How fast should I be aiming to go?

[Rebekah H]

Now that I'm a couple of weeks in and can pretty easily do fifteen miles without stopping at around 12-13 mph, I'm wondering how fast I should be aiming to go. Any pointers? I haven't started with clips yet, which my hubs tells me will give me a little extra on the gas pedal.

22 miles without stopping is my longest ride so far. I was tickled pink that night!

[ny biker]

Depends on how fast you want to go.

If you want to race, or you want to do a long charity ride that has a cutoff time, or you want to ride with a specific group that averages a certain speed, then use that to set a goal.

Otherwise, do what makes you happy.

Of course, there's no point in racing, or doing a long charity ride, or riding with a specific group, unless doing that makes you happy...

[Rebekah H]

I don't want to be a slow poke in the back in group rides when I get the courage up to do that! I'm so out of shape right now and pretty overweight, so I know what feels comfortable for me to balance getting a good workout without killing myself, but I want to be able to keep up too.

[westtexas]

I think you should go as fast as you want to! Overtime with practice and Just Riding Your Bike, you will get stronger and faster. But I think unless you're planning on joining a women's race team... For me, everyday is different. Somedays I'm hammering the pedals into the wind and going 20+ mph; Some days I'm rolling along around 15 just enjoying being outside and enjoying the day. It all kind of depends on how hard I want to work. Also remember, some of us are "slow" and steady but great at long distances and some people are the sprinters who can speed along but only for short distances (and I suppose there are some inbetween people too!)

[Rebekah H]

I think you should go as fast as you want to! Overtime with practice and Just Riding Your Bike, you will get stronger and faster. But I think unless you're planning on joining a women's race team... For me, everyday is different. Somedays I'm hammering the pedals into the wind and going 20+ mph; Some days I'm rolling along around 15 just enjoying being outside and enjoying the day. It all kind of depends on how hard I want to work. Also remember, some of us are "slow" and steady but great at long distances and some people are the sprinters who can speed along but only for short distances (and I suppose there are some inbetween people too!)

I think I'm probably a slow and steady kind of person. It makes me way happier to see the odometer roll over 20 than it does to see the mph go up to 16. The first day I rode 25 miles (with a ten minute break, no way I can go that far without stopping yet), I was over the moon. The first time I saw the mph hit 19, I just kind of had a "meh" moment.

[grey]

I wouldn't worry about speed. For me, the distance is what's cool - I get much more excited that I rode 50 miles, or that a hill was easier than the last time I met it, than I do about speed. Do what feels right for you. We're all different. :-)

[indysteel]

If you're out of shape right now, I wouldn't focus too much on speed right now. Instead, focus on building a solid aerobic base. Try to stay well within a comfortable aerobic zone, i.e., not anaerobic. If you can't maintain a conversation without getting overly breathless, bring it down a notch or two. If you're using a heartrate monitor, stay within 70 percent of max. I would recommend focusing on this for a couple of months. After that, you can start building in some speed and hill work and allowing yourself to go anaerobic. I know it probably sounds sort of boring and tedious, but your body (and cardiovascular system) will love you for it.

I spent a winter doing just this when I first started riding. Boy, did I hit the ground running come spring.