Road Cycling - Beginners' speed

Hey guys, I have been riding for quite some time. That is where the problem lies, I forgot what kind of speed I started off when I first rode seriously. What's the speed of you guys when you first started riding seriously? I guess I was going real slow when I first started riding seriously, maybe 16kph, average intensity.

When I started riding seriously again last year after a 10-year hiatus, my average speed was about 24 kmh.

Before quitting over ten years ago, I had done a considerable amount of local racing, but in the meantime I had done virtually no cycling and little of any other sport. So, at most, I brought only some skill, but little fitness back to the bike.

Cheers,
Jamie

Well, this can be all over the map. It depends on what kind of shape you are in to begin with and how old you are.

I know a retired lady who said she had to park close to the supermarket because she got out of breath walking across the parking lot. She started cycling on a bike trail and would stop every 100 yards and rest and take a drink. Last year she rode a century. What a triumph.

Most people can start cruising at about 12 mph (20 kph) with no problem. But cycling is more about personal goals and what you enjoy. It really is not a competition. The main thing is sticking with it and being able to do the miles. The conditioning should follow.

Okay as I'm a beginner roadie, (one month old on a roadbike) my average speed over a 40 mile ride is 17/18 mph, but I have to say I'm of the same opinion as Pat.

I set myself goals and try to achieve them, and at the moment, in a bid to increase my distances I always go further than the last ride (even if it's only 1/4mile it's still an improvement).

I should also point out that I'm thirty-nine years old and 160 pounds, so my stats won't be relevant to somebody else.

I would consider myself a beginner- just got a mountain bike last summer and use it for road riding also (training, not racing). I usually average 20-30kph on short rides of around 30km, depending mostly on the wind.

I'm hoping to get a deal on a road bike this fall or next spring, and then maybe I'll go faster. I usually ride to the nearest city which is a little under 15k with very low, but long climbs. It takes me about 30 minutes now with a record of a little over 20 (no wind!) and I'm hoping to cut this down for next year when I get a road bike. :)

I'm trying to do more stand-and-pedal up the many hills in my area to get my average speed up. It really wipes me out briefly but I go a little further each time before sitting back down to do the 4 mph :( uphill pedal. I must clarify that these are not little rolling hills. It will come with time.
:beer:

1.5 years ago, I started out struggling to maintain 26 kph! Now, 26 kph is my warm up speed that feels like I am pedalling with no resistance.

Now I can easily maintain 30 kph for several hours. But 35 and above gets me breathing a little bit harder. Need to work on that!

I guess all of you have your base fitness, whereas I don't. Close to zero fitness.

Rest assured, I'll be back with a higher speed when I become fitter.

Same as OUCH! I too am a new roadie. But I feel being a new roadie as to being new to cycling makes a diff. My road rides, 3x weekly, are 180km. When i first got my road bike my avg. was 21kmh, now after only 2 months it has increased to 27kmh. it does varey depending on wind direction and how I feel that day.
Slainte:beer:
Matt

Oh my, what a mistake. Correction : My beginning speed was 23 kph. I had no cyclocomputer, then I used the map to track the distance and eventually find my speed. I was so stupid that I took the wrong distance, no wonder I thought why I was so slow compared to all of you. Now, I'm glad. Hopefully I can go up the grades quickly.