Is 17-18mph fast? I always thought it was slow, because my friends have to slow down to stay at my pace (they regularly ride at 20+). I have nothing which which to gauge my speed because I don't know any other beginners or women with whom I could ride. I will definitely try it, though. It makes a alot of sense! You gals always come through!
Here in Texas... where we have very few hills... here is how the rides and speeds break out:

11-13 mph is a slow group.

14-16 mph is an average group. Very few fall into this catagory.

17-19 mph is an intermediate group and rather fast. I can never keep up with this group, even after 2 years of riding.

Anything over 19 mph is FAST. Those are the top riders.


Please keep in mind, that we ride mostly flats around here.

And, the average is what shows on your computer at the END of a ride... so if you are averaging 16 mph, that means that you are probably going 18 mph+ a lot of the ride. The average drops because of turns and stop lights.

With that said... your average is fast.