Well Chuffed !

robert-sb
robert-sb Posts: 118
edited May 2010 in Training, fitness and health
I feel so chuffed with myself I had to tell someone.

Last night I completed my 15.6 mile ride in an average of 19.02mph - the first time I have averaged over 19mph. Added to which it was the first time I have done the route in less than 50 minutes so it was a double first. Bizarrely, I set out thinking I would take it easy - until the juices kicked in :wink: Maybe that's the trick

I know it is not as quick as most on here could do it but I am using my commute to try and increase my speed and leg strength. To wit I am climbing some pretty OK hills on the way to work and measuring my speed on the way back on a different route.

Anyway, I just wanted to tell someone who may understand (tell wifey and I get "Oh, great, anyway what's for tea" :cry: )

Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Nice one, its good when it starts coming together. :D
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    robert-sb wrote:
    I know it is not as quick as most on here could do it
    The thing is, you don't know that, and neither does anyone else - there are too many variables: how hilly your route is, what the wind is doing (and how exposed your route is to different directions), road surface, weather conditions, what you're wearing / carrying...
    After about 5 years of geekishly recording my commuting stats, on different routes and different bikes (from fully off-road setup mtb to carbon road bike) with corrections for wind speed and direction, my guesstimate is that there's less than 10 minutes of difference* over 20 odd miles that I can put down to variations in my fitness / performance - the rest is weather, wind, bike etc. And for the record, that's from 0:50 (serious tailwind) to 1:45

    What is important (if no easier to measure accurately) is whether you are closing on your goals - who's to say that feeling chuffed after a ride isn't a worthwhile goal?
    But I'd agree that the buzz of improving your performance, relative to yourself, is a strong one - who cares how fast someone else can do the route when you've just smashed your PB on it?

    * that's excluding the first few tentative rides, the first time I did the commute home it took 1:45 with a tail wind, not including the cake stop :D
  • phil s
    phil s Posts: 1,128
    Can you start posting your TSS figures please? :wink:
    -- Dirk Hofman Motorhomes --
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    phil s wrote:
    Can you start posting your TSS figures please? :wink:

    Only after 52 days continous, of course....... :lol:
  • EKIMIKE
    EKIMIKE Posts: 2,232
    Save the effort. Pop over to the Big Fat Winter Training Thread, post up an FTP-majig of 4.7 w/kg, google 'powermetres and stuff' and use lots of acronyms like FTP, AP, NP and most importantly lots of BS.

    Job Done. Everyone will think you are 'awesome', naturally.
    Canyon Endurace CF 2014 | Canyon Ultimate CF 2010
  • EKIMIKE
    EKIMIKE Posts: 2,232
    Good effort though Robert-sb.
    Canyon Endurace CF 2014 | Canyon Ultimate CF 2010
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    EKIMIKE wrote:
    Save the effort. Pop over to the Big Fat Winter Training Thread, post up an FTP-majig of 4.7 w/kg, google 'powermetres and stuff' and use lots of acronyms like FTP, AP, NP and most importantly lots of BS.

    Job Done. Everyone will think you are 'awesome', naturally.

    52 days.
    Check

    FTP.
    Check.

    Tss.
    Check.

    I could go on forever, that thread was hilarious.... :D
  • EKIMIKE
    EKIMIKE Posts: 2,232
    I think you'll find it was awesome :wink:
    Canyon Endurace CF 2014 | Canyon Ultimate CF 2010
  • robert-sb
    robert-sb Posts: 118
    Oh heck, I thought it was just about riding a bike :shock:

    I didn't realise I had to WTF my TSS and FTP my VI (my cdc and ele seem OK) when I GBO I seem to GVQ but I am obviously only an amateur at this.

    PS GBO= go balls out, GVQ = go very quick
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    robert-sb wrote:
    Oh heck, I thought it was just about riding a bike :shock:

    I didn't realise I had to WTF my TSS and FTP my VI (my cdc and ele seem OK) when I GBO I seem to GVQ but I am obviously only an amateur at this.

    PS GBO= go balls out, GVQ = go very quick

    Obviously indeed. For goodness' sake man, did nobody tell you that you had to pass your BSNVQ before you were allowed out on the roads? Next thing you'll be telling us your bike wasn't even made in Italy.
    Please, talk a bit quieter before you embarass any more real cyclists
  • SteveR_100Milers
    SteveR_100Milers Posts: 5,987
    robert-sb wrote:
    I feel so chuffed with myself I had to tell someone.

    Last night I completed my 15.6 mile ride in an average of 19.02mph - the first time I have averaged over 19mph. Added to which it was the first time I have done the route in less than 50 minutes so it was a double first. Bizarrely, I set out thinking I would take it easy - until the juices kicked in :wink: Maybe that's the trick

    I know it is not as quick as most on here could do it but I am using my commute to try and increase my speed and leg strength. To wit I am climbing some pretty OK hills on the way to work and measuring my speed on the way back on a different route.

    Anyway, I just wanted to tell someone who may understand (tell wifey and I get "Oh, great, anyway what's for tea" :cry: )

    You will never now that until you ride a TT against others. Then the fun starts! :D
    http://www.pontypoolrcc.co.uk/
    www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44397853765
  • robert-sb
    robert-sb Posts: 118
    SteveR_100Milers wrote:
    You will never now that until you ride a TT against others. Then the fun starts! :D

    I know, but I dread making a complete ar5e of myself at a TT. I am hoping to get my commute up to average 20mph (according to my Garmin there is about 220m of climbing on the route) so that I can be sure of going under 30mins for a 10 mile.

    After all I only have a road bike and an ordinary helmet (I don't even shave my legs)
  • celbianchi
    celbianchi Posts: 854
    robert-sb wrote:
    SteveR_100Milers wrote:
    You will never now that until you ride a TT against others. Then the fun starts! :D

    I know, but I dread making a complete ar5e of myself at a TT. I am hoping to get my commute up to average 20mph (according to my Garmin there is about 220m of climbing on the route) so that I can be sure of going under 30mins for a 10 mile.

    After all I only have a road bike and an ordinary helmet (I don't even shave my legs)

    Thats doesn't matter - iin a club night TT you get all kinds, on all kinds of bike.
    Open events are a little more serious, but my experience of club TT's is that nobody will look down on anybody who chooses not to use a full TT rig with all the aero kit.
  • kinesin
    kinesin Posts: 100
    Just get to the local TT :P

    If I push my commute I can average about 17.5 mph if the wind is favorable. (at it's very near flat!)

    As live less than a mile to work I do an out and back loop to make the distance up, so the direction doesn't improve my times but just slows me down.

    Anyway I did my first TT last Thursday and would have been happy to go sub 33, in the end i stopped the clock at 30.15. :o
    Most TT courses are faster than any commute and your well in the range of speed to not make a fool of yourself.

    I was on my road bike, no tri bars, no aero stuff just standard hairy legs and a plan to not go off too fast. I beat at least one person with aero lids & TT bars but that doesn't matter as I beat my target. Tonight I should be able to go faster, as now have some knowledge of pacing & the course.
  • Brommers76
    Brommers76 Posts: 234
    I imagine your commute has junctions etc - even if you don't need to stop they will affect your average speed. Averaging 20mph is not easy - on my 20mile commute, to average 20mph I would need to see 23mph most of the time on the flat, 12mph on the climbs and 30 - 40 down the other side.

    I would guess you aren't on the drops all the time either. Do a flat TT now and I would have thought you will easily break 30mins.
  • SteveR_100Milers
    SteveR_100Milers Posts: 5,987
    If you could commute at an average of 20mph then frankly you will rip my legs off at a TT. I'm not the fastest, but I aint the slowest either.
    just do it man!
    http://www.pontypoolrcc.co.uk/
    www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44397853765
  • robert-sb
    robert-sb Posts: 118
    Right I am going to enter a 10 mile TT. Unfortunately last night and next week are Open events so Iam going to have to wait until 19th May.

    Yesterday lunchtime I nipped out and did this out and back route

    http://connect.garmin.com/activity/32303562

    so I am reasonably confident I will break 30 mins for a 10 mile out and back TT.
  • freehub
    freehub Posts: 4,257
    It's always good to do PB's, I remember when I broke the 20mph barrier for the first time on a 15 mile ride, was well chuffed, and the PB's just kept on coming, it was in fact the start of a big improvement. Haven't quite started getting any improvements yet this year so I'm behind on last year.

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