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I'm guilty of caring a bit too much about average speed on road. I've yet to do a road ride of a decent distance at 20mph solo. I seem to be very consistent at doing 17-18.5mph across a wide range of distances. I do wonder if a lighter, more road-oriented bike would help. Current 'road' bike is a 24lb Arkose on 35mm slicks with 2.4kg wheels - not particularly zippy!
EDIT - only obsess about avg speed after a ride, phone is kept in my pocket/bag the whole time, so speed is down to judgement of effort.
My road rides are generally quite hilly. Last Sunday 116 miler was at 18 mph (1600m of climbing) and it was mostly a solo effort apart from 30 miles with a group.
Average speed is a poor guide to effort though. power output or even heart rate are a better guide. I tend to gauge how hard a ride is by feel And I scale the ride on guidance from my coach which is related to time spent in various bands of heart rate. I have bikes were getting a 18mph average is very difficult and others were 18mph average is pretty easyeasy.y in comparison or it feels like it anyway.
[quote=sefton ]Maybe its just me, but I never even look at average speed. I'm not sure most of the blokes in the club do either.
If I'm on the turbo I'll make note but [b]out on the road its a bit pointless unless your doing the same TT circuit or something[/b].Like planning where you might want to stop for cake, or bivvy. Knowing your rough average speed in a range of conditions is pretty handy for route planning but I guess that doesn't matter for those that are only out for a wee blast and are heading back home.
I'm so glad that I really don't give a toss about how fast or how slow I'm riding, I look at the view and listen to the birds and just enjoy every ride for it being a bike ride. Anyway, back to willy waving everyone 😆
http://road.cc/content/news/139874-strava-data-tells-tale-laurens-ten-dams-2014Laurens ten Dam is one top pro who uses Strava to track his rides – and Dutch magazine Soigneur has run the rule over the 33-year-old’s numbers in 2014. Here’s what they found.The Dutchman, who finished ninth overall at the Tour de France, rode a total of 28,138km during the year, including training, at [b]an average speed of 33.5 kilometres an hour[/b]
Slower than many on here it would seem.....
The year so far:-
Count:27 Activities
Distance:611.20 mi
Time:51:14:47 h:m:s
Elevation Gain:80,770 ft
Avg Speed:11.9 mph
Avg Elevation Gain:2,991 ft
Max Speed:55.1 mph
Avg Distance:22.64 mi
Avg Time:1:53:53 h:m:s
Max Avg Speed:15.0 mph
Max Elevation Gain:5,039 ft
Max Distance:40.70 mi
Most of that on my CX bike and a small proportion off-road.
My road rides are generally quite hilly. Last Sunday 116 miler was at 18 mph (1600m of climbing) and it was mostly a solo effort apart from 30 miles with a group.
Are you suggesting that 1600m in 118 miles is hilly, or not? That shows the subjectivity of it, as I'd say that's pretty flat. Daffy would, I imagine, say that it's pan flat!
I'm still confused by what mboy was meaning too, as he seems to live somewhere flatter than me...
One man's flat, is another man's hilly. Anyone doing >20mph for any distance on their tod is fast. Simples.
Usually about 26-29 KM/H average speed for me, on 2-4 hour rides.
Are you suggesting that 1600m in 118 miles is hilly, or not?
More to the point, mixing metres and miles!? hang your head in shame you dirty units pervert!
Either miles and feet or metres and kilometres or fear* my wrath!
*disclaimer: actual in-person wrath may not match ferocity of implied internet wrath
I don't have a road bike, road bikes all seem to zip past me.
I ride down to collect something from a foundry about 30 miles from me. On Velociraptors I averaged 12.5mph and on City Jets it was 13.6mph. That's a pretty flat ride, my usual ride on mountain bike tyres is about 10mph average.
Well thanks to all i took the advise and bought a second hand Garmin compliments of fellow STW member yorkshire89. So here is my commute today for those wanting to see it on Strava. [url= https://www.strava.com/activities/281446958 ]here[/url] in km rather than mph but think it equates to 23mph average, infact time was 10.58 but new to the controls so took another 10 seconds to get stop pushed. I am sure there are plenty of faster roadies out there but for a 42 and balding MTB rider i am well chuffed. 😀
30-odd mile loop with 300m of rolling ascent (mixed units thanks to garmin settings) on Monday morning, on my 11kg Saracen Hack with 35mm slicks, averaged 19.1 mph. My Edge 500 records 5 mile "laps" and the 15 miles out into a headwind (and warming up) were all 17.X, and the 15 miles back were 21.X.
Averaged 18.5 mph over my 30-odd mile dedicated "climbing loop" (600m of mostly 10%+ gradient climbs) on the same bike and felt it the day after.
Normally average 20.something mph on the summer bike (7.5kg, 23mm slicks) on solo rides up to 50 miles in the summer. Not in a club and only rarely ride on road with mates or on sportives, and not on Strava so never had anything to compare to.
So here is my commute today for those wanting to see it on Strava. here in km rather than mph but think it equates to 23mph average
Indeed, 23.4mph.
However... it's 4 miles. Didn't we do this originally!?
Still, there's one segment, and you got the KOM by a big margin, so well done.
Yep 4.4 miles, didn't start it till the end of my drive or else might have rattled the bike to bits! 😯 Will do some longer runs soon but just got the Garmin so put up the info i had.
However... it's 4 miles. Didn't we do this originally!?
I think we did already do this.... it's also mostly flat, but overall downhill, I think I'd be disappointed if I couldn't manage 20mph+ on that 😛
Well done though OP, it's always a nice warm fuzzy feeling to exceed your own expectations 🙂
Now crack on and either see what you can do over distance or make it your mission to hit 25, then 27, then 30(?) on that same route, should be a nice challenge!
And (I'm sure we've already done this) if you want to know how fast you really are, go enter some races 🙂
Cheers guys its just a bit of fun, not planning to enter any races, only time i will be beating is my own, if i set any records on segments then that is a bonus. 😀 They will likely get pushed off the top soon enough.
Also log your ride in the opposite direction then take the average speed 8)
we have done this, but people ride for different reasons and its interesting to have some yardsticks. I don't see any of it as willy waving.
Reading comments in here is more illuminating than looking at something like Strava as people are giving a bit of context, especially for people like me who like to ride solo and have no interest in racing.
[i]not planning to enter any races,[/i]
you'll be fine if they're 4 miles long and downhill though.
You should considering doing some, as you appear rather rapid.
Context is really important. Look at Eric in second place on that KOM and it's clear he was out for a relatively steady 25 miler, not someone who was on a 4 mile blast. A KOM is pretty hollow really unless there's a few hundred times on there and on a reasonable climb or part of a local TT course. I'd rather be top 10 on a very busy segment than KOM on a segment only half a dozen people have actually ridden.
Still, have some kudos 🙂
I'd rather be top 10 on a very busy segment than KOM on a segment only half a dozen people have actually ridden.
I was looking through someone's KOMs recently (he had 40 or so) and they were virtually all <5 people, whether he rides places no one else bothers, or whether he's created some weird ones, but it seemed quite strange they'd overwhelmingly be like that!
OMG, is that your commute?
I commuted to work through London today
🙁
as looking through someone's KOMs recently (he had 40 or so) and they were virtually all <5 people, whether he rides places no one else bothers, or whether he's created some weird ones, but it seemed quite strange they'd overwhelmingly be like that!
A mate of mine has someone at his club who collects KOM. Sort of a hobby I guess. He'll go out specifically to bag obscure segments when the wind is favourable. He's got loads like that where there are only a few rides. Quite bizarre.
I target certain segments on my commute, more interesting than structured interval training, and I won't bother trying if there's a headwind or I'm knackered or whatever, but wouldn't specifically look for those with few riders on them, where's the fun in that!?
Beats me. It's not like he'll ride the same segments over again to see any improvement (unless someone pinches his KOM and he thinks he can get it back!) Is quite bizarre. But then I have also seen people drive to segments with TT bikes on the back of the car and two up a segment to get a KOM. I just don't get it 😕
Those people deserved to be stopped at every single red light, whether they're "STRAVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAing" or not.
I'd guess about 16mph. Some faster some slower, but the average must be about that.
There's a cycling club on Orkney isn't there? Pretty sure I saw some club tops last year when we were in Orkney. If there is then head out with them for a ride and see how you do.
Really enjoyable cycling on Orkney.
I'm a bit rubbish after reading this. I did a 22 mile undulating loop the other night at 16.05mph.
Must try harder, although I am 58, a good 3stone overweight & don't really 'train' as such.
This still going?
Well I was quite pleased with a solo 19.3mph on a 67m 2k ascent route a couple of days after a 8.1mph 50.7m 7.5k ascent at afan on the mtb....
I will be breaking the 20mph barrier for a 2hr ride this year. I will.
Well thanks to all i took the advise and bought a second hand Garmin compliments of fellow STW member yorkshire89. So here is my commute today for those wanting to see it on Strava.
Well, thank Churchill for that! 😉
Surely average should be over a long period, say a year. These times seem more like average good times, and not those hours on end spent battling wind rain and snow. Otherwise we might as well list our average road race or TT times.
I have a default 100km that I do a lot. Once in 2013 I did it sub three hours, yet the following winter was lucky to average 14mph.
Now your TT times on standard or aero are a good benchmark
Surely average should be over a long period, say a year
might be an interesting point but I read the question from the OP as "what are you capable of averaging over a ride?". Bimbling with the wife and kids would impact on a longer average but have no reflection on your ability or give me a yardstick as to what sort of speeds keen roadies like yourself can do.
Whereas
I have a default 100km that I do a lot. Once in 2013 I did it sub three hours
does.
Is a bit of a nonsense question really as there are so many variables. Still got to 5 pages though 🙂
15.5mph on my commute home today.
However my BMI puts me in the 'hard to kidnap' category.
I consider my best strava segment a 17/1340 on a local 5.2km section of road. I do recall how fast I was going that day, and did of course have a tailwind.
If I go out on the hybrid bike it's usually 2 hrs and around 18mph average, or 16mph if I'm doing intervals. Most rides will have 500-800m climbing in this distance.
OMG, is that your commute?I commuted to work through London today
Yep that's it, not a traffic light within 30 miles 😀
Well, thank Churchill for that!
😀 if it wasn't for him it would be an iron man each day to work 😀
Context is really important. Look at Eric in second place on that KOM and it's clear he was out for a relatively steady 25 miler, not someone who was on a 4 mile blast. A KOM is pretty hollow really unless there's a few hundred times on there and on a reasonable climb or part of a local TT course. I'd rather be top 10 on a very busy segment than KOM on a segment only half a dozen people have actually ridden.
Totally agree, i was fresh after lunch and first bit of the blast, did the same 2 seconds slower in the morning on the way to work. To be fair though i did come in second on another one last thing after back and forth four times [url= https://www.strava.com/activities/281693669/segments/6602548376 ]here[/url]
You would be pushed to find many segments in Orkney that more than 10 people had ridden!!! 😀
On planet earth as 50ish bloke with a passion for rump steak, red wine, ale and cheese who lives in one of the most benign cycling counties in the UK and does about 8k km a year I would be happy with any proper ride (50 to 200km) over 30kph average in the summer and around 26/7 kph in the winter.
Its a poor measure though go somewhere hilly and I've turned myself inside out for 23kph.
These times seem more like average good times, and not those hours on end spent battling wind rain and snow.
Oldgit is right, makes a big difference...
A tired 50 miles at z2 power at 7pm in mid January with drizzly freezing temps on the heavy winter bike in heavy winter layers... 18.7 mph.
An hour and a quarter lunchtime (z2 with 30 min tempo) spin in the sun yesterday on the race bike... 20.7 mph.
The latter was significantly more enjoyable 🙂
Oh and forgot to mention, i was wearing my work cloths-shirt, jumper, trousers & shoes no Lycra or or cleats 😀
On the shopping bike with a weekly shop in the basket towing a trailer with two kids and a dog in the back...?
, i was wearing my work cloths-shirt, jumper, trousers & shoes
I'd not be wanting the desk next to yours 😉
On the shopping bike with a weekly shop in the basket towing a trailer with two kids and a dog in the back...?, i was wearing my work cloths-shirt, jumper, trousers & shoes
I'd not be wanting the desk next to yours
😆 😆
Fellow cyclist in the desk next to me so quite amiable to a bit of sweat. 🙄