What is your overall average MPH?

[Eden]

Does anyone know approx what your speed increase is when group riding? Not necessarily doing pace lines but catching some draft.

It's commonly accepted that a person drafting will use about 30% less energy. Now speed is still all relative and will totally depend on the person you are drafting. You may not see any increase in speed at all if the person you are drafting is not speedier than you are, but get to your destination fresher, having worked less hard.

[cinnamon_toast]

Ah!! That makes complete and total sense.

[Starfish]

GLC, thanks for your stories! I always find good things to think about with your posts.

All these posts have made me commit to myself that I will find a club in a neighboring town, if I need to, and find some people to ride with. And, there is one group of people locally who are really nice, but out of my league. I can't hang with them at all. But, this fall, dammit, I am going to at least start riding with them, and if I can only hang on for a mile, well, maybe someday it will be two miles.

Thanks everyone, for wonderful posts. They are inspiring.

[RoadRaven]

It's commonly accepted that a person drafting will use about 30% less energy.

Thanks Eden... I need to remember this! I consistently get dropped in my new grade (in the local club), but don't come in too far behind them, so if I can stay on, then I might even have a chance of getting the top ten points that are available!
Riding these races at similar paces but on my own makes me strong - just got to sort my cornering, and my ability (or lack of) to surge!




As for averages... well, interesting bits of info, but as so many others have already said, averages are only truly useful in relatio to yourself unless you are comparing averages in the same course/day...

When I can do the week I like to do I will usually have:
min 3 rides with approx 25km averages,
1 hilly ride - approx 18kph average,
1 race... somewhere between 30-32kph

That would give me an overall average for the week/month/year of 24.8 kph (15.5miles)

If I add 2 mountain bike rides with my youngest son in the front paddock (about 10kph av)... my overall average will drop to 20.57mph (thats 12.85 miles).

And that is why I do not record my average in bike journal - I only record distance and time.