how slow am I?

[betagirl]

You guys are WUSSES with only 94% humidity!!

Hey it's not my fault you decided to live in a swamp.

You think we're bad, one of my teammates for RAGBRAI was in Iowa with a few others of us a couple weekends ago. The humidity was maybe 70% or so. He was like my god it's so humid! Then again he's from colorado.

[Kano]

Desert climate here, but I grew up in the midwest, and was totally blown away one day when someone suggested 25% was awfully muggy!

Eclectic -- I know exactly how you felt when you read the "slow ride" post! My average speed is around 11.5. Crawling up hills at around 4-5 messes with my speeds horribly! (I get really excited if I can stay above 6 on a hill!)

Karen in Boise

[Eden]

You all may be comparing apples to oranges too. Fess up - some people when they talk about their "average speed" may not be talking about what shows up on the cycle computer, but what they see the most when they look down on the flats.

If you are going purely by what the computer shows, where you ride will make a big difference in what your average speed is. How many times you have to stop for lights and stop signs or slow for traffic, how hilly, flat, windy, whether you ride solo or in a group will all make a difference in your average speed, but not really compare how strong you are to another person unless they have done the identical ride.

[Brandy]

I'm a total newbie and I think I average under 13 mph most of the time. I'll have a better idea after I do a 50 mile ride with some climbing on Thursday. Sometimes I feel like I'm really slow, particularly when I look over on PCH and see the groups of club riders blow past me like I'm standing still, but eh...I've only been riding for two months and I'm sure that I'll keep improving

[bouncybouncy]

what eden said...

different rides are going to give you different results. when i started i was slow in comparison to the local riders...20 mph. now to those girls in the mtns i was fast...i now live in the mtns and have been working on my speed but not by looking at average speed unless it is the same route i am comparing...some routes i average 13-14 some i average as high as 18...the hills are to blame! you have wind...each day is different there so it may be harder to judge.

average speed is better taken seriously in a controlled environment.

pedal on and enjoy!!!

[Tuckervill]

If you are going purely by what the computer shows, where you ride will make a big difference in what your average speed is. How many times you have to stop for lights and stop signs or slow for traffic, how hilly, flat, windy, whether you ride solo or in a group will all make a difference in your average speed, but not really compare how strong you are to another person unless they have done the identical ride.

Right...this morning I decided to just go by time instead of miles. My computer doesn't calculate average speed, just top speed, miles, time. So this morning I rode for 1:32, on a hilly route. Sometimes I was going under 4 mph uphill. On one hill, I was going side to side, because it was so steep and I didn't want to push.

At the end of the ride, I'd gone 15.2 miles. That's an average speed of just 6mph. I'm happy with my ride, though, because it met my goals.

*Oh, I meant to day that a week or so ago I did a ride on the town trail in which I had a 16 mph average. It wasn't the distance I did today, though.

Karen

[Crankin]

You are doing fine. Unless you want to start training for racing or have a need for speed, your average will go up with experience, time, and maybe a little specific effort. When i started cycling, my average was probably around 12. That was on a mountain bike with slicks. After I got my first road bike, I did work on improving, and it went up to about 13.5. Now it's about 15.5, but the reason it isn't going up higher has to do with the kind of riding I do and who I ride with. I live in an area that's not flat, mostly rolling, but also with some hard climbs. When I ride by myself or my husband on shorter rides (15-25 miles) my average tends to be between 15.5 and 16. What's surprised me is that it's creeped up, even after moving to a house where every ride ends with a 10-15% grade climb. But, when I ride longer distances, I go slower. Perhaps this is self defeating, but I am riding for fitness and fun, not just speed. I also ride with people who tend to average around 13-14. That's fine with me, especially, if it's after a day that i have done a harder ride. So my average goes down. If you look at my Bike Journal stats, it will probably say my average is 14.7 for the year, a result of this type of riding.
The club rides I lead are advertised as intermediate; the average tends to be around 14. Sometimes there are slower people and they are fine. We just wait at the tops of the climbs for them. This is social riding, not hammering. I finally found a group ride where I can keep up and even be in the front. The average is around 15. I usually drop almost everyone except the leader on the hills, but I am a slow descender, so I lose there.
So, unless you have a need for more speed right now, give it time and a little work and you will improve.

[maillotpois]

There's always going to be someone who's faster than you.

There's always going to be someone who's slower than you.

[Bad JuJu]

There's always going to be someone who's faster than you.

There's always going to be someone who's slower than you.

And if you're as fortunate as Goldilocks was, you might find someone to ride with who's "just right."

[Fredwina]

When I started cycling, I picked up by Greg LeMond. He urged people to train by time, not by mileage. I found this really does help.(i,e, doing an hour ride versus going out for 15 miles)
Speed: maillotpois hit it on the head. I think some people (form past experience in real life) associate max speed with average speed.
An example. Today I did Glendora Mountain Road with Warren. I averaged 12.9, so that means I'm slower than you , right? Going up (there's about 2500 feet of climbing in 6 miles), I was averaging about 6.5mph. Better than my last time up. Going down, I doing around 35(Getting better at hairpin turns). We going to come through La Verne(An LA suburb), but they were having a parade, so we wound up in Pomona (a less "desirable" city, if you get my drift), We were doing about 20mph through there since it was fairly flat .
Unless you're racing, the only person you really need to compare yourself against is yourself. Sounds like you're doing fine

[Geonz]

The ride leader who is resonsible for an awful lot of my enjoyment and strength and endurance says "There will always be someone older AND faster than you."

That "what's average" thing works both ways, too. If you're going on a ride and they say, "oh, we only average about 14," they're sort of referring to the average at the end... or what they were averaging in March... so most of the time out on the road, they're going 17 or 18 - but since they already dropped you, they don't notice.

[Lenusik]

There's always going to be someone who's faster than you.
There's always going to be someone who's slower than you.

Sorry girls, but 13-15 mph sounds really slow to me. I was riding faster on the first days of my ride. And I am not a racer by any means. And sometimes a have bad days. But if you don't push yourself, you will not get faster. If I cannot average (including hills) 18-20 mph - I know I am having a bad day. My normal spead to hold is 20 - 23 mph. I can hold 25 - 27 for a couple of miles when I push. My fasters spring on flats so far is 34 mph. Speed during climbs depends on the hill grade: from 8mph all the way to 17mph.

But the quote is right: there is always someone faster or slower. Do whatever feels right.

[caligurl]

Sorry girls, but 13-15 mph sounds really slow to me.

well then i'm pretty damned slow.... cuz my average speeds are normally 14-15 at the end of a ride (that's on the computer... what it averages it out to.... my average speed for they year so far for all my rides: 13.6 mph (total elevation gain for the year so far: 201,316)

EVERYONE has their OWN personal average speed

i found you comment just a little harsh considering a lot of people on this board... including me... have already stated they ride in that range or slower

[Lenusik]

Then please read my last sentence.

[Lenusik]

i found you comment just a little harsh considering a lot of people on this board... including me... have already stated they ride in that range or slower

I realize that it may have sounded harsh TO YOU. But I thought that the ladies on this board were asked for an opinion. I tend to share my opinion honestly. Again, I indicated that I ride faster than 13 mph. If it is that hard to take, then why having an open discussion board with freedom to share opinions. I am much slower than my husband and it only motivates me to work harder. I did not mean to upset you. I hope you read my last note saying that people should do what they feel is right for them. Then someone's "harsh" opinion wouldn't matter.