So I'm coming down Willamette St and I start crying...

[pmb]

...because my eyes were tearing like mad.

So let's have a poll - is this far, far too fast, or .5 MPH too slow?

Comments

[leech.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[qousqous.livejournal.com]

You beat my own record by almost 10km/h.

It's .5mi/h too slow, because either way about it you're gonna die if you crash, so you might as well make it count.

...you're gonna die if you crash...

[flamingweasel.livejournal.com]

I was behind him, at 43 mph. Being Eugene, the road was kind of a mess but there was one strip of decent pavement all the way down. I crossed off that strip and hit the seam between the two chunks of pavement. Very very nearly went down. As in, my front end jerked all over the place and I'm glad I was in the hand position I was in (hands in the drops behind the brakes) or I'm pretty sure I would've lost it.

I'm back to being scared of the bike. Great.

Re: ...you're gonna die if you crash...

[qousqous.livejournal.com]

maybe you should just be afraid of going over 40. when was the last time, after you flipped?

Too fast or too slow?

[canarasekal.livejournal.com]

Well, Peter, it depends. Any normal human being would say, "Too fast. Definitely too fast." A real cyclist would say, "Couldn't you have punched it up one more notch?" And the engineer says, "Anyone can make the numbers go up if you set the wheel size wrong."

My personal plan to improve performance this year is to add a second magnet to my front wheel.
Love,
Dad

Re: Too fast or too slow?

[tralfazz.livejournal.com]

I can't argue with this logic. It's inspiring to think that I could double, even triple my speed through the addition of a little magnetism.

Either way, we probably won't see any speed records on the way to PDX from Seattle. Too flat. Thankfully.

[bagoffarts.livejournal.com]

depends on the speed limit obviously ;)

I only hit 37 today.

[flamingweasel.livejournal.com]

Speed limit was 45, I think, so he was in the "eh, the cops probably won't pull me over" zone. If he was in a car. Being the law abiding citizen I am* I kept it just under the speed limit.

*: ... not really ...

[mrsmalkav.livejournal.com]

my bf is asking if it's road or mountain

(that's pretty damn fast, regardless, imho!)

[pmb.livejournal.com]

That would be on a roadbike on a road, ma'am. I am somewhat kookycrazy, but going that fast offroad, or even on a mountainbike at all, is over my freakout threshold.

[mrsmalkav.livejournal.com]

ah. i think b's fastest was 40mph downhill, mountainbike. he is/was pretty crazy.

crazy.
crazy.
crazy.

[bookerz.livejournal.com]

Too fast. Isn't there a stoplight at the bottom of that hill?

[pmb.livejournal.com]

It's about .25 miles after the bottom. But yeah, I got going that fast when I realized that it was green for me.

[flamingweasel.livejournal.com]

Too slow.

[clipdude.livejournal.com]

Where on Willamette Street?

That is awesome.

[pmb.livejournal.com]

The really hellaciously steep part right by the *ahem* cemetary. Near 40th.

[copaseticz.livejournal.com]

jeez dude... on that hill? I'd be fearing for my face or something...

At least is wasn't the streach I was envisioning. I saw this picture of some supid biker racing along between 29h and 24th almost running over some old lady shopping at Oasis (or whatever they're calling it these days). :-)

[pmb.livejournal.com]

That would be awesomely cool if I could do that, and awesomely stupid if I did. But no, in order to set these personal land speed records I need tobe going down a big freaking hill. It turns out that Willamette around 40th is even better than Fox Hollow up towards the top in that regard.

In retrospect I probably should have a had slightly more face-fear than I had at the time.

far, far too fast for me!

[dmyersta.livejournal.com]

I would be wicked scared to be moving at that speed! - But go, you!

Re: far, far too fast for me!

[goteam.livejournal.com]

What about in a car? I've gotten to the point now where that speed feels really fast even in a car, because I'm so much more used to riding my bike places.

Re: far, far too fast for me!

[goteam.livejournal.com]

Er, not that I've ever gone close to that fast on a bike. But lately I've noticed that cars seem to be going really fast once they're going faster than I can get going on a bike.

[ouro.livejournal.com]

fast enough, not fast enough. either way, tasty brainmeats.

[porfinn.livejournal.com]

Weeeeeee!

[akjdg.livejournal.com]

It was jeeeeest right, Goldilocks.

My peak mtn biking was 36.5 mph. It was a mite bumpy, as my bike then (as now) is sans suspension. All I could do to keep my hands on the bars.

[trochos56.livejournal.com]

too slow! 55mph down baldy! You should try it next time you find yourself in claremont...with a bike...

not quite mile a minute peter

[porfinn.livejournal.com]

I mentioned your speed to my paternal unit and he mentioned reading about Mile-o-minute Murphy. I thought you would be amused.
http://www.southbaynews.com/News/2004/0630/Columns/007.html