There was another hill in upstate NY, east of Delta Reservoir, really steep, that was good for 65-70 mph. Problem was it was covered with patched potholes, bumpy as hell. I never had the nerve. One of our young civilian engineers did it, but he was hardcore, a competitive cyclist. He used to ride his mtn bike to work in the dead of winter. He put tiny screws in his knobby tires, to make studded tires. Back in the Cold War days.
Diff is most of the roads here in Texas are fairly smooth. A lot of chipseal, but for the most part you can go as far as your fear will let you.
I’ve done some crazy stuff on bikes, and somehow I still sit here and tell stories. Nowdays I mostly ride off-road, my best road days are behind me. Did the Hotter’n Hell Hundred ten times I guess, some other notable rides around here. A couple of 150s and one 24-hour. Made 243 miles on that one, RAAM qualifier, came in 4th overall. That was 20 years ago, couldn’t do that now if my life depended on it.
Scaredest I ever felt was down on the River Road in Big Bend NP down along the Rio Grande. Came around a curve on that old gravel road and ran into a big old hombre standing behind an octotillo with his arms crossed, just glaring at me. I wasn’t sure what was about to happen, I mean I was a few hundred meters from old Mexico. I rode by without making eye contact and went on my way. Like a fool, most of my time in the Chihuahuan desert has been solo, but I always liked it that way.
Nobody ever said I have good sense. But I have had some fun times, some death defying times, in my day. I don’t regret none of it.
Smart, hell no, but epic. Hell yeah!