Originally Posted by
hhnngg1
Only a valid comparison if you're drafting on both or not drafting on both. If you got dropped, you lose the draft, and there's pretty much most of the missing 2-3mph.
My drafted rides which are not even as hard as my solo efforts typically average 2mph faster than my solo rides, which are actually done at a harder overall effort.
sorry, i was going back to edit. I drafted on both, I wasn't strong enough to even pull on the first by a long shot. Like I said, I've been out for awhile and really working on getting my conditioning up, with good conditioning comes good averages, or consistent averages. I can do that same route solo at at least a 19 or close to 20 if I give it a good solid pull, but thats about all I got right now, give it another month and I will be doing it at 21 solo, which is my personal best, 21.1 on that particular route, the climb at the end, or middle is what kills the average.
Regardless of how I got to these figures, the OP just wants a higher avg. Him hammering for long periods of time will ultimately result in a lower avg. if he doesn't have the conditioning to sustain it, which goes back to the "it doesn't get easier, you just get faster" saying.
Even drafting, if he rides with a group that only keeps the effort at a slightly elevated level, hit fitness and his average will increase over time. If they hammer away from him he will get burn out and get dropped, slowing the group or finishing alone...either way slower.