Not bad at all! Actually pretty good for an MTB with knobby tires through the hoods.

Some comparisons of my rides:

40 mile smooth ride on a trail no stops pushing hard....MTB with knobbies 16 mph averge...roadie 19 mph

8 mile climb 2200ft 6% grade............on knobby tires 1:30......roadie 1:01

I rarely ride my knobby tires on pavement (save them for the dirt) but I do once in a while for something different and these are how the numbers compare.

For a guy your size and only riding 2 months, you are doing fantastic. The more you ride the better you will get. At the beginning of my cycling I did improve with time but I'd say that it took a year of consistent cycling before I woke up one morning and said, "Holy cow I am fast!".

We have a tandem. First year we tried to hang with some groups rolling by on the trail at 19 mph. We gave it our all but it wasn't happening. I thought they were super human, all of them. So we just did our thing then about a year later, I saw a group going by and wondered if we could hang this time. Next thing i know we are at the front pulling the group at 26 on the same road where we couldn't hang at 19 the year before. It was like waking up into a sweet dream.

Keep riding and if you want a little more speed, try some 1.25 slick tires. Higher pressure 90 psi will make for lower rolling resistance and more speed.

But like I said, for now, you are doing pretty darn well!!