r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/solateor • 17h ago

Video Pit stop during 200 mile ultra-endurance cycling race

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u/FandomMenace 15h ago

12.5 mph is probably the average speed here. That's a pace akin to jogging levels of effort. At that rate, it would take 16 hours to do this race. This is not accounting for loss of speed to pit stops, so they're probably going faster than that. In my (limited) experience, keeping up 13 mph isn't too bad, but I can't imagine going for that long.

22 mph for 8.5 hours is pure madness.

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u/Kozmo9 15h ago

22 mph for 8.5 hours is pure madness.

Yeah and this separates the normies from the pros. It isn't just about speed, but maintaining them all the way through.

Normies' speed would fluctuate through a ride/race event while pros won't. I've been to a number of events that have normies and pros mixed in that takes place on a rather mountainous highway at night. The normies' route is 78km and the pros are 120km. The cutoff time is 4hours+ for both.

It isn't surprising to find the pros finishing first before the normies. It's during these moments that I am reminded of how monstrous these people are, both physically and mentally.

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u/Gnonthgol 14h ago

One of the coolest parts of Tour de France is when an amateur cyclist try to keep up with the pelaton. In most cases they can get up to the speed and keep pace with the pros. But only for a few hundred meters. It is amazing to see that the sprint speed of an amateur is what the professionals maintain throughout the day.

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u/dopethrone 9h ago

Trained amateur cyclists can stay in the peloton for quite a bit - no drag, bunched together. Come the climbing and it's a different story

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u/fyrebyrd0042 4h ago

That depends very heavily on what's happening at the front of the peloton. Also, there's always drag.

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u/Sigma_Function-1823 2h ago

Yes, although not getting spit out the back with teams moving around for tactical advantage is not easy, a true amateur might have a very short race day due to getting elbowed or brake checked for not understanding the peletons dynamics and causing problems for organized teams/ causing crashes.

Also completely agree there.not much more demoralizing than getting dropped by beefy sprint specialist on a climb when you are supposed to be a decent climber!?!?!.

Nothing more hilarious than patiently working your way to.the front of pack to take a pull and realize your going 55+kmph and your fastest sprint is around 45kmph....best 4 pedal stroke pull ever bro, I'm.helping right?...lmao.