You all helped me ride 45 miles yesterday!

[RoadRaven]

Really? 15.5 mph seems pretty slow. The local bike club does group rides, and they list the minimum avg mphs to go on certain rides. A, B, B+, C, etc. I barely even make a letter.

15.5 is a good average overall speed.
If someone tells you their weekly or monthly average is high (excuse me while I switch to metrics...)

OK... if someone tells you their average speed is, say, 30kph... its likely they are talking a load of bollocks... or they are not training well... or they are an exceptional cyclist.

While I race at speeds of 30-32kph and in sprints get over 40kph, my weekly/monthly average would likely be 24-26kph - it will be on bike journal anyways...

If you are training sensibly, then you should spend a significant amount of your time training below your "top" speed, building your aerobic base and distance endurance (depending of course on what your goals for biking are)

Cheri, the speeds your club suggests are for those specific club rides... I am sure if you talked to some of the seasoned/experienced cyclists in the upper/faster grades, you would find that not all of their rides are at the 'suggested speed' for the club rides.

The other thing to consider with club rides is that you are riding with a group, therefore a significant time of riding by the individuals in that group are drafting. Consequently, club rides will tend to be faster over a course which you, on your own, will do a slower speed on.

The other thing to bear in mind is your average speed over a week or a month will be how many hills you climbed, or if you decided to incorporate hill-reps into your schedule.

An example locally in what you might recognise as "Cat1" racers, their training would average under 30kph, although their race speeds are between 40-45kph.

[cherinyc]

The other thing to consider with club rides is that you are riding with a group, therefore a significant time of riding by the individuals in that group are drafting. Consequently, club rides will tend to be faster over a course which you, on your own, will do a slower speed on.

I never thought about that.