Definitely improving. Returned to an old favorite route I hadn't ridden in awhile recently. The route is fairly flat but has one big hill around the halfway point. I used to think that was the biggest hill in the world, but now that I've returned I found myself wondering whether that actually was the same hill. +1 stronger rider.

The worst thing about improving is you have to ride longer or harder to get a work out. harder means bigger gear (assuming same route) which on weekdays may not be possible with the traffic, so longer it is. But still, it feels like a gentle stroll and gets boring. So boring i got into an argument with a car just for the distraction.

Slowly but surely.

I've been cycling seriously for about 3 months. My first "long" ride was a rolling 10 mile ride and I barely averaged over 10 mph moving speed. Today I rode a very hilly 12 mile ride at 13.1 mph moving speed. It's also a lot hotter now (mid 90s today) than back then so I'm sure if it was cooler I would be even faster. Last week I did a rolling 21 mile ride averaging 14 mph moving speed and the week before did a very hilly 30 mile charity ride averaging almost 13 mph.

I was, until I was off the bike for 4 straight days, just eating and sleeping and other things. Now I feel like my bike doesn't know me.

http://imgur.com/YLfATl.jpg

yes.

nope.

Not I, I'm still trying to recover from a kidney transplant from January and in May I got a Urinary Tract Infection, so I've only rode two days in may between me being too weak to ride and too much sleep.

I was until the humid 85+° heat kicked in. Soggy, sweaty, dead air. Like starting all over again. A cold front, a cold front. My Scattante for a cold front.

Yeah... when I think about where I was 2 years ago to now.... I chalk most of it to the commutes. Two 20 or two 30 mile commutes every to every other day, pushing harder for longer stretches during the commutes, and I've seen my comfortable cruising speed tick higher and higher.

What does this mean? I see the improvement but can't figure out how you put out 250 - 350 watts for anywhere from 3 -5 minutes and go 5-8 mph? Is this an interval or something?

In response to the OP...yes...I'm improving for three reasons:

• Strengthening my core, primarily with planks
• Improving flexibility with regular stretching
• Riding with a newbie who is 30 years younger and faster than me

Gained .4 mph in the last 2 months, happy about that (not sure how to make the images big in the post).
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=153675http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=153676

Wow, we agreed on something.

i think my improvement is going to go up a gear. I'm taking a couple of road nazis around my usual route and though they are patient i'm not going to make them wait too long. So either i get a personal best or i will be dead.

although my climbing has improved, it is still woeful. the funny thing is that the little improvement in endurance from working on hills has translated into a very satisfying leap in endurance on the flats. I pushed so hard for so long at one stretch that I kept dropping the stronger riders. The skinnies do have a weakness i see.

Last saturday I'd posted about my first 20 mile ride (21.8 miles).
The following week, I rode 15.8 (Tue) + 15.8 (Thu) + 28.7 (Saturday/yesterday) = 60.3 miles

Mon, Wed and Fri I'm jogging a min of 4.25 miles each (goal is to get to 6 - 8 miles per hour)
I've observed Mondays are slow (4.25), Wednesdays are average (4.6) and Fridays I can easily touch 5 miles jogging.

Days I'm jogging, I sprint ride for about a mile back home from the gym ( I know its ONLY one mile )
So yeah, I'm improving.

It does get easier each year. You recruit new muscle fibers each passing season, so a rider will say...."I've got 75,000 miles in my legs" for example. Now that is muscle recruitment.

But you've also got to keep your end of the bargain as well. Being healthy is a full time job. Balancing life is a full-time job.

I had 10 days off the bike recently due to a dose of flu. When I got back on the bike my legs felt like they belonged to Superman! Lesson: While I'm not advocating 10 day breaks from riding, or contracting flu, you don't have to ride every day to improve / a little rest can be a good thing.

I rode a personal best 54 miles at a 17 mph pace yesterday so I feel I am improving.

thats a good pace. i still can't break into 17 for my 75 mile route.

After yesterday I would have to say yes. I finally stuck with a cat4 pack in a road race. However, I think the biggest change was a mental improvement, so I'm not entirely sure if that's what you're talking about in this thread.

Ok, I'm very new to this, so I'm sure with each ride I'm getting better, but I started taking vitamins that focus on endurance (GNC Mega Man Sport) and last weekend I was blowing away hills I never even thought I could make it up. So the vitamins are either working perfectly, or my mind is convinced they're working so I'm doing better. Hahaha Either way I'm enjoying the results!

Improving? At 60 I'm not trying to beat the clock anymore, just the calendar.

This. Never underestimate the power of the mind to improve the body's performance. Or the power of placebo.

As of this week, I have stopped improving.

You just can't go faster when you're pushing the limits of physics.

I didn't know you had an average speed of 300,000 KM...per second...