Originally Posted by
nondes
Maybe if you take into account riders who are going for the equivalent of stroll on the bike, but not for people who are trying to keep up a reasonable pace. I get passed by quite a few people. I tried the Toronto "donut ride" a few years ago. It starts as a social ride and speeds up for the last part once you have reached a particular highway. Despite my best efforts, two minutes after the highway I was a very lonely person! So I don't consider myself to be that fast.
One thing to consider is what your natural make up is. I've always had an abundance of type 2 muscles (fast twitch) but have been lacking in type 1 (slow twitch) muscles. This has served me well for martial arts and sprints. Hasn't been a real helpful thing in anything of length. My kids were in their 20s before they figured out the reason I won every foot race or sprint to the next traffic sign is because I've never raced them outside of my range. I can still out sprint most people (on foot) and many on bikes if the distance is right (on foot it's about 60 yards - on a bike its shorter... about 40 yards). Your make up may not be the same as those who pass you. If riding alone is the issue, find folks who like riding at your pace. If getting as fast as others is the issue, it may not be in the cards. If you really want to know, I'd encourage finding a good cycling coach.
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