.....and you have responded with the same answer again, and again and again.

don't like it? don't read it. :thumb:

I just typed in tour de france average speed into google and it says the winners average speed was 41kph in 2009.

Didn't dispute that. But its not the right measure. That's the total time for the total race, which includes a whole bunch of time where they are not riding very hard at all. It's no indication of how fast those guys actually ride when it maters.

Local Cat 4 road races often have average speeds higher than that.

My point is that if you want to compare the Op's times for his 40 mile solo effort to TDF riders (which is absurd in the first place) the better comparison is to TT speeds, which are substantially above 25 mph.

OK.. so add some more detail to you post and you might get more honest answers..

17mph over what type of ride.. hilly... flat... rolling....
you said 800 miles.. this year.. this month.. this century?
how old are you? how many miles/ hours per week do you ride...
cycling is an endurance sport that take time to build.. what you're doing now you will see the real benefits NEXT YEAR.... I can look back at my training log and see in 2007 when 17 mph was FAST for me.. that's now a recovery ride..

BUT yes.. the easiest way is to get faster is to ride with faster folks.. get spit out the back... repeat until you can hang on ... you'll get faster...

don't like it, don't post it.

How is that differnt from what you're doing?

Depends, but my avg could be between 16 - 20 mph, and as I get in better shape I'm sure it could get up to 22 or 23. When I was in my teens and early twenties, I used to push to get a high avg speed over a certain distance. Now I just ride for time and have certain training goals on my ride. Avg speed is now more of a "afterthought," except when I'm timing myself on a course I've done over and over.

:lol:
Yeah, there do seem to be a few people here who act like blowhards now and again. Ah well...

No, you can start any thread you like. You just can't be picky/whiny about the responses you get. (And you are free to ignore the response that you don't like.)

Riding with a (faster) group might help you.

and you've replied to it again and again and again

I don't think he doesn't like what he posts...

Well yes, but TT speeds are on specific bikes, on aero bars, and generally seem to be on pretty flat ground and less distance.

And of course the goal of a race is not to go as fast as possible, but to cross the finish line first.

Although the question is silly on it's face, it's a common one, so here is some real world honest data:

Workout with some tempo & anaerobic intervals. No real hills, just a lot of rollers.
"Easy" ride this morning. Much of the same route as the previous data, but I turned around sooner.
The tail end of a century after I was "dropped". This was solo, but was preceeded by 60 miles with a group.

Maybe if you spent less time trying to impress people with numbers most don't understand or care about, you wouldn't be a middle category, middle of the road rider as you proclaim.

You're guilty of hanging around with a bunch of hardcore bikers and congratulating each other about your numbers and typing it on a blog that only your other hardcore buddies read and then get out into a race with others and don't live up to your expectations.

You can claim your not trying to impress anybody with this stuff but your actions speak otherwise.

If that was solo....I quit......

The OP asked for real-world numbers. I'm not trying to impress anyone, I know I'm "average"

What's your problem anyway?

Not totally true is stage racing.

You're not average, you're above average and seem to love posting numbers so people on here can tell you how good you are.

We all know you're good.

You're much better than I can ever dream of being.

Still true in stage racing. The goal is to have the lowest time of everyone, but that still isn't the same as going as fast as possible. Stage racing awards consistency above anything else.

I know I'm an average racer. I wasn't aware that the OP only wanted real-world numbers from slow people.

Edit: and I post the full data so that it's clear it's not just a number I pulled out of my ass.

Who pissed in your cornflakes? The OP asked for some averages. Instead of the normal BS umd gave him some real life numbers. Don't see your point.

You can win a stage racing event like the Tour and never win a stage.

Of course, that's why I said consistency. You never to do really well or be really fast, you just can never mess up. One bad day generally spells the end of your chances.

It's even worse for amateur stage races like I just did over the weekend. The time cuts can be really harsh, and any mishaps like a flat tire or a gap in a corner can be the end of the whole weekend.

Did you get a flat?