How fast are people riding?

[Luto]

Hi All,

I was just wondering how fast people are riding and if they have ever fallen off. Do they feel they are riding within their abilities? I know a lot of people have class 3 but wonder how many are going full speed assist.

Me: between 17-20 with down hill topping out at 25-28. I have fallen 3 times in my youth and have no desire to deal with road rash again, let alone breaking bones. I would say I am experienced (20K+miles) and a good rider in that I can ride no hands on 3" rollers. I don't have much enduro or MTB experience, but I don't care for suspension.

Stay safe everyone!
PS: My LBS guy checked his R&M Charger and said he hit 45 MPH on a hill. He is very experienced but he felt it was too much, lol.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

When I had a Juiced Bikes CrossCurrent S, riding 25-28 mph on level roads was easy. My top speed, on a downhill, would have been 30-32. I could have gone faster but didn't see any reason to push it.

I didn't do those kind of speeds often, generally riding at 18-22 mph for commuting and 14-16 for recreation. There were times, though, when having the capability was welcome. I remember in particular racing home from a meeting, just ahead of a cloudburst. I was really glad to be able to maintain that kind of speed.

On my current ride, JB's Scorpion, that kind of speed is out of my reach, due to lower gearing and smaller wheels. I suppose it could be done by someone who could spin at 100 rpm or so, but not me. I believe that mid-20s might be attainable again for me on the HyperScorpion, with its more powerful motor and an 11T top gear instead of 14T.

I never felt uncomfortable or out-of-control riding in the upper 20s.

 

[Dallant]

Search “crash” on the forum and you’ll see some experiences.
You sure don’t have to be going fast to crash. Above all...WEAR A HELMET!
I hit 30-35 going downhill coasting on my normal workout route. I am very careful to scan for debris or cracks in the concrete! Hydraulic disks in good repair/adjustment is always a must.

 

[Taylor57]

I would say I average around 16-18 mph riding in PAS 2&3 usually in the highest gear.(8th) I rarely use 4th or 5th PAS unless I am trying to separate from an acoustic or slower rider. It is very flat her in the desert. If I need to get home quickly, PAS 5 and 8th gear provides a very easy pedal 25 mph...

 

[Al P]

I normally ride at less than 20 mph with some downhill exceptions. The only time I ever fell was when I first got the Aurora and wasn't used to the heavy bike. Fortunately, I was standing still and tried to place my right foot on a high curb while waiting for a traffic light. The pedals were in the wrong position and I missed the curb and went over. I only hurt my pride. Lesson learned early on.

 

[WattsUpDude]

On my way to work, there's a downhill section that's about 3-4 lanes wide and it's easy to hit 35-40 especially when there's nobody on the road except for me. I have a class 1 bike so sometimes I'll ride that hill down at good speed to make up for it.

 

[indianajo]

I've hit 30 downhill, and quite frequently 25. I limit the speed now with the brakes as my steepest longest hill has a gravel strewed turn at the bottom. I've been over the handlebars at 25, hit my chin elbow & knees. The chin broke, the elbows & knees were sore but not skinned. Wear dickies long pants & sleeves. Now have a helmet with chin guard and vents. couldn't find one before the accident not made for motorcycles.

 

[Prairie Dog]

I hit 55 mph while lightly feathering my brakes during a recent trip to Jasper, AB. It was a long descent so getting up to speed was relatively easy. My wife reminds me how I used to ride when I was younger. She is fearless.

 

[AlanDB]

Search “crash” on the forum and you’ll see some experiences.
You sure don’t have to be going fast to crash. Above all...WEAR A HELMET!
I hit 30-35 going downhill coasting on my normal workout route. I am very careful to scan for debris or cracks in the concrete! Hydraulic disks in good repair/adjustment is always a must.

"Wear a helmet" is right whether going fast or not. Here is a recent local story of an ebike rider who might still be riding if he had been wearing a helmet.

Police: Eastern Iowa man killed in bicycle crash Sunday

The crash happened just before 4 p.m. Sunday when the man lost control of the electric bike he was riding, The Gazette in Cedar Rapids reported.

www.desmoinesregister.com

 

[Jetsfan901]

Reading about the speeds that some of you maintain, makes me think about biting the bullet and trading my less then a week old class 1 for a class 3 bike.. I average about 12-15 mph riding flat and I did take it to the velodrome near me and was maintaining between 19-19 1/2 mph doing laps. Riding in NYC is hard to really maintain any higher speeds, it's like a crash bike derby keeping out of the way of all the delivery guys riding their ebikes making their deliveries..

 

[tomjasz]

17-20

I sold my 35mph builds and dumbed all bikes down to 20MPH maximum. A small city with flat streets and everything is within a 2-mile radius.

 

[indianajo]

Reading about the speeds that some of you maintain, makes me think about biting the bullet and trading my less then a week old class 1 for a class 3 bike..

On the flat I average 8-9, pedaling myself. The motor is for 25 mph headwind days, which can drag me down to 5 mph & make my 30 mile trip an ordeal. Uphill, depends how much speed I maintain from the previous hill. No momentum, 8-2. My geared hub motor maxes out on the flat about 23 mph.

 

[Alaskan]

My last spill was over two years ago, turning into a gravel driveway too fast...road rash on leg and fore arm, badly scratched up helmet (replaced) ...lesson learned.

I ride two class 3 bikes, average speed is near 18 MPH. I routinely ride in the mid 20s, 30s downhill and into the low 40s, road quality and traffic permitting.

I'm meticulous in maintaining brakes, checking tire pressure, rear view mirror handlebar mounted and always have my helmeted head on a swivel.

I love riding a good bike at speed, but my attention level always rises with my velocity.

 

[ebikemom]

I have a "Class 2" Pedego Interceptor that was made before widespread ebike laws, so goes 25mph. I mostly ride under 17mph when using pedal assist, with rare exceptions when I've been in a hurry to get to work (and that is no longer an issue with the pandemic). My bike is an absolute train on the downhills--it's a long wheel-base cruiser and goes quite fast. I brake and keep it under 25 mph, generally lower than that, as I mostly cycle in residential areas with lots of side streets and driveways.

One time when I was going max speed over a bridge (wide bike trail, and very windy, so wanted to get over the bridge), after I got over the bridge and had slowed to my usual pace another ebike caught up to me. He said "Wow, that goes fast! It's a wolf in sheep's clothing!" I got a kick out of that. He was riding an aggressive-looking class-2 ebike that was limited to 20mph, and my girly seafoam green cruiser with its cute basket went way faster.

I have not fallen (knock on wood). Family member ebike falls have all been at low speeds--my teen son tipped over going up a very steep hill. My daughter fell when she swerved off the sidewalk (tire grabbed between the sidewalk and turf), and my H has fallen when stopping on a slope (putting foot down on ground that wasn't where he expected it to be).

The major fall risks around here are seasonal (wet pavement, packed and wet autumn leaves, ice).

 

[ebikemom]

turning into a gravel driveway

Gravel is wicked. I've done lots of training work with my kids on *not banking* on gravel, leaves, and wet surfaces.

 

[Alaskan]

Gravel is wicked. I've done lots of training work with my kids on *not banking* on gravel, leaves, and wet surfaces.

Yes, this time of year it is critical to take care when riding over wet leaves on the road. It's almost like riding on ice.

 

[indianajo]

One time when I was going max speed over a bridge (wide bike trail, and very windy, so wanted to get over the bridge), after I got over the bridge and had slowed to my usual pace another ebike caught up to me. He said "Wow, that goes fast! It's a wolf in sheep's clothing!" I got a kick out of that. He was riding an aggressive-looking class-2 ebike that was limited to 20mph, and my girly seafoam green cruiser with its cute basket went way faster.

My fastest speed on land, my Mother was driving. 118 mph. I've never owned a car as fast as her 54 Buick.

 

[rich c]

Luckily all my falls have been at slow speed. A few on the single trails in tight switchbacks or tree strikes with the handle bars, a couple going off road on my recumbent tadpole, my fall on black ice on my Sondors fat bike was the worst and had shoulder pain for 9 months, and then that failed attempt to use clipless pedals I don't like to discuss. Highest downhill on my class 3 Haibike Full Seven is 45.1mph, and cruising speed on my class 3 Haibike Trekking is often between 20-23mph.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

As long as the weather is fine and road quality excellent, I don't mind riding at 40 km/h (25 mph) with my S-Pedelec Vado. The more experience I'm getting the slower I'm riding though. My favourite road-speed in the warm season is 31-32 km/h (19-20 mph) but generally I ride slower than that. Why to hurry? Slower ride-speed means substantial gain on the battery range.

Some exciting rides I have had were:

• Downhill road ride on my Trance E+ in the mountains. I achieved 62.4 km/h (38.9 mph). I was controlling the speed with brakes and was scared. On entering a village, I slowed down to 50 km/h (30 mph) to respect speed limit there.
• Downhill off-road ride on rocks (the same trip as above). My sports tracker tells me my max speed was 36.6 km/h (22.8 mph). I was using brakes intensely there.
• Several downhill mountain road-rides with my Vado, where I was controlling the speed at 45-46 km/h (28 mph) to feel secure.

Yet, only several days after I bought my first e-bike, I had a serious crash at 30 km/h (some 19 mph) on a MUP. Count me lucky: the outcome could have been far worse than it really was. At that time I promised to myself not to enter racing with traditional cyclists (so I don't try to overtake them anymore, just pursue them).

As with @rich c, most of my e-bike collapses occurred at extremely low speeds. My Trance E+ with powerful MTB brakes is notorious to make me fall when I have to brake hard...

 

[Dallant]

Reading about the speeds that some of you maintain, makes me think about biting the bullet and trading my less then a week old class 1 for a class 3 bike.. I average about 12-15 mph riding flat and I did take it to the velodrome near me and was maintaining between 19-19 1/2 mph doing laps. Riding in NYC is hard to really maintain any higher speeds, it's like a crash bike derby keeping out of the way of all the delivery guys riding their ebikes making their deliveries..

Whoa...don’t miss read my 30-35 mph downhill coast as meaning I’m pedaling during that part! The hill is just that steep and long. My class 1 is plenty fast enough for me!