Your Max Speed on a Cruzbike

[RojoRacing]

We'll keep it simple, post up your max speed at the top and maybe a cool white knuckle story to go with it. Don't be shy, I don't expect many people to be hitting beyond the US national speed limit.

The week before last I hit 61mph(98kph), then last Friday I hit 62mph(100kph), then just now on my commute home today I hit 63.1mph(101.5kph). All three speeds are from the same DH but the usually strong tailwind has been absent lately so I'm sure 65mph or beyond can be had.

 

[ratz]

On the current build that would be 45.0 mph in Portland and that was riding the brakes until they stunk; the hill had a stop sign at the bottom.
Old build (yellow) 47.4 mph That was in flat old MN with a hell of tail wind

 

[ccf]

Either 49.2 mph or 47.0 mph depending on which Strava statistic you believe. Did it on my S30 on Bear Creek Road westbound descending past the pump house during the GPC (metric) Century. Caught up to a slug of bikes riding in the lane in pairs. Didn't want to pass by crossing the yellow line, and couldn't safely fit between them, so I had to brake down to about 36 mph. I was a bit nervous doing that since I have rim brakes.

-Cliff

 

[snilard]

85 km/h or 53 mph on V20 and than I had to hit brakes to slow down to curve. I was fortunate enought that there weren't any cars so I was able to cut curves. My low weight is strongly limiting my to speed. My top speed of 94 km/h was done on fully loaded RWD recumbent.

 

[MrSteve]

43 mph
-downhill, strong tailwind, spinning as hard and fast as I could on my highly modified Sofrider V1.

Memories of road rash and splintered bones keep my top speeds in check.

 

[LarryOz]

We'll keep it simple, post up your max speed at the top and maybe a cool white knuckle story to go with it. Don't be shy, I don't expect many people to be hitting beyond the US national speed limit.

Jason: For these to be verified & certified, we are going to need some video I think! haha
Be safe out there (Due to all the slides I've taken, I just don't seem to have the "heart" or desire to see how fast I can go anymore - Maybe I'm just getting old - or don't feel invincible anymore like I used to?)

But in the past:
My fastest descent was during the Assault on Mount Mitchell (race) in 2015. It was after having already ridden about 5 1/2 hours pretty hard. Strava has me maxed out at 53.9 mph. I'll have to admit being pretty scared and probably could have gone faster (up to 60 maybe) had I not been so scared. It was carving those turns going down the mountain that really got to me. It was definitely white knuckle time!
I ended up getting a KOM on this stretch also (without even trying for it! haha)

Here is the video of the max speed and KOM:

The previous fastest I have on video is down a local hill (March 15, 2015).
I was riding a loop of about 22 miles so I went down this steep hill every loop.
Of course this was a year and a half ago. I was younger and much stronger! haha
Seriously, this was probably the peak of my performance in 2015, and I don't think I have matched it this year.
NP of 208 for 5 1/2 hours. 110 miles and 10K climbing with average speed of 20.5 mph
https://www.strava.com/activities/268835601

Here's the video link of this max speed and KOM:
I am also pretty sure I could have hit 60 on this hill, but it was my first time down and I hit the brake several times at the top due to the curves and not knowing the route.
(who knows - maybe I'll get the nerve up to bomb it all way this fall after all the racing is over!) Enjoy:

 

[tomblin]

59.5mph in the dark, on an unfamiliar road in Utah, out running my follow vehicle.

 

[Mathew Fy]

45 mph in southern Ohio, about the same as on my df because I crest the hill slower. I find the V20 to be smooth and steady, especially when my knees are hugging the bike.
Has anyone experienced shimmy?

 

[RojoRacing]

45 mph in southern Ohio, about the same as on my df because I crest the hill slower. I find the V20 to be smooth and steady, especially when my knees are hugging the bike.
Has anyone experienced shimmy?

Only if I breath

 

[trapdoor2]

You guys scare the cr*p outta me. I saw 35mph a week ago and had to buy new bar tape as I'd squeezed all the lizard outta the skins. However, I think I can grunt that one up to 40 without trying too hard.
There are very few suitable hills in my 'normal' riding area. Lots of "steep" but mostly short and typically end in a crossing street or have multiple traffic lights. Get out into the countryside and there are several descents that I imagine would see warp-speeds with the right lunatic, um "rider".

 

[Rick Youngblood]

Only 48.5 mph on Vendetta. It's white knuckle, but exhilarating. The road is not is not perfect and a little bumpy if tires are at 110 psi, 90-100 is better. It's a short descent at .3 miles, you pick up speed very very fast, with a curve at the bottom. The descent is close to my house, I've been visiting it frequently trying to break the 50 mph rut I've been stuck in.

And 45. Something on my Silvio 2.1. This same hill the Vendetta did 48. Something before breaking. This is a long winding descent that requires heavy breaking for the corners and curves.

 

[DavidCH]

Slap for a shimmy on a DF

(Anyone fancy doing the same video on a Cruzbike?)

I haven't been confident on downhill descents as i always have a crosswind coming at me with quite a bit of traffic.

I will beat my PB as soon as I fit the ordered swissStop black princes.

I was naive and have been riding with cork front brake rim pads as soon as I went with carbon rims. Cork pads for me are pretty crap but I wouldn't know as I am not racing.

Apparently the black princes dissipate the heat much better so less lightly to melt the rim of the clincher.

 

[castlerobber]

A relatively sedate 36.4 mph on the Silvio 1.5, matching my top known speed on the road bike. No pedaling, no braking, no breathing...

A comfortable 28.2 mph on the Q507, pedaling hard on a shorter, less-steep downhill, with a tailwind.

 

[RojoRacing]

Slap for a shimmy on a DF

(Anyone fancy doing the same video on a Cruzbike?)

I haven't been confident on downhill descents as i always have a crosswind coming at me with quite a bit of traffic.

I will beat my PB as soon as I fit the ordered swissStop black princes.

I was naive and have been riding with cork front brake rim pads as soon as I went with carbon rims. Cork pads for me are pretty crap but I wouldn't know as I am not racing.

Apparently the black princes dissipate the heat much better so less lightly to melt the rim of the clincher.

I personally never liked the Swiss stop pads for my carbon rims. As soon as I switched to Reynolds blue lads it was like I got back all the power of an alloy braking surface. Thief are two versions of the blue pads with the newer model having more surface area and greater performance. I've only ever used the older blue style myself though. With all that said nothing comes close to good disc brakes.

I'm sure if the Vendetta started to shimmy on me I'd crash for sure. On a DF bike the shimmy is the bike trying to straighten out from uneven input. It will continue to do so until it loses its rider, self corrects from a change in speed of the rider forces it to correct. On a CruzBike they don't want to go strait so the shimmy if possible would be from different influences.

At these speeds I can feel all parts of the frame and numerous joints of the vendetta flexing a great deal. I still not sure if that could be considered beneficial or not though.

 

[trapdoor2]

Slap for a shimmy on a DF
(Anyone fancy doing the same video on a Cruzbike?)

Wow, that brings back memories! My younger brother bought a Puch 10sp way back in the late 1970's...and I could get it to shimmy like that. It was too tall for me and the frame was really flexy. I don't remember how fast you had to be going (no speedo) but at the right speed, a quick bump and it would rattle your teeth out...and self-sustaining until you damped it out. Frame is still hanging on my garage wall. Still too tall for me too.

 

[pedlpadl]

46.1 MPH on my V20 on hill south of Harris Lake near Corinth, NC. Probably could hit 50 on that hill with a sprint at the top, but 46.1 is plenty fast enough for me.

 

[Zzzorse]

#centerpunchedadeerwithmybike

 

[RojoRacing]

#centerpunchedadeerwithmybike

Take your speed at impact and add 15mph of bonus speed for your new compensated total speed.

 

[trplay]

Somewhere between Bryce and Escalante, Utah I hit 57 point something and accelerating when I got scared. That's when I realized I was way over my head when I couldn't slow down as fast as I wanted to. Never again, well maybe if I know the roads and they are very smooth but I doubt it.

 

[AbramClark]

I've clocked 47 mph on my 65 lb Sofrider with 2" big apple tires, coming down Joaquin Miller road out of Oakland hills. I've hit 48 before, never gotten over 50, that might be a bit scary. I have no idea what my top speed on the Silvio is, as I don't have a speedometer, and also don't intend to go much over 30 on those tiny little tires.