I timed myself over a local circuit I am very familiar with and my average speed came out at 17.3mph. This was with 52/20 sprockets. The cadence works out to be about 83 I think. Since this I have switched to a 50t front chainwheel so the bike will be a bit slower, but this is working out to be very good gearing for general use in my town, I usually don't have to go up any grades steeper than 5%-6%. This is with a coaster-braked bike, and the coaster brake is supposed to have some friction drag compared to other hubs, which I think is true, but it does not seem to be noticeable especially after getting a few hundred miles on the bike and breaking things in a bit.

64 yr old guy here. I ride my Waterford SS occasionally. Back in August I rode about the same speed as you. I averaged 17.6 mph over 14.33 miles with -2% to 2% grades.

I’m currently set up with a 49x20 and averaged 91 rpm on that ride. This 65” gearing allows me to ride 4-5% grades. I had a 49x18 on the bike but the 72” gearing was a bit tough on the 4%+ inclines.

I don't think I will ever spin higher than the mid-eighties for any distance. Being about 6'3" and over 200 pounds might have something to do with it, also have chronic cardiac problems I can't antagonize that are getting worse with age. Hopefully I will be able to at least hold my current fitness level this year fingers-crossed.

34/17 gearing on my Salsa Stormchaser able to average 17+mph as well on relatively flat spaces like bike paths. It can climb pretty well with those gears as long as the way up is not too steep. I have to walk double digit inclines that are more than nominal length of course but single digit climbs is fine all day long.

I keep going the other direction. To keep up with my club mates on a fast/flat sections, I kept nudging the gearing up. I settled on a 53/15 (93.4). Our daily/morning route is 20 miles and has about 1,200' of climbing, so not terribly hilly. There are definitely a few hills where I feel like I'm going to pull the stem out of the head tube.

With that gearing on a 700c bike at 80 to 90rpm cadence you are going 22.5mph to 25.2mph. But you are young so at the 100rpm you are doing you are going 28mph with your club. How does that sound to everyone here?

beng1 that sounds right. On those fast flats - you know, where it's downhill enough to go fast, but not enough to coast - we'll hit 32+ mph. Even with the 53/15 I feel like a mouse on a wheel. I can hold 120 or so for bit, but end up peddling in bursts - enough to stay on the wheel; without messing up the guys behind me. Fortunately those sections don't make up much of the route.

I put some Panaracer pasela tires on the LeToaster a few days ago and also switched to a 19t rear sprocket. Next week the temperatures are supposed to get up to sixty degrees F, so I will be able to shed a lot of my bulky winter clothing. It will be interesting to see how much easier the bike gets to ride when this all comes together and I can move more freely and be more "aero" on the bike.

I am a multi gear guy but have a Langster for my FG/SS usually as SS. When I commuted to work on the bike the average was about the same regardless of which bike, from 23x700 race geometry to MTB 2.1x26. The Langster was the same, 44x16.