Where to find other riders?

[nuthatch]

I was chatting one day after a ride and mentioned that the next day I would do a slow recovery ride, 25 miles flat at maybe 14mph... just an easy spin...

i JUST finally got a 16.6 average ride this past sunday.. and i worked hard for that! i normally average 14.9 to 15.something with no hills! (and that's the average.. i'm a LOT slower most times!) elitests... BAH!

Holy crud, you guys are fast! The boys are, well, beyond belief. Okay, when you are measuring your average speed, do your bike computers average your stops in too? I seem to be riding about 15/16 most of the time but I always end up with an average speed of 12 to 13 - and I stop frequently. Does it depend on your computer or do they all average the same way?

[CorsairMac]

Nut: you should be able to set you computer to either stopwatch or ATM. Actual Time Moving! (no...I have no idea what it really means but that's how I think of it.) If your computer is set for stopwatch it'll avg your spd based on total road time which could lower your avg. If you set it to ATM, ONLY the time the front tire is moving is measured. Check you manual: it should tell you if and or how to change your computer to ATM.

and no.....my avg spd is only about 13 +/- mph although when I'm on long straight flats I seem to avg about 16-17. My avg yesterday for my century was 14.?? which I was very proud of.

[nuthatch]

My avg yesterday for my century was 14.?? which I was very proud of.

I'd be proud of 14 as well!! My average was 12.3 yesterday over the course of 80 totally flat miles.

Nut "tortoise" hatch

[Biking Chick]

I'd be proud of 14 as well!! My average was 12.3 yesterday over the course of 80 totally flat miles.

Nut "tortoise" hatch

Holy Schnike Nuthatch!!! 80 miles ... dang gurl you should be so proud of yourself with daily mileage like that!

Keep it up ... how long before your MS ride?

Keep biking like that and you'll be able to top that Almond Joy ice cream with a scoop of Heaps of Love or maybe some Fat Elvis

[SadieKate]

One more note on average speed, that darling little compooter averages all time that your wheels are rotating. So, if you're walking your bike from the street to the house it can drop a couple of tenths just with that little 0.5 mph stroll. Just for fun, re-set your computer after your warm up and look at avg speed before you begin the cool down (in our case, time spent riding city streets vs rural roads). Avg time over an entire ride is very different than average cruising speed on the flat or average cruising speed in a pack.

[nuthatch]

Holy Schnike Nuthatch!!! 80 miles ... dang gurl you should be so proud of yourself with daily mileage like that!

Keep it up ... how long before your MS ride?

Keep biking like that and you'll be able to top that Almond Joy ice cream with a scoop of Heaps of Love or maybe some Fat Elvis

I've only got two more weekends to train - we ride on June 25-26 for the MS150 Tour de Farms - yikes! I wish Fat Elvis could accompany me on the ride!!!

[bikerchick68]

please post about it when you're done! I have a friend who wants to do it and I need to get her over here to read your review when ya get done kicking that courses butt!

[Biking Chick]

I've only got two more weekends to train - we ride on June 25-26 for the MS150 Tour de Farms - yikes! I wish Fat Elvis could accompany me on the ride!!!

Wouldn't need to stop to refuel - just load up on those fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches ....

Thank you furry much

[nuthatch]

Mmmm, peanut butter and banana sandwiches!!! You can always tell a southerner, can't you.

[caligurl]

Holy crud, you guys are fast! The boys are, well, beyond belief. Okay, when you are measuring your average speed, do your bike computers average your stops in too? I seem to be riding about 15/16 most of the time but I always end up with an average speed of 12 to 13 - and I stop frequently. Does it depend on your computer or do they all average the same way?

no i'm not! lol! that's the average.. so it includes any downgrades! today... the same route... i did in average 15.1... but there were times i was only doing 11 or 12! (and even 8 on the partial climb i have to make to get home!!)

my HRM stops when i stop... so potty breaks, stop lights... it stops recording.. (polar s720i)

[LBTC]

(polar s720i)

yummy
that's the one with the infrared download, right?

santa, are you listening???

Namaste,
~T~

[caligurl]

yes it is! the 725 also has the infrared (and is really cool looking "carbon").. but it doesn't have auto-stop....

[SJCzar]

I agree with the suggestion about checking with your LBS about posting a note there. I've noticed that quite often when I stop in mine, there are either women there, or men looking at bikes for their wifes. I'm sure the newbie women starting out would enjoy having another woman to bike with.

I found a nice group to bike with once a week through a ski club that I belong to. The turnout is usually about 70% women and they list the ride as being at a leisurely pace. Through this I have found a few other women to participate in charity rides with. A number of bike clubs in our area also have one night a week that they do slower-paced rides.

Good Luck. I'm sure there are women in your area looking for others to ride with.

[bikerchick68]

Holy crud, you guys are fast!

I gotta agree with Cali... I'm NOT fast... I can maintain 17-18 in flats but am down right pokey up hills... when Cali and I rode together my brother took off at 20mph for the first 8-10 miles in the COLD! AAAAACK! I was fine (heck I was just trying to create any body heat!) Cali dropped me like a rock in the climbs tho...

my avg for THAT century was 15.1 I think... my fastest century was done in 6 hour 50 minutes at an avg of 15.4... that's the one I'm proud of... Solvang Century with 5000ft climbing! But the avg came up 'cause my top speed on a downhill was 47.3mph!!! WOOOOT! Yeah, I like the downhills!

CORSAIR! Congrats on the century!!! I remember you saying you wanted to do one but did not realize it already happened... that's a BIG deal! Way to go...