Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Why am i so slow?

As the title says, why am i so slow?

Yes i only get to ride 2-3 times a week but i give it my all every ride. I do commute to work 3-4 days a week its only 4 miles one way. And i was off the bike from November to mid March due to a knee injury (from jogging). I understand it takes more training than i am doing but I still think i should be faster than i am going now. I dont think its because I am a clyde as less weight in the flatlands doesn't mean that much more speed. I am not going fast enough where aerodynamics come that much into play.

So guys any tips, hints, ideas?

You just got back on the bike my friend and it takes time to get back into shape. You just have to keep plugging away really.

You doing longer rides on the weekends?

As the title says, why am i so slow?

Yes i only get to ride 2-3 times a week but i give it my all every ride. I do commute to work 3-4 days a week its only 4 miles one way. And i was off the bike from November to mid March due to a knee injury (from jogging). I understand it takes more training than i am doing but I still think i should be faster than i am going now. I dont think its because I am a clyde as less weight in the flatlands doesn't mean that much more speed. I am not going fast enough where aerodynamics come that much into play.

So guys any tips, hints, ideas?

What bike are you riding? What gearing does it have? Chain rings and cassette?

Yes i only get to ride 2-3 times a week but i give it my all every ride.

Are you really giving your all on every ride? How do you know? Are you using a heart-rate meter or power meter?


So guys any tips, hints, ideas?

Sounds to me like you need to ride further and possibly more often, too. I, personally, didn't worry about speed until I could ride 30 miles without a stop. You may also need a more organized training plan. If you just go out and ride you won't get as much benefit as if you did, say, some interval training.

What bike are you riding? What gearing does it have? Chain rings and cassette?Also - what kind of tires does it have on it? I know people say weight doesn't matter on level ground, but there's a huge speed difference between my 23 lb road bike with 700x25 tires inflated to 110 PSI, and my 41 lb errand bike with 26x1.95 tires inflated to 60 PSI or whatever. Same engine on both...

I'm a 14-15 mph rider. So I've described myself here as slow. Last February, I went down to Florida to ride the Withlacoochee Trail. I fully expected to get passed all the time. In the 200 miles I rode before I crashed, I got passed once and that was at the end of long day of riding. So compared to many of the posters here I'm slow. Compared to the general riding population I don't think I do too bad. You probably can say the same.

What are your current speeds (Average, sprint, tempo)? What would you like them to be? What's your current weight? Do you have 6-10 hours per week that you can commit to training?

"giving it your all" from the beginning to end of each ride, actually isn't the most effective way of attaining most training goals.

I'm riding 3-5 times per week. Each ride usually has a specific fcus. Strenth, leg speed, hills, bike speed, endurance, recovery, etc. There are number of tools that come into use for any one of those areas. And usually, a fair bit of the ride is conducted at something other than "max effort" . Max effort is reserved for whatever I'm focused on. And in the case of recovery and endurance rides, max effort doesn't come into play at all.

So far I'm very happy with my modest results. Over the last couple months my solo ride average has increased from 22-24 km/hr to 25-27 km/hr. Once I've achieved solo averages in excess of 28km/hr I plan to start focusing on increasing my distances, with a goal of completing a century in Novermber with an average of 28km/hr.

You don't say what you are calling slow. Maybe you think 20-22 mph is slow. Who doesn't think they should be going faster. Moving from speed X to speed X+2mph is actually quite some work. The amount of work goes up really rapidly as speed increases. If you aren't using clipless pedals then that's a huge thing as is the work it takes to pump up the quads so they make a meaningful addition. If you aren't spinning at 70-80 that's a big deal too because a person can't keep up a slow, hard cadence for very long. Those are both technique/training things you can work on.There's a lot of info on the net on how to increase cadence. Some of it IS because you're clyde. We have miles and miles of blood vessels our hearts have to pump our blood through and carrying the extra weight, even on the flats, is a big deal. Even a skinny 6' 5" clyde in good shape is at a disadvantage compared to a smaller, thinner, lighter rider so if your clyde status is, like mine, due to being overweight for your height then it's part clyde, part technique and part fitness. Oh..and yeah...could be part bike. A light, carbon fiber bike DOES make a difference, all other things being equal.

Bianchi Via Nirone 7 ? Pretty nice bike. ;)

It comes by pushing yourself. If you ride into the wind, push your limits. If you go uphill, ride harder.

Do some drills. Interval types. I'd also say do some looooonger rides, they force you to dig deep. ;)

You're slow because you're not riding faster. Ride faster than you are now and you will not be slow.

How slow is slow? How much do you weigh? Might be you're faster than you think. I have this theory that the majority of people on bikeforums fudges their numbers by a few mph for bragging rights. I've seen people in the roadie forum claiming to be able to average 30mph with no problems... as if.

I've accepted that my weight is holding me back. Using a wattage calculator, comparing my 400lb self with a spry 150 pound version of me in the future, at 220 watts on a 1% grade, I can average 13.5mph, which is about what I do now. The lighter me should be able to average 18mph.

http://bikecalculator.com/veloUS.html

So I need to lose weight to bike. I'm stuck in this no-man's-land where I'm much faster than everyone on bike paths, but much slower than roadies on the road. It's lonely here, but one day...

How slow is slow? ................ I have this theory that the majority of people on bikeforums fudges their numbers by a few mph for bragging rights. ...

Strava postings don't lie. There are many clydes here on strava. ;)

CJC, funny because your 33 mile rides are not much slower than your 10 mile rides. I'd take my 10 mile rides and turn them into full out TT sufferfest efforts.

What I did a few years back was ride around industrial centers in later evenings for gauging progress. I'd do a lap (2 mile) around the block and time myself, then try to better each lap til I just couldn't push anymore.

Sometimes I'd do a hard TT effort according in timed increments. Little fun and games like that add to the training and progress.

Of course I'd do the weekend longer rides but 2 times during the week, I'd do some drill type rides. My cruising speeds on the longer weekend rides increased without much effort on the rides.

Couple thoughts.

1) it looks like you've ridden 200 miles so far this y ear. Wait till you get to 500 before you fret about your speed.
2) Ride longer (ties in with #1 a bit).
3) Once you have a solid base of 500 miles you can look into doing interval training, or a variety of other things, but really - the thing that will make you faster is simply being stronger.
4) Find some groups nearby to ride with. Nothing makes you faster like frantically trying to hang on to the back of a group. :)

Lastly, the other thing that can improve your speed is riding on a road where you don't have to stop. I know that sounds stupid but I can ride on the Santa Ana River Trail and average nearly 18, but if I'm riding around town with a simlar effort, the repeated stops for stop signs, lights etc will knock me down to 15 or 16.

Looks like you're hitting PRs on your recent rides - that's always a good sign of improvement in my opinion. That 33 mile ride you did was about 12 mph and your last one was about 14 mph - again, that looks pretty good from an improvement standpoint.

Bottom line- the really fast guys put a lot of time in the saddle. You'll get better with some effort!

im also curious what is slow. I average 15.5 to 17 on my 35-46 mile loops depending on wind and whatnot, I feel Im slow.

I'm surprised no one here mentioned nutrition. Other than questioning what "slow" means to the OP, the OP might be hitting a wall every time he cycles due to lack of salt or carbohydrate intake. I know I began noticing improvements in speed when I ate properly both before and during the ride.

Strava postings don't lie. There are many clydes here on strava. ;)


Was referring to the site in general, specifically other subforums where one-upsmanship is rampant. Regardless, anything can be faked, even Garmin data.

Was referring to the site in general, specifically other subforums where one-upsmanship is rampant. Regardless, anything can be faked, even Garmin data.

And doing so amongst a bunch of clydes, would just be sad. Really, if someone needed to fake data to make themselves seem faster than others, we're the last group to compare yourself to.

I am slow. I've been riding a year, putting on close to 3000 miles in that time, and I am still slow, but not near as slow as when I started. My latest ride of about 34 miles on rolling hills with a touch of wind I averaged 12.7mph and was wiped. I couldn't even smell the roses, it was head down and ride my best. I have come to the conclusion that starting to ride in your late 50s after being sedentary, with no fitness and little muscle mass, that it takes a long time to build up and as Jethro said, "aspire to mediocrity." Last November, after losing most of my excess weight and exercising a lot the prior 8 months, I had a fitness assessment done. I had made it to average. Even as a child I was about as un-gifted of an athlete as there was. This was the first time I had made it to average!

Slow? People here are talking as if 15mph is slow.

I'm no Taylor Phinney, but I am borderline fit enough to race. The last crit I did was won at an average speed of 26.2 mph. Don't get excited, I was tailed off in the second group, but I averaged close to 26mph.

I don't say this to boast, but to provide some context. My last training ride - and I was training, not just riding for fun - was a 40 mile ride with 2300 feet of climbing. I was not aiming to kill myself, but I was pushing it hard enough in the hills, high HR 168, average for the ride 129. A good, solid training ride. My average speed? Fifteen point three mph.

If you are riding on your own for any extended period of time, a 15mph average is not a dawdle. Sure, I can go faster, especially if it's flat. But for the average Clyde who rides recreationally, it is no mean feat. And as goldfinch said, it takes time to build a base. People should be pleased with themselves for getting out there, and focus on the fact that they are improving, instead of beating themselves up because they're slower than Fabian Cancellara.

If you are riding on your own for any extended period of time, a 15mph average is not a dawdle. Sure, I can go faster, especially if it's flat. But for the average Clyde who rides recreationally, it is no mean feat. And as goldfinch said, it takes time to build a base. People should be pleased with themselves for getting out there, and focus on the fact that they are improving, instead of beating themselves up because they're slower than Fabian Cancellara.

Quoted for truth... +1

I have come to the conclusion that starting to ride in your late 50s after being sedentary, with no fitness and little muscle mass, that it takes a long time to build up and as Jethro said, "aspire to mediocrity." This part is so hard for many of us, especially us older folks who are coming to cycling later in life. Even if we were never athletes, a lot of us have been pretty successful academically, in our careers, etc. We didn't get that way by aspiring to mediocrity. But this is a whole new ballgame. For many of us, for the first time in our lives we're attempting something that we were never particularly good at and have almost no hope of excelling at.

And one of the things that makes it so hard for us as a group is that this whole process of going from "obese" or "morbidly obese" to "normal" requires a lot of sacrifice and discipline, commitment - even a measure of suffering. A lot of us motivate ourselves by holding a mental picture of what we'll be like when we've reached our weight goal. And often, that picture is completely unrealistic. The danger is that, once we realize that losing 50, 75, 100 lbs is NOT going to make us 20 year old Olympic stars, we decide the whole thing was a rip-off and go back to what we were doing before we started.

I was reasonably fast 15 years ago - not racing fast, but I used to average a solid 17-18 mph on my 52 mile round trip commute to work, which involved crossing some of the ridges that comb Northern NJ. I also used to lift weights, and while not a bodybuilder by any stretch, I was pretty decent for a middle aged guy with a very demanding job and a family.

So, when I went back to lifting weights last summer, I HAD to get back to where I was quickly, and kept adding weights to the bar as soon as I could force myself to lift them. Result: torn rotator cuff that is just starting to be healed enough to even think about lifting again. But hopefully I've learned my lesson: this time I will take it slow, and "aspire to mediocrity".

Ditto for cycling. I have no speed goals. I even stopped using a bike computer. I don't calculate my average speed, don't track anything but my mileage (and I even wonder if that's productive). The point is to get out there and ride, do some good exercise, enjoy the process as much as possible. The rest will take care of itself as well as it will - which may not be fantasy level, but will be infinitely better than where we started.

And doing so amongst a bunch of clydes, would just be sad. Really, if someone needed to fake data to make themselves seem faster than others, we're the last group to compare yourself to.

Right. I was just saying that if he's gotten the impression that he's slow from other subforums here, like the 41, then you can get the odd impression that 25-30mph is normal and 12-15mph is pathetically slow. It's an unnecessary complex that people can get here; I know I've felt it often. Hell people in this very subforum have been known to call my speeds of 12-14mph to be "pathetic".

This part is so hard for many of us, especially us older folks who are coming to cycling later in life. Even if we were never athletes, a lot of us have been pretty successful academically, in our careers, etc. We didn't get that way by aspiring to mediocrity. But this is a whole new ballgame. For many of us, for the first time in our lives we're attempting something that we were never particularly good at and have almost no hope of excelling at.



I think the reason I am finding trail riding so much more fun than riding the road is that I have no expectations. No one talks about how fast they ride a trail. And it isn't technical single track riding, so I don't have to compare myself with those riders. It is just fun. I feel like I am flying through the woods, around the ponds and across the cornfields. Identifying birds by their calls. Watching the baby bunnies skitter across the trail. Stopping and pulling out the binoculars to check out the wood duck babies and the indigo buntings that just returned for spring.

Hell people in this very subforum have been known to call my speeds of 12-14mph to be "pathetic".

Says more about them than about you. Flatlanders who ride for a half hour flat-out can delude themselves they're a top time-triallist. And of course, there are always those who find that the easiest way to put themselves up is to put others down.

I think the reason I am finding trail riding so much more fun than riding the road is that I have no expectations. No one talks about how fast they ride a trail. And it isn't technical single track riding, so I don't have to compare myself with those riders. It is just fun. I feel like I am flying through the woods, around the ponds and across the cornfields. Identifying birds by their calls. Watching the baby bunnies skitter across the trail. Stopping and pulling out the binoculars to check out the wood duck babies and the indigo buntings that just returned for spring.That sounds really cool. I do ride mostly (exclusively, actually) on roads, but I ride alone for the most part, and I don't even pay attention to how fast other people say they are. I'm not keeping track.

I'd have to drive a good ways to get to a place that was nice for off-road riding. Most of the trails that I hike are within 45 minutes of here, and they're pretty nice, but they don't allow bikes. Actually, I think that's a good thing. This is a VERY densely populated area.

Lots of PR's etc on last ride - just keep trying to be a bit faster than last time.

You have a good cadence and the HR is spinning up nicely - speed will follow

Yeah, please someone define 'slow'.

For me it's dependent on a lot of factors. Length of the ride, elevation gain, wind, hydration and fuel (Chefbars!)

I was 'slow' on a ride I did on the 30th of April. Took me 58 minutes to cover the 17.8 miles (18.4 mph)
I was 'slow' on my 6.8 mile ride last Wednesday. Took me 37 minutes to complete that deal. (11 mph)
I was 'slow' last Thursday in a group ride. Took me 94 min to finish 28 miles (17.9 mph). I was leading the group of 5 of us up an incline at 23 mph when we got blasted past by a guy doing 30+. Now comparatively speaking we were 'slow'

The difference between the two last rides listed was elevation gain. 6.8 miles and 1000' vs 28 miles and 1050'

The last two rides I have listed are 'training' rides for me that I'm trying to improve the times on. If(!) I can do that I know I am getting fitter and in the end that's all it's about for me.

Go with the advice that Chasm and others have posted - focus on YOUR achievements and continue to try and improve after you have a base.

You doing longer rides on the weekends?

two reason why not:
1. i really cant go by distance, i go by time. so really the faster i go will mean the farther i go.
2. when i do have time to go for a long ride my current saddle is horrible at hour 2. Fathersday gift is a new ass-o-meter saddle.


What bike are you riding? What gearing does it have? Chain rings and cassette?

Its a bianchi via nirone 7 its a 12-25 9 speed with a compact crank.


Are you really giving your all on every ride? How do you know? Are you using a heart-rate meter or power meter?

yes i have a garmin with HR, but barely being able to get up the stairs to my third floor apartment is usually the sign i gave it my all


Sounds to me like you need to ride further and possibly more often, too. I, personally, didn't worry about speed until I could ride 30 miles without a stop. You may also need a more organized training plan. If you just go out and ride you won't get as much benefit as if you did, say, some interval training.

I can and do ride 30-40 miles non stop when i can (probably farther if saddle would agree). also time doesnt permit long rides for me. Family, Work call before riding.

a structured training plan does sound good, any good places to look or start?

a structured training plan does sound good, any good places to look or start?

Sure, we can do that for you. How long do you have to spend on the bike each week? How is that time broken up? That is, do you have time for a long ride and a number of shorter ones?

Also - what kind of tires does it have on it? I know people say weight doesn't matter on level ground, but there's a huge speed difference between my 23 lb road bike with 700x25 tires inflated to 110 PSI, and my 41 lb errand bike with 26x1.95 tires inflated to 60 PSI or whatever. Same engine on both...

I am running 700x23 110 front 115 psi rear


I'm a 14-15 mph rider. So I've described myself here as slow. Last February, I went down to Florida to ride the Withlacoochee Trail. I fully expected to get passed all the time. In the 200 miles I rode before I crashed, I got passed once and that was at the end of long day of riding. So compared to many of the posters here I'm slow. Compared to the general riding population I don't think I do too bad. You probably can say the same.

yesterday i got passed by a 15 year old girl on a rusty mountain bike with poorly inflated knobby tires. i dont judge myself by other riders i pass or pass me as i know nothing about them or how long or short they have ridden. well i does feel good constantly saying "on your left" your whole ride :)


What are your current speeds (Average, sprint, tempo)? What would you like them to be? What's your current weight? Do you have 6-10 hours per week that you can commit to training?
"giving it your all" from the beginning to end of each ride, actually isn't the most effective way of attaining most training goals.

i average 14mph on a 20 mile ride (mostly flat), i can sprint up to 27mph but only hold that for about 3 blocks. tempo i dont know what you mean by that? if its cadence i like to stay around 85-95 depending on wind. I get 1.5 hours to ride on saturday and 1.5 hours sunday and try to sneak in a extra 1 hour ride in the week if i can. I go all out because i am trying to make the best of the time i have. i am open to another way of thinking.

You don't say what you are calling slow. Maybe you think 20-22 mph is slow. Who doesn't think they should be going faster. Moving from speed X to speed X+2mph is actually quite some work. The amount of work goes up really rapidly as speed increases. If you aren't using clipless pedals then that's a huge thing as is the work it takes to pump up the quads so they make a meaningful addition. If you aren't spinning at 70-80 that's a big deal too because a person can't keep up a slow, hard cadence for very long. Those are both technique/training things you can work on.There's a lot of info on the net on how to increase cadence. Some of it IS because you're clyde. We have miles and miles of blood vessels our hearts have to pump our blood through and carrying the extra weight, even on the flats, is a big deal. Even a skinny 6' 5" clyde in good shape is at a disadvantage compared to a smaller, thinner, lighter rider so if your clyde status is, like mine, due to being overweight for your height then it's part clyde, part technique and part fitness. Oh..and yeah...could be part bike. A light, carbon fiber bike DOES make a difference, all other things being equal.

i am riding with clipless, and a 20 mile ride i average 14mph, and cadence i keep at 90 rpm considering wind. i think 14 mph is slow


Bianchi Via Nirone 7 ? Pretty nice bike. ;)

It comes by pushing yourself. If you ride into the wind, push your limits. If you go uphill, ride harder.

Do some drills. Interval types. I'd also say do some looooonger rides, they force you to dig deep. ;)

i have been thinking about the interval thing, any good links or ways to get the most out of it?


How slow is slow? How much do you weigh? Might be you're faster than you think. I have this theory that the majority of people on bikeforums fudges their numbers by a few mph for bragging rights. I've seen people in the roadie forum claiming to be able to average 30mph with no problems... as if.

i am around 240lbs and 5'9" not huge but not small. i have used a calculator like that and if i weighed 190 the speed increase on the flat lands i am in mean nothing like .2mph faster

CJC, funny because your 33 mile rides are not much slower than your 10 mile rides. I'd take my 10 mile rides and turn them into full out TT sufferfest efforts.

LOL i know. reasoning for the same averages is until i get out of the city i have many stop lights and stops, so i spend mucho energy starting from stops trying to get back up to speed. when i get out farther i get longer stretches where i can just maintain.


What I did a few years back was ride around industrial centers in later evenings for gauging progress. I'd do a lap (2 mile) around the block and time myself, then try to better each lap til I just couldn't push anymore.
Sometimes I'd do a hard TT effort according in timed increments. Little fun and games like that add to the training and progress.Of course I'd do the weekend longer rides but 2 times during the week, I'd do some drill type rides. My cruising speeds on the longer weekend rides increased without much effort on the rides.

some good ideas there, i may just try that with a modification sneak out in the morning once or twice in the week and do a 3 mile sprint effort. hmm keep them coming i am like this toss around


Couple thoughts.

1) it looks like you've ridden 200 miles so far this y ear. Wait till you get to 500 before you fret about your speed.
2) Ride longer (ties in with #1 a bit).
3) Once you have a solid base of 500 miles you can look into doing interval training, or a variety of other things, but really - the thing that will make you faster is simply being stronger.
4) Find some groups nearby to ride with. Nothing makes you faster like frantically trying to hang on to the back of a group. :)
Lastly, the other thing that can improve your speed is riding on a road where you don't have to stop. I know that sounds stupid but I can ride on the Santa Ana River Trail and average nearly 18, but if I'm riding around town with a simlar effort, the repeated stops for stop signs, lights etc will knock me down to 15 or 16.
Looks like you're hitting PRs on your recent rides - that's always a good sign of improvement in my opinion. That 33 mile ride you did was about 12 mph and your last one was about 14 mph - again, that looks pretty good from an improvement standpoint

I would like to try the group thing one day, my schedule doesnt permit. i get a ride in when i can and sometimes its not even planned. i wish there was a route by my house that was non/limited stops but sadly stop lights are everywhere. the PR's are due to wind not being as brutal as it has been. i cant wait for a windless ride.


im also curious what is slow. I average 15.5 to 17 on my 35-46 mile loops depending on wind and whatnot, I feel Im slow.

well your faster than me :(

I'm surprised no one here mentioned nutrition. Other than questioning what "slow" means to the OP, the OP might be hitting a wall every time he cycles due to lack of salt or carbohydrate intake. I know I began noticing improvements in speed when I ate properly both before and during the ride.

nutrition is huge and may be a part of it, as i know when i cut calories (like i have lately) i suffer even on my 4 mile commute home from work. it probably has something huge to do with it. but not a +2mph average difference


I am slow. I've been riding a year, putting on close to 3000 miles in that time, and I am still slow, but not near as slow as when I started. My latest ride of about 34 miles on rolling hills with a touch of wind I averaged 12.7mph and was wiped. I couldn't even smell the roses, it was head down and ride my best. I have come to the conclusion that starting to ride in your late 50s after being sedentary, with no fitness and little muscle mass, that it takes a long time to build up and as Jethro said, "aspire to mediocrity." Last November, after losing most of my excess weight and exercising a lot the prior 8 months, I had a fitness assessment done. I had made it to average. Even as a child I was about as un-gifted of an athlete as there was. This was the first time I had made it to average!

Kudos to you and your improvements. yes you started after 50 but look how much you have done and how great you feel now.
I am like you faster than i was laster year, and i am getting faster. i am happy for that but i just feel i should be way stronger and faster.


Slow? People here are talking as if 15mph is slow.

I'm no Taylor Phinney, but I am borderline fit enough to race. The last crit I did was won at an average speed of 26.2 mph. Don't get excited, I was tailed off in the second group, but I averaged close to 26mph.

I don't say this to boast, but to provide some context. My last training ride - and I was training, not just riding for fun - was a 40 mile ride with 2300 feet of climbing. I was not aiming to kill myself, but I was pushing it hard enough in the hills, high HR 168, average for the ride 129. A good, solid training ride. My average speed? Fifteen point three mph.

If you are riding on your own for any extended period of time, a 15mph average is not a dawdle. Sure, I can go faster, especially if it's flat. But for the average Clyde who rides recreationally, it is no mean feat. And as goldfinch said, it takes time to build a base. People should be pleased with themselves for getting out there, and focus on the fact that they are improving, instead of beating themselves up because they're slower than Fabian Cancellara.

cool, thank you for the perspective. but to me 15mph with 2300ft of climbing to me is pretty darn fast

Lots of PR's etc on last ride - just keep trying to be a bit faster than last time.

You have a good cadence and the HR is spinning up nicely - speed will follow

thank you. the PR's are due to the wind not being as brutal than it has been. good call on the HR it has been going down which is great to see. yesterdays ride was high because i was sick and feeling it. i should have stayed home and rested but with limited time to get out i had to get a ride in.


Sure, we can do that for you. How long do you have to spend on the bike each week? How is that time broken up? That is, do you have time for a long ride and a number of shorter ones?

see one of my above posts.

i did buy a trainer last year to ride on during the week after the kid goes to bed. but it was too loud and my neighbor downstairs could hear it and wife said she could hear it in the kids bedroom. i had to sell it.

Right, reading what you have posted here leads me to the conclusion that this is not rocket science. You simply haven't done enough riding this year to improve as much as you want.

It appears you have about four hours per week for cycling, two 90 minute rides at a weekend and one of about an hour in the week. There is therefore little point in my recommending long steady distance rides, which is what I would normally advise for someone who is building their base. And obviously, given where you live, there isnt much chance of your doing a great deal of climbing. So I think you have to go for intensity.

Try doing one of your weekend rides at tempo. That is, at as constant an effort as you can manage, with your HR at 60% -70% of MHR.

On the following day, do a descending pyramid. Warm up for 15-20 minutes, then do 20 minutes at about 80% of MHR. Spin easily for five minutes, then do 10 minutes at 80%. Another easy five, then five at 80%. Five more easy spinning, then two minutes 30 secs at 80%. Spin easily to cool down.

For your mid-week ride, try to do the hour at between 70% and 80% MHR.

Bear in mind that ordinarily I'd suggest longer on the bike with most of it at slightly lower intensities than these. If you can find the time, that would be better IMO. But within the constraints you have identified, what I have proposed should come close to giving you the biggest bang for your buck.

And keep focussing on weight loss. Even in the flatlands, improving your power/weight ratio really helps.

As the title says, why am i so slow?

Yes i only get to ride 2-3 times a week but i give it my all every ride. I do commute to work 3-4 days a week its only 4 miles one way. And i was off the bike from November to mid March due to a knee injury (from jogging). I understand it takes more training than i am doing but I still think i should be faster than i am going now. I dont think its because I am a clyde as less weight in the flatlands doesn't mean that much more speed. I am not going fast enough where aerodynamics come that much into play.

So guys any tips, hints, ideas?

Two four mile rides a day aren't long enough to develop base fitness for strength and technique improvements as you're barely warmed up. Just think of those rides for easy spinning to burn off an extra 200 calories or so, definitely NOT the time to give it your all. To go faster you need to budget the time for it. Ride two two hour rides on the weekend at an easy pace. Nothing fast. After a couple weeks make your Sunday ride the fast ride. Not fast the entire ride. 30 min easy warm-up and a few easy intervals. If warm up is 60% effort then the intervals are 75% for 15 minutes dropping back to 60% for 15 minutes, do another set of easy intervals then ride on home at 60%. Next week shorten the intervals but raise the effort a bit. A bit, not your all. Basically all of this is gently raising your aerobic base before playing with anaerobic sprint efforts which is the only way you're going to make significant increases in speed. To go fast you have to train fast but you don't get there in 20min commutes or grinding single speed rides.
After a couple months make the shift from high aerobic effort intervals to anaerobic sprint efforts, 15-30second efforts with a few minute rest in between. Like another poster said to go fast you have to ride fast. Riding for 30minutes at 12mph won't prepare you to ride at 15mph for 30min. Riding at 17mph for five minutes intervals can. Riding at 17 mph for 30min won't prepare you for riding at 20mph for 10min but 30 second intervals to 25mph can.

If it could work for you: I would consider combining the two weekend rides into a single 3 hours ride on either Saturday or Sunday. That would give you one good distance ride per week. Then, really try to find the time to get two rides in during the week. The second week day ride may not be more than an hour long. But, it's going to be "high intensity" speed or strength work, sandwiched between a good 15-20 minute warm up and a decent 5+ minute cool down.

Rereading your earlier response, I see that you're already trying to "sneak" a single one hour ride into the week. If you can't find two hours during the week, make sure you find that one. Then, try to find the time for the 3 hour ride on the weekend and another 1 hour ride on the other weekend day. Which comes on Saturday versus Sunday may very well be dictated by your family schedule. I find early mornings to be less intrusive into family commitments that mid-day, afternoon, or evening.

CJ, I'm quoting you from another thread:

i understand, its hard sometimes to stay with a difficult diet and exercise regimen. i cut calories to 1500 recently and fell off last week due to stress and a few life speed bumps. i think this week i will start again but not so dramatic maybe 1800 calories. thing is it all happens to us where we wonder and slip its about the drive to keep going after we fall. so get back on it and keep pushing. you may or may not slip again but just keep getting up and trying.

when i would weight lift i found having a training partner helps on the days you dont want to go.

Be sure not to have the calories too low if you are going to intensify your training. I don't know how big or tall you are so I have no idea if your calorie budget is reasonable.

I ride around 18mph average for 20-30 miles in flat FL which includes stops and lights. Usually cruising right around 20mph depending on the wind. I have never been passed when solo and I see hundreds of cyclist along the ocean. I really push myself and already dropping weight. Started around 220-225 and now close to 200 since the beginning of the year and being new to cycling (300 miles on the roadie). I do ride 6 miles a day on my single speed commuting.

When I ride with my girlfriend I keep it at 15mph and we rarely get passed. It's a perfect pace for us to ride together where she doesn't get frustrated. She does spinning but I just got her a road bike to join me. Even at 15mph it can be tough with 30mph winds.

Two four mile rides a day aren't long enough to develop base fitness for strength and technique improvements as you're barely warmed up.

those 4 mile rides are just to work, i dont count those at all as they are on a single speed beach cruiser at a leisurely 9-10mph pace.

its my 17-20 mile weekend rides i am concerned about the speed.


CJ, I'm quoting you from another thread:Be sure not to have the calories too low if you are going to intensify your training. I don't know how big or tall you are so I have no idea if your calorie budget is reasonable.

im 5'9" with a god breeze and 240lbs. the 1500 calories does hurt performance i know it. but that has only been for the last three weeks. and i fell off the wagon last week. i agree it is a factor.

If it could work for you: I would consider combining the two weekend rides into a single 3 hours ride on either Saturday or Sunday. That would give you one good distance ride per week. Then, really try to find the time to get two rides in during the week. The second week day ride may not be more than an hour long. But, it's going to be "high intensity" speed or strength work, sandwiched between a good 15-20 minute warm up and a decent 5+ minute cool down.

Rereading your earlier response, I see that you're already trying to "sneak" a single one hour ride into the week. If you can't find two hours during the week, make sure you find that one. Then, try to find the time for the 3 hour ride on the weekend and another 1 hour ride on the other weekend day. Which comes on Saturday versus Sunday may very well be dictated by your family schedule. I find early mornings to be less intrusive into family commitments that mid-day, afternoon, or evening.

I would like to combine the weekend rides into one longer ride. as is right now the kid naps around 11-12pm for 2 hours so i go for a ride during his nap. so i have to get a ride and shower within 2 hours and be ready to go.

as for the week sneek in ride as the day gets longer i may be able to get in a 2hour ride. as is right now not comfortable riding at night.

Right, reading what you have posted here leads me to the conclusion that this is not rocket science. You simply haven't done enough riding this year to improve as much as you want.
It appears you have about four hours per week for cycling, two 90 minute rides at a weekend and one of about an hour in the week. There is therefore little point in my recommending long steady distance rides, which is what I would normally advise for someone who is building their base. And obviously, given where you live, there isnt much chance of your doing a great deal of climbing. So I think you have to go for intensity.
Try doing one of your weekend rides at tempo. That is, at as constant an effort as you can manage, with your HR at 60% -70% of MHR. On the following day, do a descending pyramid. Warm up for 15-20 minutes, then do 20 minutes at about 80% of MHR. Spin easily for five minutes, then do 10 minutes at 80%. Another easy five, then five at 80%. Five more easy spinning, then two minutes 30 secs at 80%. Spin easily to cool down.
For your mid-week ride, try to do the hour at between 70% and 80% MHR.
Bear in mind that ordinarily I'd suggest longer on the bike with most of it at slightly lower intensities than these. If you can find the time, that would be better IMO. But within the constraints you have identified, what I have proposed should come close to giving you the biggest bang for your buck.

Thats awesome, Guess what i am trying next week :)
Question why the lower even paced effort first and the intervals the next? wouldn't one benefit from the hard effort with fresh legs the first day and the slower even one the next to knock out the soreness?

thank you chasm54

BTW,

thank you all for the help and ideas. this is why i love the clyde forum. great, almost non sarcastic, advice from others who have been/are in the same boat with a true heart to help fellow clydes.

I ride around 18mph average for 20-30 miles in flat FL which includes stops and lights. Usually cruising right around 20mph depending on the wind. I have never been passed when solo and I see hundreds of cyclist along the ocean. I really push myself and already dropping weight. Started around 220-225 and now close to 200 since the beginning of the year and being new to cycling (300 miles on the roadie). I do ride 6 miles a day on my single speed commuting.

When I ride with my girlfriend I keep it at 15mph and we rarely get passed. It's a perfect pace for us to ride together where she doesn't get frustrated. She does spinning but I just got her a road bike to join me. Even at 15mph it can be tough with 30mph winds.

Some people are natural athletes. 300 miles and you can cruise along at 18mph average? And 15mph with 30mph winds? Wow. What did you do for fitness before you biked?

I also think it depends on who else is riding near you - I get passed all the time on the bike path near here (SART) just because there are guys like Freddie Rodriguez riding on it.

I always enjoy the reported mph's of many clydes. Turns out we have a few close to Tour De France averages ! c'mon guys ;)

I always enjoy the reported mph's of many clydes. Turns out we have a few close to Tour De France averages ! 24mph+ c'mon guys ;)

Where have you seen that? I don't recall seeing a single clyde on here claiming 24+mph as an average. I can manage it, in a group, on the flats, for maybe 10km or less.

I ran a half marathon today. There was also a full marathon. There is a local guy who finished the marathon before I finished the half. Now he did go off a alf hour beforeme, bit damn, he finished before me with twice the distance.

Bad ass mofo

I'm 55 YO, weigh 260 pounds, ride a 30 pound 1994 Schwinn Crosscut and can average between 10-12 mph. I feel embarrassed to even write that based on what I'm seeing reported here. But I'm starting to think, or at least trying to convince myself that the speed does not matter for me. I'm getting exercise at a level that works for me. Can't say I wouldn't like a 17 pound bike, but I have what I have because its all I can afford and I enjoy riding at whatever speed I go. Seems to me that I would be going faster on a 17 pound bike but I ask myself if it's easier to go faster am I getting more or better quality exercise than chugging along on my Schwinn? Seems to me that if I'm working just as hard, the speed is irrelevant.