DBrown9383

... They will laugh at my bike. Once I can ride it at a respectable pace I might consider a group ride so the humiliation will be easier to bear.

Giant Fuji

I'm 47, just started riding a road bike in April this year. A slow ride for me is 17 mph over about 40 miles. It is pancake flat here though. I usually attend group rides 4 times a week, and those rides average 19-20 mph over 40-ish miles. When I am riding solo I'm an 18-19 mph avg rider. That seems fast, but there are guys I ride with that are older that can drop me in an instant. They have been riding for YEARS though, so that isn't really a fair comparison to your situation. I say all that to say to you, don't get hung up comparing yourself to what others are capable of. Keep track of how you are doing, and try to beat those times, even if it is just a measly second faster over the same route with similar conditions. Wind is a variable, and it can be a real bear to beat your times on an especially windy day. Try to hookup and ride with people in a similar performance level, it is so much easier to ride faster in a group, and it is generally a pleasing social event for all.

sdmc530

I ride a bike trail that had no really big hills but has hills. For 20 miles or less I average around 15.3 mph that is over 86 rides this years. For over 20 miles i average 13.7 on 26 rides. Nothing fast but a speed i can handle over a long period. All data came off garmin connect so i think its darn close

FBinNY 

I don't like these kinds of average speed questions because there are too many variables.

But there are considerations that you can use to gauge how you're doing now compared yo how you were doing before.

Start with this graph that shows the power requirements at various speeds.


The three curves represent different constants, ie upright bars vs. drop bars, or different size riders, but that's not the point. Note that the curve is relatively flat up to about 10mph then begins to steepen. This is why most riders can get to 10-13mph fairly early in their careers, but then it gets tougher to get faster. Decent riders get to the mid teens, but few can break the 20mph mark for any length of time.

Also consider that we all have something like 3 power levels. What we can do for a very short burst, ie a sprint, what we can sustain for a little while, say an hour, and what we can sustain for hours. So it's one thing to ride 17 miles in an hour, but something very different to ride 50 in three, or a hundred in six.

So, don't compare your speed to anybody else's, or some reported average, but to what you know you can do and what you want to get to, and work toward that goal. But understand that the rate of speed improvement will slow as you get faster, and at some point will plateau.

GovernorSilver

I dunno man, I ride a "commuter bike" that looks like a cruiser, except the handlebar is the same height as the seat. It's about as uncool as it gets.

If you find the right group, they'll welcome you without laughing at what you ride.

gregf83 

Unlike running, cycling speed on flatish ground has a low correlation to fitness. Your speed would be significantly higher if you were riding a race bike with decent tires. If you ride with baggy clothes in an upright position on fat tires your speed will be much lower than if you wore tight clothes, rode in an aero position on decent tires.

Your speed is probably normal for someone riding an upright hybrid with fat tires.

DBrown9383

Thanks FB.. Just like everything else, the better you get, the harder it gets to get better

chasm54

^^This. Just riding around on my road bike over rolling but not mountainous terrain I'll typically find I've averaged close to 25kph/16mph over two or three hours. But on a flat-bar touring bike with panniers I'm distinctly slower, a 20kph/13mph average would be a fast day, with 11 mph being more usual. I've never ridden a comfort hybrid but would expect the effect on my speed to be at least as great.

OP, don't worry about speeds. If you're working on getting fit the things you should concentrate on are time and intensity. Ride longer, at an easy pace. Once or twice a week put in a short ride that is as hard as you can go. You'll get fitter, and the speed will come. And don't be discouraged about the fact that your progress seems slow. 500 miles since the spring is not a lot of miles, it is hardly surprising that you don't see dramatic improvements.

Jim from Boston

What's considered a good average speed on flat roads

Same here. This summer I started a self-developed training program to apply myself to the goal of riding faster (and in less time, with more effective training).

See also this recent General Cycling thread, ” Got dropped by two roadies”

This summer I was able to show a hard-core roadie around Boston, something I would have been reluctant to do in the past for fear of slowing him down, but I did feel somewhat compatible on that ride (of about 8 miles).

Needles

There are a lot of variables. Usually, I ride my cruiser along with my wife on her city bike. She paces, and can do 12-14 mph average on the relatively flat MUP in the Bosque (basically, the river bottom). Sometimes, she'll hit as much as 18 mph, if the trail is clear and she's trying hard. We typically go 22 miles. On my road bike, a 1985 steel model, I can average 17-18 mph over 10-15 miles on a good day. On my MTB-turned-commuter (steel, no suspension, currently wearing balloon tires), I get 11-12 mph over 10-12 miles,with a 1000 ft elevation change. That 3 mile uphill climb to get home drops me to 7-9 mph, typically. My elevation is above 5000 ft for the Bosque trail, ranging up to 6000+ ft for my house.

GovernorSilver

Good point. My bike is almost 35 lbs unloaded, and I usually commute on it with a pannier loaded with work clothes and some toiletries.

I was able to go faster, with less effort, on an unloaded carbon road bike that weight maybe half that of my own bike. Went from 0-25 mph in a blink of any eye on that puppy.

OldTryGuy

You are doing GREAT! IMO, nothing wrong with asking about averages or comparing yourself to others, just shows an interest in your current abilities and a desire to improve upon them. I know a rider who rides an upright handlebar bike plus gear that weights 60lbs and he pedals at 18mph average on the flats, spins up mountains and has ridden well over 1 million miles.

I enjoy comparing myself to others because I know-realize, I am ONLY capable of going as hard as I can with the body I have.

Currently 65, 5' 8.5", 136lbs, look like the walking dead, living with prostate cancer, ZERO testosterone-bilateral orchiectomy and meds, a shoulder that needs replacing, a wrist that needs replacing, knees that will be looked at again in the near future, half a thyroid, been riding for years but began like everyone else......AND I LOVE having a computer to show distance, time, speeds, averages......

Joined a club soon after getting back on a bike. Started with a slower group knowing what I was riding at since I had a computer. Found riding with the group very enjoyable AND it allowed me to ride farther immediately AND at a little faster pace. After a bit, moved up in speed group and it became even more fun. NEVER did any hard core training that many threads in BF reference since I was never into any sports or activities because that just wasn't me.

On my 36+lb. upright hybrid, 16mph is a comfortable flats speed and when riding with a group, tucking in at 22mph is a blast. On my road bike, 20mph is a comfortable flats speed and at 24+mph things become fun.

Better bike = easier effort = greater distances at same effort and going faster is FUN!!!!

ENJOY the moment, look forward to the future, keep it fun

MMLC

I'm 53 and just got off the couch after an 8 year hiatus. On my 30 mile loop I'm averaging around 14 mph which for me at this point is a lot of effort. This on a Bianchi Strada in Florida.

WizardOfBoz

I'm 58, 243lb on a 6'2" frame. I started biking again after seeing some of the new bike technology. I got on my 30 year old paramount and started riding 6-20 rides. About 12mph, on round trip courses in the country with up to 1400ft elevation gain (per Garmin). Started looking for a modern bike, and stumbled into a pretty good deal on a Trek Domane Six Series (all Dura Ace). Over the course of a month or so, I've gotten up to average 15mph. (Some of this is the new bike, but also I started this at 255lb, so I lost about 12 lbs in the bargain). I'm shooting to be able to do these rather tough courses with some hill climbs averaging 17mph, but I'm not there yet. I think I can get there with riding every other day. My son, the physical fitness trainer, has me doing "constantly varied functional movements performed at relatively high intensity" exercise routines on the alternate days. These are squats, burpees, pushups, kettlebell exercises of various types. LOTS of squats.

At some point, a more formal approach to improving speed will probably be necessary if I want to progess. But for now, I'm enjoying the view:

12strings

I commuted to work for almost 2 years, probably averaging 12mph without much improvement. this spring I started riding with a group that pushed my limits. Now, I can do a 10 mile ride at well over 15mph...unless there are some long hill climbs.

But, I was not able to reach that level without doing rides in which I push myself, both to keep up with a faster group...and doing intervals on my own.

Riding a lot, at 12mph did not take me to 15mph.

ALSO, AS MENTIONED, for the same effort, going from an upright hybrid to a true road bike will probably give you 2mph faster.

WNCGoater

I'm 54 and started riding a road bike in May. Previous to that lots of mtn biking and a hybrid occasionally on the road.
I ride a mountainous region and average between 15-16 mph. That's 20 miles or 100 miles. I've often wondered what my true average is because living in a mountainous area my rides are interspersed with 35mph downhills and 6-8 mph climbs with some flatland thrown in.

I just road a 112 mile century at the coast. Flat land with only 378 feet of "uphill" if you want to call it that. I averaged 16.5 so that would be more of my true speed average. I actually am going to "optimistically" say perhaps a bit faster as the last 10 miles on that ride were pretty slow.

What I have noticed is on flatter ground I'm riding a higher gear than in past months and my average has been creeping up, and I've set some PR's on climbs.

I have a tendency to push myself, even during "easy" rides and what I'm saying is just ride your own ride, and if you want to get faster push your heart rate up a little, have some days where the quads are sore rest when needed and I believe the speed will slowly climb.

Drew Eckhardt 

If you want to progress beyond "not slow" you want to ride 7-10 minute intervals really hard to improve your lactate threshold to get fast over durations past an hour, and lots of miles at a conversational pace to lift your aerobic threshold so you're fast for hours.

"pushing your heart rate up a little" is too hard for your body to rely on its aerobic energy system so it can stress that to cause improvements, and too easy to stress your glycolytic energy system for improvements there. You can do that for 5000 miles and get no faster once you reach a low plateau.

If you care about speed it's very important for your easy days and weeks to be slow enough (rest weeks are when adaptation occurs so you get faster), and tough days to be hard enough.

Jarrett2

Create a Strava account. Take a look at segments in your area. Create a couple if none are there.

Then you'll have hard data on what speeds are average in your area and how you stack up.

They break it down by weight and age group as well. That might be part of the paid service, not sure if that's free or not.

augiedogie

OP: Sounds like you're doing just fine. I started last year after many years not riding or doing any serious consistent exercise. My hybrid has 45mm tires. I worked my way up to 400 miles total, riding at about 11 mph. This year I have a higher mileage goal, and I'm up to 8 miles rides and 12.5 mph. I'm also about your age. I learned to take it slow. My ligaments and joints were being overstressed at times, and were not used to the stress and strain, so it took awhile to build those up. I still have occasional problems but nothing serious. 10mph sounds pretty good on that bike, IMHO.

WNCGoater

Sigh.
Since you quoted me specifically to point out the error of my "advice"...

With the "clues" highlighted in bold in the OP's quotes, and considering age and BP, personally no, I do NOT advise him to do 7-10 minute intervals. My advice, in essence was, if he wants to ride faster then he has to ride faster. Push up the heart rate a bit and push enough to get some soreness in his muscles (which obviously he is trying to avoid).
He isn't training for a race. Just feels he's a bit "slow".
But let it be known, I'm not a trainer, nor do I feel the need to worry myself with interval "training", lactate thresholds, nor impress anyone with my brilliance. You CAN get faster without worrying about all that. Everyone should ride their own ride and realize the enjoyment the sport can afford them by realizing their goals, however lofty, or not, those goals may be.

one4smoke

That's a fact! Definitely depends on the scenery. If I'm making exercise laps around the neighborhood getting in 10, 15 or 20 miles, I'm averaging 14.5 to 15 MPH. If I'm out on the greenway where there's lots of "scenery" I'm enjoying myself more, not looking to get it over with quickly. Probably averaging around 12.5 to 13 MPH. And if I'm making a long 50 mile run, I'm pacing myself. Especially the last 20 miles.

one4smoke

Nice post!

Mindcrime

I ride with one of the largest and best cycling clubs in the country. Our regular Saturday rides break down as follows:

No Drop group - Typically 12-14 MPH over either 25 or 40 mile route. If you cant maintain 12 mph, you will be helped back to the park, but probably shouldn't come out to the group ride until you can. (I started here, after riding solo for about 6 months, loosing weight and getting stronger.)

14-16 MPH - 40 miles (rode with this group for about 6 months, till early this year.)

16-18 B - true average, 40-60 miles (I usually ride here... clyde, have weight to loose, but pretty strong at this point.)

16-18 A - Liars club. Anywhere from 18-21, usually 40-60 miles (I sometimes ride here when feeling feisty. Its tough and a bit competitive.)

18-20 - This is where the junior race team rides, fast weekenders (I'm going to try this soon just to see if I can hack it.)

20-22 - Serious amateurs looking to ride with the big boys, race team guys who are in need of a steady state ride

22+ - Mostly race team, quite competitive even though its not a race

Theres your benchmarks.

BlazingPedals

Here's a totally unhelpful answer. If you can maintain 30 mph for a 50-mile ride, I'd say you're fast. "Fast" starts somewhere south of that, but if you are there, you're definitely fast.

Slightly more helpful: The equipment has been mentioned, but it's also whether or not you're in a group. On a recent ride, I was riding at about 18 mph when a group I knew came flying by at 24 mph. I sped up and rode with them for a few miles. After that, our routes diverged; so I was back on my own. It was easier riding in the pack at 24 than it was cutting my own air at 18 mph. Drafting makes a big difference, and larger groups help more than small groups.

caloso

That's faster than Jacques Anquetil's hour attempt, and for signifcantly longer. So it's not just fast, it's superhuman. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hour_record