From 4 To 40 mph – What’s Your Favourite Speed?

Chris Boardman – averaged over 56 Kmph during his World Hour Record

The new 4km team pursuit world record set a mark of 3 mins 53 seconds. To put it into perspective, – that’s very fast. It is over 61kmph. It approaches 40mph.

It is pretty difficult to sprint at 40 mph. in the 500 metres sprint, the competitors may finish their sprint at speeds of around 68 kph. The pursuiters have every aerodynamic advantages and a smooth track, but to keep a pace of 61Kmph for 4 minutes is pretty impressive. Very rarely, in a ride will I have a maximum speed of over 40 mph; it needs to be a pretty steep hill to clock that kind of speed.

After watching the track on tele, I went to get the bus to Heathrow (I’m currently in NY). As I was walking through Oxford, one cyclist caught my eye because she must have been travelling at about 4mph. She had a tricycle with all her shopping in the back. I was walking as fast as she was cycling.

That’s the great thing about cycling, it can include everything from the slowest pleasure ride / commute, to riding as fast as your body can tolerate.

I love cycling fast. It is a great feeling to fly downhill or push along a flat road with a tailwind behind. I don’t get as much enjoyment from plodding along. Sometimes, I slow down to admire the scenery. For example touring in Yorkshire Dales or Lake District. Sometimes my commute is pretty sedate – after all, you don’t want to turn up to work too hot and sweaty. But, even whilst commuting I like the buzz of riding fast, pedalling a really high cadence, gives an illusion of going even faster. Leaving everyone for dead as the traffic lights change to green is a great feeling. I know it’s a bit sad; beating an old lady on a 3 speed push bike is hardly the stuff of an Olympic champion. But, I still get a joy from cycling fast.

I like speed and I also like the feeling of exhaustion at the end of a ride. But, sometimes I like to ride slow, enjoy the scenary and arrive not hot and sweaty.

The Slow Bicycle Movement



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