Yes I can. In a group, rotating out quick pulls on the front but largely drafting. Most cyclists with a few years under their belt can.
I'm was never a track racer, never even much of a road racer, but at peak fitness I could do a 40K time trial in ~56 minutes, on a time trial bike and a flat course. That only won races where the fast guys didn't show up. 10 years ago if memory serves a 50 year old guy almost broke the 50 minute mark. It's really not as fast as you think it is.
Alex Dowset did nearly 55KPH his last track hour record attempt, and didn't set the record. Power required to go a given speed follows the cube of the velocity so it's nothing near linear to go 10kph faster into the wind at those speed, but yes, in a group, 48kph is attainable for a moderately fit cyclist.
Furthermore, my point wasn't about being "comfortable" as in "breathing easy" it's "comfortable" as in "feeling ok going that fast on a bicycle and knowing I'm relatively safe because of the experience I have.
I'm was never a track racer, never even much of a road racer, but at peak fitness I could do a 40K time trial in ~56 minutes, on a time trial bike and a flat course. That only won races where the fast guys didn't show up. 10 years ago if memory serves a 50 year old guy almost broke the 50 minute mark. It's really not as fast as you think it is.
Alex Dowset did nearly 55KPH his last track hour record attempt, and didn't set the record. Power required to go a given speed follows the cube of the velocity so it's nothing near linear to go 10kph faster into the wind at those speed, but yes, in a group, 48kph is attainable for a moderately fit cyclist.
Furthermore, my point wasn't about being "comfortable" as in "breathing easy" it's "comfortable" as in "feeling ok going that fast on a bicycle and knowing I'm relatively safe because of the experience I have.