Don't Tell Leon

[Ken L]

One quick question - 14 stone (just under!) bloke on a mountain bike, going downhill and can't keep up with the cogs, even in 21st gear; how fast, roughly, would I be doing at that point?

 

I'm doing about 50kph before I can't keep up with the pedals on a mountain bike but it all depends on how it's geared and how fast your legs move.

 

On the flat, maintaing 25kph is a good lick for me on cinder towpaths but on a smooth road with pumped up slicks, I can do 30 without to much bother.

A proper road bike will go considerably faster for the same amount of effort due to higher gearing, less weight, less rolling resistance on the tyres and a riding position optimised for sustained power instead of hill climbing and manouverability.

[Leon Roskilly]

I reckon you might be capable of nearly 40mph on the flat after a bit.

 

 

Average speed of 10 mph is what most road cyclists do (Elton, if you get a cycle computer, it should also display your average speed).

 

Cycle Touring Club rides average 12mph (a bunch of riders travels faster for less effort, but again CTC riders spend a lot of time freewheeling to conserve energy. Top speeds usually around 20 - 25mph )

 

Even downhill, I've rarely exceeded 30mph (but my son when a racing cyclist got up to 60mph, downhill, tight in behind a lorry. At that speed not much has to go wrong before it all ends in disaster!!)

 

(In country lanes, pheasants, rabbits and even blackbirds can be the cause of a flight over the handlebars when going fast. They appear out of nowhere. Straying dogs are also a menace (especially ones that dart in front trying to nip the tyres, or the rider's ankles!)

 

Rather than pushing against a high gear, it's more efficient to spin your legs in a relatively low gear. This also lessens the chance of causing problems to your knees, especially long-term (junior racing cyclists are restricted in the size of gears that they are allowed, as pushing against high gears can permanently damage the knees as they are developing. Very frustrating for the juniors, spinning like mad, striving for an extra mph to keep ahead of the pack).

 

(If you are suffering the tackle-tart syndrome, get a bike computer that also monitors cadence (the rate that you are turning the pedals), aiming for a fairly high and steady cadence, whatever the speed)

 

Oh! and don't forget that plod can do you for 'pedalling furiously' if you seem to be going 'too fast'!!!!

Edited July 1, 2009 by Leon Roskilly

[Leon Roskilly]

I had a cheque to pay in today, so decided to cycle into town. Only 8-9 mile round trip, but most enjoyable. Again, it didn't take that much longer than going by car.

 

That's a litre of petrol (and emissions) saved!

 

And no need to take up a car-parking space.

 

Less need of NHS services (because you are fit and getting exercise ).

 

 

And having fun!

[chesters1]

That's a litre of petrol (and emissions) saved!

 

And no need to take up a car-parking space.

 

Less need of NHS services (because you are fit and getting exercise ).

 

 

And having fun!

 

not sure ,if you add in the difference in breathing (and oofcourse the expelled CO2) from Elton driving his car and sweatingly riding his bike i doubt theres any difference.

 

car parking spaces are there car on them or not

 

get knocked of your bike your probably a bigger drain than a passenger in a car at the same collision speed.

 

you cannot reduce anything all the time your alive (and in death too),whatever you do will produce more emissions than doing nothing

 

there is no fun thats why motorbikes and cars were invented ,fun now but i cant see half the cyclists doing it in january and i know from experience only 10% of motorcyclists are

Edited July 1, 2009 by chesters1

[Leon Roskilly]

car parking spaces are there car on them or not

 

 

True, but when an otherwise cyclist is taking up that space at a busy time of day, there's another car driving around, belching out nasty stuff, using up the earth's declining reserves of fossil fuel (and pushing up the price of fuel for us all), looking for an unoccupied space.

 

(And one less car in the traffic flow eases the overall level of polluting traffic congestion).

 

So, as well as saving a litre of fuel himself by taking his bike to the bank, St Elton has indirectly saved even more, not to mention the number of kids with asthma (and potentially others with car-caused health issues etc) whose life quality he has declined to damage whilst at the same time improving his own health.

 

I think that he deserves a beer now

[snakey1]

When I used to cycle to & from work i'd average between 16 - 20mph for the 6 mile trip(on the roads) the highest top speed i managed was 49mph (about 78kph) down hill (the gearing on my road bike was somewhere between a mountain bike and a race/touring bike).IMO the only way you'll get a mountain bike to 40mph on the flat is if its strapped to the roof rack of your car.

[chesters1]

True, but when an otherwise cyclist is taking up that space at a busy time of day, there's another car driving around, belching out nasty stuff, using up the earth's declining reserves of fossil fuel (and pushing up the price of fuel for us all), looking for an unoccupied space.

 

(And one less car in the traffic flow eases the overall level of polluting traffic congestion).

 

So, as well as saving a litre of fuel himself by taking his bike to the bank, St Elton has indirectly saved even more, not to mention the number of kids with asthma (and potentially others with car-caused health issues etc) whose life quality he has declined to damage whilst at the same time improving his own health.

 

I think that he deserves a beer now

no mention Eltons heart is just on the verge of bursting and his blood pressure on the verge of bursting a blood vessel in his struggling up a hill he didnt notice when he ws in his car.

the chap that "invented" jogging died an early death and its why humans invent things that make other things easier

might has well stayed Neanderthals! but still global warming would come as it did when they emitted very little but grunts and farts ,theres some very fit people that die they are not all fat and nicotine stained

if one car less causes less congestion its easily solved by removing the bumpers off old volvo's <someone did the maths once and it was several hundred miles of space not just a car lenght

Edited July 1, 2009 by chesters1

[Elton]

Leon - stop telling me how 'green' it is, or I will be forced to tax my Evo and burn it up and down the same route, just to balance things out

 

I did about 18 miles yesterday, which was great fun. One stop was the out-of-town Tescos, where my sister-in-law was a bit surprised to bump into me whilst I was wearing a day-glo top and carrying a bike helmet! I picked up a couple of puncture repair kits, pump and a light set. Unfortunately, they'd sold out of 26" innertubes, having recently reduced them to 31p!

 

Today, I plan to bike to a farm shop to grab something for tea. That's only about a ten-mile trip, but it'll suit my work pattern.

 

Leon, amongst all these stats, have you got one that estimates how many calories you burn? I'm not talking the sort of cycling that your son does, but a moderate cycle with constant effort.

[Elton]

no mention Eltons heart is just on the verge of bursting and his blood pressure on the verge of bursting a blood vessel in his struggling up a hill he didnt notice when he ws in his car.

 

Good job I'm married to the Regional Cardiac Trainer for East Anglia, then

[chesters1]

will she be two up when it occurs then