I want to ride faster

[CR400]

Ok, I kind of feel your pain now. I have started my off season training about a month ago and started riding a mountain bike on the road instead of my road bike. Boy have I slowed down. I can hit 20 to 21mph for a few seconds to about 3 minuets at best but after that I slow down, if I want to or not. So I'd work on getting much thinner tires and less tread on them. Also a more aerodynamic position helps the most. I go faster even on the moutain bike if I get closer to the handlebar and lower my profile.

[lauraelmore1033]

Boy, this whole getting hybrids to go faster issue has been driving me crazy! I know that a chunky person on a chunky bike will quite naturally go slower than a sleek person on a sleek bike, and I had been quite contented to average about 12.5 mph riding at a more or less comfortable pace with hubby snapping at the heels a bit, but the discontent of the OP with an average speed of 14 mph got me thinking (and discontented too)...

well, to cut a long story short, I had been trying everything in my power (without going to skinny tires) to even touch an AVERAGE speed of 14 mph; flatter course, shorter distance, bigger gears, greater effort, and the best I could do was 13.33 mph over 20 miles of the flattest trail in the state. And that was giving it all I had. I was so wiped out after my last attempt I felt my driving skills were a bit impared as I navagated home in the car. Hubby was alarmed. I've been told just to drop the issue and my knees have warned me not to try that again. So I'll just have to be satisfied with the knowledge that I'm doing the best that I can as I watch the parade of sleek behinds on sleek bikes cruising effortlessly past me and disappearing in the far distance ahead. Humph!

[Geonz]

Ah, but also KNOW in your smug heart that you are getting STRONGER than they are 'cause you have to work harder

[lauraelmore1033]

yeah, I suppose it is nice being freakishly strong, but it would be so COOL to blow past people effortlessly...

[Geonz]

Ha! Ha! Ha! Have they got you fooled

It looks effortless for four seconds... but did you ever notice how often the speed difference between you and a "blow-byer" dropped drastically once s/he was ahead of you?

Okay, here's what you do with your hybrid: knock a little off the tire inflation (but watch for potholes - you're asking for pinch flats), maladjust the brakes so they drag **just** a little, put a couple of gallons of water somewhere on the bike, and go find a headwind.

Ride with that bad boy for three weeks. Then pump up the tires all the way, adjust the brakes, take the water off... you'll blow by lots of people :-)

[lauraelmore1033]

I have noticed, on occasion, that some of the riders that "blow by" do seem to need a rest stop a short distance ahead. But not very many (not the ones with the reeeealy sleek behinds on the reeeealy sleek bikes).

[Trekhawk]

I have noticed, on occasion, that some of the riders that "blow by" do seem to need a rest stop a short distance ahead. But not very many (not the ones with the reeeealy sleek behinds on the reeeealy sleek bikes).

Well at least it is sleek behinds on sleek bikes. The last weeks issue of Road Bike Rider made me laugh and laugh. One of the guys said he got passed on his commute by a guy in jeans riding a dirty, heavy and old Walmart bike and drinking a beer. See it happens to us all.

[KSH]

I have noticed, on occasion, that some of the riders that "blow by" do seem to need a rest stop a short distance ahead. But not very many (not the ones with the reeeealy sleek behinds on the reeeealy sleek bikes).

Well, I think I resemble that comment...

My boyfriend and I did this 60 mile bike route at a rally. He would go as fast as he could... I would do the best I could to keep up.

There was this one guy on a hybrid type of bike, with regular pedals. He must have been around 60 pounds overweight, and was just casually riding along.

We would stop at the rest stop... the guy on the hybrid would cruise by enjoying the day. We would take off again on our sleek bikes... fly by him... stop at the next rest stop... and the guy would go cruising by, never stopping.

Long and steady "wins" the race.

(And no, I'm not talking about my boyfriend and I!)