Originally Posted by Jonny B
By my calculations, based on an average speed of 14mph (about what I average at the moment),
That is most unlikely for a beginner biker. Are you using a cycling computer to get this figure, or does it seem so once you get up to speed?
People generally way overestimate their average speed. I.e., if you go five miles at 10 mph and then 5 miles at 20 mph, your average is NOT 15 mph - it is 13.33 mph.
If you indeed are getting an average (distance traveled/time on bike) of 14 miles per hour, my congratulations. But then perhaps you need to slow down a bit and get in a longer ride.