How fast would you be/are you comfortable riding down a straight hard pack gravel path like this? I ride this section periodically and comfortably top 50km/h even through some washout and bumpy sections. Well today I pushed it a bit more and reached 62km/h. I don’t feel like I’m riding beyond my abilities but is that a bit crazy? If anything happens where I need to hit the brakes, I’m probably not coming to a stop for 30+ meters, assuming I keep it upright.
by hecderp1213
23 Comments
Its flat and smooth, im going as fast as my legs can take me
Probably only 20 mph that’s about as fast as I can go right now on flat ground lol
I should probably have made it more clear that there’s a big downhill section. Gravity is doing most of the work, but today I helped it out a bit.
I frequently hit 30-40 mph on similar roads. At this point the road is as smooth and hard as pavement.
Fast
Gravel for me is about the adventure. If I’m with a fast group, sure, let’s get spicy, but on my own I’d take in the scenery.
20
I am a retired professional rally driver so I see that and know it would be 120-130 mph (as fast a the car would go depending on car/gearing) so on my gravel bike I know it’s as fast as I can go…. Which these days is realistically around 25 mph these days at absolute best 🤣
There’s a “rule” in cycling that states you stop pedaling only when reaching escape velocity.
Amazing roads, where’s that?
On this kind of gravel, and **if** I know the route, it would be as fast as on road (i.e. as fast as possible).
That said, I badly dinged my front rim two weeks ago, going too fast on a rocky path descent (tennis/baseball rocks). I was at 40km/h I think.
Recently hit 45mph downhill at a race on a much sketchier section than this. Everyone has a different level of comfort and skill at speed so just be careful when pushing your limits.
I don’t think 60km/h is anything unordinary on a downhill. I love going fast too. As long as there’s no loose gravel and other obstacles… Nowadays though, if both sides of the road are clear and wide, I’m going as fast as my legs are capable. If there’s a potential for deer and other animals to jump across unnoticed (like it could happen here) I’m probably not gonna push it anywhere that hard. Probably not happening, especially when bright, but just the thought of having to stay off the bike for 1-2 months is enough for me.
62 is too Spicy on a gravel decent for me. I’m on 42s and feel like 50 would be my limit. On the road LFG but not on a gravel road. Too many variables
I’ve ridden pavement rougher than that….
Mach 10
I would go as fast as the speed limit permits.
Only joking, but I do know a guy who was pulled over on his bike for blasting through a section of town with a 20mph speed limit. He thought the cop was joking. Nope, he had to pay a fine. Because he was going 30-40mph through a 20mph zone where kids were around. That guy is kind of a douchebag, too, so I’m glad he got fined.
Flat ground – 12-16 mph. Downhill – as fast as I can go without crashing. Hopefully not actually crashing!
One million mph
That looks pretty hard packed, not super loose. I’d send it.
Whenever I really get cruising lately I usually get on the brakes because I had an extremely close call with a deer a few weeks ago and I am a bit shaken by it as I was goin 30 mph down hill and missed it by inches
Full send
Full fucking send, good buddy