Reasonable time for 10 miles?

sbullett

I'll admit I'm only asking this cos I feel good about it......

Got my first raod bike for 25 years about 3 weeks ago and as I'm stuck in a hotel for a week on a training course I thought I might as well bring the bike in the car and get some exercise....

So, found a 16.5 miles loop on the B roads around the hotel (near Coventry), good mix of flat and reasonable hills (250m climbing) - nothing like my native West Yorkshire hills though. Bikely route here http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/me ... stoke-loop

Anyway, tried it on old MTB with slicks when on first part of the training course 4 weeks ago. Managed the whole ride in 57:20, av speed 17.3 mph. Did the first 10 miles in 35 mins.

Today, on new bike, managed 51:37 @ 19.0mph The 10 miles took 32:30. Both rides in early evening, dry road, no sig wind.

Aside from my natural delight at knocking 10% off my previous ride I would like to know (please say yes!) if these times are respectable? I'm contemplating joining a club and would like to challenge myself to ride some TT's but don't want to look an idiot.

Cheers

Simon

penugent

Many say that 30mins for 10m is a basic standard to aim for when first trying the distance.

jibi

A TT is about you and the clock.
Just keep going and try to beat your last best time.

Most local evening TT's allow a couple of rides without belonging to the club.

find out where they are in your area and have a ride out, talk to people and see what can be done, as to having a ride.

The adrenalin should get you below 30 mins.

george

rohloff-rich

Sounds pretty good to me - I've just done 24 miles on the flat at 18mph ave. so you've p1ssed on my parade!

epicurus

Your times are respectable. You will not look like an idiot to any non-idiotic person. Go for it.

splattcp

penugent wrote:

Many say that 30mins for 10m is a basic standard to aim for when first trying the distance.

So are new/returning riders expected to achieve an average of 20 mph?? hard target to achieve ... :roll:

penugent

splattcp wrote:

penugent wrote:

Many say that 30mins for 10m is a basic standard to aim for when first trying the distance.

So are new/returning riders expected to achieve an average of 20 mph?? hard target to achieve ... :roll:

_______________________________________________________________________

It's the advice I was given when I first started cycling - at the age of 50 - and I found it easy to achieve. I've also seen it quoted many times so I don't think the statement is invalid in any way. However, it does assume that one will actually prepare for an event rather than just try it on a 'suck it and see basis', I suppose.

On the other hand, maybe I'm just better than I think

SteveR_100Milers

Achieving "evens" or 30 mins for a 10, is well within reach in the first year of cycling for a normal healthy adult even from scratch with sufficient training. For a returning cyclist, even after many years off the bike, this again should be easy to hit after a couple of months training, unless you've really lived it up in the intervening years.

Positron

32:30 is perfectly respectable for 10 miles and as others have said I expect you'd go quicker in a "10". By all means go alone to an evening "10" - hopefully you'll have an accessible club that will run some if not all of their evens open. They'll start you off near the beginning so the timekeeper isn't kept waiting. If they don't want someone who can do 32:30 there's something wrong with the club.

p.

sbullett

Thanks Guys, re-assuring that I'm not deluding myself - now to find a club in West Yorkshire that doesn't ride up too many hills.....

SteveR_100Milers

My first open 10 in 1990 I did a 34:48 (mind you I did puncture). Plenty of juveniles who ride open (as well as club) events post times over 30 mins. Plenty of older vets same. I would be very surprised if any club or organiser would stop you riding for being too slow, unless it was an over subscribed event.

deejay.

In any case it's about how much you enjoy yourself, so don't feel self-conscious about your times. If we all worried about our times when we first started, none of us would start at all!
And you'll be at evens or better in no time!

deej

hambones

I did my third 10 TT last night and there was a broad range of times - from low 23's to 40mins+ (a very keen 15 year old wearing his baggies!). The newbies were made very welcome and encouraged all the way - so I would definitely recommend giving one a go, no-one will judge you. It's all about racing yourself and having fun.

For the record I took 1min 10 secs off my previous time for the course! (27mins dead)

ajohn9

im 17, did my first club 10 when i was 16, which isnt flat really in 28.10
i thought it was alright anyway!

caissad

I took up cycling again at age 42 after 20 years of doing nothing but gaining weight. That was three years ago. I've averaged just short of 3,000 miles a year since then. I did my one and only time trial in the first week in June on my touring bike. Before that day I had never averaged more than 18.9 mph on any ride I had ever done (with distances ranging from 12 miles to 105 miles). I mainly average around 16.5 mph on an undulating route for anything up to 30 miles. At the time trial I managed 28.18 minutes (average speed about 21.2 mph).

I don't know whether I could have gone sub-30 any earlier as I didn't try it.

The only answer is to go out and have a do. I'm sure your time will be "reasonable" at the very least!!