goose70

Maybe I've missed it while skimming this thread, but aside from one reference, I'm surprised to not see any mention of intervals. If you want to go faster, intervals are what you need. Google "cycling" and "intervals" and you'll get a brainfull of options. In essence, you need to train yourself to go all out for short bursts (20-seconds to 3-minutes for most power intervals), then recover (albiet not fully), then rinse and repeat. Do this a couple times a week (only takes about 45-min, including warm-up and cool-down) in addition to your normal rides and your speed will improve, as will your ability to recover quickly from hard efforts. As you become stronger, your pedal efficiency will likely improve, too.

RaleighSport

This is spot on in my mind.

justkeepedaling

Actually it depends, but it can work out that way if your hill has more distance spent climbing than descending.

wallrat

I think the answer is simple. You're idea of fun isn't to go fast. If you thought going fast is fun, you'd just ride harder and enjoy the pain. I've only been riding for 2-3 years, first mountain biking and now riding a road bike. I just like going fast and it's fun for me. When I'm on a ride my goal is to go as fast and as far as possible. I'm still a recreational rider, it's just that part of my recreation is to go fast.

I probably average in the 17-18 mph range. My elevation is usually around 1,000' per 10 miles so it's pretty hilly. Obviously this isn't fast for everyone but I'm working on getting faster.

caloso

To ride faster you must ride faster.







(This is a Zen koan AND the basis for all interval training.)

Campag4life

Just to give you some inspiration, there are many stories of guys like you that drop big weight and just keep getting faster.
Probably few things are more gratifying than transforming yourself and what better present to yourself.
I hope you enjoy the journey. To me my riding friends...yes we punish one another once in a while and all the great people I meet in different kinds of rides is as good as it gets. As to level, pros can drop 98% of the guys on here 'easily'.

Campag4life

The thing about intervals is...to do them expressly is more painful to the average cyclist than they are willing to do. Yes there is a core of cyclists that do them and they do pay dividends as you write. I would say 98%...maybe more of the cycling public does not do intervals. For example I don't do them with deliberation. I do ride my ass off on different types of rides however from centuries to short blasts. I draw the line at dedicated training. I don't do wind sprints in the backyard either. I do do...I did say do do....light weight training off season and I like to swim.
Cheers.

Campag4life

I agree with you. I believe riding fast is partly who and what you are and it starts at a young age.

wallrat

I agree with you too. I don't do dedicated training but I do do hard riding in short burst during a ride. I also do like saying do do and saying I just said do do.

merlinextraligh

It's great you're riding.

And the good news is that if your successful getting the weight off, the strength it took carry 375lbs will likely make the new lighter you very strong.

merlinextraligh

Fartlek training is a great idea for recreational cyclists who want to get faster, without the riggers of a structured training plan. It's essentially "fun" unstructured intervals. Such as race your buddies to every town limit sign; alternate riding hard and easy every other power line pole. Go hard trying to pass the next cyclist on the road, relax and rest till the next one comes along, let your slower buddy get a 30 second lead, and then see if you can catch him before the next store stop, or other games you can think of.

You're getting the benefit of interval training without the drudgery, eliminatin monotony, and adding some fun to your ride.

DoninIN

+1 To all that. Do some random blistering sprints down hills, run from some mean dogs. Don't stress about it, keep in mind all those people who are posting how they averaged 22+ over X miles on Thursday are bragging about their recent best, some of them are exaggerating, this is true. But just keep getting miles, keep riding, find some sort of interval training regimen that you can enjoy. If there's a particularly murderous hill near you, find it, climb it, roll down it and repeat it until you can truly feel the burn.

The one useful thing that no one seems to have said yet, is to take a few days off somewhere in here. Your legs will get tired and you might not even realize they are tired, skip a few days and then go hammer it like crazy, on the most favorable route you can think up, and you'll get to experience that "Just went faster farther than ever" glow for yourself.

When it comes to riding fast for fun, there is no wrong answer, other than to fail at the fun part.

Icculus21

True, I hear that. I upgraded from a hybrid, so I think the combination of more aggresive position, lower rolling resistance, and slightly lighter bike makes a difference. But I see what you're saying that an upgrade within the same category may not amount to much. I think for me it's a combination of the 'new bike effect,' better bike, and self-challenge.

Icculus21

I do this almost daily on my commutes and when I have a chance at longer rides. It's great, keeps it fun, fast, and definitely gives you a workout.

Cyclelogikal

To get faster and condition your legs; lungs; and heart you have to ride with progressively faster riders. Each rider will also have certain strengths and weaknesses. Some can climb; some can sprint; some can keep a fast pace with a effortless cadence; and some can tuck and glide quicker.

I have always ridden with riders that are around 135 lbs. and I outweigh them by a toddler! I now can keep pace with all but a few who are like Crackheads eating sugar coated chocolate while hitting the meth pipe! My goal is to get to 190 or maybe even 185 lbs. to maintain and strengthen further so I can suck their tires without much effort!

We all have goals in this sport, just set yours a bit at a time then go to the next and you will find your staying with these folks you call fast. Interval training is a great way to expand the lungs and legs to get faster.

fried bake

cycling is like every other athletic activity, it takes time to improve and, ultimately, when you achieve (or approach) your upper level, that level will be based on a variety of factors, including genetics, age, time spent in the activity. if you started golfing late in life, don't have enough time to train and were not gifted with innate hand/eye coordination, then the likelihood of regularly breaking 80 is extremely low. same holds true for cycling. so take heart, when the 230 lb guy rides past you uphill, it may not be you. he may have been doing this for twenty years, and probably has quite an engine. (i read that it takes 3 years to build a reliable aerobic base).

riding with faster guys shows you the level but in and of itself, is not a training plan. you will probably burn a few matches trying to catch up--aka intervals. then you'll get dropped. interval training is essential though, there's no shortcut around it. time on bike, building an aerobic base (not riding in hammerfests every time out) is equally important. also, working on your weaknesses (for me, it's climbing).

try to maximize your abilities through discipline and hard work, but you need to realize that you may never be "fast", although you will probably (very likely, in fact) be faster than you were.

BillyD

fixed, but above is the only reply you need.

If you enjoy your recreational riding just continue what you're doing and don't be concerned with the guys that pass you. Who cares? You are both having fun in your own separate ways.

If you want to be as fast as those other guys, then you have to bike harder to earn it.

Fast is overrated.

DoninIN

I just have to jump back in with my favorite cycling saying.

You can buy a nice bike, but you can't buy a fast one, you have to make it fast.
(Someone smarter than me, some time in the past.)

Excelsius

It took 4 pages for someone to finally mention interval training. OP, as you said yourself, you don't train for speed. If you want to go faster, you need to train for faster speeds. This includes going on fast group rides (and getting dropped) and interval training. Also, don't spend much time on this forum and ride instead. I'm pretty sure that most of the chatty members here are not as fast as you think they are; many of the threads are about useless upgrades. Whatever you do, don't upgrade anything. When you come to a point where upgrades can really make any difference, you'll know when you're ready. We're talking about 22+mph average for 30+ miles of terrain including 2K or more ft of elevation gain. Basically, you might never need to upgrade. A friend of mine consistently beats riders with expensive bikes on all kinds of terrain. He's riding a mid-level mountain bike. That's right.

fried bake

seriously, 22mph average solo over 30 miles and 2K of climbing! that's what--5% of the cycling population?

kenji666

If you blink, you will miss it.

KantoBoy

I'm checking in late in this party, but I was in your place last year, so here's my .02: I dedicated 5 months this year purely on interval training which paid off immensely, but I made a mistake of not mixing it up with endurance training. I did race this year and learned lots from it. You have to mix both interval and endurance training. That's key. Get dropped and come back stronger the next time.

I'm making up for the endurance part now, but it won't happen again next year.

Excelsius

Could be more, could be less. I don't know, because it depends on who's considered to be part of the cycling population. But that's not the point because to make a noticeable difference with $1k aero wheels or to pay hundreds of dollars to save a few grams of weight here and there, that's the level you need to be at. I'm not quite there yet myself, especially when not riding in a paceline. But while I've gotten much faster than I used to be, my bike is completely stock, along with cheap tires, tubes, and cleats. I haven't found that lack of upgrades has held me back in my years of riding and competing. My diet and weight is another matter and has been far more instrumental. Incidentally, my first bike upgrade is going to be change of gears since my highest gear sometimes isn't sufficient anymore to achieve my target speed.

Myosmith

Asking why someone can ride faster than you is like asking why they can dance better, shoot pool better, play the guitar better . . . ad infinitum. Sure natural aptitude and quality of equipment play their parts, but 90+% of it boils down to heart, soul and sweat.

on the path

I'm guessing it's lower than that.