tjspiel

I know for a number of you speed is way down on the list of commuting concerns. For me it is not.
I didn't move into the city to spend an hour and half on the road each day.

The fact that I can get to work on my bike in less time than I can in a car makes cycle commuting an easy decision for me. However in the winter I become multi-modal in the morning because the winter bike, dense air, plus snowy and icy roads add significantly to my commuting time. On the way in I can't justify spending the extra time it takes me on the bike, at least not every day. There's a little less time pressure on the way home so I skip the train for the evening ride.

Still, even in the winter when I take the train part way, speed is important. Getting to work 1 second late is no big deal, but being 1 second late for the train means I gotta sit and wait for the next one. Sure I could get up earlier but I have young kids and well, stuff happens in the morning. Plus I'm a night owl and like to sleep as late as possible.

There are times I don't commute because I have to run some errands that will take too long if I attempt them on the bike. Picking up and extra mph or two might make the difference in a couple of cases. Just this year I've gotten fast enough on a couple of long hills so that I'll take my bike between our main and satellite offices.

So while I know I may not represent the majority of commuters, I'll bet there are some potential commuters out there who don't do it because they think 10-12 mph is about the best they could do.

Flamadiddle

I haven't started obsessing over my speed yet (just started commuting by bike last month), but am getting the itch. I plan on picking up a computer this weekend so I can get a better idea of what speed I'm going when I feel ("feel" being the operative word) like I'm cruising along at a pretty good clip. I'm guessing it's around 12 mph at this point since I ride a mountain bike and haven't built up my leg strength yet.

ban guzzi

I'm fast-ish for a fat man...I use my commute to try to beat prior times to work, proper spin technique (hence the fixed conversion) and somewhat weak intervals.
I'll never be a Racer but noticing how others smooth out the ride and increase efficiency tends to up your speed and endurance.

It all makes my 40-50 mile (non-commute) fun rides that much better...

rench123

Of course, the bike you ride matters- roadies are faster than mountain bikes, slicks are faster than knobbies, and cruisers and folders are generally slow. And the bike has to fit.

However, you maybe overthinking this. The more you ride, the faster you get.

climbhoser

All the reason why I ride a 'cross bike set up for speed AND utility, and I treat my commute like a training ride. My commute is almost 20 miles one way, so it's like racing a short crit every day, twice a day!

I definitely pay attention to fit issues in a major way, to spin technique and to little things that will improve my speed. HEck, it's why I'm the one stinkin' every day commuter on the E. side of the S. Platte in Denver that doesn't roll Armadillos! They're too slow!

newbojeff

Plus if you crush other commuters and get enough KOC points, you get to wear the yellow, hi-vis, reflective jersey for the rest of the season.



On my hybrid rain bike tonight, I smoked a guy on a road bike...who was wearing work clothes and carrying a messenger bag and some 5 foot sort of a map container. Smoked that guy.

M_S

I like going fast too, but in urban areas I've found that in general it's how lucky you are with stoplights that makes the most difference.

It does kind of piss me off when I pass some other cyclists, then come to a stop at a light, and they blow by me and all the cars that are stopped. I know a cyclist running a light is potentially less hazardous than a car doing so, but come on. I've seen roadies, decked out commuters, pretty much every type of cyclist imaginable do this. I can't imagine it garners any good will in a city where some cagers are already feeling combative towards cyclists. Just wait at the lights, no matter how big of a rush you're in.

The only obvious exception is that you can't trigger a light because the sensor doesn't pick up bikes, I suppose.

But that's a rant only vaguely related to the OP, sorry.

tjspiel

That's only true to a point, at least for me. Going longer distances won't make me any faster at the shorter distances I'm already accustomed to, especially if I find it necessary to ride at a slower pace in order to be able to deal with the longer distance.

Knowing when to go hard and that I have to allow time for recovery is something I didn't take too seriously until recently. Late last summer I was wondering why my speed and endurance seemed to be dropping even though I was working so hard. It was because I wasn't allowing my body to recover.

Then there's the whole nutrition thing that I have yet to really take a look at.

Buglady

I've learned a heck of a lot on this forums about pedaling technique, riding in traffic, and bike maintenance. It's great.

I need to get faster on the bike because i never, ever leave the house on time. Ever.

chephy

I rarely go full-speed in the city. Only for short bursts that are constantly interrupted by all sorts of impediments: stop signs, traffic lines, traffic jams, pedestrians etc. IMHO, in the city it's far more important to have:

a) a good route with minimal bottlenecks, red lights and stop signs

+

b) a bit of luck when it comes to traffic light timing

+

c) ability to manoeuvre safely and efficiently around tight spots.



This applies to congested downtown riding anyway. Flattish downtown.

cradduck

I guess I qualify in the fast commute section; or at least try to. My commute is only 12 miles each way, but I go about as fast as I can to work on my road bike. No breaks, no stopping unless there is a red light. I don't sprint, but my focus is to stay keep up with the group/club riders as much as possible even with a backpack on (which is impossible with some of the club riders...a few out there are just dang fast and pass me like I am standing still or continually fade into the distance ahead of me). My ride home is a slower struggle as daily headwinds are a constant hassle...but it is still a good workout as I feel like I am climbing an 12 mile long hill all the way home.

Riding fixed for a while helped with my speed when I got back on my road bike. My spinning felt a lot more fluid and I was able to maintain speed better average speeds and also to stand a better fight against the daily afternoon headwinds I face coming home. I don't have the time in the afternoons or the morning to join a real club so this is the best I can do.

I feel like the more I ride and the more I push myself, the more a good night's sleep becomes extremely important.