knoxroadie

Hey everybody, I'm new to this forum, and I'm pretty new to biking. Got into it last fall. I used to go everywhere on my bike as a kid and after about a ten year absence I've returned. I'm 19 and a student at UT-Knoxville, and I love riding the greenways around campus. Being a Nashville native, Knoxville has a lot more trails, and most of them interconnect. I'd like to get pretty active on riding to be able to participate in local runs and be able to run with the pack. The only thing is that I don't really know what a good running time is for a 20 or 30 mile ride. My primary goal right now is to be able to get 30 miles inside of 2 hours, but I don't know how this ranks with everything else. What time should I aim for after I hit this mark?

Thanks,
Alex

neilfein

Depends on your bike. I do my 18 mile commute in around 1h40m on a mountain bike with knobby tires.

DataJunkie

It also depends on your terrain, weather, and fitness level.
The only valid comparison is between someone else riding on the same route at the same time.
However, tracking your own progress is the best option.

Me: touring or racing road bike on my commute of 28 miles each way is 90 min to 120 min.
Training rides tend to be much quicker for me.

bbattle

Check out your local cycling club for info. on group rides. The ride leader will post a pace for the ride so people of similar abilities can ride together. Sometimes large group rides will split into faster and slower groups.

You're probably fast enough to ride with a lot of groups but I suggest starting with one with a more recreational pace and shorter distance. That way, you'll be sure to be able to stay with the group and you can learn the etiquette of group riding. Fast groups tend to be very competitive and not too patient with newbie riders, as an inexperienced rider in a fast group/paceline can be dangerous.

knoxroadie

Thanks for the input. I was riding a Trek 7.2FX and I've migrated to a 1500, which I absolutely love. On my 7.2 I think I was averaging a casual 15 mile run in 45min or so??? I got a Cat Eye Strada Cadence for my 1500, which I'm hoping will help me keep track of things pretty well. I've heard that setting a cadence of 70 or better is a good goal and that it can take strain off of the knees. Is this fairly accurate? My knees have a tendency to hurt more on some rides more than others when I'm riding on the same course both times.

asgelle

30 mph sustained speed is a good benchmark for turning Pro. If you're not turning Pro, what difference does it make?

atomship47

that's pretty good for casual riding.




on my roadie, i average around 17 mph on rides between 25 and 45 miles. generally, i'm in the 17mph area regardless of terrain or wind. nothing to brag about....but i have fun and its a great workout.