Boy am I slow...

[Jolt]

I was riding back from the grocery store this afternoon with a very light load (the trip was mainly to get city trash bags as we were out and tomorrow is trash day), and was riding up a fairly gradual incline on this one street and all of a sudden I hear another bike coming up on my left. Somewhat unusual around here, and even more unusual was that this guy was wearing a fluorescent/reflective vest as I do. Anyway, he blew by me like I was flippin' STANDING STILL!! And it wasn't like he was even trying to go fast--he looked like just another person using his bike to get around town, not a racing type (although he was on a road bike rather than a hybrid). I'm not sure why it bothered me so much, but I felt like I wanted to go crawl in a hole! I guess I didn't realize how slow I really was until then. I'd say my average speed was about 12 mph (the majority of the return trip is uphill). Sorry for the random vent, just aggravated with myself right now!

[Zen]

Don't be too tough on yourself here. In this case equipment is somewhat a factor. I rode a mountain bike on roads last year (oof!). This year I'm on the Pilot and I eat hills.

[Jolt]

Don't be too tough on yourself here. In this case equipment is somewhat a factor. I rode a mountain bike on roads last year (oof!). This year I'm on the Pilot and I eat hills.

Do you think part of my problem might have been that I didn't have the tires pumped up to the point where they're rock-hard? It seems like letting them have a little "give" helps with the ride on the crappy roads (we have potholes and gravel out the wazoo here), but maybe I should experiment with pumping them up to a higher pressure and see if that helps with speed--I have a feeling it would.

[madscot13]

I am pretty slow too... I think I average from 12-13 miles an hour. I think my fastest was 14.5 and I was racing how to watch Grey's anatomy. I am not sure how to increase my speed other than just riding. But man do I want to get faster, I am sick of missing my favorite TV shows.

[Zen]

I am pretty slow too... But man do I want to get faster, I am sick of missing my favorite TV shows.

That sounds like a great incentive.

[mimitabby]

if you let your tires get soft, the "Give" will pinch your tubes and flatten your tires. Put enough air in your tires to meet the minimum pressure recommended if you are a lightweight; more if you are heavier than average.

You will move a lot faster on properly inflated tires!

ps 12mph is NOT slow

[Jolt]

if you let your tires get soft, the "Give" will pinch your tubes and flatten your tires. Put enough air in your tires to meet the minimum pressure recommended if you are a lightweight; more if you are heavier than average.

You will move a lot faster on properly inflated tires!

ps 12mph is NOT slow

Sounds like I'd better add some air then--I don't need a flat!

[madscot13]

Oh yes I agree with the air thing, low psi makes me feel extra sluggish. However, I ride a trek 520, a nice little touring bike. Is there that much of a difference between a "road bike" and my "touring bike"?

[ace]

Hey Jolt,

I just got a road bike, rode a hybrid for many years. All of a sudden I am the person blowing by others (without tremendous effort on my part). In the past I was always the blow-ee. For me, it's completely a function of the bike. Going 12 mph on a hybrid takes sooo much more effort for me than going 16 mph on a road bike (at least on my bikes).

Don't feel bad.

-Amy

[Jolt]

Hey Jolt,

I just got a road bike, rode a hybrid for many years. All of a sudden I am the person blowing by others (without tremendous effort on my part). In the past I was always the blow-ee. For me, it's completely a function of the bike. Going 12 mph on a hybrid takes sooo much more effort for me than going 16 mph on a road bike (at least on my bikes).

Don't feel bad.

-Amy

So the type of bike really makes a big difference? I guess riding this one will get me in really good shape then! I haven't ridden a road bike other than short test spins when helping work on a couple at the local bike co-op.

[RoseC]

I have a cheap cyclocomputer to mount on my bike, but I haven't done it yet...I'm kind of afraid of what my average speed is gonna be. My guess is not much above 10mph at this point...the "casual" local group ride is something like 12-15mph. You're doing a lot better than me!

But hey, it means more room for improvement, right? And I have big tires on my Volpe right now...once I'm a little more used to the road position, I'll switch 'em out for something skinnier.

I'd like to see any tips more experienced riders can give on improving speed!

[ace]

Yup, it'll give you really strong legs! I honestly didn't expect the road bike to make THAT much of a difference, but I am shocked. These are the differences I've noticed:

1) my "I'm not thinking about riding and not putting in any effort" speed has increased by about 3-4 mph

2) I can actually ride 19 mph on a flat road and not feel like it's all that hard (though I don't know how long I could keep it up. On my hybrid I never got past 16 mph).

3) Getting up hills is, dare I say it, almost easy. On my hybrid, it was always a major struggle.

4) The bike actually feels like it's riding itself, it's the strangest thing. My pt, who's a cycling coach, said that means it really fits me (and it should, it's a custom frame).

Transitioning from the hybrid to the road bike has completely changed my outlook on riding. I keep getting the urge to go out and ride hills!

-Amy

[Jolt]

Well, I just went out to the shed and put some more air in my tires. They were at about 30 psi (max. recommended pressure for these tires is 80). I got them up to about 50-55 and they don't have the "give" now--I was afraid that if I put in much more air one might blow! I don't weigh much (105 lbs), so I probably don't need to be near the max pressure anyway. We'll see how much different it feels the next time I ride it--maybe the tire pressure really WAS the problem!

[mimitabby]

okay Jolt, NOW try that hill

[indysteel]

Jolt, you might ask your LBS how low you can go with those tires. Fifty psi still sounds underinflated to me if the max is 80. You won't blow them if you inflate them higher than 50 psi; I promise. While I agree that you don't need to inflate a tire to max pressure, especially if you're light, I'm afraid that you still might be at risk for a pinch flat. And whatever you do, always inflate your tires before every ride. You'd be surprised how much air they lose just by sitting there.

As for speed, since it sounds like you're beginner, all you really need to concentrate on right now is riding more. Don't worry that much about how fast you're going. Greater speed will come naturally as you get in better shape, learn to choose the best gear for the conditions, and increase your cadence (rotations of the pedal per minute) up. Have fun with it.