Do you have a bike computer? I'm sort of a stat freak. I have to know how far I went, how fast I did it, how much I climbed, etc. I keep track of it all and it's fun to go back and see how I've improved. My best comparison is myself, cause it can get down right depressing if I compare to, say, my husband, who is the second fastest cyclist in our club.

However, I have a riding buddy that is just about my level. We ride together all the time and 98% of the time, she beats me up the hills. But she helps me with hills, cause my goal is always to stay with her if I can. I get on her wheel and just try to hang on as long as I can. She's my carrot. Lately I'm staying with her more and more and, every now and then, I actually pass her. Of course, she's 20 pounds lighter than me, cause I'm so tall (5.9"). I'm sure if were carrying 20 pounds less up those hills, I'd be so much faster! (I did lose 5 lbs lately, so I'm working on it! And I do see improvement in my climbing since losing those pounds. Yay!)

But I digress. Regarding times, I started riding tandem at the end of 2006 before I got my own bike in the summer of 2007. I don't have a record of stats for 2007, but my first 22 miler in 2008, with 1000 feet of climbing was a 13.1 average pace, 1:42 in time, not counting stops. At the end of that year, I did the same ride at a 17.1 pace, 1:18 time. This is a huge improvement, which just goes to show what can be accomplished ... if speed is a goal, anyway. For me, I just wanted to keep up with other club members and my riding buddy and I are both competitive and try to improve our time when we can. Having a riding buddy, especially one that pushes you a little, can really help your own riding, plus ensure that you actually get out there and ride!

As everyone said, it doesn't matter how fast you went as long as you had fun. But having said that, I usually have more fun and feel better about my ride if I know I did it at what I feel is a "respectable" pace for me and one that will help me stay with my cycling buddies when I ride with them. So, it just depends on what your goals are and what a "respectable" pace is for you.