Family sues Strava over descending death

[paininthe]

Two years ago, William “Kim” Flint lost his life descending a hill in Berkeley’s Tilden Park, braking suddenly to avoid a car and losing control of his bike. According to his family, Flint was chasing a new fastest time on the popular cycling website Strava, which allows users to compare times over a section of road or trail using GPS units.

I can see this, not Stravas fault, but how you can chase times and targets. Just yesterday on one of my regular runs and was feeling good so had a go at a target. The Garmin was showing 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 could I get to 40mph woah parked car! Missed the car, also missed 40-just 39.8mph

Full story here of the court case not my run

 

[legrandefromage]

'Descending death'? Are they at the Cambridge Corn Exchange next month?

Will see if I can top 40mph on me new racer....

 

[The Ken]

Not managed 40+ on my road bike - it just doesn't feel safe (and probably isn't) Done it on the MTB a few times though.

 

[hamster]

Got 43mph on my tourer with barbag and 4 panniers - steady as a rock.

 

[Tazio]

There is a section when I cycle home where according to a GPS app I regularly top 35mph. But only if I'm cycling home late at night as it is a main road through the city centre. And the bus lanes we are supposed to cycle in are like washboard.

But the point is that I used to just go a bit fast on that section and then spotted that the GPS recorded around 27mph so started wondering if I could do 30mph. Of course as soon as I got 30mph I started wounding about 35mph. Got that and started wondering about 40mph. It's just the way we are programmed.

 

[The Ken]

Tazio, BITD 52mph on Drumbrae couldn't pedal faster than around 45 though, young and irresponsible back then (and a bit fitter).

 

[Whatleymeister]

Tazio, BITD 52mph on Drumbrae couldn't pedal faster than around 45 though, young and irresponsible back then (and a bit fitter).

Good effort! I got 43mph on my Lava Dome. felt really steady, but the canti brakes got a real workout that day! Got to say, 43mph with canti's isnt the best idea in the world!

 

[Tazio]

Tazio, BITD 52mph on Drumbrae couldn't pedal faster than around 45 though, young and irresponsible back then (and a bit fitter).

Drumbrae is always good for a bit of sheer terror. I remember taking a racer I had just built for a spin round the town to shake it down, actually the first bike I had ever built from scratch, and ended up dong a flat out run down there. No helmet of course as it was the early 80's. Christ knows what speed I hit but at the bottom turns out I wasn't quite as good at setting up side pull brakes as I though I was. Pulled up eventually as a quivering wreck just at the lights looking at the wall straight in front of me. I wouldn't even think about it now.

My fast bit on the way home now is actually the stretch from Princes Street to the middle of Leith Walk. Lots of taxis and buses though.

 

[hamster]

43mph with canti's isnt the best idea in the world!

My tourer has Drop bar Maguras

The pros regularly get over 60mph on road bikes...and occasionally over 70mph

 

[The Ken]

When I was doing 52 (and 48 at glentress/inners on fire roads) I had a front disk brake - was the summer of 92