Why am I so much slower with a backpack and normal clothes?

Anonymous

Hi.

Well today I went for a short 5 mile ride, had to go do something, I only average 17.8mph on my main road bike, I had backpack on and jeans, it felt so bad, so awful, so wrong on a the road bike with normal clothes and I was so tired out on the way back, if I was in my bib shorts and jersey I'd be going nearly 20mph average on the same route. It made me feel so slow, so rubbish, all the way back home on the back roads I was doing a snails pace of about 16mph.

Surely clothes don't hit you that hard?

Rich Hcp

It's in the mind.

You'll feel the jeans rubbing and this will slow you down

TheDrunkMonk

willhub
I always find anything that can catch the wind even slightly (clothes, panniers, surf board, joke sumo outfit) can really knock your energy and times. Especially if you ride quite fast (which it sounds like you do) or if there's a breeze blowing in your face. I doubt your bag would make a huge difference on a flat route, but if its heavy and you're going up hill, you'd definitely feel it. Rasmussen throwing his sun glasses off halfway up a mountain might be a little anal, but a change of clothes or a laptop in the back would make those legs strain a little more than normal.

Anonymous

Back was pretty light really, just some bike locks and keys in it.

I am planning on getting a crappy MTB for commuting to college, its about 3 miles commute there, I hope I dont get slowed to like 14mph, will have to go without a backpack and in baggy shorts maybe that will do it.

The slight breeze today, hardly anything, into I was doing 16mph, compared to yesterday it was a heavy breeze, 15mph or something, and I was doing 16mph into that, so I got knocked quite abit with normal clothes

salsarider79

Taking you out of the equation, speed is about aerodynamics. If you watch pro riders riding in the rain (i.e. the ToB), they wear rain capes, but they have them fitted tight.
If you have nice smooth bib shorts not waving about in the wind, nor a backpack to drag you down, you will go faster. Any weight and anything unaerodynamic will slow you down.
For example, on the ride back from my parents place, down one of the hills without a backpack, I have got 32mph sitting up and 35mph with hands on the drops. With a backpack, the best I have got so far is 28mph.
The truth is that clothes/backpacks really do make that much of a difference.

Anonymous

Just so annoying when seeing people doing 20mph constant with clothes on MTB's lol.

Best I ever done over 10 miles was 19.1mph average with baggy trousers and backpack and nearly fainted when I got home I was that tired and on the drop all the way, and once I was behind a guy on a roadie in full lycra, that made my ride home reallly nice and easy.

DonDaddyD

The tighter the lycra the faster I go because it makes me feel sexy!!!!

:shock: What? :shock:

Anonymous

Oh god I'll pretend I never seen that!! :shock:

feel

apart from the aerodynamics, restricted movement, and extra weight, i would suspect you also feel more uncomfortable due to overheating compared to your normal cycling clothing.
I too am cycling to college at the moment :shock: and am wearing baggy shorts all day. So far i have been lucky as the only soaking i have had has been on the way home. I don't fancy cycling in full length waterproof trousers so am thinking about getting waterproof shorts or 3/4s that i can wear all day - mind i don't know what that's going to be like in the middle of January