jsutkeepspining

yes but if your riding at 50 rpms you should downshift to a gear where your going the same speed but at 90ish rpms. Really you just need ot learn that the big big big gears are not for new (or even experienced riders) unless your going downhill, once you get fast this will be a different story.


Just to show you how small of a gear most riders actually use, today i went out for a ride and averaged 20 mph. Most of the ride was spent in the 50x19/18 (at 90-100 rpms).

phage

The wind was a crosswind and pretty temperate, it was a bit unsettling how such mild wind could actually jostle me so easily.

Also definitely going to try to find some 80bpm+ tunes, which seem like a decent alternative for a cyclometer for the time being, thanks for the tip!

When should I be changing the front gear versus the back gear? I should probably be in 39 x 19 starting off and then if I want to go a bit faster move to 50 x 19 or stay in 39 x and drop the rear cassette a tick?

Out of curiosity, how long did it take you guys to start breaking 20 mph? How much were you riding? Hoping to drop my time to below 40 minutes for ~12 miles, but not sure how realistic it is to knock 10~15 minutes off. Excited for my next ride while focusing on high RPM to see how much of a difference it makes!

Thanks again for all the advice guys.

fishymamba

On flats it tool me 4-6 months to maintain 20mph with the small amount of riding I did.
I pretty much never get a 20 mph average on ride because most of my rides have over 5000ft climbing. My average is usually in the 15-16 range.

For example: https://app.strava.com/rides/2380775
I got a 15.6mph average on the 50 mile ride with 5000 ft climbing, on flats I usually maintain over 20mph. But the hills bring down the average a lot.
15.6 average is O.K. I guess, not bad for a 16 year old who has been seriously riding since the start of summer.

phage

Another quick question, if my brakes are slightly too far away for my hands to easily grip can I just bend them closer or does that prevent them from completely braking when all the way closed? Is there a way to get them closer to the hand bars without impeding their ability to brake?

jmX

14 months for me to go from 17mph to 20.5 mph average on my standard 25-40 mi workouts. My absolute numbers are meaningless to anybody else, however the relative improvement should be realistic for a lot of people new to cycling. Improvements become exponentially harder, so be warned.

Grumpy McTrumpy

I've looked at this trail on strava. Your bike is not slowing you down. I am certain of it.

Drew Eckhardt 

It depends on intensity - the optimal cadence for minimal muscle activation and fatigue increases with power.

Maybe 28 MPH (93 RPM) cruising down-hill or with a killer tail wind, 31 MPH + (103 RPM) riding as hard as you can for five minutes, 36 MPH sprinting as fast as you can (121 RPM).

I noticed that I could ride threshold intervals on consecutive days at 90-100 RPM but not somewhere either side of the 85 RPM I'd otherwise choose although the lower cadence didn't do anything noticeably bad to fatigue at a tempo pace.

Debusama

Use the 50T ring on flats and descents, and shift with the rear derailleur to adjust pedal resistance so you can maintain a reasonable RPM. Shift onto the small chainring as you approach a hill, and again, shift the rear derailleur to to adjust your cadence. One thing I've noticed is that a lot of people seem to have an idea in their head that cycling is a leisure activity. I've heard people say that cycling just isn't a hard enough workout for them as if there was something stopping them from pedaling harder and faster until they achieved the desired level of intensity. Don't forget that it's OK for you to be breathing heavy and sweating with your leg muscles burning.

Homebrew01

If your chain pops off, then it needs to be adjusted.

Yes, you shift constantly to maintain the right cadence as terrain changes.

Drew Eckhardt 

Don't do that unless you weigh over 200 pounds and insist on riding 23mm tires and need the pressure to avoid pinch flats.

With less pressure your tires will still roll smoothly (perhaps faster, because road texture deforms the tire instead of lifting you up) but be a lot more comfortable.

At 185 pounds with an optional 15 pounds of commuting luggage I ride 90-95 psi front and 95-100 psi rear on 25mm tires. That's not low enough to slow anything down or cause pinch flats (0 in 5500 miles since I realized I was 40 pounds over racing weight and would be happier not riding 23mm tires) but a lot more comfortable.

At 145 pounds on 23mm tires I did about the same.

Tex81

Only thing I can add to what the others have said is to consider clip pedals. I'm new to cycling since 2 months ago. Shortly after getting my bike, I purchased SPD pedals and shoes. This dramatically improved my pedal efficiency. Concerning pedal technique, you want constant motion through the drive train. Push through the bottom with your right foot like your scrapping mud off your shoe while your pulling up through the top with your left foot at the same time.

dalava

I was the one passing you on w&od

Seriously, I ride part of the trail almost everyday between Leesburg and Herndon. Which part are you riding on? The trail for the most part is not that hilly, if you are relatively fit, you should be able to go at about 18 mph. Also from what I read, you have enough gears and the bike sounds fine. I would definitively check tire pressure, make sure no brake rubbing, and just ride more. You will be faster before you know it if you keep at it.

Essex

I ride a combo now of three bikes. One is the carbon, the other a MTB with slick tires and a hybrid giant. When I am on the carbon (fast) bike I can usually smoke most roadies in Central Park. However, if I am riding my MTB with slicks I struggle to keep up with the road guys and they usually smoke me. With the hybrid giant it's a toss up. The fit road guys will usually get past me, but not always. The Giant is a total dog on inclines.

That said - I do ride regularly and do not ride my wife's Raleigh 36/40 lb 3 speed anymore because I know a granny on a carbon bike would demolish me in a second. And that happened when I was on Nantucket. I was actually on some Walmart POS. The granny was very happy I ate her dust. ^$%#&*

Yaniel

basically all I gathered from this is that you're the fastest guy in New York...

I'm sure pcad will chime in soon.

svtmike

And maybe Nantucket. But he's not the fastest cyclist in Nantucket.

svtmike

Correct. Everyone in the 41 can lay down 700+ Watts for 5 minutes. Especially the beginners.

Essex

I get smoked all the time. The competition in Central Park isn't all that good - weekend guys who sit in executive offices, middle aged guys struggling on Pinarellos etc. BTW - I like your insinuation - go eat your avocado wanker.

idc

Assuming your bike is in sound mechanical order I think I would
- check your fit/riding position - if my saddle is too low I feel like it's harder to pedal smoothly
- consider clipless pedals. <$35. i hate riding platforms or even toeclips. you can concentrate your effort in turning the pedals and not on staying on the pedals
- consider doing short sprints and seeing how fast you can get. repeat.
- consider a cycle computer with cadence. one of the best things i've bought for cycling. i rode for years before i had one, and I guessed my cadence. when i first got one doing > 70 seemed tough. now if i drop much below 85-95 it feels wrong, and 120+ isn't ridiculous like it once was.
- consider a cheap indoor trainer. boooooring yes but it will let you concentrate on refining your position/fit and pedal stroke, watch how your speed + cadence change in response to your effort, all without worrying about mechanical problems, wind, etc. especially since it sounds like you are still a bit worried about balance and handling. And you can ride inside thru the winter if you like.

I ride on the W&OD fairly regularly, and I think a 16-18mph moving average shouldn't be too tough.

dubsnyc

Guys like you crack me up. You assume just because we are both on road bikes, it's automatically a "race". Not everyone is racing you, and not everyone you pass is getting "smoked" by you. There are about 4-5 races locally every week in the summer if you want to "smoke" people on road bikes. There are also many very strong riders in cp in the mornings on weekdays, but if you are riding cp on the weekends...

fishymamba

+1000000

I hate guys like that!!! If you wanna race tell me before we start.


Anyway to the OP: Make sure your hubs are smooth and lubricated, it makes a pretty big difference.

BarracksSi

About getting a good cadence - do you jog, or have you ever taken up jogging? The 80-100 rpm that we're talking about is almost identical to a jogger's foot speed. Pick a gear combo that lets you maintain that pedaling tempo.

To get faster, try going one gear harder and get up to the same cadence. If you just can't maintain your speed, drop back down and get your cadence back up.

I set up my brakes so that they won't lock up until the levers are almost hitting the handlebar. Some riders like to have a quick, touchy response, but I feel that I can get a better grip and more control this way. I do it by adjusting the cable to give more clearance between the pads and the rim. I do NOT bend either the brake levers or the calipers themselves.

There are a lot of riders in the DC area that could give you more help in person.

sci_femme

Um, considering that you are of less than average height and bike was born before you were, are you sure it fits you?

Just sayin'

SF

roadiejorge 

Come on let the Cat 6er have his moment in the sun, not all of us get to brag about "smokin" tourists on hybrids.

big john

Don't try to bend the levers. You might be able to unwrap the bar tape and move the levers to a better position on the bars, or, just rotate the bars a little to help.
Someone, maybe Specialized, makes shims to bring the levers closer to the bars for people with small hands, but I don't know if they will work for you. You might be able to make something to shim the levers.
Do you have cantilever brakes or calipers?
Regarding speed, try to ride with (friendly) faster riders. They can show you the ropes.

triumph.1

I doubt most of the personal claims in here are real noob or not, but it provides a bit of entertainment value.