how slow am I?

[Eden]

HA! HA! "Keep riding and you will be as fast me someday!"

Yea, unfortunately... there are genetic barriers involved in our speeds... and how much faster we can get... I do believe.

I could ride 7 days a week, and I know I would never get very fast (aka: 22-25 mph average). I'm not sure what my top speed will ever be, but after 1.5 years on my bike, the fastest I have ever gone is a 17 mph average. But, most days, I hang around 15-16 mph.

I can only DREAM of breaking the 17 mph barrier!

The fact is... is that some people have natural ability... some do not. If we all had the same abilities... everyone would be riding the same speed!

For me, I don't have the natural ability. All I have is the ability to be perfectly mediocre. And that allows me to ride with groups and makes me happy!

And discussions like this program us all to think that we are slow. I used to think that I was very slow. If I went by my average training ride speeds, I probably would still be sitting around believing it. (btw KSH - you don't sound too mediocre to me!)

Look gals unless it's a race, IT'S NOT A RACE. If it is a race it may not always be the fastest person who wins, but the one who rides the smartest. It's good to have goals and its fine to want to improve your speed, but comparing your average speed to other peoples is likely to not bring you any happiness. I can see why people on other bike forums usually shut this topic down pretty quick when it comes up. There is no real point to making the comparison if you aren't doing the same ride in the same conditions.

If you want to use average speed - compare yourself to yourself on a course you ride often. Be kind to yourself - one day of slower speed doesn't mean your slipping - maybe it was windier, maybe you were hungry or tired. It's like getting on the scale every morning - look for trends, rather than what happens each individual day.

[Grog]

For me, I don't have the natural ability. All I have is the ability to be perfectly mediocre. And that allows me to ride with groups and makes me happy!

Wwwooooh, wait a minute dear.

I generally agree with your post, but I strongly refuse to think of you as "mediocre". (There is definitely an ironic spin to your post and I'm sure that's not what you think, but I still need to clarify.)

A trainer I worked with along with other members of my club, who also works with elite and professional athletes, kept telling us that we were all athletes - no matter at what level - and in any case close to the peak of the fitness pyramid in the general population. About 1% of the population participates in triathlon, and probably not a lot more than 10% of the population is capable of running 5-10 km continuously or cycle for more than 30 km. So please don't say you are mediocre. Perhaps you would seem relatively out of place if dropped inadvertently in the middle of the world championships. But even then you wouldn't be mediocre. Do not put yourself down like this, it's absolutely not founded.

Besides that, yes, genetics do play a part. For example, it's proven unfortunately that no matter how much they train about 1/3 of the population will not significantly increase their respiratory capacity... which doesn't prevent them from having fun and reaping other health benefits from exercising.

However, there is also a strong social, personal and familial component. My dear partner, to take only one example of someone I don't even dream of passing on a hill (unless he has a broken leg... and even then...) has been involved in sports since he was a very young child and never stopped cycling, running and swimming, all his life. He didn't come in first, but he certainly wasn't out of place at the abovementioned world championship when he went there. He has good genes, perhaps, but above all he had a lot of encouragement as a child, a lot of experience, a lot of training, and he's built over the years an amazing machine of a body. That serves him well. (Hummm, serves me well too, but that's another matter. ) I, on the other hand, while never sedentary, never was into any sport, but chose politics and volunteer work instead. Without offence to my parents, I may not have the most athletic set of genes, either. I have now added cycling (and some running) to my life, but not at the expense of other activities I love and find meaningful. So of course I'm not improving as much as much as I would if I would put cycling first. So what? That doesn't make me mediocre.

[KSH]

And discussions like this program us all to think that we are slow. I used to think that I was very slow. If I went by my average training ride speeds, I probably would still be sitting around believing it. (btw KSH - you don't sound like you are particularly slow)

Well, it all depends WHO I ride with. As I posted before, speed is relative.

If I ride with my triathlon group, it's ALWAYS a race for them... and I get dropped. When I ride with them, I am slow. Even the people who just bought their bikes a week before keep up or pass me. It's sad.

Whereas if I ride with my cycling club, there are riders who are my speed and I have a group to ride with. So, when I ride with this group, I am perfectly mediocre- average.

Overall though, I never pay attention to my speed or my average on a ride. I focus on my cadence (90-100) and shift according to that reading.

I generally agree with your post, but I strongly refuse to think of you as "mediocre". (There is definitely an ironic spin to your post and I'm sure that's not what you think, but I still need to clarify.)

Mediocre:

1: moderate to inferior in quality;
2: of no exceptional quality or ability.

I appreciate the kind words... I really do! And trust me, I'm don't pity myself and I'm not trying to put myself down. I'm just being honest. Also keep in mind that I compare myself to the people who train/compete in triathlons with me... not to the person who never exercises.

Now... I have FUN doing what I do. Sure, I could train a few more hours a week, maybe not eat all the bad food I do, I could train using my heart rate, etc... and I would probably get better... but I want to have fun with all this... so I do what I feel like doing.

Otherwise, I have always been OK at everything I do. Not the worst, not the best, just somewhere in the middle.... medicore. In all my triathlon's, I am in the middle of my age group, in H.S. when I was a competitive swimmer- I was a decent swimmer who got the job done. Nothing spectacular.

That's me. And I'm perfectly OK with that. I have fun riding, swimming, and running... even if I will never come in first place.

[Nanci]

I think going too fast limits people, too. They don't have time to stop to see one of the largest oaks in Florida and take a picture of their bike by it. They don't have time to help a Three-Striped Musk Turtle across a busy road. They don't have time to watch a family of baby alligators. They don't have time to look up and down the River Styx and spot a white heron. They don't know where to find the restroom key at Tim's Fast Nickel. They don't stop for scenic group pictures along the way. All those speedy A and B riders- most of them aren't training for racing, maybe they just want to be REALLY fast for the annual Century, maybe they have to get home to do chores, maybe they just enjoy the limited field of view of the rider ahead's butt- good for them, go go go, but they are missing out on the _pleasure_ of riding a bike from one good thing to the next.

[Jones]

. My normal spead to hold is 20 - 23 mph. I can hold 25 - 27 for a couple of miles when I push. .

Lance Armstrong is a remarkable bike rider. He has/had access to all the latest technology, the best bikes, the best training, personnel trainers, etc. and almost unlimited funds to help train. Training was his full time job. He won the Tour de France 7 times with an average speed of 24.99 mph.

Lenusik if your "normal spead" is 20- 23 mph I think you could be the first woman to ride le tour.
My average speed is more in line with knotted and once, an old man walking his dog, talking on a phone beat me up a hill. But I still love to ride.

Jones.

[Grog]

I think going too fast limits people, too. They don't have time to stop to see one of the largest oaks in Florida and take a picture of their bike by it. They don't have time to help a Three-Striped Musk Turtle across a busy road. They don't have time to watch a family of baby alligators. They don't have time to look up and down the River Styx and spot a white heron. They don't know where to find the restroom key at Tim's Fast Nickel. They don't stop for scenic group pictures along the way. All those speedy A and B riders- most of them aren't training for racing, maybe they just want to be REALLY fast for the annual Century, maybe they have to get home to do chores, maybe they just enjoy the limited field of view of the rider ahead's butt- good for them, go go go, but they are missing out on the _pleasure_ of riding a bike from one good thing to the next.

Nanci, I love you.

This being said, I am starting to understand the other side of the story too. Dear Partner (quoted ahead as competitive triathlete) is an uphill speed junkie. He's in med school right now and has had to decide not to compete this year. You know what he misses most? "Being fit." I can't believe it (as he is extremely fit even when he claims he's not), but it's true. He gets high on feeling extremely fit, and competing is his way to make that level of fitness happen.

Riding together at a common pace is of course difficult. We've decided we'd do a long but "slow" (for him - think 25 kmh or 15 mph average - because I get quite a workout out of it) but long (again it's relative, only 100-130 km, which for you Nanci would be a shorty... ) ride on hilly terrain together on the weekend, and stop for lunch, pictures, etc. He carries the camera and I have given him a pictures "quota" to fill: 5 shots an hour at least. He hits the hills hard and waits for me at the top to take a picture of my sweaty self when I eventually get there. Others could be offended by this, but I find it cute, and it entertains him while he waits for me. I let him drop me except on flats with a headwind, in which case I'll ask for his protection and ride at a happy 35 km/h + enjoying the view of his bum. Sometimes at the end of the day he'll be tired enough that I'll even get to take a few pulls.

He's also very supportive of my involvement in the sport, and loves seeing me smiling my way through every ride.

All this to say that I now understand why someone would want to go very fast, and have hard time going slow. He still struggles with the "touring" mode, but he is finding it enjoyable, he's very proud of his pictures of deers, and I'm sure he'd be happy to rescue the occasional turtle if he'd have a chance. But that didn't come spontaneously to him, he has to learn it, just as I would have to learn to work my way up faster. Who would have known ?

Eventually we'll get him a heavier touring bike and maybe a trailer with a couple of kids in it, that should slow him down. In the meantime, we can't afford any of these!!!

[maillotpois]

I wanted to send a link to you with the results from Tour de Phoenix in April 2006 for 26 miles including a good 4 mile climb. http://www.pbaa.com/!ETP/p26m-06.htm
This includes men and women, not professionals, but simple average riders. Those who beleive that they are a little better enter the 74 mile competition. Please check the average speed of the first 24 riders. This is a pretty standandard goal that an average rider may want to consider. This is not my opinion, just the stats. But again, what you do is your own personal choice and we all have our own motivations.

I regularly race the Tour de Tucson (111 - 114 miles, depening on course), which is put on by PBAA as well. I am a 3 - 4 time Platinum finisher of the race, meaning that I finished under 6 hours and now get to start in the elite section in the front of the race. My best time is 5h 35 minutes, working aggressively in pacelines and actually racing. That puts me at roughly an average speed of 20 - 22 mph. Again, this is aggressive bike racing over 113 miles, with contact and bike bumping and fast pacelines. This is the only race I actually race all year as I have a 10 year old and a full time job and do not have the time to actually race with a team.

I don't know about the Tour de Phoenix, but I can tell you that the average speed of the first 24 finishers of the Tour de Tucson is not a "standard goal" that an average cyclist can attain. Maybe the Tour de Phoenix is more casual? Or maybe I am below average, but since my finishing time at Tucson is in the top 30 - 40 (non-tandem) women, I think that is probably not the case.

And while my average speed on Tucson may be over 20 mph for 10 miles, I can tell you that for my local Northern CA rides, which have many more hills, my pace is what you would apparently describe as slow.

For example:

On my 600k brevet with 13,000 feet of climbing my speed was 13 mph average;
On the Davis Double, working with my husband in a pace line my speed was 17 mph, but on the Eastern Sierra double (11,000 climbing) riding on my own, my pace was 14 1/2 mph;
I did a 115 mile Death Ride training ride earlier in June, and my pace was 11 mph;

At the Death Ride last year my pace was 11.22 mph. I won't get to try to beat that time this weekend because of my pulmonary embolism, but I am hopeful that I can come back next year and post a "slow" time for that ride.

Point is - no one knows what terrain, conditions, whatever anyone is riding. Average MPH is basically worthless from one person to the next or one ride to the next - compare yourself to yourself.

Just get on your bike and ride.

[maillotpois]

Woo-hooo! My average is the slowest! 10.9 mph!!!

(do I get a prize?)

I can't wait to do my first triathlon next month: in my miniskirt with my bike seat with springs under the butt and upright bars with a dingy-bell and fenders and a big ol' grin on my face!

Have fun, everyone, cuz we'll all be dead someday!

But (say it with me now) we're NOT DEAD YET!!!!

-KnottedYet

Excellent! And having come closest of anyone on the forum (I hope) to death this week I say we BOTH get a prize!!!!

[caligurl]

I don't know about the Tour de Phoenix, but I can tell you that the average speed of the first 24 finishers of the Tour de Tucson is not something an average cyclist can attain.

not to mention... there were.. what???? 162 names on that list? what a small percentage the first 25 are! and look at the average speeds of the "bottom" 30 or so.... 10 or less mph! and then you have the middle ground.... the average.... of the other 100 or so people....

[caligurl]

At the Death Ride last year my pace was 11.22 mph. I won't get to try to beat that time this weekend because of my pulmonary embolism, but I am hopeful that I can come back next year and post a strong "slow" time for that ride.

Point is - no one knows what terrain, conditions, whatever anyone is riding. Just get on your bike and ride.

good luck on your ride this weekend! please be careful!!!!

everyone one of my epic rides (which of course aren't as epic as the death ride or your doubles)... have all be PROUDLY completed... but completed slowly (or rather to the best of my ability!)... but hey.... i finished! and THAT was what important to ME!

[Lise]

No riding for the MP this weekend, right?

[betagirl]

Lance Armstrong is a remarkable bike rider. He has/had access to all the latest technology, the best bikes, the best training, personnel trainers, etc. and almost unlimited funds to help train. Training was his full time job. He won the Tour de France 7 times with an average speed of 24.99 mph.

Lenusik if your "normal spead" is 20- 23 mph I think you could be the first woman to ride le tour.

Yeah, but Lance is riding over several mountain stages. I can hold 20-23 on a flat road without much problem. Put me in a mountain and I a) cry like a baby and b) drop in speed significantly.

[Crankin]

I haven't been on line today, but discussions like these are the reason why I don't ride with certain clubs. They are full of attitude. Thank you for the kind words, Denise. I grew up as an unathletic last person chosen type of kid. Most of the people I know now think I'm some kind of super human athlete. I am just having fun and I only compete with myself.
I just took my former exchange student to the airport to go back to Berlin. He is a PRO and competed in a grueling 4 day stage race while he was here. He came in 10th in th GC and won the green jersey for most sprinting points. And you know what? He rode with ME twice at my little speed of 15.5 average. Sure, it's his recovery day, but he said that is exactly the speed he likes for those days. He told me that I am the fittest over 40 woman he knows, especially after working in the emergency room for the last year and seeing the results of not exercising. So ladies, keep it in perspective.

Robyn

[caligurl]

Speed during climbs depends on the hill grade: from 8mph all the way to 17mph.

beta girl... according to her.... she doesn't drop her speed much on hills either though.....

i'm with you on climbs... i don't cry... lol (ok... i do whine.. but i subject myself to them anyways! i thrive on completing the epis hill climbs! lol!) but the minute i come to a hill... i slow down!.... sometimes waaaaaaaaaaaaay down (geez... at redlands i was barely moving on some of those 22-24% grades! but i never walked once! phew!)

[DrBee]

I'd probably have to walk up a hill! And I'd be proud to do it and would also enjoy the scenery at the same time.