Axiom

I don't plan on racing until I hit my goal weight. And paisan, I phrased it in the form of a question because it was a question. However, I did not phrase it correctly. I enjoy racing, but I don't actually compete in races. Therefore I had no idea if it was good or not. All I know is that I was able to beat the guy on the motorized bike for said distance and I felt accomplished. I suppose I was a little too focused on what happened and not how it happened, only to realize later on that something wasn't right. If the fact that I went 29mph for 3.3 miles holds true then of course I am going to post that to impress, who wouldn't?

Like I said, I posted evidence but I realize that the information is probably incorrect. My post was not assertive and I did not claim that the information was correct, therefore you cannot say I made a wildy outrageous claim.

gyozadude

Axiom:

29 mph is a sprint for most, and very few could possibly maintain that for more than a few seconds or a minute or two on flat ground. So if indeed, your computer is calibrated correctly, then you're awesome. You think you could do it again? Same route or reverse route? If you can and have calibrated your cyclo-computer or observed it was calibrated correctly before, and can repeat the feat, then you've got a heck of a VO2 max and we're not worthy.

vesteroid

Continuing to try and justify your position only makes you look worse. Like paisan said, you took your shot, you got called on it, deal with it.

I remember when I was 18 and had it all figured out, I am just trying to figure out what happened to me since then, as obviously now,I don't know my but from a hole in the ground.

mymojo

If you truly believe that may I suggest a little science experiment? Load up a backpack with books and go for a ride. Say about 20-30 lbs worth. Then report back on if you can tell a difference in your performance.

Remember that, in this forum, you are talking to a bunch of other clyde's that have to deal with the weight issue too. We all *know* how it affects our performance. Due to an injury & subsequent surgery I am 23 lbs heavier than I was at this time last year and it greatly impacts my riding level.

Now for me personally I can do all out and hit 26-28mph. But much more than a quarter mile of that and I'm risking a heart attack or my eyeballs exploding.


And congrats on the weight loss. Keep up the good work.

ETA, check your computer and make sure its not displaying KMP

Mr. Beanz

Accomplishing and making outrageous claims are two different things. Like I said if in fact you did hold 29 for 3 mile, you should race.

I on the other hand have hit 32 in a seated falt sprint but only held it for 2 seconds (if that). I hit 29 on the flats but only held that for 4 or 5 seconds. I've hit 26 and held that for maybe 20 seconds. I've hit 24 and held that for maybe a minute. That was in my best shape ever after losing 30 lbs, droppng down to 218 and tons and tons of climbing and 7300 miles that year.

If you can do 29 for 3 miles, you have some talent there, don't waste it.

nkfrench 

Maybe that motorized mountain bike was having a recovery day.

I've been on plenty of roads where it seemed flat but was ever-so-slightly downhill. And if a wind is at your back, you don't really notice it until you turn around and it's a headwind.

If you don't have a fancy bike computer, try mapping your ride by hand on one of the web mapping sites. Ride with GPS is good. It will give you another data point on how flat your ride is/isn't.

Us Clyde/Athena types will take more effort to accellerate to speed, but we have more mass/momentum and can be pretty aerodynamic so we can "carry" that speed as long as the road doesn't start us climbing.
Some of us have a higher-than-normal amount of fast twitch fibers that can be trained to be fatigue-resistant. I've read this is common in people who are heavier than normal at birth, which many of us Clyde/Athenas were. So you may have some natural strength that you can develop and apply to your riding.

To sustain a 29mph pace you would probably need to be very streamlined generally in the drops or on aerobars. At those speeds wind drag is what you spend most of your energy to overcome. Having the right gearing helps too.

On most sprints the participant will be decellerating before the race ends.
Think the 100m dash (10 seconds) to the 400m dash (45 seconds).
Anything longer than that and the aerobic system is contributing a large percentage of the energy - endurance becomes a major factor.

You can muscle your way through a short ride.

My club just finished our spring fun time trials event. 4.3 mile course on paved roads, gentle rolling terrain. In the past, our guy that went on to be a sponsored Cat-3 rider averaged 25mph as a Cat-5. Our (full) Ironman averaged 25mph. Our strong club riders 21.5-24. Our fastest guy this year is borderline Clyde chased by some other borderline Clydes - lean and heavily muscled power guys. The only time we're seeing 29mph on this short course is on a downhill or with benefit of tailwind.

RollCNY

Just food for thought:

I don't think that "29 range" for 3+ miles is a pro level accomplishment. I think 29 mph + average for 150 miles is pro level effort. I have no idea how accurate the OP's info is, but it does not seem impossible, especially if "29 range" means 29 max.

At one point, I was part of a group ride where the strongest guy in our group pulled us over rolling terrain at a pace that covered 5 miles at an average of 29.4 miles per hour (he pulled us for almost 8 miles, and that was the lap on my Garmin that fell entirely within). It was ups and downs (east shore of Skaneatles Lake) and I hung on to the back for dear life. Started with 5 folks clinging to one, ended with 3 of us clinging, and everyone involved was a clyde (barely.. 200 to 210 lbs). The lighter folks fell off on the downhills where there was no relenting. And I am no pro, nor do I race.

Edit: Nor have I ever repeated it.

bigfred 

Axiom,

I hope you can understand the smile with which most of us replied to your original post. We knew that those figures were out of the believable ball park for someone of your experience. Clydes can and do develop just as much power as any other cyclist. But, to achieve pro level output requires pro level training. If however, you are putting out those sort of efforts, by all means find your way to a velodrome. You might be an incredible Pursuit rider. If you have the aerobic system to carry those efforts even further, you could be an incredible TT'er, as long as the course is flat.

On a related side note: The comparing of "average" speeds is one area where geography can have a huge impact. In flat Florida, on beautifully smooth asphalt and in a small group (3-4) I was easily capable of "averaging" speeds 2-4mph faster than I did this morning on a reasonably hilly ride, on rough chip sealed roads, with a group of 8 (which is of less benefit when you're either climbing or decending). In Florida I could comfortably ride with the 18-20mph group and hang on to the 20-24 group (as long as they weren't pushing beyond 25) but had no chance what so ever with the 24+ group. Today we probably averaged about 16mph and that was with a mid level group that is far from the slowest, but not near the top either.

So, be prepared to see yourself average slightly higher than some. But, don't let that go to your head, unless you can do it on courses with more topographical relief than you get in Florida.

Axiom

I suppose I understand. I am going to re-calibrate my computer and attempt that route again, thought I don't expect to hit 29mph.

sstorkel

I doubt that anyone can maintain a 29+mph average for a 100+ mile solo effort.

Take a look at the results from Stage 5 of the recent Amgen Tour of California, for instance. That was the individual time trial stage. Dave Zabriskie (professional rider, 6 times U.S. Time Trial Champion) won by completing the 18.4-mile course in 35'59". Round Zabriskie's time to 36 minutes and my math makes his average speed 30.67mph. You can also take a look at the Strava segment page for the TT to see just how many people are able to maintain 29+ mph on this course (hint: not very many). Remember, Zabriskie is riding a time trial bike equipped with aero wheels, while wearing a skinsuit and a fancy helmet. Then watch the videos and let us know if you think any of these guys could ride an additional 100 miles at that same pace...

chasm54

I think you may have misunderstood. 29 mph for seven minutes is not in itself a problem. Top time-triallists wil hold that speed for an hour, on a TT bike. But they don't weigh 263lbs and they're not on a road bike. The latter, especially, makes a difference. What we are saying is that for the OP to do 29mph for over three miles without assistance from drafting, wind or gradient would require sustained levels of power that many pros couldn't manage.

As for pros being able to ride at 29mph for 150 miles, not really. Not solo, anyway. It's worth remembering that the UCI hour record, which has to be undertaken on a conventional bike, is only about 31 miles. That's as far as anyone has ever ridden an "ordinary" road bike in an hour, unassisted.

RollCNY

I wouldn't argue with anything you are saying, and my comment about 29 for 150 is peloton. Watching the end of any stage race, the last 15 to 20 miles for the group is usually in the high twenties, low thirty range as they reel in breakaways. This is after they have ridden 100 at more reasonable ludicrous speeds.

It is a funny conversation, and led me to pull out the Garmin data on my fastest 5 miles ever, that I mentioned earlier. Where the terrain is as rolling as ever, there was an overall elevation loss that I did not recollect, and had never really looked for in the elevation profile. I was wowed by the speed, and never paid attention to the background detail. I also always knew that I couldn't have pulled that train, and was just along for the ride.

contango 

Every once in a while someone posts performance metrics that suggest they should be racing professionally, just like every once in a while someone posts figures that suggest they think they are burning 150+ calories per mile on the bike and wondering why they aren't getting any slimmer when their 20-mile round trip "should" be burning 3000 calories.

29mph for three miles would be impressive, if it was real. The only time I've managed to maintain that average for a single mile was when it started with a nice descent and then ran on the kind of road that looked flat but I think was really a very slight decline.

Don't forget this is the Clydes forum where lots of folks have lost huge amounts of weight and many of us do accomplish things that most people would consider impossible for people our size. Throwing around comments about people in here not grasping the ability of fat people to accomplish anything really makes you look daft, to be honest.

In your original post you didn't make any mention of your computer probably being wrong, you just mentioned "according to my computer", which I'd interpret as being a way of saying your speed was accurate. If your computer wasn't accurate there's no way of knowing whether your speed was "any good" or not without knowing how fast you were going. If your indicated 29mph was really 39mph then get yourself sponsored to enter the Tour de France. If it was really 19mph then it's respectable; if it was really 9mph then relative to many other riders it's nothing to write home about but if it was a new personal best for you then it was a good effort.


As to your other question - personally I'd regard a sprint as an explosive burst of effort that you can only sustain for a short time. If you can sustain it for three miles then I'd suggest you could probably go faster over a shorter distance - maybe quarter to half a mile. On the flats I've been known to hit 26-28mph but that lasts for maybe 30 seconds before I drop back to more like 20mph (it's amazing how effortless 20mph feels in comparison!)

vesteroid

So to you guys that threw out the watt calculations, where can I find that formula. I am now training with power, and that really interested me.

I just did my 20 min max power test two weeks ago, and wanted to use this formula to see how far I have to go.

Black wallnut 

Twice this year I recall going 29mph+ sustained. The first time was down hill with a 20mph tailwind 1% grade, still only kept that up for a bit under 2 miles. The other time was on my ride home Wednesday. 25 MPH sustained tailwind about a half of percent downgrade and I kept it up for maybe 3/4 mile tops. It sure felt good. However I was also giving it great effort. Last night I hammered for 18.5 miles and my average speed was only 16.77, and there was plenty of that ride when I looked down and my computer said I was 19-21 mph.

Axiom I agree with others that you might lighten up. Even if you were going downhill slightly downhill good job. Keep putting out effort like that and reap the benefits.

CliftonGK1

The usual one is the Kreuzotter calculator.

**edit**

If you put in info for road bike narrow tires, hands on drops, 74" (just guessing) rider at 263 pounds, 20 pound bike, 75 degree air temp, no wind, flat ground, 50' elevation, you're looking at 630 watts sustained to maintain a 29mph pace. Is it an inhuman pace? No. It is around the average speed for winning Cat 1/2 velodrome 10mi TT races? Yes.


Putting in my info; road bike, wide slicks, hands on tops, 78" rider at 209 pounds, 28 pound bike, 55 degree air temp, no wind, flat ground 250' elevation, that works out to 235 - 250 watts sustained for my average 18.5 - 20mph commute speed along the flat sections of the bike trail on my way to work. Tiring for sure, but not heroic by any stretch.

Mithrandir

Aerodynamic? Never heard that one before. Is it due to all of our curves??

CraigB

A few weeks ago on the return segment of one of our weekly training rides, I was on the flats with a 28 mph tailwind trying to catch up and managed 31.7. For all of about 30 seconds, maybe even less. I just couldn't hold it any longer than that, and the fact that the leaders were still riding away from me made it all the harder to stay motivated to keep that pace. Lacking the requisite Toughness, I gave up.

dcrowell

I have an aerobelly. It makes me feel faster.

avance

29mph at 3 miles is nothing...

https://app.strava.com/rides/9379912

PhotoJoe 

I think this is a great idea....and I hope you do hit it.

youcoming

I've held between 35-45kph for over 10km and a section of that (1km) at 54kph with a tailwind and a slight downhill of nothing over 1%. In a full out sprint I have managed 69kph but that was with a 12 person sprint out that a group I ride with does once in awhile. The sprint leader is determined by who out sprints every one during the ride, we use town and county signs as sprints and however wins the most of them gets to sit in the catbird seat during lead out and i must say it's amazing but by the end you kinda wish you didn't earn the right. What op did was a prologue effort and at his speed he would be placed about mid/low field in most pro tour prologue's. I humbly bend before you as you are way faster than I'll ever be.

bigfred 

Wow! 678kph and at only 152watts.

TrojanHorse

Well, I found a little segment on my routine Tuesday night ride and thought I'd give it a whirl - https://app.strava.com/rides/9675981#172301368 It's actually a little uphill at the end, the graph notwithstanding. No noticeable wind.

You can see that I actually hit 30 mph briefly and averaged over 25 for the entire minute. I wasn't standing up, this was all seated so I imagine I would be able to eke out a few more ergs standing.

Tragically, I had to start from a dead stop because of a traffic light, oh well. I think maintaining 30 mph for 3 minutes would have reduced me to jelly. (by that I mean *trying* to maintain 30 mph)

bigfred 

9/133 :-)