Average speed slow?
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Lukejacksmum
Posts: 30 Member
I have been riding for 3 months now and although my average speed has improved from when I started I still seem to be very slow! I do have a lot of elevation where I live but other riders around here still seem to keep up their speed? Is it just down to lack of fitness, being so overweight or not putting in enough miles? Help x I am Julie Digby on strava if anyone wants to see my rides? Any advise gratefully received 
ps, I am currently 224lbs!!!
ps, I am currently 224lbs!!! 0
Replies
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I'm curious to see if I'm slow....I don't have anyone to compare myself to but i ride at an average pace of 4:25/mile. What are some of everyone times? Feel free to add me, I need some biking friends!0
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Hi Julie,
I couldn't find you on Strava, so I don't know what your average speed is, but if your pace is increasing then it means that your fitness is improving and that has to be worth a pat on the back.
Average pace depends on a lot of things. Type of bike, type of tyres, tyre pressure, weight of the bike, quality of components, how well the bike is maintained and then there is the type of terrain and the fitness of the rider. There are too many variables to list...
I tend to average about 12 - 15 mph and that depends on which route I take and my mood (sometimes I just want to enjoy the ride without any agenda apart from going from A to B and back again).
When I read online about training to improve speed, the theme seems to be about quality of workout rather than quantity. For example, varying the type of ride in terms of speed, so that one ride might be a short fast ride and then another might be a slower, longer ride.
My advice at this stage, would be to ignore what times & speeds others are doing and concentrate on setting and reaching your own goals (easier said than done, I know).
Also, make sure your tyres are up to pressure and that your bike is fully maintained. It's surprising how much nicer the bike is to ride when it is working well. Mine tends to start talking to me when the chain needs cleaning and oiling, but if you've only been riding for three months, I'm guessing yours is probably pretty good, but keep that in mind.
Do you ride on your own, or with other people?
Hope that helps.0 -
Average pace depends on a lot of things. Type of bike, type of tyres, tyre pressure, weight of the bike, quality of components, how well the bike is maintained and then there is the type of terrain and the fitness of the rider. There are too many variables to list...
This. I try not to worry about it too much. I like to generally cruise at 15ish. I can hold that for 2 miles or 125 miles.0 -
In cycling, weight is the enemy of hills. I was always in good cycling condition, but with each 10 lbs that I lost, the hills became easier and the average speed increased. Hills that I used to gear way down for I can now climb easily, and those rollers that used to require downshifts I can now power right over. Cycling was (and still is) positive reinforcement for my weight loss. As you lose weight, your speed will come up, guaranteed.
There is no correct average speed because every one rides differently. My wife who is very fit typically averages 13 mph because she cruises on the flats, but she does challenge the hills. I average about 17 because I am always pushing, but some rides can be over 18, and some can be around 15 (or 13 when I'm with her) depending on the mood and amount of climbing. Hope that helps.0 -
Cycling doesn't get easier, you just get quicker...
When I started cycling again in April 2011, it took me 1 hour & 12 minutes to commute to work 21.9km's (13.5 miles) away, now, on a 'good' day, I can do the same ride in just over 36 minutes...
Time and patience is key
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Cycling doesn't get easier, you just get quicker...
Ain't that the truth.0 -
I agree with all of the above... As you ride more and drop weight you will most likely see natural increased in your speed. There is a limit to this and when you start leveling out then you can look at speed work. Until then, don't get caught up in the numbers too much it can steal your joy if you let it. Ride, enjoy and maybe once a week test yourself by riding a known route to guage your improvement. One of the biggest pitfalls of new riders (and overly compettitve folks like myself) is thinking each ride has to be better than the last... If you push the limit everytime, you will wear yourself out... Relax. You have time, and you will get better if you keep at it...
Take care
Nikki0 -
Like the OP, I am a slower rider also. I used to let it bother me that everyone else seemed to fly by me and I always ended up last, but then I realized that I'm riding for ME not for someone else. As long as I finish the ride I started I'm happy with myself. I do strive to get faster, but if I don't that's ok too.
I got back into riding, casually, a couple of years ago and my starting avg speed was around 9mph or so. Last season when I finished riding I was up to about 12mph avg. When I started again this year (April/May) it was down to about 10mph and in the last few days it's gone up to 12mph (took a week off of riding....not sure if that's why though). I do find the more I ride the easier it seems to pedal. I've also been trying to pedal more and coast less.....if my speed is under 17mph then I'm pedaling, otherwise I let it coast since I have a hard time pedaling above 17mph for any reason.
During the week I ride based on time, since I either ride before work (and have to be at work on time) or after work (sometimes racing the sun to get home before dark), and my rides are typically 30-60 minutes. On the weekend when I don't really have the time constraints that I do during the week, I am currently riding 20-30 miles one day and a little less the other day. I signed up for a century in September so I am going to be working up to 60-70 miles for one of the weekend days.
~Chelle0 -
Some of it may have to do with where you are riding. Where I live there are a lot of hills but when I go to Florida it is flat and my average speed improves considerably. A second factor may be the bike you are riding. Are you on a road bike ? Has it been tuned and lubricated recently? Learning how to ride correctly (read as much as you can in books etc.) and conditioning will certainly make a big difference too !0
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When I started cycling again in April 2011, it took me 1 hour & 12 minutes to commute to work 21.9km's (13.5 miles) away, now, on a 'good' day, I can do the same ride in just over 36 minutes...
How did you do it though? Did you train strategically or did you just keep pedaling the distance and it happened by itself?
Takes me about 1hr 10 to do a 15 mile commute at the moment. I dream of the day I can get that down to 35 mins.0 -
How did you do it though? Did you train strategically or did you just keep pedaling the distance and it happened by itself?
Just kept 'at it' really... As the weight came down & the fitness improved, the speed increased...
I bought a turbo-trainer (Tacx Genius) so I could continue riding through the harsh winter months (although it is not the same as 'actual' riding on the road, but it keeps the legs turning and the heart pumping...0 -
Nice one. Thanks0
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You get that down to 35 minutes and you should look to get with a pro team. That would be smoking.Takes me about 1hr 10 to do a 15 mile commute at the moment. I dream of the day I can get that down to 35 mins. 0 -
You get that down to 35 minutes and you should look to get with a pro team. That would be smoking.Takes me about 1hr 10 to do a 15 mile commute at the moment. I dream of the day I can get that down to 35 mins.
Ha! Yeah, obviously that's unlikely but I was just going off times stated in the post I quoted, as his/her 13 mile time was similar to my 15 mile time.
Cambridgeshire countryside helps. Flat as a pancake. Has the occasional bump in it but nothing worth calling a hill. The downside is when it's windy, it is WINDY, and it always seems to be in your face.0 -
Thank you everyone for your replies x
Nikki your reply makes total sence
Done a shorter distance today and upped my speed so was happy :happy:
Also just realised that I have to climb 322ft in the first 3 miles just to get anywhere!! Lol
I must lose the weight to make it easier x
My bike is all up together and is a dream machine(I just need to be the same) :laugh:0 -
I read somewhere, and don't ask me where, that cadence matters more than speed. The article recommended a cadence around 90. I kind of laughed about it. Mine had always been 70-75. That summer, I worked on my cadence and now I average 85 including hills. It has made those long hills easier. And, I can go for a lot more miles without the legs giving out.0
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Wrote the above comment, then went on a bike ride. A couple things I learned:
When I can, I speed up before I hit a hill. Momentum helps. Especially on short hills. I don't push it to be tired before I hit the hill, just get some speed if it is flat or downhill.
Second, when I pedal in circles instead of elevators, I do better. I did this with clips (cages) but it is easier with clipless. Even after being told this for several years, I still need to remind myself. It is not natural. Basically use your foot through the whole stroke, not just on the up or even on the up and down.
Third, PCD. Positive Climbing Attitude. Years ago, a friend told me about PFD--Positive Fishing Attitude. If you don't think you will catch a fish, you probably won't. Same is true on hills. If I think I will be slow or need to stop, I will.
Fourth, keep it in one higher gear. If I know I will be shifting, I will put the front in the smallest ring. Then, I get the rear to one harder than I think it will take and try to keep my cadence up.
As I focused on this, today I took two minutes off the fastest time of the first five miles of hills before I get on the flatter part of the ride.
I am still learning.0 -
I read somewhere, and don't ask me where, that cadence matters more than speed. The article recommended a cadence around 90. I kind of laughed about it. Mine had always been 70-75. That summer, I worked on my cadence and now I average 85 including hills. It has made those long hills easier. And, I can go for a lot more miles without the legs giving out.
http://www.active.com/cycling/articles/cycling-cadence-in-training-and-racing has a good explanation.
Try not to worry to much about the speed. It will come as you get more fit. Train yourself to pedal efficiently, e.g. have a smooth non-bouncy spin, and maintain it while incrementally increasing your cadence. RPM 80-90 is ideal and adjust your gearing to match the terrain. Having a cadence and heart rate monitor is much more useful than a speedometer in monitoring your ride and fitness.0 -
Cambridgeshire countryside helps. Flat as a pancake.
Right there with you!
When I was commuting into cambridge tailwinds could be a 25mph average, headwinds sometimes struggling to hold it in double figures.0 -
THIS!
Really, cycling speed is greatly affected by your strength to weight ratio, especially in the hills. The biggest thing you can do to get faster is to lose excess weight.
I've gotten a lot of good info from Selene Yeager's book 'Ride Your Way Lean.' It's an excellent resource.In cycling, weight is the enemy of hills. I was always in good cycling condition, but with each 10 lbs that I lost, the hills became easier and the average speed increased. Hills that I used to gear way down for I can now climb easily, and those rollers that used to require downshifts I can now power right over. Cycling was (and still is) positive reinforcement for my weight loss. As you lose weight, your speed will come up, guaranteed.
There is no correct average speed because every one rides differently. My wife who is very fit typically averages 13 mph because she cruises on the flats, but she does challenge the hills. I average about 17 because I am always pushing, but some rides can be over 18, and some can be around 15 (or 13 when I'm with her) depending on the mood and amount of climbing. Hope that helps.0
