Originally Posted by mike
2) Most people don't really know their AVERAGE speed. They see the cyclometer reading, say 14 mph for a stretch and they say, "Ooh look, I am averaging 14 miles per hour!". I calculate average speed by dividing the distance by the time it takes to do it.
I've found for the flat route I ride (this is different for everyone due to terrain, number of lights, turns, etc.) that my average is about 4mph less than my steady state cruising speed between lights and turns.
Al