Average MPH

[westtexas]

I second what others have said about average speeds on group rides - it's probably in ideal conditions of flat road and no wind.

One month ago I was averaging 10-12 into the wind (out here it's usually 18mph+) and 14-16 on flat roads with a 21-23 with a tailwind. I ride about 120 miles a week and yesterday when I rode, I was averaging 17-19 on the flats, 28 with a tailwind and 13-16 into the headwind in average conditions for where I live.

I've heard others say the best way to get faster and stronger is to Just Ride Your Bike.

[Becky]

On the flip side, I've been on group rides where "average" is used to describe rolling average (beginning to end), which means that the group is often travelling several mph above average for much of the ride.

When in doubt, call the ride leader in advance.

[indysteel]

Keep in mind, too, that some groups ride are in a paceline formation. In a paceline, you typically ride very closely behind the rider in front of you, either in a long single file line or, if conditions allows, two abreast. Each person takes a turn "pulling" at the front of the line for a short period and then rotates to the end of the line. In a paceline, it's easily easier to go faster than you would otherwise ride on your own. But also keep in mind that it takes some pretty good bike handling skills to ride in a paceline. If you're a new rider, you might stick to rides where people simply ride together in a loose group. It'll get you used to being around other cyclists without some of the dangers that pacelines pose. That's how I started at first. I eventually progressed to paceline riding, which can be a lot of fun (and a little scary).

[Mako]

Hi,

This is my first post, hello everyone! I've been lurking for a good while now....

Nothing to add advice wise - sorry! However I have also been pondering this and trying to improve on my own average of around 15MPH (give or take). It'll be interesting to read the responses!

Cheers,

Mako

[Veronica]

Intervals - speed intervals, hill intervals.

I do my speed intervals inside with my bike in a trainer and use Coach Troy. But you could adapt the same idea to an outside ride.

Find a place where you can ride uninterrupted and relatively flat terrain. After you warm up, ride at an uncomfortable but sustainable pace for 6 minutes. Then soft pedal for two minutes. Repeat this two more times. You should choose gearing that allows you to maintain your optimum cadence for the full six minutes.

Then repeat this process but now up the pace and ride for two minutes with a one minute soft pedal. Repeat this five more times.

Cool down.


Veronica

[blue_angel]

I'm also bigger than average, and after a year off from cycling, my first few rides were in the 13-14 mph range (on the lovely rolling hills of SE Michigan). If you stick with it, your speed will improve. And even though it can be intimidating, riding with faster people will help you get faster too. Others above have advised you to contact the ride leader, and I second that advice. He or she will give you an honest assessment of whether or not you can keep up with the group pace; and if not, hopefully s/he will be able to point you in the direction of a different ride that is more suitable. Ultimately, it's more important that you enjoy your ride than that you feel badly for not being as fast as everybody else (this is what I tell myself every day!).

[chosen1]

Intervals - speed intervals, hill intervals.

I do my speed intervals inside with my bike in a trainer and use Coach Troy. But you could adapt the same idea to an outside ride.

Find a place where you can ride uninterrupted and relatively flat terrain. After you warm up, ride at an uncomfortable but sustainable pace for 6 minutes. Then soft pedal for two minutes. Repeat this two more times. You should choose gearing that allows you to maintain your optimum cadence for the full six minutes.

Then repeat this process but now up the pace and ride for two minutes with a one minute soft pedal. Repeat this five more times.

Cool down.


Veronica

+1 for posting this. I had been wondering what "intervals" were and was about to start searching the forum to see if if they had previously been discussed. I'm going to do these this weekend and add em to my regular bike training. It's mainly flat here but I "think" I know where I can ride that will have a hill too.

[Owlie]

To the OP, and to Mako (15 is pretty good! See my snail?)--just keep riding. You'll get faster. My normal pace this year is anywhere from 13-15 (on flats). Last year it was closer to 12-13.

If you want numbers:
For right now, for me, on a somewhat ill-fitting road bike, with clipless pedals:
"Coast" speed is 10-12, normal is 12-16 or 17 (on a good day), actually pushing it I can get up to 20-21 depending on road conditions and winds, but I can't keep that up for very long. In wet weather, I found out today I'm only comfortable doing 14 max. Hills...sometimes I'm lucky to get up them!

[Mako]

Owlie - Thanks for the response and advice, that is just what i keep thinking 'just keep going'

I do agree with the previous posters response about riding with people faster than yourself, when I have done that I have felt myself pushing harder (with less pain!).

It's a little difficult when you know you are too slow for the club rides, I know getting dropped is something you probably have to go through but I think I need a bit more work first......

So I'll just keep pushing it!

Cheers, Mako

P.S Anyone else suffering from the same issues - too slow, but not fast enough?

[Crankin]

Yes, I've always been in the in between group.
When you average around 15, it's hard to find a "group." It took me a couple of years... but it's true, I ride faster with a faster group. On the other hand, I don't do much group riding anymore. Just with 1-5 people, friends, who either ride around my speed or a little bit faster. Or, I ride with friends who are slower, and I end up waiting.

[Owlie]

Hee, a little competition can work wonders! DBF is faster than me, and if I ride with him, he lets me set the pace because he's worried that he'll drop me. (The end result is that I come back and am tired, and he comes back and is perfectly fine because he spent the ride drafting off me!) Next time I ride with him, I'm going to see if I can actually keep up with him.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

My average speed is about 9 mph. That's right, 9 mph.

About 4 years ago when i was really cycling regularly for a couple of years, even in winter, and I rode the most ever- 2500 miles in one year, I got pretty strong that year. That year my average speed increased!....to 10 mph.

My fastest speed ever was 40.2 mph on a descent, but I frequently hit 30 or 35 mph downhill, and regularly hit 2.5 to 3 mph up the steeper hills. Very few flats around here.

I took off my bike computer last year.

[KnottedYet]

I took off my bike computer last year.

I took mine off all my bikes. Too distracting.

Ride lots.

[wackyjacky1]

My average speed is about 9 mph. That's right, 9 mph.
...
I took off my bike computer last year.

Same here!

Just lately I had an epiphany: I'm simply never gonna be fast, and all of the sudden I realized I didn't care about speed. Perhaps it's an age thing; when I was younger I worried -- a lot -- about my lack of speed, and really berated myself for it. Now I'm content to poke along, rubbernecking at the scenery, pausing to take the occasional picture, or even stopping to have a nice latte and a scone at a cafe! Yeah, it takes me two hours to ride twenty miles, but I'm ok with that now.

But...I do avoid group rides because I know I'll be miles behind them when they've already finished their ride.

That being said, I'm finding that the more I ride, the stronger I'm getting. I've been commuting nearly every day this year, which has really increased my saddle time, and while I can't quantify it, I can feel that I've gotten a wee bit faster and better on hills.

[Geonz]

I second what others have said about average speeds on group rides - it's probably in ideal conditions of flat road and no wind.

I would NIX that proclamation about the average. Around here, if they tell me they'll average 16, then I'd better be able to hold 18 for most of the ride. YMMV of course, but bike culture I've mixed with has a very, very strong tendency to "aw shucks, we don't go that fast" and then have that adrenaline/competition thing happen.

This happens a *little* bit less on our slower-paced rides, but every year we battle "mid season pace creep."

What's it mean? Don't be discouraged- keep riding.

I got a lot stronger with intervals, but I didn't have a recipe. I added 1 mph or 2 mph to my speed and tried to hold onto it until it was hard for a while (I'd try to do 100 x my waltz count that comes from doing bilateral breathing in swimming... somehow it's less boring if I have a rhythm with a dominant beat... ONE two three...) and then relax for ... 'til I almost got my breath back. We have roads on the grid, so I'd kinda keep an eye on how fast I went for each mile -- but I don't really compare one day or one mile to the next seriously. Just "go a little harder for a while... okay, for ten seconds longer than you want to, get to breathing hard!"