Commuting - Going for 17 mph...

...average speed for the week, that is. I was off the bike on vacation last week. When I got home on Monday, I noticed that my average speed was over 17 mph. I think that my average speed on the commute has been about 16.5 mph without paying much attention to it....so...I get the bright idea to go for an average speed of 17mph for this week.

Might not sound like much, but for my 15 mile round-trip commute, I'm having to really hammer on the flats and descents to keep my average thusfar to 17.5 mph (making up for traffic and climbs). I am pretty sore with only Friday to go. I think I can make it, but I'm posting in the hopes that it might keep me from completely cracking tomorrow.

Reasonable reactions:
a) wow, 17 mph, you are a stud (unlikely),
b) wow, 17 mph average, you are lame (more likely), or
c) why the hell are you ruining a perfectly good commute measuring your speed, trying to get your average speed up by 1 mph (most likely)?

Anyone else play these games?

I am definitely taking it easy next week...

My commute is downtown these days... don't much chance to build up speed...

And don't have a bike computer on my present bike anyway. :)

17 mph is quite a respectable average though, in my humble.

This will end in tears. This week, you'll do 17 mph. Next month, you'll go for 18 mph. The month after, 19. On and on, harder and harder until one day you're seeing a Spanish sports doctor specializing in "performance through science". Then the company'll spring a surprise urine test on you and it'll be all over. You'll be disgraced. This will end in tears.

j/k - Congrats and carbo load!

You are ruining a perfectly good commute trying for that extra one MPH. I should know my commute home is often more like a time trial than a stroll. And I just can not help myself. I have several waypoints where I try to beat my personal best. I startoff saying I'm just going to take it easy, work on my ankling. The next thing, I'm spinning away trying to make my first waypoint. Last year I was sooooo neurotic that I kept a log in MS Excel.



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I don't have a log this year ... I guess I'm getting better.

This will end in tears. This week, you'll do 17 mph. Next month, you'll go for 18 mph. The month after, 19. On and on, harder and harder until one day you're seeing a Spanish sports doctor specializing in "performance through science". Then the company'll spring a surprise urine test on you and it'll be all over. You'll be disgraced. This will end in tears.

j/k - Congrats and carbo load!

That's soooo true ...

...average speed for the week, that is. I was off the bike on vacation last week. When I got home on Monday, I noticed that my average speed was over 17 mph. I think that my average speed on the commute has been about 16.5 mph without paying much attention to it....so...I get the bright idea to go for an average speed of 17mph for this week.

Might not sound like much, but for my 15 mile round-trip commute, I'm having to really hammer on the flats and descents to keep my average thusfar to 17.5 mph (making up for traffic and climbs). I am pretty sore with only Friday to go. I think I can make it, but I'm posting in the hopes that it might keep me from completely cracking tomorrow.

Reasonable reactions:
a) wow, 17 mph, you are a stud (unlikely),
b) wow, 17 mph average, you are lame (more likely), or
c) why the hell are you ruining a perfectly good commute measuring your speed, trying to get your average speed up by 1 mph (most likely)?

Anyone else play these games?

I am definitely taking it easy next week...


I have my cyclocomputer calculated in km/h. The number on the speedo is bigger so it looks like I am going faster. :)

17 mph average is good for city riding, but how you do tomorrow probably has as much to do with how you hit the lights as anything. Don't exhaust or endanger yourself to gain speed you could lose through dumb luck.

17 mph average is good for city riding, but how you do tomorrow probably has as much to do with how you hit the lights as anything. Don't exhaust or endanger yourself to gain speed you could lose through dumb luck.

Actually it's OK. If I get creamed and the bike stops moving it doesn't contribute to my average speed.:D

Seriously though, agreed (and I appreciate the concern).

I'm lucky in that only the last 3/4 mi of my ride is truly urban. The rest is mostly suburban roads with only a few lights/stop signs. I will confess that my stops and starts have been a little quicker this week though...

My commute is about 5 miles each way, and it takes me about 40 minutes. Therefore, my average speed is about half of yours.

Paul

Slowing down for stop lights and busy intersections kills the average on my computer.

Excellent average for commuting. I can only manage that on the 18 miles of Mups I ride on. The other ten are on streets with stop lights and little red signs. I don't bother with keeping track of my average after the MUPs. That and the streets I ride have these annoying increases in elevation. I think they are something that starts with an h.

You know, I've never calculated my average speed. Do you do that using total time, or actual biking time (total - time spent standing still at lights)? What I do look at is my biking time (I don't count time at lights because I'm not doing anything while I wait for them). I've dropped three minutes on the way in and a whopping six and a half on the way home.

Since I've started doing the all out sprint for one stretch, I've discovered that sprinting on the commuter exercises my vastus medialis (primarily). As opposed to sprinting on the road bike which seems to work out my vastus lateralis and rectus femoris. I'm wondering if I need to move the commuter seat up and back a bit more.

But, I digress...my response is:

17mph sounds really fast to all my non-biking friends. =) Whatever gets you commuting, I say.

This will end in tears. This week, you'll do 17 mph. Next month, you'll go for 18 mph. The month after, 19. On and on, harder and harder until one day you're seeing a Spanish sports doctor specializing in "performance through science". Then the company'll spring a surprise urine test on you and it'll be all over. You'll be disgraced. This will end in tears.

j/k - Congrats and carbo load!

If you go from 17 to 19 mph in 2 months I may have to check your testosterone levels.

I average 16 or so and find my speed varies based more on route/traffic/lights than on effort. Except for the loop in Prospect park, the ride is all urban. I'm wicked impressed by your average! good luck!

Sounds like you're pretty fast to me. I used to average around 14-15 on my converted moutain bike. But that was pushing it for me...and I wasn't enjoying it. Now, I throw the computer on every two weeks or so just to see how fast I'm going, and I only average around 12-13...but I'm enjoying in, and doing it 5 days a week. I've raced (running) in the past, and I'm very competetive...but now, I'm ready to chill and enjoy life. Screw speed.

Commuting to work almost every day, I average 20mph on my HP Velotechnik Grasshopper :D

My computer only counts when the bike is moving, so while it takes me a very consistent ~30 min to go ~6.5 miles, the speedometer tells me I'm doing 15-17 mph!

sure do play that game, makes the ride more interesting and to some extent shows the level of improvement. Only play the game on the morning comute when traffic is light. Another game I play is try to run the commute with the lowest calorie burn.

I average about 18 on a good day. My commute has exactly 5 stops in 13 miles. But sometimes I'll hit 19 if I make every light and there's no wind.

Average speed is not a real good indicator. Stops will kill it. After 13 miles, whatever average speed I have on my computer will usally drop by at least half a mph when I walk my from the gate to my classroom.

My computer only counts when the bike is moving, so while it takes me a very consistent ~30 min to go ~6.5 miles, the speedometer tells me I'm doing 15-17 mph!


Doesn't it also catch your speeds when you slow down to and accelerate from a stop? That tends to really bring your average down.

You are ruining a perfectly good commute trying for that extra one MPH. I should know my commute home is often more like a time trial than a stroll. And I just can not help myself. I have several waypoints where I try to beat my personal best. I startoff saying I'm just going to take it easy, work on my ankling. The next thing, I'm spinning away trying to make my first waypoint. Last year I was sooooo neurotic that I kept a log in MS Excel.

Keep track if it makes your commute more fun, stop if it becomes drudgery or if you catch yourself cutting safety corners to get that extra .1 mph.



This will end in tears. This week, you'll do 17 mph. Next month, you'll go for 18 mph. The month after, 19. On and on, harder and harder until one day you're seeing a Spanish sports doctor specializing in "performance through science". Then the company'll spring a surprise urine test on you and it'll be all over. You'll be disgraced. This will end in tears.

:lol: Just don't put on a green and yellow jersey.

Update: As of this morning, with only the ride home to go, my average is 17.61 MPH. The climb is on the way home, so I would expect the average to fall a bit. Also, we are forecast for thunderstorms this afternoon...

For the record: this is average speed according to my computer. So, standing still at a light or waiting for traffic does not contribute to the average speed, but decelerations and accelerations do. There are about 15 stop signs and lights on my commute as well as 1 big rotarty. I'm including everything in the average speed (climbs, traffic, lights, weather, etc.). This is the commuting forum, right?

Also for the record, I categorically deny using any performance enhancing drugs (though the testing policy at my work is pretty weak).

Yeah, my cycle computer is always watching!
If anyone asks why, it's cos i want to know the time so i'm not late for work. But once i'm riding, i'm always checking the speed/distance/max/average. I tend to get to about 2/3rds distance either way and if the average is high i will go for the 'World Record' (yes, i know 'personal best' might be a better description!). Actually both World Records (to work 18.2mph and from work 17.2mph) have been broken in the last fortnight, i'm in good shape at the moment.
My weekly average is around the 15.5mph mark though, so you're doing great.

You are ruining a perfectly good commute trying for that extra one MPH. I should know my commute home is often more like a time trial than a stroll. And I just can not help myself. I have several waypoints where I try to beat my personal best. I startoff saying I'm just going to take it easy, work on my ankling. The next thing, I'm spinning away trying to make my first waypoint. Last year I was sooooo neurotic that I kept a log in MS Excel.



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I don't have a log this year ... I guess I'm getting better.

Not really relevant, but ankling is an even better way to hurt yourself than making your commute a twice-daily TT. It has long since been abandoned by most because it offers no perceptible advantages while greatly increasing the risk of joint or muscle strain.

As for the OP, my average speed is somewhere between 11 and 12 mph. Why worry about it? It's a commute, not a race (well, except on day when I'm running late... :rolleyes:).

that's fast to me-- I am usually around 13-15 mph on my commute. I try not to look at the speedometer too much...

The only things that stop me from going faster is extremly sore legs or exhaustion other then that it is a pretty good clip not sure no computer on the roadie or my "new" beater I only really pound the gears the last leg of the trip

What's the bike?

I can do my 22 miler in 55 minutes on the road bike, that falls to 1:10 on the mountain bike and seems to be 2X as hard.

Heh...I got my average speed up to that too, by adjusting my route to avoid a few of the slow downs and stops. Meaning, I was already commuting at that speed to begin with, it's just all the stops and slow downs that skewed it. One day I hit literally every light on my way in and averaged over 19.

Lesson learned - quit worrying about crap like average speed on my commute.

Definitely leaving early...

As long as you don't care if it drops - and don't take it too seriously - well, it is a way to pass the time.

I have a goal of making up a hill right now - every day I am doing just a little better - which is fun. But, if I slide back a day - it isn't the end of the world.

Better to just enjoy the ride. Besides, I enjoy riding along side someone and talking about bikes, etc. Hard to do that if I am focused on speed.

Final average speed for the week: 17.65 MPH!! Goal achieved, but I am wiped. Today was brutal with heat, humidity, and a headwind. Am looking forward to a weekend off the bike.

Despite being wiped, this was fun. Added some excitement to the commute, which I already enjoy. Definitely not an every week thing, though.

Think I'll work on distance for the next few weeks, but 18 MPH beckons...

speaking of the average dropping, mine has been steadily dropping and today was almost 4 mph lower and it felt like I was working harder. Thought I might be sick but on closer inspection the brakes were rubbing and the wheels r out of true.
Guess thats one good reason to have a good idea of your average, it alerts you when somethings wrong.

Mine have crapped out as well. My legs seem to be having issues.
I think it is time to investigate post ride recovery drinks and\or food.
I be lactose intolerant. No chocolate milk for me.

Is it flat .... isn't it?

Anyhow ... respectable speed.

And yes ... I played those games every day on my FORMER bike commutes

Huhenio, hope you're back to it soon.

To answer questions:

What's the bike? Trek Portland. Rack & panniers. I think I'm usually carrying 5 to 15 lbs.
Is it flat? Definitely not. On the way to work (distances approximate): Rolling suburban streets, generally up --> big 3/4 mi descent --> 1/2 mi MUP --> 3/4 mi in urban traffic, slight uphill grade.

I've been jealous of -- and impressed by -- the Very Long Commute Club folks. I wonder if we should have a "Very Fast Commute" thread at some point. Given all the variables in commuting, you would just have to be trying to improve your personal best (legal disclamer: while not putting yourself in danger by riding more aggressively in traffic, blowing lights, etc.). Also, I liked doing this over the course of a whole week. We can always get lucky or unlucky on any given ride, but keeping your average up over 10 rides in 1 week takes a sustained effort and smoothes out the luck factor a bit.

It would be totally fair for commuters who don't care for speed to accuse us of being wannabe roadies. It would also be fair for roadies to accuse us of not being "serious" cyclists (rack and panniers!!). This is still commuting to me, though.

For commuters who have their speeds fixed because of lights and traffic this obviously would not work. For those without such constraints, what do you think?

Either way, my goal for next week is to just enjoy the ride (it's supposed to be near 100 most days with wicked humidity).

The hammer approach is very dear to me, and as long as you do not get hurt ... have fun.

There is fun in speed, no question about it, and looking for it is inherent to most humans.

Put it on this perspective ... how many people are having fun in their commute? Not too many, in particular the ones who are sitting in their cars waiting for their turn to go through the light.

The agony of waiting 5 or 6 stop light cycles to go through an intersection is beyond description. All I can think of is that I would be blowing the damn light (with due caution) if i would only be on my bicycle.

Go fast , go slow, go anyway you damn want .... if your commute becomes your playtime, that only means that you have a superior intelect.

Thats a very good city speed. I hate the way stops kill the average speed.

Well I have one more work day this week (Sunday). But if I slowed down to 15.5 mph average speed on Sunday. I'll still have a weekly average speed of 18.00 mph. I have a 35 mile a day commute with 15 stop lights and 5 stop signs.

Thats a very good city speed. I hate the way stops kill the average speed.

Well I have one more work day this week (Sunday). But if I slowed down to 15.5 mph average speed on Sunday. I'll still have a weekly average speed of 18.00 mph. I have a 35 mile a day commute with 15 stop lights and 5 stop signs.

You don't worry much about hills down there do you?

Not at all. I do have the Tampa bay bridge that climbs up 160 feet in a 1/4 and then a 1/4 decent. My elevtion only changes about 20 feet at the most.

Focusing on average speed tends to make me minimize or eliminate warming up and cooling down, both of which are important for good health. Not good. It also makes me more prone to blowing stop signs and run red lights. Even worse.

Since I always feel the need to measure myself, I've settled on "time trialing" various sections that are relatively free of stops and that are sort of in the middle of my commute. That way I can warm up first without affecting my precious numbers!

Focusing on average speed tends to make me minimize or eliminate warming up and cooling down, both of which are important for good health. Not good. It also makes me more prone to blowing stop signs and run red lights. Even worse.

If I thought doing this was compromising safety, I wouldn't do it. I think the eliminating the warm up and cool down is why I was so sore Friday night and most of yesterday. Feeling much better today and will be ready for the week tomorrow, but will take it easy.

Go for sprinting stints and pump up your explosive stamina ...

My commute is about 9 miles each way through city streets. I find that my time and average depend WAY more on wind than anything. If I've got a tailwind, I can average 18 mph with lights (that's a moving average, and that's even with circling to stay up at some lights). What I find is that you can catch some lights at a certain speed.

Against the wind, it's more like 15-16mph.

Much of it seems to be luck for me in a) lights, b) wind, c) traffic. All of those things can kill my average.

Also for the record, I categorically deny using any performance enhancing drugs (though the testing policy at my work is pretty weak).

Is a beer at lunch with co-workers considered "performance enhancing" later in the day? Not an Amstel BTW.

No, that would be "performance degrading." Especially if you have more than 1.