is it me? my bike? or both?
06-24-14, 06:30 AM
#27
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I'm a 60 year old guy who has been riding for about a year. I ride a Trek Verve 1 and I go about 15 miles 4 days a week and up to 30+ one day a week. I am in decent shape but could drop a few more pounds for sure! I feel like my progress has peaked as I seem stuck on a 13-15 mph average. I want to go faster I and further. So, is it me, the bike, or both???
pretty much the case. It's normally 80% person 20% bike no matter the situation.
06-24-14, 07:57 AM
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Correct, as no one drafts, or is in anything close to a pace line in the club rides I've participated in, were not race oriented. But when together it is noticed we do move along with more effort and speed than when on our own.
06-24-14, 07:59 AM
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Getting faster requires training stimulus, and recovery, hence the recommendation for intervals, and riding with faster groups.
So you need to try harder, but you also need to be smart about it.
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06-24-14, 08:03 AM
#30
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So, obviously it takes more stength to ride 20mph in a group than it does 20mph solo, once you've adapted to riding 20mph in a group, it's easier to get to that speed solo.
One easy way to raise your speed is to find a group that's faster. At first you may only be able to sit in, but by staying with it, starting to take pulls, and then longer pulls, you end being able to ride solo at the pace of a group you could barely hang with when you started.
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You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
06-24-14, 08:17 AM
#31
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If you ride solo, what do you care about how fast you go? Why not aim for distance so you can do fun centuries and stuff?
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06-24-14, 08:31 AM
#32
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Not exactly. You can go out and ride as hard as you can for a sustained period, and you'll get faster for awhile, but you'll soon plateau, and no matter how hard you try, you won't get any faster.
Getting faster requires training stimulus, and recovery, hence the recommendation for intervals, and riding with faster groups.
So you need to try harder, but you also need to be smart about it.
Getting faster requires training stimulus, and recovery, hence the recommendation for intervals, and riding with faster groups.
So you need to try harder, but you also need to be smart about it.
Now can we safely /thread?
06-24-14, 08:40 AM
#33
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Tough crowd. Am I the only one who thinks a 15 mph average is far from slow for a 60 year old on a comfort hybrid? I'm sure he can work harder and get faster (stopping well short of the whole ride-until-your-ears-bleed nonsense) but an upgrade to a decent road bike will result likely result in an immediate improvement in the ability to carry greater speed over greater distance.
06-24-14, 09:05 AM
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OP, getting a new bike is fun, and can be a great motivator, but at 13 mph, it is not your bike holding you back. I started with a hybrid (Specialized Sirrus), went to a flat bar road bike (more aggressive geo), then to race geometry road bike, and now ride a single speed. On my 25 mile evening loop, I worked so that I could average 20 mph on it on any of these bikes. None of them, including the single speed, is appreciably slower than the others, in that my biggest spread in best average speed is 2mph over all 4 builds. But that is best speed, based on turning myself inside out on each. It is not that much about the bike, or the gearing.
06-24-14, 09:08 AM
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06-24-14, 09:19 AM
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06-24-14, 10:03 AM
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He specifically asked about SPEED and not about how to enjoy cycling. Everyone does it for their own reasons.
I say if you want to increase your speed, get a dedicated road bike, bike computer and HR monitor. Start tracking what type of effort your putting in on your rides. It sounds like you aren't putting in the effort you need to get to the next level.
Personally, I like road riding because you can go fast. If I wanted to just plod along I get on my mountain bike and hhit the trails. To each their own.
I say if you want to increase your speed, get a dedicated road bike, bike computer and HR monitor. Start tracking what type of effort your putting in on your rides. It sounds like you aren't putting in the effort you need to get to the next level.
Personally, I like road riding because you can go fast. If I wanted to just plod along I get on my mountain bike and hhit the trails. To each their own.
06-24-14, 10:20 AM
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06-24-14, 10:31 AM
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Please show that reference. My comment was 5.5 MAY be more entertaining than 8. That is no indication that 7 or 8 isn't. But Dudel says a fast century is definitely not more entertaining than an 8. Seems like the only absolute was from someone pro-slow.
06-24-14, 10:32 AM
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Suggest reading "Cycling Past 50" by Friel. It's pretty hardcore and competition oriented, but has lot of good information along the lines of what you need.
Friel's "The Cyclist's Training Bible" is the major tome on the subject. More succinct is "The Time Crunched Cyclist" by Carmichael.
What and when to eat and drink? "Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes" by Ryan.
Friel's "The Cyclist's Training Bible" is the major tome on the subject. More succinct is "The Time Crunched Cyclist" by Carmichael.
What and when to eat and drink? "Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes" by Ryan.
06-24-14, 11:09 AM
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OP, getting a new bike is fun, and can be a great motivator, but at 13 mph, it is not your bike holding you back. I started with a hybrid (Specialized Sirrus), went to a flat bar road bike (more aggressive geo), then to race geometry road bike, and now ride a single speed. On my 25 mile evening loop, I worked so that I could average 20 mph on it on any of these bikes. None of them, including the single speed, is appreciably slower than the others, in that my biggest spread in best average speed is 2mph over all 4 builds. But that is best speed, based on turning myself inside out on each. It is not that much about the bike, or the gearing.
06-24-14, 11:16 AM
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Fun police.
06-24-14, 11:49 AM
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06-24-14, 01:12 PM
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I just got off a Diamondback Edgewood LX (hybrid bike) with similar gearing. Front crank is 28/38/48 and rear 14-34. I could climb a mountain like a billy goat with the 28 - 34 combo but slowly. I averaged 13 to 15 on that bike depending on hills and winds. I just moved up to an Orbea Aqua TSR with a 34/50 and 12-27 in the back and immediately picked up to 2.5 mph on the same routes I had been previously riding. My up hill speeds came up considerably as well as my downhill speeds. I'm 40 not a spring chicken anymore butjust changing bikes to a road bike with drop bars may give you what you are looking for and then you will want more speed again later.
06-24-14, 01:28 PM
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That 80/20 rule seems fair, but that Verve is holding him back. Everything about that bike is suited against the type of riding you do. You could probably pick up a lot of speed by switching to a drop bar road bike. I'd assume a lot of the power you're putting down is being wasted because of the upright position, suspension, gearing, heavy wheels and wide tires. So in this case it could be your equipment holding you back, and not you.
06-24-14, 01:32 PM
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I'm amazed that you were the first person to notice this. Not only is it a hybrid, but it's the most relaxed, laid back hybrid Trek makes. It's a serious anchor made for recreational family rides at 8-10 mph. I should know, I sell tons of them.
If you really want to go faster and farther, I would highly recommend stepping up to a road bike. I suggest heading to the dealer you bought your Verve from (assuming you went to a Trek dealer) and discuss the Domane line. Even the alloy version would be a massive step away from the Verve.
Please don't buy into the machismo bull**** of "IT SHOULD ALWAYS HURT!!! ARGGGHH!!!" Biking is supposed to be fun. I got a lot faster and much more endurance as a result of heart rate training at lower intensities for the majority of my rides. Maybe one good hard group ride every week or so helps, but to get your base built up, you don't have to abuse yourself every second. If you want to ride competitively, then yeah, some of those rides should REALLY hurt, but even the pros do low intensity "base" miles.
If you really want to go faster and farther, I would highly recommend stepping up to a road bike. I suggest heading to the dealer you bought your Verve from (assuming you went to a Trek dealer) and discuss the Domane line. Even the alloy version would be a massive step away from the Verve.
Please don't buy into the machismo bull**** of "IT SHOULD ALWAYS HURT!!! ARGGGHH!!!" Biking is supposed to be fun. I got a lot faster and much more endurance as a result of heart rate training at lower intensities for the majority of my rides. Maybe one good hard group ride every week or so helps, but to get your base built up, you don't have to abuse yourself every second. If you want to ride competitively, then yeah, some of those rides should REALLY hurt, but even the pros do low intensity "base" miles.
Other suggestions past a new bike:
1. Make sure the bike fits. In college the wrong seat height or a to small bike was the #1 reason people were slow.
2. Doing intervals where you spring on and off for short distances helps increase speed a lot
3. This flexibility routine helped me greatly with being comfortable and faster on my bike:
Joe D's "Limber 11" (flexibility routine) - DeFranco's Training
It was definitely the cause of being more comfortable. I know I'm faster now after doing it, but it's not a fair comparison because I was also lifting weights and such at the same time, so that may be what made me faster.
06-24-14, 04:03 PM
#50
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thanks!
Tough crowd. Am I the only one who thinks a 15 mph average is far from slow for a 60 year old on a comfort hybrid? I'm sure he can work harder and get faster (stopping well short of the whole ride-until-your-ears-bleed nonsense) but an upgrade to a decent road bike will result likely result in an immediate improvement in the ability to carry greater speed over greater distance.