Avg cycling speed I should be shooting for

[mayqueen]

Hello TE. I know that speed is not the end all be all (except if your racing), but what would be a good speed I should look to maintain to keep? The avg rides i do quite frequently are about 15 miles. Longest thus far 35 miles. Thanks. So far (and I guess I am faster than I thought, just bought puter) is 15mph avg with peak at 20mph.

[Aquila]

I think that's a really hard question because we're all riding in different places, on different bikes, at different ages, and so on and on.

I'd tend to think about how I feel, how my fitness feels, how my legs are, and how big my smile is.

For me, as a casual, casual rider, on not very hilly terrain, 15 mph feels really good mostly over a ride of that distance. I've certainly never maintained 20mph for very long on a flat.

My retired women's group rides about 14mph; I know women who ride with another group that just whizzes by us.

But if you want to race, you probably have to go a lot faster for a lot longer.

[alpinerabbit]

while there is nothing that you should be doing, how about going at a speed that you can maintain over the whole ride - i.e. don't shoot out the door and then fade. Same with targeted training, if you ever do any - try to do all intervals at the same intensity and not blow up.

[wackyjacky1]

I seem to average about 9 mph, but that includes sitting still at stop lights and stop signs. I have no idea what my average would be if I was constantly moving. I do wonder about that...

[tctrek]

I think 12-15 mph is fairly average. Average speed is impacted by many factors including nutrition, hydration climbing, weather/temperature, winds, etc. I generally average 14-15 mph on very rolling and sometimes hilly rides. On the rare occasions when we hit flats, I can ride about 24 mph, but not sure how long I could sustain that because flats are few and far between in Georgia !

I know there are group rides in my area where they say that the average is 17-19mph and I know these rides go over some very hilly terrain, so I am 100% positive that they would drop me if I attempted to ride with them.

I think average speed is dependent on your cycling goals. Example: Sprinters train differently than climbers.

[alpinerabbit]

You know, after a thought- there is nothing wrong in riding hard until you're knackered, and then still having to drag your tired butt home - it teaches you and you get stronger.

[jobob]

I think that's a really hard question because we're all riding in different places, on different bikes, at different ages, and so on and on.

What she said.

I tend to tune out the reports that harp about average speeds (especially out to the first or second decimal place ).

It's a useful number for the individual to keep track of how fast she (or he) goes over a certain course in order for that person to help gauge her (or his) improvement, but, for the rest of us, who don't happen to know the terrain, the amount of climbing, the difficulty of the descent, the condition of the road, the amount of slowing down & stopping and speeding up on account of stop signs and traffic signals and other obstacles, and the wind direction and the weather on that particular day, it's a meaningless number. IMHO.

[Grog]

It's a useful number for the individual to keep track of how fast she (or he) goes over a certain course in order for that person to help gauge her (or his) improvement, but, for the rest of us, who don't happen to know the terrain, the amount of climbing, the difficulty of the descent, the condition of the road, the amount of slowing down & stopping and speeding up on account of stop signs and traffic signals and other obstacles, and the wind direction and the weather on that particular day, it's a meaningless number. IMHO.

+1 Absolutely true.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I average somewhere between 2.5 mph going up a steep hill and 40 mph going down a long safe hill. Everything in between depends on where I'm riding that day, the hills, the wind, my energy level...
To me it's more important that I'm riding- it's more about distance and/or how many hours I rode.

[jobob]

I average somewhere between 2.5 mph going up a steep hill and 40 mph going down a long safe hill.

That's about it for me too. I like how we manage to keep from tipping over at those low speeds. Talent.

[ny biker]

You should aim for the speed at which you're happy.

Some people like to go as fast as they can, and are competitive, either against themselves or others, even if it means ignoring lots of pain along the way. Some people just like to cruise along and enjoy the outdoors and don't care who's passing them. Most are probably somewhere in between.

I think what matters most in terms of average speed as well as ride distance is enjoying yourself and having fun, whatever your definition of fun is.

[irrealised]

I agree that "average" depends on all sorts of things, and it is mostly useful to use to compare your own rides, but as a new(ish) rider I do like to have a sense of what others call average. It's not so important when I'm riding by myself, but it's nice to know what the averages are of typical group rides (even the slower ones are faster than I tend to go on my MTB). Not that I don't already know this since I'm rarely the one passing other bikes on the bike paths

[jobob]

Fair enough! Just don't get too wrapped up in the numbers.

[ny biker]

Type of bike can make a big difference. I used to have only a mountain bike, which I rode a lot on paved trails. I don't actually remember what my avg speed usually was on those rides, but I know it went up when I replaced the knobby tires with slicks. Then when I got a road bike I got even faster.

[OakLeaf]

it's nice to know what the averages are of typical group rides

Club rides are normally "keyed" A,B,C and sometimes D. The club website or newsletter should explain the speed range for each group. That can vary from club to club, and it can also vary whether it means "this is how fast we sustain as a paceline on flat road without stop signs" or "this is our average speed over the whole ride."

If a club ride is so small and congenial that it isn't keyed, then IME it's usually mutually agreed on at the time of the ride by whoever shows up (which would include you if you showed up), and they might split into smaller groups or all agree to ride at more or less the slowest riders' pace.