Average Speed Question

[sweetride]

Newbie question here...

When a club ride advertizes as a 15-17 or a 18-20 mph ride... do they mean your average speed including flats, hills and decents OR do they mean just your average speed you ride along flats (or rolling hills).

I ride about 17-19+ average when headed out on my regular ride from home that just has mainly rolling hills but has 3 "good" hills that drops my entire ride average to 13-15.

I don't want to join a club ride and be way over my head. Thanks to all!

Diana

[Veronica]

Ha - my husband and can't even reach consensus on what that means. Thom figures our average century speed including time stopped at rest stops. I figure our average speed based on time on the bike.

He thinks when a club advertises average speed they mean only on the flats. I think it means overall ride average including climbs and descents. At least I'm always consistent with myself.

V.

[KSH]

It's the entire ride... which includes hills, slowing down, sprinting, etc.

The best way to know your average, is to have a computer that gives it to you. You would be surprised at how you can't really calculate it in your head.

And, if your cycling groups are like ours... if they advertise a 16-18 MPH average... they really average 20-22.

[SadieKate]

I kind of agree with Thom. For our local club, the advertised speed is the cruising speed of the group after they are outside of town. It does not include rest stops or the warm-up/cool down. Our local rides are mostly outside of town but start in town and may cruise some bike paths on the way. The expectation is that you can maintain the average pace outside of town. Your average for the entire ride will be a far lower number. However, each club may be different due to terrain and the local club's culture.

[emily_in_nc]

Our club's advertised pace for rides includes warm-ups, cool-downs, hills, everything except rest stops. It's the overall average speed you'd see on your computer at the end of the ride (assuming it turns off and on automatically when you stop and rest). Heck, I could do "18+ mph" rides if that only meant cruising on the flats, but as it is, I'm more of a 14-16 mph (overall) average speed gal at the moment. And, in our club, often rides are indeed above the posted speed. For instance, on a "C" paced ride (advertised at 13-15mph), you often see a large proportion of the riders doing 16-17 mph average in the front, but the leader generally leads from the rear and goes with the slowest rider, around 13 mph on a C-paced ride, for example.

So, I guess there's just not one good answer to the original question!

Emily

[agl1975]

I don't know the answer either. On flatlands I can do 17mph - no problem, but hills - yikes. Downhill - 25+mph - Uphill - less than 10mph. My husband and I plan to join on the club rides this coming weekend and want to make sure we ride with the right group. What do you do if you can't keep up? Or if the group is too slow?

[Blueberry]

What do you do if you can't keep up? Or if the group is too slow?

It depends on what kind of ride it is. Some will have a ride leader who "leads from the rear" and stays with the slowest rider. Some want social rides where the group stays together (no one zooms ahead). Generally the ride leader will state his/her preference.

I always feel awkward riding with groups because I am *very* slow (at least climbing) and I really feel bad when I'm the slowest one (though I have been within the advertised pace). I never want anyone to *have* to wait on me :( I feel like they're not having fun if they're "looking after" me.

That's probably the biggest reason I don't ride with groups all that often. It's also the reason I'm hesitatant to "bump up" a pace. My computer tells me I average between 14 and 15 usually (with a rare 16 on flats), but I'm afraid I will hold up a C pace ride (14-16).

Gotta love group dynamics...

[sweetride]

Thanks to everyone who replied to my original post.

I guess this wasn't as easy a question as I thought. I will have to inquire at the LBS (where some of the rides leave) to see what their view is.

It is funny because part of the route that the club ride follows is only a mile from my home. I often see them riding in the other direction when I am out on my solo rides. I like riding alone most of the time but I think I would like to have more group riding experience too. Maybe when I work up my average speed I too will feel better about not slowing the group down too much.

Diana

[runnergirl]

I feel like they're not having fun if they're "looking after" me.

Gotta love group dynamics...

This doesn't change no matter how fast you get. It's the price you pay for the many benefits of riding in a group (getting faster, better bike handling skills, finding new roads, etc). No matter how much I insist, the guys won't drop me. They either slow till I catch up, or send someone to pull me back after a hill.

In my experience advertised speed has little or no relation to actual speed. Look at their legs and bikes, if they have 2% bodyfat and $5000 bikes, count on over 20mph (even if they're "going slow") average (including hills). This can be extrapolated downward. :D

If you feel bad about slowing people down, know the route, and make it clear that you don't mind finishing the ride solo. If they stick with you, that's their problem. :p

[pkq]

The Western PA Wheelmen are nice enough to tell you.....

Ride speed classification (http://wpwbikeclub.org/classification.html)

[CorsairMac]

The Western PA Wheelmen are nice enough to tell you.....

Ride speed classification (http://wpwbikeclub.org/classification.html)

so is the New Mexico Touring Society......so when I went on one of their C rides the ride leader and some buddies took off like bats outta heck and left everyone else coughing up their dust. By the end of the ride there were just a few of us left that had actually ridden a C ride pace and we were all alone in the parking lot. The ride leader et al went home when their ride was done.

Corsair "giving up hope of ever finding a club" Mac

[Musclicious505]

We'll start our own club CMac!

[CorsairMac]

We'll start our own club CMac!

I LIKE that idea!!

[wingding]

I bought a road bike last spring and have been riding alone. I don't think I'm fast enough for a club either. I'm working on picking up speed, but I'm not sure I want to ride with a large group. I think it would be nice to have a regular cycling partner, but I guess I'd have to go to a club to find one.

[caligurl]

wingding... you have a very nice club right there in redlands! if i lived closer... i'd join it! unfortunately we live in BFE... too far from any clubs :mad: you should check them out.. i know they have slower rides that you could start out with then graduate to the little bit faster rides!

so have you tackled oak glen yet? are you doing the OCW fall metric (that goes up the back side of oak glen!) it's a really fun ride and has an option of going 30 miles or 60 miles (the 60 miles goes on san timoteo then back to the park in redlands whereas i guess the 30 miler goes straight back!)

they have pizza and apple pie (apple crisp last year) at the end! YUM!


redlands water bottle transit company bike club (http://www.rwbtc.org/) (gotta LOVE that name! lol!)

OCW fall metric (http://www.ocw.org/FallMetric/ocw_fall_metric_century.htm)

[SimpleCycle]

I've found that the posted speeds have little or nothing to do with actual speeds. Our club C rides are slower than posted, B and A are faster than posted. That leaves us C+ riders in quite a lurch. Actually, enough of a lurch that I've considered becoming a ride leader when I am a bit more experienced at such things.

I would say start with the lowest level ride (above the kids rides) and make sure it is advertised no drop. Make sure you have a map and cue sheet, know how to change a flat, and basically won't freak if you are dropped. Then go and see what happens. If they are too slow, all that happends is you've gone on a slow ride. If they are too fast, talk to some of the people on the ride for tips on other slower group rides. In Tucson, there are several clubs and some other "groups" that ride. They range from Cat 1 speed to toodle around the neighborhood speed, so eventually you should be able to find your group.

Our club has information not just about speed posted with rides, but some general skills you should have - like group riding experience, able to ride in a paceline, etc. I've been intimidated by going on paceline rides, but one of my more regular riding partners pointed out that even if I've never ridden in a paceline per se, I've drafted and can hold my line, so I'll be fine. Turns out he was right, because on my last group ride, not only did I ride in a paceline, I actually organized it.