For that matter
once in the late 70s a friend of mine and I rode our bikes from our little home village up to the other end of our chain of lakes and back. Coming back it was a couple of miles of fairly steep uphill road, and then about a half mile out of town it dropped back down again. I was going about 50 to 60 mph by the time I reached the bottom.

I reiterate: it was the 1970s. Crappy steel frame 10 speed- a Royce Union, as I recall. No helmet. Jeans and a tee shirt. Narrow road with trees overhanging it that are known to drop sticks on the pavement. Deer and chipmunks all around us in the woods, both of whom are known to dart out into the road at any moment. Hitting a chipmunk at that speed would have gone as badly for me as for the chipmunk, as it would have probably have been slippery.

Driving that route now in a car, I think back on that and shudder.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Wed 26 Nov 2008, 19:59, Reply)