At what speed is one considered a "fast" rider?

My research tells me that 20 MPH average is the recommended pace for fast group rides. Does this sound about right?

Thanks,

KMB

Fast is a relative term. I'm faster than some and slower than some. The faster I got the higher the bar got raised. The guys that I look at and think 'that guys fast' are looking at other guys thinking the same thing. Even at the pro level on any given day the pro's are looking at another rider and thinking he's fast.

FWIW 20mph would be a moderate pace for our fast group ride (taking out the stoplights).

The Group Ride in Prospect Park (Brooklyn NY Masters 35+ Race) has been averaging 25mph lately.

If you can taste last night's dinner, it's fast.

If you never see anything but your stem and part of your front wheel, it's fast.

If your back hurts like crazy but you know that to sit up and stretch would catch a faceful of wind taking you off the back, it's fast.

If you're counting the hills between you and home gauging your effort so as not to get dropped, it's fast.

If you get dropped, it was fast.

If it worries you that the guy in front of you is allowing a gap to grow too big, it's fast.

If someone is yelling at you to pedal down the hill, it's Tuesday.

20-25mph... that sort of amazes me. I know, I have a long way to go.

I ride now 80-90 miles per week, and find that 16-18 is a nice cruising speed, with periods of 19-21, and periods of 13-15. This would be on rides of between 25 and 40 miles.

I guess I just need to keep pushing until I reach that 20-25mph average. Of course I usually ride alone or with one friend. Does riding in groups help *that* much that it could take a 18mph cruiser and make him into a 20mph cruiser?

this about covers it.

btw. in case the original poster was unaware of this, may i suggest a book all about fast riders?

And remember that riding in a group allows you to ride significantly faster than riding solo.

Not if you're Will O'Donnell. He don't need no stinkin group rides.

20mph on a flat road is not so hard, even for a few hours. 20mph up and down mountains is a lot different.

WOW that's right on the money!

I was on the bike for a tick over 7 hours today. 110 miles. That's about 15.8 mph average speed. Mostly solo with a fair bit of climbing (12+ miles uphill) . 20 miles was with a fast group averaging 22-23mph.

Maybe on a flat road with the wind at your back the whole time, if not come out here to West Texas and see how you do.

FYI: we do have some hills here....... some.

If you dream about tomorrow night's dinner, it's slow.

If you see everything including your stem, part of your front wheel, look to see what gear you are in and the vultures in the sky, it's slow.

If your back hurts like crazy but sitting up and stretching makes you go faster, it's slow.

If you're counting the hills between you and home because you are bored and limit your effort so as not to drop the others, it's slow.

If you drop everyone, it was slow.

If it worries you that the guy in front of you is allowing a gap to shrink too small and you hear tires rubbing, it's slow.

If someone is yelling at you to stop pedaling and wait up at the top of the hill, it's Wednesday after the fast Tuesday.

If you get off the bike at the bottom of a hill and decide to walk home, that was fast.

=8-)

I wouldn't lay any claim to being "fast" but to show how meaningless average speed is - I rode a solo 115 a few weeks ago, with 6,092 feet of climbing, at 17.13 mph. Two weeks ago I did a solo 104 with 9,218 feet of climbing and 15.27 avg.

Nicely done.

And now I add my favorite:
If you have to sit down in the shower, it was fast. Or maybe just too far.

keeping up with cars, drafting a van, drafting a bus or drafting a truck

kinda cheating, but no honks or getting passed by cars is fast enough.

There seems to be some sort of wall at around 22-23 for me. Anything under that is no problem, but holding above that (solo) I can't hold for very long at all.

Yeah PCAD might be a road nazi but that time there is one of the rare non BS speed claims here on BF. You are a man of surpirses. CAD-man!

Contextual.

On group rides at school, I am not fast,

On group rides at home, I am fast.


It's good to come home.

The amount of clothes you still have on in the shower can help determine how fast/far it was. If your shoes are still on (as well as the rest of your gear), then it was really, really hot and really, really far (fast doesn't bother me as much).

If the shoes have wooden soles and leather uppers and water could ruin them, then it was super far. Or hot. Or something.

btw those showers for me involved pretty much sitting back and laying down.

cdr

20 mph is slower than our 10 mile warm-up for the "race rides" we do (22 into a headwind .. otherwise we'd be going 25)

our "sprints" (5 miles) average between 28 mph and 32 mph depending on wind and how many people are feeling sadistic

Sunday group rides > average speed has been 22.9 for the past few weeks. That includes MANY slow-downs for lights. I know that most of the time we are cruising at 25+ and sometimes people push it at 30 mph for 1/2 a mile + ... killer rides. I got dropped last weekend. We'll see how it goes tomorrow !!!!!

If the chubby kid on the moped is only outrunning you by a little bit in stead of by a lot ...

It's all relative. You will never be fast enough. You will only ever be considered "fast" by people you have no interest in riding with.