I recently found myself huffing and puffing along with a couple of guys with whom I’d never previously ridden. To be quite honest, it was a challenge keeping up and at one point, fearing I was slowing them down, I asked one of the guys how fast they normally rode.

“Oh, this is our normal speed,” he assured me.

I glanced down at my computer to see how fast we were going at the moment. Out of curiosity, I clicked over to see what the average speed was too. Quite naturally the “average” was somewhat less than the speed at which we were currently pedaling.

“So,” I hazarded. “What would you say your average speed is, start-to-finish, on these rides?”

He gave me an odd glance and simply re-stated the speed we were currently traveling. My ride partner informed me that he only counted the time he was at cruising speed into his average speed - start up, slow down, stops for lights and intersections didn't count into what he considered to be average speed. His "average" was how fast he was going down a road. Soon afterwards, he slipped into the front of the group, thus effectively putting to an end any further awkwardly complicated conversation.

I seldom track my average speed – frankly it’s not terribly relevant to my riding. But the other rider’s comments left me wondering. Are riders – even casual riders – so obsessed with speed that they kid themselves? I figure this is a better discussion for those of us in C&V because we are so diverse, and have so many different rides and riding styles (i.e., there is no one single "right" answer): How fast do you normally ride? How do you figure your average speed – do you factor in start-to-finish, or only after you’ve reached cruising speed?

Please discuss