little room for error ?
If you had an incident and came together with a car the driver would have had to live with that as he would in all probability been unscathed but you 2 would have probably been
seriously injured at best . It sounds like racing on the public highway to me , did you have adequate insurance ? Was it a club outing ? If so it was so foolish it beggars belief
you as a club , who are representing cyclists in general showing reckless behavior.
And you wonder why cyclists get bad press .

Now waiting for the inevitable "but motorists drive like that " comments but as i said , playing devils advocate to see how you can justify your actions.

I'm not justying anything. It was a moment of madness and pure adrenelin. The hill was there ,and after the very steep climb the other side and getting our legs back we set off, all at our own pace.
It was no different to any other road user when they come across a bit of road that "pleases the eye".
You may think as you will, I can't stop you or change what I did

 

[larmen]

Possibly the main road down to Grasmere from Dunmail Raise? (coming from Keswick via Thirlmere) A cyclist could get very scarily fast down that.

It was a main road and we where staying just outside Grasmere so it sounds likely. Not my favourite cycle area as I’m a bit in the heavy side for a cyclist. My tri results were swim and run based.

 

[AmandaJR]

Whilst we live in fairly flat Cambridgeshire there is a hill just outside the village which even gets named on OS Maps, Beltons Hill.

It's a swine to get up but very exciting to come down...luckily it's a very quiet road and you can see way past the hill so I just pedal as hard as I can and then squeal all the way down. Fastest I got to on my road bike was 38mph and my brother managed to freewheel for a mile from the bottom.

 

[clubchamp98]

Anything over 30mph is scary.
I crashed at the bottom of a hill once ( car pulled out behind a bus)
Ended up in a rose bush.
No major injury’s but lots of cuts due to bush.
Car driver bought me a new bike to say sorry as mine was thrashed.

 

[Imurg]

Thats slow
My best was coming down the long drag from Wissant (France).
Riding the white line overtaking the cars going down , at 48mph
Mountain bike, knobbly tyres,crash hat and lycra
What an adrenalin rush that was

Believe me ..it was more than fast enough

 

[bluewolf]

Anything over 30mph is scary.
I crashed at the bottom of a hill once ( car pulled out behind a bus)
Ended up in a rose bush.
No major injury’s but lots of cuts due to bush.
Car driver bought me a new bike to say sorry as mine was thrashed.

I’ve hit 50+ mph coming down Ashurst Beacon into Upholland. I will freely admit to absolutely bricking it and feathering the brakes to slow down. The thought of those little tyres being my only connection with the planet was sobering!

 

[SaintHacker]

I hit 50+ coming down one of the hills on the south side of the Isle of Wight doing the round the island a few years ago, tucked in tight to my mates back wheel, then trying to judge the braking for the roundabout at the bottom to take it as fast as possible. Great fun, going back up the other side, not so much!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

It was a main road and we where staying just outside Grasmere so it sounds likely. Not my favourite cycle area as I’m a bit in the heavy side for a cyclist. My tri results were swim and run based.

That is one heck of a 'downhill' - and almost dead straight - it's got a couple of brake-failure pull-off places on the way down - one just before you reach the pub at the bottom of the hill

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I won't do any great speeds on my bike. Had a motorcyle crash years ago doing about 35mph with protective clothing on that resulted in 2 weeks in hospital and 12 weeks off work. I doubt my lycra would give me much protection.

 

[Deleted member 3432]

That is one heck of a 'downhill' - and almost dead straight - it's got a couple of brake-failure pull-off places on the way down - one just before you reach the pub at the bottom of the hill

Brake failure fatality descending Honister Pass on 21st March.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I won't do any great speeds on my bike. Had a motorcyle crash years ago doing about 35mph with protective clothing on that resulted in 2 weeks in hospital and 12 weeks off work. I doubt my lycra would give me much protection.

Mate, with the speed you chased that bloke up the fairway at Carnoustie I don’t think you should worry about going fast on your bike.

 

[clubchamp98]

I’ve hit 50+ mph coming down Ashurst Beacon into Upholland. I will freely admit to absolutely bricking it and feathering the brakes to slow down. The thought of those little tyres being my only connection with the planet was sobering!

Been down there it is a big hill.
I guess St Andish is Standish where do you play.

 

[bluewolf]

Been down there it is a big hill.
I guess St Andish is Standish where do you play.

I’m over at Bolton Old Links mate. I now live on the site of the old Standish Golf Club.

 

[clubchamp98]

I’m over at Bolton Old Links mate. I now live on the site of the old Standish Golf Club.

Never played Standish but the Old Links is quality.

 

[sunshine]

Haha let's hijack the thread.

Bog standard Ultegra, not been changed since I bought the bike. It's a 2014 Focus Ergoride 2.0

https://www.thebikelist.co.uk/focus/izalco-ergoride-2-0-2014

Although it's a few years old now I've ridden several other bikes since I bought it and nothing feels as comfortable to me. It's a keeper for a few more years yet.

What are you 'gaming'?

Were you fitted for this? How fast can you cycle in each gear? (forum speeds acceptable)

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Were you fitted for this? How fast can you cycle in each gear? (forum speeds acceptable)

I wasn't fitted as such but I did test ride it before buying. As for speeds in each gear, absolutely no idea! I'm not quick, average around 15-17mph on a long run. I guess in forum terms that would make me an 18-20 handicapper?