gfspencer

I think I just finished my longest/fastest ride since I got serious again. Unfortunately I can’t prove it because my GPS’s battery died during the first mile.

Seriously though, I think I ride better when I am not screwing around with a GPS/bicycle computer. My concentration is better.

BSLeVan

Right.... and I swear the fish was this big.............

I just recently swapped out handlebars and wanted to make sure I got them adjusted right before putting the computer back on. I went our for what was to be a short ride, but was having so much fun paying attention to the surroundings instead of the computer that I rode for almost three hours. Have no idea how far I went or how fast, but I don't care. I had a blast. Sometimes the computer can be a distraction.

stapfam

I am thinking of getting a Garmin- Next year possibly- but I can't even be bothered to zero the computer for most rides. It is just on there to let me know that I have done X miles so Time to service the bike- change the chain- and So* it- I have lost it again somewhere in that 5 miles of Mud I have just struggled through.

Ken Brown

By "better" I presume you mean faster or further. I find that I ride faster when I am watching the computer because I try to move it up a notch. Unlike many here, I actually try not to ride quickly, preferring to take my time and ideally ride further without overly tiring myself. The thing that most spoils that goal is other riders, particularly female, because my testosterone and competitive edge forces me to go faster.

wrafl

+1. I start slow to warm up and after 1/2 an hour of riding, I usually ride faster and much better conditioned for longer rides. My average on a 7 speed folding bike is 14.5 MPH with average ride of 50+ miles, much better than the other bike (Trek 700). I don't think the instruments on the handle bar is the cause for anyone to be slow due to it's distracting effect on the rider but the time in the saddle spent. Longer ride and more time on the saddle increase endurance IMO.

Beverly

Just stay away from those fast women

oilman_15106

Thought I was kicking butt last night on a 26 mile ride. When I got home I calculated my average speed at 14.7 mph. Oh well guess I can justify the fact that there were some decent hills in the mix.

roccobike

I thought 14.7 was a pretty good time. What is a good speed for a 50+ on road bike, with some hills over, lets say, 25 miles?

BSLeVan

I apologize for the short rant that is about to unfold.

I get so tired of everyone comparing their average speed in a context that makes no sense at all. I mean consider that the temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, traffic, type of bike and equipment ridden, riding alone or with a group, all make a difference. 14.7 is a very good time, depending on all of the above factors and your fitness, strength, weight, etc. If I were to seriously compare my average times with anyone else but my own history of average times, I'd probably stop riding. Of course, with that said, I don't see myself as a competitive racing cyclist either. OK, end of rant.

Many, many riders would be happy with an average speed of 14.7 MPH.

wrafl

I agree. I'm happy and satisfied with the average of 14.5 MPH for my age and riding a folding bike. I ride not to race nor break someone's record but to get fit and healthy and enjoy the surrounding scenery. The average speed is the combined effort of riding slow (-14 MPH) and riding fast (+14MPH). There are many factors that contribute to the average speed as pointed out by the above post of BSLevan.

roccobike

It was a simple question. My apologies if it upset you.

jibi

I saw it as a simple question too? But as others have said,
there is no average ride, average rider, average conditions etc etc

what type of rider ?
A Time Trialer ? A club cyclist? A tourer?

so many variables, so many possible answers

george

stapfam

My average doesn't matter because except for a few Stupid or Brave souls- Not many people climb the hills that I do- So 5 mph average for a 13 mile ride- and I even went slower than that on occasions- Then a 100 mile offroad at 9 mph average- on the Tandem- then an average ride taking in hills- flat- bit of downhill and a lot of scenery and I will happy if I do more than 14mph average. Then a road Metric that I can do in less than 4 hours on a Mountain bike- so why does a 100 miler take in excess of 8? Probably because I did the 65 in 4.

We recently had a Keen-Young-Fit Mountain biker come on one of our rides. He is always up on the hills- But his hills that are about 30 miles away. Short, sharp and steep is the way he put them. Ours are only steep and Long. He walked from halfway up the first hill and bonked at 40 miles.

Averages are only good up against yourself on your ride.

Mind you- I am always trying to better my time up this hill or that flat bit. Just so I can get extra pie in on the coffee stop.

slyjackson

I'm 53. One of my routes has flats and some small rolling hills and it also has three 60 yard hills (approx) which have 20-25 degrees inclines to them. I find that days with some wind, only changes my MPH in the tenths. I average 16.5-16-9 on this route witha 78-85 cadence, rain-wind-or shine.

I have another route, my speed route I like to call it that is mostly flat with four small rolling hills. I have the same cadence of 78-85 and I average 19.5 and sometimes I hit the 20's.

Both routes are 15 milers so I can't really say what I would do in a 25 miler, but I'm sure my MPH average would be less. Once I get the 15 miler perfected, I then will move up to the 25 miler with the same cadence (78-85) and hopefully the same MPH.

bobby c

I gauge my progress on a Tuesday night ride that starts w/ about 60 people. Unless a friend comes along who is slower than me, I try to hammer best I can. What I like is using my Garmin (& Motionbased) to track my progress over time, I can see strides made and lost and also see how weather effects my ride. It has over 2,200 feet of climbing over 25 miles.

My best average speed was at the end of May at 19, I traveled in June and part of July and my speed dropped about 18. Tonight I'm hoping for 19 again, but its pretty hot & humid. I have 2 friends coming along so they've agreed to ride together & let me ride on my own.

I started riding with this group in April, my first experience with group riding. I find it fun and challenging - certainly my speed is higher than it would be in a solo ride as I'm trying to keep up w/ folks. Man, there are sure some fast people out there.....

Beverly

+1 but I do mine to get that extra wings and beer after the night ride

slyjackson

I agree. I ride with "CC" and "B" groups and to me both are the same. I have not came back on one of these runs with anything less than a 17 mph average. I know for a fact they push me up hills harder than I would ride by myself. And then on the flats we cook !! I saw 27 mph last sunday. I try to force myself to train like that, but I back off a lot at times for some reason. I think one should ride with a good "C" or "B" group just to get that push at least once a week. I was so tire last weekend at the end of the route, I could not make it up the final hill into the parking lot. We rolled the route so fast I could not even drank water from my "camel bak". I could not swallow it, my breathing along with my pedal stroke would not allow it. I never push myself that much riding alone. One does not have to be the first one back to have benifited from a ride like this either.

roccobike

I ride with two groups, a Wednesday night after work ride with three to five co-workers and on Saturday morning with a club that is training for the MS150. The Wednesday ride is 20-25 miles. We stay together and seem to always average 16 MPH +/- 0.2. The Saturday ride is with a large group, 50-60 cyclists, typically travelling over 40 miles. At the start, they quickly split into groups of different speeds. I've been increasing my speed with this club from the slowest group on the first ride (12 MPH), to a 16 MPH group. Last Saturday, I tried a large (16-18 bikes) faster group and achieved a 17.5MPH average over 42 miles. The best part was taking a turn pulling the group. What a great feeling leading this group. Like slyjackson said, I would never go that fast on my own. I hit the wall at 38 miles along with 4 other riders but we made it back to the parking lot (barely) because the longest hill is the last mile of the ride.
I'd like to build up to stay at that level.