What's your average distance, pace, etc?

[arielmoon]

I just started riding and logging my miles in May. My terrain is rolling hills.

I ride 20-30 miles a day on the weekdays averaging 18-19.6 mph by myself.

Group ride on Monday is 28 miles, and depending how many people come and which group I end up with, we average 20-22 mph.

I have taken some longer rides on the weekends 43 miles at 18.6 mph, 33 miles at 19.2 mph, and 55 miles at 17.5 mph.

For next weekend's century, my first, I am hoping to be in the 15-16 mph range.

[Jiffer]

I just started riding and logging my miles in May. My terrain is rolling hills.

I ride 20-30 miles a day on the weekdays averaging 18-19.6 mph by myself.

Group ride on Monday is 28 miles, and depending how many people come and which group I end up with, we average 20-22 mph.

I have taken some longer rides on the weekends 43 miles at 18.6 mph, 33 miles at 19.2 mph, and 55 miles at 17.5 mph.

For next weekend's century, my first, I am hoping to be in the 15-16 mph range.

Whenever I find myself hating you, I just tell myself I'm going to BE you some day and then I have to love you! You're a total inspiration! You've only been riding since July?!! Surely you were pretty fit before you started cycling.

I don't think you'll have any trouble at all getting a 15-16 average on your century with the pace you are doing your shorter rides at and you may, quite possibly, do it faster. It depends, of course, on if you get into a good group, as well as the amount of climbing.

My fastest rides were when I was 100% pulled by my "super cycling man" husband. He pulled me and two friends on a 66 mile ride to the beach and back at 18 mph. I was ecstatic at my time, even being pulled. I worked SO hard and kicked my butt! A week later, he pulled the three of us on what was me and my girlfriend's first century. I ended up with a 16.3 average. Since you are already faster than me, even not being 100% pulled, I don't see any reason you wouldn't get at least a 16 average, unless there's a lot more climbing or you have weather issues or something. I had about 3,000 feet of climbing and near perfect cycling weather ... other than the major headwinds the last 10 miles.

Good luck on your century and let us know how it goes.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

We need to remember that everyone's definition of 'hills' is different.
We all bike over vastly differing terrain depending on where we live.

I went to Cape Cod this summer and someone who rides there during the summers described a route as being 'very hilly'....well there were a couple of teeny bumps on the path, but certainly not worth leaving my middle ring for. I kept waiting for the hilly part to start, but it never did. To my delight, I was magically transformed into a much faster rider as well. :-D

I think of my area as 'rolling hills' no matter what direction i go in from home, but when I went to New Hampshire last weekend I think their definition of 'rolling hills' was significantly steeper than my definition!

[wildhawk]

BleeckerSt: So true. Rolling hills to some could be mountains to others, and vice versa. I was told by my LBS guy that the Withlacoochee State Trail was “mostly flat”. But when we drove through Brooksville on the way there I thought that it looked very much like the terrain back home in Virginia. Some pretty good hills, but he was right. The state trail was mostly flat, but with some grades. And coupled with a headwind, I had a pretty fair workout on my 50k. And a lot depends on your ability and conditioning too. I will never complain about the “slight” grade on my home trail again - it feels like a piece of cake now!

Arielmoon: you will most definately succeed on that century - have an awesome time!!!

[maillotpois]

One of the most memorable TE threads

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=7968

Great walk down memory lane. Especially the part where Brandy writes that she's a total newbie rider and is just doing a 50 miler that weekend...

[SouthernBelle]

Your average speed can be affected by what you are riding too. When I ride Ole Blue, the Bianchi Nyala, my averages are much slower. But it has little tiny rings compared to my road bike. So I can be pedalling my brains out and still be going lots slower.

[arielmoon]

Whenever I find myself hating you, I just tell myself I'm going to BE you some day and then I have to love you! You're a total inspiration! You've only been riding since July?!! Surely you were pretty fit before you started cycling.

~snip~

Good luck on your century and let us know how it goes.

Oh dont hate me! I was in pretty good shape before I started cycling in May. I compete in Dressage with my horse Ice:



And like Bleeker said- every terrain is different. Most of you would probably laugh at my hills although Ocala is not like most of Florida.

And thanks for the encouragement about the century. BF is now exBF and he is going to do the 45. So I am going to hook up with the LBS group and hope for the best.

[RoadRaven]

Always interesting to play with numbers.
I don't take note of average speeds anymore unless it is a particular course I am trying to improve on and am measuring myself against my own time or other's times.

So, I popped over to BikeJournal and worked out my stats for 2008...

So based on this year's 218 rides:

My average distance is 20.58km (a total of 4,487.87km for 2008)

My average time per ride is 59 minutes (a total of 209:15:57 hr:min:sec for 2008)

Therefore, that makes my average speed 20.93kph



However, to me that is a nonsense - interesting numbers, but not really a reflection of one of my average rides...

Usually, during training rides, I ride between 25-30kph

Hills, which slow me down will be ridden somewhere between 5kph and 16kph
Head winds will bring me back to about 25-26kph
Strong/gale force westerlies will have me moving under 20kph.

Usually, during road racing/riding in a racing bunch, I ride about between 30-45kph

My best time/speed this year was in a time trial race. That was 34.02kph over 19.3kms in March. I haven't approached that speed on my own again this year - which just shows you also that conditions as well as personal ability have a lot to do with averages. Some days everything just comes together.

So, as many have already said in this thread, although it is intriguing to play with number averages, it doesn't necessarily tell you about the type of riding a person does, the type of terrain they cover, the weather conditions on the day etc etc...

But thanks, its been an interesting thread to look through. Thanks all for giving us your stats

[Jiffer]

Oh dont hate me! I was in pretty good shape before I started cycling in May. I compete in Dressage with my horse Ice:

Hey! You're a horsey person! My daughter's do Hunter Jumper. Here's a pic of my oldest at a champ show a year ago. That same champ show is next week, but her horse is lame. He should be fine, but not in time for the show.

I think people underestimate the physical ability needed to ride a horse.

Yes, description of terrain can really vary from one person to another. That's why I mention feet of elevation climbed a lot and, sometimes, grade of incline. In my century, the "big climb" of Torrey Pines was about 2 miles of 7% grade. That, with other climbing resulted in 3000 feet total. There's a climb here that is maybe a quarter mile at 13%. That's stupid steep! And REALLY slows down your average pace.

I have ALSO found that when the terrain is literally "rolling", I can go a lot faster. I rode in Tahoe a couple of months ago and was able to sprint up a short rolling hill having just come down a previous one. Did this over and over again and really boosted my pace. That was almost 1400 feet of climbing. Doing that same amount of climbing here, where I might climb the entire 1400 at once or split into two climbs, yet not starting from a downhill roll ... gives me a completely different and slower pace.

[arielmoon]

Always interesting to play with numbers.
I don't take note of average speeds anymore unless it is a particular course I am trying to improve on and am measuring myself against my own time or other's times.

~snip~
So, as many have already said in this thread, although it is intriguing to play with number averages, it doesn't necessarily tell you about the type of riding a person does, the type of terrain they cover, the weather conditions on the day etc etc...

But thanks, its been an interesting thread to look through. Thanks all for giving us your stats

I agree completely! I compare myself only to myself and previous rides and also take into account different routes. On my farm route I am much slower due to having to turn around when I get the end of a lane!

Today for instance I added an extra loop that will be part of the century next weekend and it added almost 3 more miles to the scenic route I take a few times a week. I also recorded a personal best mph. So, I may not be able to compare with anyone else here but I know that I am getting stronger all the time.

That is what makes me happy!

Hey! You're a horsey person! My daughter's do Hunter Jumper. Here's a pic of my oldest at a champ show a year ago. That same champ show is next week, but her horse is lame. He should be fine, but not in time for the show.

I think people underestimate the physical ability needed to ride a horse.

Yes, description of terrain can really vary from one person to another. That's why I mention feet of elevation climbed a lot and, sometimes, grade of incline. In my century, the "big climb" of Torrey Pines was about 2 miles of 7% grade. That, with other climbing resulted in 3000 feet total. There's a climb here that is maybe a quarter mile at 13%. That's stupid steep! And REALLY slows down your average pace.

I have ALSO found that when the terrain is literally "rolling", I can go a lot faster. I rode in Tahoe a couple of months ago and was able to sprint up a short rolling hill having just come down a previous one. Did this over and over again and really boosted my pace. That was almost 1400 feet of climbing. Doing that same amount of climbing here, where I might climb the entire 1400 at once or split into two climbs, yet not starting from a downhill roll ... gives me a completely different and slower pace.

Sorry to hear your daughters horse is lame! They are a lovely pair! I agree there is much athleticism in riding HOWEVER not much cardio! And I will say this, I trained professionally for about 15 years and was never in the kind of shape I am now. And my riding? I can not believe how much stronger I am riding my horse. Not brute strength- horses are about finesse, but I have noticed the difference in my riding. My horse is so much more balanced!

Again I agree about comparing terrain. No one here in Ocala talks about feet of climbing or altitude.

You do what you can with what you have and keep working hard!!!

[Veronica]

Again I agree about comparing terrain. No one here in Ocala talks about feet of climbing or altitude.

Google Earth makes Ocala look pretty flat.

Veronica

[redrhodie]

One of the most memorable TE threads

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=7968

That is the "Gone with the Wind" of threads! Thanks for posting it. I hadn't seen it before.

[Aggie_Ama]

We need to remember that everyone's definition of 'hills' is different.
We all bike over vastly differing terrain depending on where we live.

I went to Cape Cod this summer and someone who rides there during the summers described a route as being 'very hilly'....well there were a couple of teeny bumps on the path, but certainly not worth leaving my middle ring for. I kept waiting for the hilly part to start, but it never did. To my delight, I was magically transformed into a much faster rider as well. :-D

I think of my area as 'rolling hills' no matter what direction i go in from home, but when I went to New Hampshire last weekend I think their definition of 'rolling hills' was significantly steeper than my definition!

YUP. I consider my area rolling hills, gentle ones. Sometimes they are long but nothing extended. Some people come here and hear where I live and comment on how hilly it is. Then you go out to the Hill Country and some people call it rolling. I don't think a hill that is up to 3 miles long and 15% grade in short sections is rolling (Trisk if you read this I am talking about the road outside Leakey, you might know it). Some people call the famous Austin Dam Loop rolling, I think it is a little more intense than "rolling" but not full out climbing. It is just darn hilly that is for sure.

So my area is rolling but I don't go climbing around here! Of course I don't have anything to tell me my climbing stats and I don't normally care. I would like a Garmin but really I don't want to know my legs are screaming but I really didn't climb that much.

[Crankin]

This thread just confirms my depressing riding situation. My average is getting worse. Two years ago most of my rides, on rolling terrain averaged just under 16. Sure, I ride with people who average 13 quite a bit, but when I rode with my husband, I could crank it up. Then, when I got sick last year, I lost a lot of strength, despite the fact I never totally stopped exercising. I didn't ride much last fall, though, but I did walk, do yoga, etc. Over the winter I slowly built up my endurance with x country skiing, hiking, snow shoeing. I've tried to get back into weight training, but it's sporadic. I felt good in the beginning of the season, but since May I've had a lot of ups and downs. After my tour across MA, which involved 4 days of really challenging climbs, I should have rested, but I didn't. Then I went for my orientation course on the Cape and I took my bike. I wasn't sleeping well and I felt like I was getting sick, with allergies, swollen glands, etc. Getting up at 5 AM to ride made me look tough to the younger people, but it did me in. It took 4 weeks to get over the thing I had and now my fibro. symptoms are acting up. I swore I wouldn't miss another fall of riding, since the weather is gorgeous.
After a particularly bad week of symptoms, I started feeling better; I rode Tuesday and my average was 14.2 on my regular loop of 15.7 miles, that ends in a 10-15% climb. Yesterday I felt better while riding, but my average was 13.6 . Granted, I did go on a route that involved a little slowing due to traffic situations.... I am trying to look at this as like the time I had the flu really bad and I had to stop teaching aerobics for 5 weeks afterwards. I swam instead to build up my strength. I don't want to stop riding, but I am just telling myself to go slow and maybe I'll end up going fast. Another month of this, and I will concentrate on weight training, hiking, and spin class. I usually ride outside through December, but once November comes, it's sporadic. It's just so depressing. I know that I still do more than most people, and I'm not competing against anyone but myself. My "regular" friends think I'm nuts for worrying about this, but I find myself enjoying riding my Jamis around town and for errands more than riding my road bike...

[redrhodie]

Crankin, have you read "Bicycling Bliss" by Portia Masterson? There's a lot of good stuff in there about riding for health. She teaches about breathing, form, and techniques to keep you riding without injury.

I'm concerned about you feeling depressed by how fast you ride. I think you're awesome, and I know from reading your posts what you went through last year. You've gone through a lot physically, and you're still riding. I want you to keep going. A lot of people think going faster is "improving" when really, they're damaging themselves, and shortening their riding longevity. In the long run, you want to be able to ride your bike for many years to come, and be healthier from it. That's the point, not to compromise your health for speed.