Originally Posted by chrispatoz
Hi
good topic TXBiker.... I too am building to some events next year and related question for those with some experience... I am aware of how events are timed but I too do most of my training in relatively flat country ... what sort of speeds do I need to be aiming for in preparation?
The minimum speed on brevets (600K and less) is 15 km/h (~ 9 mph) including all breaks. If you plan to include about 2 hours of breaks on a 200K, then your riding speed should be about 17.4 km/h (10.4 mph) or more.
The minimum speed on longer randonnees (1000K, 1200K, and 1400K) is less. The 1000K and 1200K have average speeds of about 13.3 km/h, the 1400K is less that that. Now those average speeds aren't quite as simple as that because I believe you have to maintain the 15 km/h up to the 600K point, and then the average speed drops off after that. Also on these rides, you'll likely want to sleep somewhere along the way, so you've got to take longer breaks into consideration.