how slow am I?

[snapdragen]

What is cachaça? I already love the drink- I can tell- I love lime.

It's distilled from sugar cane. More cut and paste:

Cachaca is Brazilian liquor made from distilled sugar cane juice. While rum is distilled from molasses, cachaca is distilled directly from the juice of the unrefined sugar cane. Before distillation, the juice ferments in a wood or copper container for three weeks, and is then boiled down three times to a concentrate. Cachaca is always distilled in such a way that the scent of sugar cane and inimitable flavor typical of rum are retained.

[RoadRaven]

So, when MP and Nanci average only 13.5 miles an hour over a 600k, they're only beginning riders?

13.5 maybe slow for you on your course with your equipment, terrain, age, weight, winds, etc., etc., etc., It can be damn fast in other situations. When you can ride a 600K faster than that, let us know.

Sorry, but you sound like the Bike Club president who told me I wasn't a serious cyclist because I don't ride ultra-distance events. Well, I haven't noticed Lance riding brevets either. You start out your post by agreeing that the variables are critical, but you end it with implying that slow speeds make you a beginning rider. You want to re-consider?

No... I was not referring to long-term riders with the reference to beginning riders... someone in this thread - and I forget who - made reference to herself being a beginning rider...

Yes I know 13 1/2 mph can be damn fast - I too know what a head wind is like, and what nasty hills are like.

I suggest you go back to my post - I implied slow averages may be beacuse one is a beginning rider, or because one is a recreational rider (and yes, to many, riding a 600k to complete it is recreational, riding it to have the fastest time is a different motivation).

I also implied by my post that the same rider has different averages for different reasons on different rides.

Trying to suggest that to complete is a good enough reason.
Trying to suggest that to measure oneself against oneself is the most useful measure of increasing fitness.
Trying to imply that an average means nothing without knowing the variables involved.

I'm not reconsidering what I wrote, I stand by it.
I am sorry if it was clear not enough.

[Jen Jen]

I am right at my one year anniversary of really road biking, and have ridden roughly 5000 miles in that year.

OMG, 5000 miles! WOW!!!

I just got my road bike a little over 2 months ago. I've just got around 300 miles in. I was a little disappointed to realize that 5 years of riding my hybrid didn't prepare me for my road bike like I would have thought. But I'm getting better, little by little. I look forward to being able to manage longer rides (so far, my best is 25 miles. I will be excited to break the 30 miles I had ridden in previous years on the hybrid.)

You average almost 100 miles/wk.

I say again, WOW!!!

[Kano]

I just got my road bike a little over 2 months ago. I've just got around 300 miles in. I was a little disappointed to realize that 5 years of riding my hybrid didn't prepare me for my road bike like I would have thought. But I'm getting better, little by little. I look forward to being able to manage longer rides (so far, my best is 25 miles. I will be excited to break the 30 miles I had ridden in previous years on the hybrid.)

Jen Jen, I'm curious! What were you hoping for, and what did you find in making the change in bike types? A little over two months ago -- that's about how long I've had my bike, and that was just a couple of weeks after ski season ended, which means that for much of the country roads were just getting civilized and warmth was beginning to return -- were you coming off a winter hiatus maybe and having to build strength again because of that?

Seems to me that Nanci recently wrote about riding in Florida? If so, she's got an "eternal summer" advantage over some of us (unless she traveled there to do that ride!) Not saying that 5000 miles is easy to find time for, but it's probably easier to log that many miles if you can ride year round!

Karen in Boise

[Nanci]

Yes I live in Florida! It gets cold here in the winter, though- 20's- enough that I am pining away for real winter cycling shoes. But I did keep my cycling tan all winter.

Everyone is free to move here!

Jen Jen, you'll get there! The road bike _wants_ you to ride long! Ride a couple nights a week, if you can, and a longer ride on the weekend, and increase that ride very gradually- 2 or 3 or 5 miles at a time- making sure you're eating while you ride because soon you're going to get into the time range where you use up your energy stores. My longest ride on road (not trail) a year ago was 37 miles at a Century. A person can make enormous progress in only a year!

Nanci

[mimitabby]

Jen Jen, I'm curious! What were you hoping for, and what did you find in making the change in bike types? A little over two months ago -- that's about how long I've had my bike, and that was just a couple of weeks after ski season ended, which means that for much of the country roads were just getting civilized and warmth was beginning to return -- were you coming off a winter hiatus maybe and having to build strength again because of that?

Seems to me that Nanci recently wrote about riding in Florida? If so, she's got an "eternal summer" advantage over some of us (unless she traveled there to do that ride!) Not saying that 5000 miles is easy to find time for, but it's probably easier to log that many miles if you can ride year round!

Karen in Boise

Hey Karen, I too switched from CRoss to Roadbike and it is one HECK of an adjustment. The gears are different on the two bikes so i had to re-learn where they were (still learning) the posture is different. I am being fitted by a local shop; i've been there twice and need to go back again!
It's fun to ride a really fast light bike though.

[Brandy]

if you can, and a longer ride on the weekend, and increase that ride very gradually- 2 or 3 or 5 miles at a time- making sure you're eating while you ride because soon you're going to get into the time range where you use up your energy stores. Nanci

Hit that point yesterday! I did my very first ride on my road bike almost two months ago and Tiff and I did our longest ride (51.9 miles) yesterday and even though I've heard the women here preach about proper nutrition and hydration on longer rides, boy...does it smack you upside the head and become VERY REAL when you're out there. Thankfully it was a lesson that we won't forget...one energy gel and a Luna Bar is not enough food while riding 50 miles and hills! We should have stopped when we came out of the canyon and back into civilizathion like we had planned to originally, but instead we just pushed on and decided to stop and eat at the end of the ride. The last 1/4 mile I thought I might have to get off and walk and my mental alertness until I got some food in my body was pretty crappy. Won't be doing that again!

[Lenusik]

Yes I know 13 1/2 mph can be damn fast - I too know what a head wind is like, and what nasty hills are like.
I suggest you go back to my post - I implied slow averages may be beacuse one is a beginning rider, or because one is a recreational rider (and yes, to many, riding a 600k to complete it is recreational, riding it to have the fastest time is a different motivation).
I'm not reconsidering what I wrote, I stand by it.
I am sorry if it was clear not enough.

Dark Orchid,
Thanks a lot for putting this thread back on track at least for a little while. Obviously there is bad weather and bad hills, different bikes that we can all talk about all day long. But average is average. I hate riding when it is windy because I get pushed around too much, I am rather small. If I rode only hills I would never get this average. But let's just assume that we are talking about ideal weather that you have in your area, both hills, flats and declines. That's what I was talking about - the average ANYWHERE for an average cyclist is 18-20 mph. Maybe I get this speed because I don't drink alcohol or coffee at all. May be it is normal competitive nature that I have. Yes, when I see someone in front of me, whether it is a strong rider or a grandpa on a tricycle, I will chase this person, and could succeed or fail misarably. And btw, I have full respect to them no matter who they are, because they are riding. The most important thing is enjoying what you do and hopefully improve.

[mimitabby]

the average ANYWHERE for an average cyclist is 18-20 mph. Maybe I get this speed because I don't drink alcohol or coffee at all.

Lenusik;
I'd like to know where you got this statistic.

Lots of people don't drink alcohol or coffee (me) and i can assure you it doesn't make me a fast rider, give me a break.
Some of the faster riders in my club drink way too much.

here's some info from a scientific study that suggests the average speed is 15.5 mph:
http://www.walkinginfo.org/task_orde...ap14/sect4.htm
Similar to motor vehicle traffic, bicycle speeds on uninterrupted facilities are not affected by volume over a large initial range. It is recommended that 25 km/h (15.5 mi/h) be used as the average bicycle running speed for the combined bicycle facility procedure. This speed falls within the range of speeds from previous studies as reported in the Bicycle Literature Review Section of the Research Report for this project ( Rouphail et al., 1997 ).

[Lenusik]

This is a good article that speaks of some designated cycling fascilities. I am lucky to have a very long stretch of the road that does not have any intesections. Maybe that what helps me. I can go at least for 10 miles or more at a time without stopping unless I chose to do that. And I have a several hills on the way that are about 1-2 miles long. So, maybe we should start talking about average speed per certain distance.

[Brandy]

Dark Orchid,
But let's just assume that we are talking about ideal weather that you have in your area, both hills, flats and declines. That's what I was talking about - the average ANYWHERE for an average cyclist is 18-20 mph.

I was going to type out a reply, but this guy says it all. . Oh wait...I think he sums it up too.

[mimitabby]

I was going to type out a reply, but this guy says it all. . Oh wait...I think he sums it up too.

don't bash your head Brandy. If the average bike speed was really 18-20 miles an hour, the Seattle to Portland bike ride would NOT be a two day event (It's 200 miles and relatively flat)

[Geonz]

I also find that statistic interesting - Frankly, an awful lot of *bicycles* don't go that fast for far without falling apart (since it's supposedly "anywhere.")
THinking about it... 18-20? That's butt-kicking fast for an average. Take a survey online of bicycle club ride rankings, and see where "18-20 mph" fits. Oh, those aren't "any" riders, "anywhere," either - they're bike club members, so forget all the putzers out on their three-speeds. Go on a big invitational ride... go 18 mph. Compare the passers and the passees.
I suppose that one statement puts everything in its perspective... must be riding in a different "anywhere" than I do. In that anywhere, 13 is slow. For the rest of the world - come on out and join us! It's a "level 2," here (though I confess, it's July... most of our Level 1's are there by now.)

[mimitabby]

Ride Classifications

All rides are listed according to guidelines that include pace, distance, terrain, etc. Note that helmets meeting CPSC, ANSI, or Snell standards, are required on all Cascade Rides.

All riders are expected to ride safely and be ready to ride at the start time.

Please choose from the following classifications for a ride that suits your skills and energy level.

Pace

Easy: Under 10 mph
Leisurely: 10-12 mph
Steady: 12-14 mph
Moderate: 14-16 mph
Brisk: 16-18 mph
Strenuous: 18-21 mph
Super Strenuous: 22+ mph

Note: for rides described as HILLY, consider choosing a pace one step down from your usual comfort level

[Pedal Wench]

Besides conditions, I really think the emphasis needs to be on ride length too. I'm sure I could hold an 18mph average over a time trial course - something like 10 miles. No way could I hold that on a century. When people post their averages without their total mileage, the number is useless.

Hey - I did an 87 mile ride last week with an 18 mph average. Unfortunately, it was mostly downhill! I don't consider that a true average!