Pathetically slow? How long to improve?

[Seal]

So I'm 40+ years old, riding a Specialized Ruby Elite (2010) & wearing sidi shoes w/look easy clips. I weigh 135 and am 5'4. Today on a 38 mile ride (which I've done at least 3 times) I average about 12 miles an hour. How long does it take to get faster??? At this rate it would take 8+ hours to do a century (even if I could last that long it just seems ridiculous).

I would like to cycle w/my husband but I know there's no way he's going to have patience for me. Is it just a matter of it taking time for training to work. I'm happy with my progress since July but not thrilled w/my pokiness. Am contemplating a professional fitting. It is demoralizing seeing all these guys flying by. Even huge fat guys pass me on the trail.

And for the record I've been doing some interval days 1-2x a week. My legs look/feel slightly better/firmer & my butt is slightly higher & obviously my endurance is ok but the lack of speed is just sad.

Thanks for any advice!

[OakLeaf]

It's been a long time since I "trained" on the bici, but I think the principles are pretty much the same regardless of the sport...

I keep reading that to get the greatest benefit from intervals, you need to tailor the intensity and duration to your fitness level. Now, I'm pretty lackadaisical about my own interval workouts, but try doing some of the workouts you read about in the magazines and see if that helps you any.

Besides intervals, there are four other key components to your fitness program: tempo, skills, distance, and rest/recovery. For your tempo days, pick the pace you'd like to ride, and ride at that pace or just a little quicker, for a short ride - whatever that means to you, 5, 10, 20 miles, however long you can maintain the pace.

Skills - smooth pedal stroke, hill climbing, cornering, descending.

Distance - where you push the distance at an easy pace, just to get your body used to time in the saddle.

Recovery - at 40, you're getting to the age where you MAY need more than one recovery day a week. Try taking two (non-consecutive) days off and see if it helps. Cross-training days are NOT recovery days; you can do some stretching, walking, short easy riding, etc., but nothing intense.

Then there's nutrition ... a whole 'nother topic.



ETA ... 12 mph is a GOOD speed for the trail. Save anything faster for the road. /PSA

[m.eliza]

I don't have a ton of experience in this area but I'd say just keep doing what you're doing! I do the same as you - 1-2 sessions of intervals a week on the trainer (I'm afraid to do sprints near cars), plus once a week I'll do a speed ride where I go a shorter distance than usual, but push myself just a little harder than I normally would. I've been seeing a gradual increase in speed with this method. When I got my road bike in mid-August I was averaging between 12-13mph, and now I'm closing in on 16! So stick with it! Keep your confidence up and don't give up! And don't feel bad about big guys passing you. Just tell yourself that you'll be the one passing them eventually. I actually had a pretty embarassing moment the other day - I passed a big strong looking man on a long climb. I was so proud of myself, then he just whizzed by me on the descent! I was kind of expecting it (I think the big guys have more momentum and can descend much faster) so I just had to laugh at myself.

Also I'd say yes to the fitting. It's totally worth it. It will maximize your efficiency as well as overall comfort.

Happy training

[warneral]

I'm that slow too! It's frustrating only b/c I'd like to get more miles under my belt in the time I have to ride! Will be watching your thread

ETA doesn't help that I have a decent amount of hills and am a wimp about going down them! I need to work on the skills!!!

[Seal]

Just to clarify by trail I mean a paved bike path, the W&OD trail in D.C./Northern VA. I really only spend a small fraction of my ride on the actual road because DH thinks riding on roads without shoulders is too dangerous.

Is there a difference between a paved bike trail and road in terms of ride speed?

[m.eliza]

Is there a difference between a paved bike trail and road in terms of ride speed?

IMO the trail is slower because you need to be careful of the other people using it.

[mistyblue]

Hello Seal!

Like you, I am trying to improve my times. I ride rough gravel and average about 10 hph. On paved roads, I average about 13 mph.

That is based upon 30 miles at a time.

Maybe it helps to know that you are not alone.

Best of luck to you!

[ny biker]

IMO the trail is slower because you need to be careful of the other people using it.

You need to be careful of other users on the road, too.

Average speed depends on many factors. Some of the slowest rides I've done have been on-road, because they were in urban areas with frequent intersections.

The trail in question here is 45 miles long, from Arlington, VA (just over the river from DC and heavily populated) out to Purcelleville, VA (less crowded suburbs/exurbs). Some parts are crowded with other cyclists, joggers, dog walkers, etc. while others are pretty empty.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

You call 10, 12, and 13 mph slow ??
PFFFT!!! You guys are a bunch of amateurs!!

My average over the past several years is a proud 9mph. I rock!
Come back and complain when you're really and truly slow.

[Seal]

Well I hadn't thought about the other users slowing us down. That is a factor to an extent. We ride West to East starting on the outskirts of Purcellville through Purcellville which is usually a mob scene and onward to Ashburn. We have to stop for a lot of traffic crossings. Leesburg can also be mobbed.

My aerobic fitness is not amazing. I did a couch to 5k several times on the treadmill last spring but got sidetracked w/achilles problems whenever I tried to go outside on pavement or hills or did any speedwork. And we are talking a very slow couch to 5K like average running speed about 4 miles per hour. I also worked my way up to riding 30 miles on the indoor bike at the gym over last winter but that was taking 2 hours. I've ridden bikes since I was a kid but the bike prior to this sat in the garage for 8 years before I dragged it out and almost instantly decided I needed a new one. I have only been riding in earnest since July adding a few miles a week to the long ride. First was on my sucky hybrid and now on my lovely Ruby.

I essentially walked in and took the Ruby off the shelf after trying a billion different bikes and not finding anything that worked w/my short torso and longish legs except that bike. They offered to send me to a fitter who works with triathletes but they didn't offer a professional fitting at the shop and I got the feeling it would be extra.

My core isn't horrible. I did private pilates last year 1-2x a week. I'm now doing the pilates on my own and doing fewer exercises but doing the main core ones more frequently. I also take two horseback riding lessons a week. The biking started as a way to just improve conditioning/leg strength and thigh tone for riding the horse. Occasionally I get to the gym for some inner and outer thigh machine and leg press but I prefer to be outside if at all possible.

My fitness goals were to have stronger quads and actually be ready for ski season for the first time in my life and to not feel like I was having a heart attack when biking with my 30 year old friend who actually has asthma but who also usually somehow manages to kick my ***.

So what I'm hearing is maybe I need to figure on it taking years to make a very pronounced dent in the VO2 max and that its a cumulative effect. I had sorta hoped it would be a fast learning curve but will just keep plugging away and will probably give the bike fitting a try too. Also those 2X20 intervals sound very doable for lunchtime rides while teleworking which as the sun goes down earlier and earlier will be about all I can get in during the week. I had been doing all out sprints for 30 seconds at a time with a few minutes of recovery in between. the 2X20s sound like a different beast.

[szsz]

The thing that has helped me the most is riding with better riders than myself. Learning from them as well as drafting occasionally (where appropriate) helped me to increase my MPH.

PS: You are not pathetically slow!

[Loraura]

Riding with a group has increased my avg speed by 2-4 MPH for a 2 hour-ish ride.

I am lucky in that Austin has the largest all-women's cycling club around. There are more than 100 women in the club. Some race, some don't.

In August, I finished a century with my club with an average at the end of 100 miles at 17.8 mph.

There is no possible way I could do that alone, or just with my husband, but also my solo rides are faster now. I'm just stronger, and my technique has improved which also increases speed.

Riding with a group provides an incredible motivation to keep up. This pushes me to go harder for as long as I can. The threat of getting dropped is a big motivator to dig deep and find a little more power.

I began riding 3 years ago. My average on a 2-3 hour weekend solo ride has increased from working hard to squeek out a 13 to easily averaging 15, sometimes higher, depending on terrain and wind.

The things that have made the most improvement for me are:
1)Ride with a group that is faster than me
2)Ride a lot
3)Drop some weight

I also participated in several clinics put on by my club which have taught me technique that has helped improve my speed as well as handling, comfort, and enjoyment.

[HipGnosis6]

There really is a difference. First, paved roads are usually better maintained, so it is safer and easier to ride faster (less potholes, cracks, debris to avoid). Second, roads are designed for faster traffic than paved trails.

Is the trail a multi-use trail, or is it intended JUST for bicycles? If it's multi-use, the picture changes significantly. If so, find out what the trail speed limits are; they may be much slower even than your "slow" pace! Why? To help protect the other users of the facility, which may include children, senior citizens, pets, etc etc.

I just took a very good class on bicycling on the road. Most urban areas have groups that sponsor such a thing - may I suggest you and your husband seek one out and take it together?

[Catrin]

You aren't the only one I am quite slow myself, averaging between 12-13 mph if there are hills - though I have seen my average get close to 15 without hills or much in the way of wind. Granted, my bike isn't the fastest bike out there, but I learned to ride only 10 months ago.

Since I am in the same place as you are I can't add anything constructive, just letting you know that you aren't alone with this.

[hirakukibou]

I started cycling at 46. I was quite slow. The first year I rode with a club, I was almost always the last rider or at least in the last five to get it. I just decided to keep with it and ride a lot. (That year I rode 6000 miles, and since then its been about 4500 per year.) It is now about 5 years later and I can finally really keep up with DH. After about year two, we could ride together without him being really grumpy at my plodding, but this year I felt I could hang on when he tried a break away.

My advice: Just ride a lot. Find others who are about your speed and train together if you can. Also, ride with some folks who are just a tad better than you are, as they will push you.

Have fun too!

Cheers,
Hirakukibou