Road Cycling - finally averaged over 20mph!!

It might not seem like a big deal to a lot of you guys, but I've only been cycling for just over a month. Today my usual riding partner was a no show so I decided to "solo time trial" my ride to finally get over the elusive 20mph average speed. When I had been riding with my partner the average speed was around 18.5mph.

Anyway to cut a long story short I made it through the 39mile ride at an average speed of 21.2mph. There were a couple of climbs on the route, including a 2.5mile gradual uphill at the end of the ride that made me nervous about maintaining my average as I was only doing 17mph. It all worked out well by the end.

I got to the coffee shop that marks the end of the ride pretty well spent, but very pleased with this mornings ride!

As I said, it's probably not a big deal for most of the people on the board, but this newbie just wanted to share!!

Peter

Pretty durn good. Welcome to the club.

Hey that is no small feat! Nice job!! I don't think anyone here would look down at that speed. In my opinion, cycling begins at 20. I know I'm having a good ride if I can average that or more. Anything less and I'm disapointed with myself.
You'll only get better.:D

Originally posted by petersta
It might not seem like a big deal to a lot of you guys, but I've only been cycling for just over a month.
Peter


Only a month on a bike? WOW good job!!! That is quite a Feat!!!:beer:


Chaz

ya, that's pretty good! it's been a loooong while since i've had a 20 mph average. :(

That's pretty good. I doubt that you could go any faster with your average speed flying solo. Now, you should focus on your max sustainable speed on given miles. Your average will drop because you have to recover from the hard effort but you will be riding faster, a lot fast, when you go HARD. :)

:(

I regard a 13mph average as pretty good....seems strange, coz on a 13mph ride, I will nearly always seem to be going much faster!?!

Weird. Must be a "slower speeds affect your average more than faster speed" kinda thing....

You kidding? I am happy when I average 15mph, and I have been riding for over a year! My normal average is between 13.0 and 13.5Mph over a 20 mile route. On only two occasions have averaged 15mph or greater.

On the flats, I can average nearly 20mph, but the hills just kick my butt! And my area is very hilly.

Congrats on 20 mph average! If I can do 13 mph average on a 25 mile ride, it's an exceptional day.

21mph is pretty good speed. I used to have ~35kph average during first 2 months of road riding. I had no cycling clothes and had simple platform pedals. Now as i bought all my gear and have >2000km this year my avg droped below 30kmh. I think im loosing motivation :)

Peter
That not just pretty good that's super great in my book. In only one month riding you break 20 mph average. I have been riding for 3 mos and on a 25 mi trip I am tickled to death at averaging 14.5. Keep up the good work.

Speed means nothing to me.I almost never look at it.I use cadence.Just keep it above 95.

Originally posted by petersta
There were a couple of climbs on the route, including a 2.5mile gradual uphill at the end of the ride that made me nervous about maintaining my average as I was only doing 17mph.


You must be half my weight! :) climbs reduce my mph to about half that...

Very nice, esp. over 40 miles.

climbs reduce my mph to about half that I had a similar problem and I'm in the 250s. What helped me: clipless pedals, smaller inside chainring, high cadence.
I'vebeen getting consistently high speeds up smaller hills because I've really been concentrating on keeping a high cadence in a easy gear. I kept 90 rpms up a hill the other day and averaged 17 mph. The clipless pedals gave me the efficient power xfer and the high cadence kept me from dying. You might try it out! You'll be surprised (unless you weigh more than 250 :) )

Originally posted by shokhead
Speed means nothing to me.I almost never look at it.I use cadence.Just keep it above 95.

my computer displays both speed and cadence at the same time, and I too keep the cadience as top priority. 95 to 100 cadance is what I shoot for, but if I fall below 20mph I push harder by changing gears while remaining in the same cadance range.

let me get this straight. you've only been riding for a month....go out solo, and with traffic lights, cars, etc including an incline that is ~6-7% of your ride (and you are going 17mph) and still avg almost 21.5mph?

and you are doing 3mph on avg over and above what you train at?

was this ride your usual route? down a canyon?

you warmed up, slowed for traffic, went 17mph for over 2 miles and avg'ed over 21mph (3miles over your usual training ride)

WHO ARE YOU CRAPPING!!

If your computer is programed correctly that is fantastic. You might want to look into local racing. You probably would do pretty good.

Some of you guys sound like you dont belive him?Is it because you cant do it?I'm not much of a rider and my best is 15mph on a 30 miler.The hill would kill me,and at the end of a ride,i'm beat.

WHO ARE YOU CRAPPING!! Just 'cause he's new to cycling doesn't mean he wasn't already in shape and knew how exercise. If it was on a flat section with a decent tail wind, I could do that over 15 miles and I've only been at it for 3 months (and I weigh 250). If he's been working out at 18.5 mph, he's obviously in shape. Not everyone who got into cycling for the first time last month was a fat slob...

Very impressive to see you have AVS's of 20+ especially after just starting to ride. I started riding mtn bikes earlier in the year and road bikes a couple of months ago and I'm starting to see AVS's of 18.5 to 19.5mph. So I say congrats, very good riding! I'm hoping to break into the 20 Club very soon. Also getting closer to my first Metric Century. So many goals so little time!

Congrats!!! I was out of the cyling scene for years after I moved to Miami. Recently I've been getting into pretty heavily. My road averages have been climbing to 16 mph with a 1 mile 4% hill over 15 miles. My MTB averages on the same route have been around 14MPH. I havent been on the raod bike in a month but I'm hoping for a 20 MPH avg. over my 15 mile route.

My goals are:
1. 20 mph avg. over 15 miles
2. 25 miles in less than an hour.
3. Gradually improving my hour time miles.....

Congrats!!!! Don't let the naysayers drag you down! Super Job! A word of caution - warm up and cool off, else you could be asking for injuries (especially as you age). When I go for speed, I warm up on a 7 mile easy ride into town, (avg=15.5 or so), Reset my computer and hit a straight stretch of Highway with one redlight that is 9 miles total, fairly flat but a few long hills. Best time so far is 24.4 mph average, and had to wait for a red light. After that my legs are 'jelly'. "when I raced in my younger days I had legs like giant oaks, now they are like wheeping willows" GRIN. After the sprint I have a 6 mile journey home and take it real easy. Heck - got to - I'm 56.

congrats! i just joined the 20mph avg speed club too last weekend. i ride in a very hilly terrain in north GA. my AVGs in those conditions are 14mph - 19mph over 30-40 miles. (depending on what kind of ride we are doing that day).

last weekend i am in hilton head island, SC and take my bike with me. first time to ride at sea level. i did a 30 mile ride AVG 20.5 mph. it felt great. now i plan to bring that avg up here in the hills of north GA.

i seem to be gaining 1mph on avg speed per 2 weeks of riding/training . i really enjoy these sort of results.

jeff

1. 20 mph avg. over 15 miles.
2. 25 miles in less than an hour.
Wouldn't #2 automatically take care of #1? That'd be 25mph...

Thanks for all the replies,

RiPHRaPH, if you live in the LA area we can try to do it again next weekend if you would like to ride with me. My usual riding partner is a bit older than me and not in as good shape.

Red Baron, I warmed up before the ride, which I usually do anyway. As for age I am the wrong side of 40 already so I start warming up when I get out of bed :D

For those of you in the LA area The ride starts in Brentwood Los Angeles, down San Vicente Blvd to Pacific Coast Highway. Take PCH north through Malibu and turn around close to Latigo Canyon. The only big hill on the route is the run up Pepperdine, and the gradual hill at the end of the ride is going back up san vicente from PCH to 26th street.

ShokheaD, I am looking at getting a cycle computer with a cadence monitor, which models do you use?

Bluechip, I have just sent away my membership fees for the Lagrange club here in LA. I'm not sure I'd be up for Crit racing as I'm too chicken, too old and too heavy. But I like the idea of riding and training with people who know what they are doing - I hope to learn a lot from the club. They have a hill climb contest on the 28th that I am pretty sure will humble me!

Thanks again for the replies.

Peter

Flightdeck

Peter,
If crits don't sound like fun just look for the longer road races. Most crits are pretty short, 30 miles or less, and are run on 1/2 mile or less laps. When I started racing thats all I did. I was a bicycle messenger for 4 years and was not intimidated by riding shoulder to shoulder with 30-40 other riders, but now that I am just getting back into cycling after almost 10 years of being lazy it doesn't sound like to much fun either. I only did a couple of road races and they were 50-75 miles with just one to four laps. Much less intimidating. Thats what I am looking to get into now. I also would like to do the 40K TT in under 1 hour. I never quite made it before but I think it is still doable. I will be turning 40 this summer so I would like to do it sometime during my 40th year.

Good luck,
Steve

Originally posted by RiPHRaPH
let me get this straight. you've only been riding for a month....go out solo, and with traffic lights, cars, etc including an incline that is ~6-7% of your ride (and you are going 17mph) and still avg almost 21.5mph?

and you are doing 3mph on avg over and above what you train at?

was this ride your usual route? down a canyon?

you warmed up, slowed for traffic, went 17mph for over 2 miles and avg'ed over 21mph (3miles over your usual training ride)

WHO ARE YOU CRAPPING!!

Yeah my thoughts exactly......thanks. something just dosent seem right here.

Alex9911,

Don't know where you are but feel free to hook up for a ride it you are in the LA area :)

I don't know why you would think this is something I would bull**** anyone about. Maybe your just overtly cynical?

Peter

Wind can make a big difference. Two weeks ago, I was on the NC outer banks. I rode south for 15 miles and was averaging 18-19 mph. I thought I was King Kong! The return up the peninsula wasn't so great. The wind was so stiff, I could only average 11-12 mph. When the wind is at your back, you don't notice it. But when I turned around, the wind damn near blew me off my bike!

Petersta,
Don't let it bother you. Some people have a difficult time admitting that others may actually be better or have success faster thatn they are/do :) Just ignore them. Everyone else does... :)

this site is becoming more and more sterile with each passing month. "way to go!!" "keep it up!!" "awesome!!"

all fine and good. BTW i am a cat 5 and regularly train with a cat3 and am not just talking because carl from gun barrel city infers that i have no success or that someone is faster (nice assumption there tough guy!!)

look. all i am saying is that a guy over 40 who has rarely rode starts mid season and is avg'ing almost 21.5mph? if you have ever avg'ed 24 mph and cruised home (cool down) going 17mph then you know how quickly that erodes mph avg. thats all i'm saying.

if the computer is properly calibrated and that is accurate then get in races. and contact USCF to get into a program. i rode this year with a guy who has played hockey for 20 years and has never rode and he is unbelievably good on a bike. and loves it. but almost 22mph over 40 miles good?

and no one here can see my disbelief? if it is true then good for you. peter, it looks like you have a protector in carl, the hank hill quoting man. ...nice.

Come down to lakewood and we can ride to the beach if you ride slow enough for me to stay with ya.

Originally posted by petersta
... I made it through the 39mile ride at an average speed of 21.2mph.

Wow. I have been riding a lot, but have yet to clock an AVS of 21,2 mph (34,12 kph). 20,75 mph (33,4 kph) is about the highest number that came up so far. And I had to put a lot of effort into that, since you have to generally cycle much faster than the AVS to reach that AVS.


Originally posted by belfast-biker
Must be a "slower speeds affect your average more than faster speed" kinda thing...

Yes. Funny phenomenon, isn't it?

Give the guy a break - no one needs false accolades on a bike forum. If he says he got to 21.2mph, give him the benefit of the doubt. It's not like he's saying "I rode from LA to SF, averaging 70mph and was passing up the slow cars". Myself, I just started 3 weeks ago and average 16-17mph over 14 miles with peak speed at 24mph+ on a flat 2m no-stop-sign stretch, and I would consider myself in average shape with a late-30's male gut. Not out of the imagination for peter to do 21.2mph.

BTW i am a cat 5 and regularly train with a cat3 WHO ARE YOU CRAPPING!!

See? I have as much reason to trust your assertion as you did his (though Cat 5 is a lot easy to get than 20+ mph (heck, you don't even to know how to ride a bike to get the former)).

Also "tough guy", try doing the math about 17 mph. If you *really* knew what you were talking about, you'd know that he could average just 21.5mph over 39 miles and drop to 17 for 2.5 and still get 21.2. I would have thought any cat5 rider would know that. Guess I was wrong...

Get a life.

PS Don't post one of your acheivements here. We'd hate to give you a "sterile" comment. And along those lines: All cat5 means is you're a new rider and you paid the fees. Big deal. *yawn*

heck, you don't even to know how to ride a bike to get the former Should read:
"heck, you don't even *have* to know how to ride a bike to get the former"

As for "Hank Hill quoting", you bet! :D Can't live in TX and not love King of the Hill!

Originally posted by CarlJStoneham
WHO ARE YOU CRAPPING!!

See? I have as much reason to trust your assertion as you did his (though Cat 5 is a lot easy to get than 20+ mph (heck, you don't even to know how to ride a bike to get the former)).

Also "tough guy", try doing the math about 17 mph. If you *really* knew what you were talking about, you'd know that he could average just 21.5mph over 39 miles and drop to 17 for 2.5 and still get 21.2. I would have thought any cat5 rider would know that. Guess I was wrong...

Get a life.

PS Don't post one of your acheivements here. We'd hate to give you a "sterile" comment. And along those lines: All cat5 means is you're a new rider and you paid the fees. Big deal. *yawn*


As long as you don't get dropped racing Cat5 and no crashes and occassinally taking the top 5 places, I guess that should speak for something. :D

That's true.
My point was that saying "I'm cat 5" and expecting it to lend "power" to your point is like saying "I know what I'm talking about because I have $50 and a stamp", especially when you fault these forums for being "sterile" because most of us like to congratulate others on their accomplishments... :P

PiPHRaPH...........

Dont feel alone here, I agree and have seen if for myself on my own computer. Hammer for several miles at 25-28mph, check the average then coast for just little bit and recheck it and see your the average has crashed; its just a matter of fact.

its just a matter of fact. Agreed, but when you drop your speed for less than 5% of the ride, the impact is not as significant as it might be if it was 25% of the ride. 39 @ 21.5 + 2.5 @ 17 = 41.5 in 1:57 with is about right. The math doesn't lie (and neither does the speedo). It's still just a matter of averaging.

My speedo is perfectly calibrated and I've paid attention to this very fact (because I'm a math teacher and silly things like that keep my mind busy on the ride). Check it out the next time you make a long ride. You'll find the change isn't as much as you remember (depending, of course, on the distance).

Whats all this cat sh$t mean?

Originally posted by SinGate
In my opinion, cycling begins at 20.:D

Hmmm, I guess that means that you do not consider the rest of us cyclists. I know it's just an opinion--a very arrogant opinion.

As to Petersta's route, I have been mulling that over in my mind. I know the route well. Other than some mild hilliness between Malibu and Latigo Canyon and a short, sharp ascent/descent up W. Channel and Entrada to/from San Vicente, it is a flat ride. Wind is an issue: possible to avoid a headwind and pick up a tailwind on the way back--that would work well. If those were the only issues, I would not be amazed. I could see myself doing about 19 mph on that route--when my usual speed on local, hilly terrain here in NorCal is about 15 mph. BUT, when I can find a stretch that is so flat around here, there are no traffic lights and sparse traffic. I guess, if Petersta lucked out with the traffic signals (or just found another way through them;)) and the wind god favored him, his achievement is possible.

So, having gone through all that, I have to say "Congratulations," Petersta.

Rich

Originally posted by Stinger9oh
[B]Hmmm, I guess that means that you do not consider the rest of us cyclists. I know it's just an opinion--a very arrogant opinion.

Wow people sure do love to attack innocent comments on this forum. Fine let me rephrase for those sensitive people among us.
For ME PERSONALLY, I believe that cycling is the most enjoyable FOR ME when I go 20 mph or faster.

Too bad we're all picking his acheivement apart. I'll try to remember not to post when I break 20mph. I'll just tell my friends at work. They'll be sufficiently congratulatory. I'll just save the forums for advice on what to buy and how to pedal. :P

Keeping your computer in the average speed mode can be a great training device. When I see my average speed start to drop, that's when I try to pick up the pace.

Originally posted by CarlJStoneham
I'll try to remember not to post when I break 20mph. I'll just tell my friends at work. They'll be sufficiently congratulatory.

CarlJStoneham, you are blessed if you have colleagues who can appreciate your pedalling efforts and who even compliment you. (99% of my--non-cycling, calvinist--environment couldn't care less about it).

Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with (a) posting about those achievements here or (b) posting sceptical replies re: such achievements. The former are interesting; the latter might serve as motivators.

I get asked all the time at work if I rode last weekend, how fast and how far. Can't imagine not being able to talk about bikes once in a while at work. That would suck.