seniorbiker

One of those ponderable aspects of gas mileage is that everyone says they get more mpg than they really do. Who benefits from this tendency to stretch the facts?. Similarly, I ride about 15 miles a day as a routine. Sometimes I do a longer trip. I have never averaged much above 10mph with peaks at 14 to 18 Am I really that far out of the norm?. I feel I'm already passing up interesting sites and should be slowing it down in the interest of enjoying the ride etc. So why all this empasis on mph?. What's the point?.

europa

I don't fuss about mph ... in Australia, it's km/hr

The nerd in me makes me keep a record of what I've travelled and how fast, hence I know my average speed. It's a number, the real story is in my legs and smile.

Richard

Makeitso

I average 15+ to 16+ on my MTB. That's while the bikes moving. Stops aren't included.
I haven't ridden the roadie for a few months until today so can't say on it.
I think I will be around 16+ to 17+ on it when I start riding it again.
I just got it back today so I'll know more tomorrow.
Also a lot depends on conditions, hills, wind, how many corners you slow down for and so on.

2manybikes

Why do you feel the need to go fast, or at any certain speed ? Do whatever interests you.

Some like to go fast, some enjoy racing and they like to talk about it with others who have the same interests, some like to look around and enjoy the surroundings. Some like to play in the mud.

There is no "norm". There just is "riding".

guybierhaus

"tendency to stretch the facts?" I can't say if anybody on forum does, but I'm sure some do. However, the need for speed I assume is related to the work out desired. Faster you ride, more calories you burn. So speed is one major varible in the equasion. Distance is another, as well as road grade, surface friction, wind, etc. Your speed seems normal to me. My bike computer provides average speed, but only computes if bike is moving. So I'm riding with an average of 13 to 14 mph on a road bike, on a paved route that most would call flat, for 25 miles. (250 lbs/61 years young)

I do know many ride faster, as I'm almost always passed. Anyway for me it's just another number to measure progress. To date I've been recording trip distance and total miles, both of which have been getting better (longer). The one goal that I haven't achieved is an increase in average speed. I want to break thru 15 mph, but have been unable to do so. Probably has something to do with the 250 pounds I've been carrying.

Makeitso

You know, I should have added here that the above speeds are for a fairly level 15 miler.
If I go on a 50 miler it's more like around 10-12 average, depending on which route I take.

backinthesaddle

I've posted on this before.

When I started riding after many years of non-activity, I was averaging 8 mph. Now I'm up to 10 mph. But the way I compute it is "door to door". If I do a 30 mile ride that will be generally 3 hrs from the time I leave home to when I return. Stop lights, rest stops, stop to take off a layer of clothing, uphills and downhills, are all averaged out to 10 mph.

This past summer I discovered that when I ride with a group I'm generally in the middle, so that was reassuring, I'm not really as slow as I thought I might be, but I'm definitely slower than some. And it's still fun so I relax and enjoy it. When I pass people I can gloat, when they pass me I can say O Well, they're younger than I am.

But I do enjoy going fast and my immediate goal is to improve up to (gasp!) 12 mph!

-=(8)=-

I ditched the computer on my bike because I really dont care how
fast I go. If I have to get somewhere in a reasonable amount of
time I MapQuest it and then just count each mile as 5 minutes which
allows time for any unknown stoppages of forward motion that might
arise

stonecrd

2manybikes is exactly right
Don't measure yourself against others unless your goal is the same as theirs. As for stretching the truth, I hope that isn't happening in this forum. There are many people here who are very happy riding at 15mph and there are some of us who enjoy riding at 20+mph averages. The age of the individual is not a rate limiter, I ride with plenty of guys that are 60+ that can wax me and ride easily in the mid 20s. But their goal is not to go slow look at the scenary and smell the roses, their goal is to see how far they can push their performance envelop. To each their own

NOS88

I regularly do different kinds of rides for different reasons. During the course of a typical week, I'll do a long steady distance ride that ususally comes in at 12 to 14 mph (this includes rest stop times or "get rid of the coffee" breaks). I'll do a hard time trial where the speeds can vary a great deal, but this last year all of them have been over 18 mph. I'll do a spin and work on technique session (usually the day after the time trial), and I have no idea what the mph is on that ride. I'll do a dedicated training ride where I work on a specific thing (e.g., climbing, intervals, sprints, high gears, etc.), and the mph varies a great deal with this. I do confess to having one mph weakness... perhaps a shortcoming in my personality... I love to ride one particular flat stretch near my home that goes on for about six miles with nary a hill, intersection, little traffic, etc. When I'm riding this by myself and look down and see that I'm crusing at 25+ mph, it just feels so cool. After all the times I've done this I still find myself thinking, "Wow, I can go this fast on my own power." Makes me feel like a strong, healthy kid.... I've had images of a colt that frolics in the field, just because he can...that's how it feel during those rides.

Richard Cranium

If you need an explanation for this topic, you shouldn't be left alone or allowed outside.

How could it be that someone thinks differently than you? How very strange indeed!

will dehne

I offer this to further better understanding on this forum.
Some bikers go socializing and sight seeing. Average speed and MPG do not mean much for that.
Some bikers use biking as exercise. I do that a lot. I use 17 MPH on a trainer as a gage for my fitness.
Some bikers are into performance biking. You are not one of them or you would not write the post as you did. I think that you should be aware of these different objectives and not be high minded to the performance bikers either. These folks have their reasons for pushing their limits.
I know that is hard to understand for a non performance oriented person. I am surrounded by such folks. They think I am crazy for doing what I do. Well, this is what I do to feel whole.

howsteepisit

I think the OP has a valid point, not so much as that some riders are pretty fixated on speed, but that from what I see, especially some of the other forums, is that folks exaggerate or outright lie about the ride speed they are able to average. For me, it took me many years to somewhat get over being fixated on speed. Actually, I am still fixated, I just accept that I am slow better.

pgpdlr

+1 It all depends on what you want out of the bike-pleasure and acheivement or just plain fun.

Garfield Cat

The type of riding one does is also based on one's personality. The extreme person will take it to the limit and then some. The overly cautious person will remain overly cautious. The highly competitive person will ride that way. The laid-back type 10 personality will most likely settle in on a nice easy ride.

So it goes back to... why you're riding? The recreational rider, the seriously and sometimes competitive recreational rider, the wanna be pro rider...etc.

Objectively, riding does change a person's conditioning. Along with that change comes good things and some riders wake up to a certain call to progress. Do you remember Ronald Reagans's pitch with General Electric? Progress is our most important product or something like that.

Tom Bombadil

Perhaps all the OP needs it to see the occasional post where someone did their 20 miles at 10 mph and feels pretty good about it.

I suspect there are a number of people in this boat. But many of the posts I've seen where people are doing 20, 30, 50 or more miles do say they averaged 15, 17, or higher. So those of us going 10 feel pretty slow. And we are pretty slow. But I don't worry much about it.

ollo_ollo

Where I live, its difficult to ride far without encountering some significant hills. If I make an effort to ride mostly level routes, I can keep my average up around 16-18 mph but if I just explore new territory the average quickly falls to 12 mph. I worked for many years with a fellow who was a year round commuter & into randonneuring. He confirmed that 11-12 mph is not a bad average in these parts. One way to get a higher average speed is to use the MUP which follows an old rail line & thus avoids any steep inclines. Of course you have to pick times when there aren't to many walkers out.

centexwoody 

Since my cycle computer got lost at my LBS (removed during shift between bikes), I just rely on my heart rate monitor. Since cycling is my primary exercise option, I record the HR results, time of ride & the ride distance just so I can see whether I've stayed on my conditioning 'program' (if such deserves the name).

I can always calculate the distance of a ride along the 7.5 - 22 mile routes I ride regularly and occasionally will figure out MPH but for me, it doesn't really mean much.

dauphin

average mph for me = *yawn*

Pat

Well, average speed depends on a lot of things. Windspeed, road conditions, number of grades, number of traffic stops, etc etc.

Solo I average between 17 mph and 19 mph on flat terrain with no wind on a road bike. In a group I can average over 20 mph.

I used to commute and did a 9 mile course twice per day. As I recall, the low average was something like 7 mph into a massive head wind. I was up shifting twice on hills. On the high end the average was 27 mph. These two averges occured very close to each other in time so my conditioning was similar. It gives you an idea what effect conditions outside of the rider can have on average speed.

showme

"Am I really that far out of the norm?"

I ride about the same distance and speeds as you described and asked a similar question a while back.
I thought everyone passing me at much higher speeds were probably out for shorter rides and not biking the same 15 to 20 miles I was at 10-12 mph. Not necessarily true is what I found out...many bikers are able to average 20 mph plus for just as many miles. I don't ever expect to be able to compete with that kind of average.

I would think for the over 50 crowd we are within the 'norm'...and I know there will always be exceptions.
The best advise I have recieved is to to ride at your own pace and not to concern yourself with the other riders....I don't think we're missing a thing.

Retro Grouch 

"What's a reasonable average speed?" is a question that only you can answer. What's reasonable for you might be unattainably fast for me.

It sounds to me like you're a smell the roses kind of rider. There's nothing wrong with that. That's what I do most of the time. You might be happier if you threw away your bike computer, take whatever time seems appropriate to enjoy the scenery, and just estimate approximately how far and fast you have ridden.

2manybikes

No such thing as the norm. No such thing. You have no set measure to judge with, you can't get the variables under control. Of course your weight and power makes a difference but so does everything else.

My old trike with the dog in it will go about 10-12 mph with the same effort that my 16 lb racing bike will go 20. Close to twice as fast. My other types of bikes are at different places in the middle.

The wind or a hill can make a much bigger difference than 10 mph. There really is no way to judge your performance by another persons performance, unless you can get the variables the same. It's almost impossible. Different tires and tire pressure can make a mph or more difference. Loaded panniers, worn out bearings, it all makes a difference. Your position on the bike and the air resistance is a big variable.

centexwoody 

oh, yes, I am the norm, the rest of you are to either side of the median...

2manybikes

Hi Norm! I'm Fred. Nice to meet you.