How can I get to an average of 20mph?

FitzM

I'm a 46 yr old man in reasonable condition. Last year after a number of years away from cycling I got back on my bike for some cycling to improve/maintain my fitness. Starting off with a local 20k route and after a few weeks I moved to a local 25k route.

Over the period of a couple of months doing the ride once or twice a week I got my average speed just above 17mph.

This spring over the same route, armed with a new bike my average is just over 18mph. And I must say I'm hugely disappointed!

The new bike cost a fair chunk of change and my previous bike was 10yrs old. I assumed the new bike would help me towards my target of 20mph. OK, I've only been out 5 times in the past few weeks but I'm not achieving much above 18mph.

While it's only a number and achieving 20mph isn't that important, I'd like to try to get there. Can anyone offer some suggestions?

Bronzie

FitzM wrote:

OK, I've only been out 5 times in the past few weeks but I'm not achieving much above 18mph.

Try 5 times a week rather than a month

Buckled_Rims

The problem with increasing speed is it's exponentially harder the higher you want to go. To increase from 13mph to 14mph is easy. To go from 15 to 16 is much harder but doesn't require serious training. From 19 to 20 you need to start serious training, more expensive bike, protein drinks etc.

On one route I have it took me 1 year to get from an average 12.9 mph to 14mph - but there's a few serious hills in the middle. Yet, during the same period I increased another route by a whole 3mph.

bexley5200

i use to ave 20 mph on my mountain bike although i was doing 12000 miles a year

Pokerface

FitzM wrote:

While it's only a number and achieving 20mph isn't that important, I'd like to try to get there. Can anyone offer some suggestions?

Ride downhill.

ilm_zero7

FitzM
similar age an objectives to my own, but there is only so much the bike can do - I sometimes swap out onto the Cervelo P3 for a burn up (everything is relative!) but training on the regular bike is a better indicator of true pace - I would suggest ride with someone else, you didnt say if these times were solo - I find its always quicker, not from slipstreaming but just the push you get from having a pacemaker

boneyjoe

Try some interval training! I'm always amazed at how high my average speed is for an interval session, considering I'm pootling along in recovery mode for half the time.

Seriously though, sounds like you've reached a plateau, and the only way forward is to do some concerted training.

Barteos

I'd say that 17-18mph is perfectly OK for someone who doesn't ride very often.

Splottboy

Pedal harder?

neil²

you need to train more frequently, working on different aspects...

power sessions (e.g. intervals)
endurance sessions
think about technique
think about position
depending on your power to weight ratio, try to reduce body weight if there's a bit of spare weight there

There's lots of training programmes out there - get some inspiration and mix it up! 20 mph is quick for an irregular rider. I was out last night averaging 20.2 over 30 miles with riders who typically clock up 100-150 miles per week, and we had the benefit of drafting.

obizzle

If you can, try doing 52 days in a row. That's the *only* way of improving.

FitzM

Bronzie, not sure I'll get to 5 a week but should get to four

Buckled_Rims, you're not wrong moving from 17 to 18 mph has been tough

bexley5200, 12,000miles on a MTB, I'm gonna faint :shock:

Pokerface, who gonna carry my bike uphill?

Felt so Good, seems Lance was right "its not about the bike"

Old bike

New bike

boneyjoe, will find out what an interval session is and give it a go

Barteos, thanks Dude me too. But I would like to give it a go

Splottboy, how about bigger pedals?

neil², like I said to boneyjoe I'll do my research and give it a go.... and there is no spare weight lose - 5' 5' - 136lbs

obizzle, did I mention I was married?

acidstrato

to achieve an average speed of 20mph, you need to ride at 20mph. if you fall below 20mph then you need to compensate by raising your current speed above 20mph

hope this helps :twisted:


in all seriousness tho, maybe you should try riding for an actual hour? It'll give you a little more time to recover any lost speed through junctions or whatever. Oh and stick with either imperial or metric rather than using both in the same sentence?

FitzM

acidstrato wrote:

to achieve an average speed of 20mph, you need to ride at 20mph. if you fall below 20mph then you need to compensate by raising your current speed above 20mph

When I drop below 20mph I normally jump off my bike and run along side until I get my speed back up

Bronzie

FitzM wrote:

Bronzie, not sure I'll get to 5 a week but should get to four

It wasn't meant to be taken 100% literally, but the point is you do not ride anywhere near regularly enough to keep improving.

3-4 rides a week is good - even better if you can be consistent week-to-week. What you do in those rides is equally important - you need a good mix of endurance (2-3 hour rides) with some shorter, faster rides in between and yes, even some intervals. Search on here for "2x20" as they will bring your speed on no end.

Good luck with it. Keep us posted with your progress.

smithy1.0

Buckled_Rims wrote:

The problem with increasing speed is it's exponentially harder the higher you want to go. To increase from 13mph to 14mph is easy. To go from 15 to 16 is much harder but doesn't require serious training. From 19 to 20 you need to start serious training, more expensive bike, protein drinks etc.

2 years after I started cycling with proper training, I managed to average 23.5mph for an 18mile loop (same start and finish) on a 300 quid Giant OCR3. The route had 1 climb, and the rest was rolling. I did so without the use of energy drinks, protein recovery or any of that kind of thing. Consistent training and hard work is what will get you the results in the end. Don't worry too much about the other stuff, just ride the bike, lots.

FitzM

[/quote] Consistent training and hard work is what will get you the results in the end. Don't worry too much about the other stuff, just ride the bike, lots.[/quote]

smithy1.0 I reckon you're right and the time to judge is the end of the summer and not the middle of April. 20mph here I come

jacster

A new bike can give you a big psychological boost and may make you a bit quicker but the rider's engine is the key to making lasting changes.
I think the phrase "a new bike makes you quicker once" springs to mind. Then it's up to you and your training how you progress.
When I started off I was obsessed with speed and beating my previous avg speed every ride..but it doesn't do you any favours and will likely leave you knackered.
I've found a mix of longer rides, high intensity intervals, and TTs work for me. My longer rides are about endurance, my intervals are well above what I can usually sustain during a TT, and my TTs are about steady, paced rides.
IMO it's time to mix it up rather than just going out to beat your avg speed every ride.

genki

Your main improvement in speed will come from a better body position, not a better bike. Typically when someone starts riding, or doesn't ride very often, they will find it hard to ride on the drops. The difference in speed between tops, hoods and drops for the same power output is massive. Likewise shed the baggy clothing and your speed will increase as you become more aero.

Team Banana Spokesman

yeah, for real.

get those bars as low as you can and feel the burn. :twisted:

serious. putting out power in the lowest position you can will be hard at first but youll go faster in a couple of weeks guaranteed.

Gav888

Bronzie wrote:

FitzM wrote:

Bronzie, not sure I'll get to 5 a week but should get to four

It wasn't meant to be taken 100% literally, but the point is you do not ride anywhere near regularly enough to keep improving.

3-4 rides a week is good - even better if you can be consistent week-to-week. What you do in those rides is equally important - you need a good mix of endurance (2-3 hour rides) with some shorter, faster rides in between and yes, even some intervals. Search on here for "2x20" as they will bring your speed on no end.

Good luck with it. Keep us posted with your progress.

Agree 100% with Bronzie regarding your training, work on increasing your threshold power, loads about it online and in this forum.

Regarding your bike, I went from a £500 alu bike which is quite heavy to a £2500 carbon monster that is light as a feather and my speed didnt improve much, maybe 0.5 - 1mph ave increase, but on the hills it feels much lighter and the gears are much smoother, overall a much nicer place to be when im out riding.

FitzM

Just back from this lunch-time's 20k ride. PB (last week) 40m 59s.

Today I dumped the jacket and donned the jersey, a little cool to start with but worth it. Also spent a fair amount of time in a more aero position by using the drops. Today's Time 39m 43s.

Average gone from 18mph to 19mph.

Thx genki, thx Team Banana Spokesman

Next month 20mph

FitzM

Done it.

It was harder than expected and was edging closer over recent weeks 19.2, 19.4, 19.7, 19.8 then today 20.1mph average over a 18mile route.

Not sure there's much left. Happy enough going from 18mph to 20mph since the beginning for April, I think 21mph is a step too far.

simon johnson

Well done Fitz...now to increase the mileage - 20 miles in an hour?

FitzM

That's the plan. I've mapped a 25 mile loop and will start it this week. Hopefully by the end of July I'll have 20mph average on that loop.

Gav888

So your working on speed - then distance, is that the best route to getting quicker?

Bronzie

Nice one 8)

MikeWW

Good luck-some good improvements

I'm a shade older and started road riding last year
Spent quite a while just working on base endurance and then more threshold work and lots of riding with quicker people.The threshold stuff is really important as a fast recovery after going into the red makes a world of difference. Probably ride 5 to 7 times a week these days which may include maybe a mountain bike race and a crit as well as chaingangs etc You will be surprised how much easier it becomes. Was busting a gut 6 months ago to get to 18 mph. We averaged 25.7 mph tonight over about 35 miles and something like 22.5 mph over the 50 which included a very gentle warm up and warm down.

If you are only riding on your own it is definitely harder both in terms of the energy used but also you don't have a wheel to chase when you are perhaps slowing a bit

Good luck in achieving your goals

FitzM

MikeWW..... Very impressed with your times...... especially as we are marginally passed our prime

I'll probably join the local cycling club but I wanted to get a decent average first. Thankfully I haven't limited my cycling to improving my average mph over set routes. There are a couple of decent hills that I tackle once or twice a week. The round trip that includes the hills is about 30 miles which I take at a slightly easier pace

MikeWW

Local club will really help
I do nearly all my cycling with other people these days-club rides(and not just my own), chaingangs, races, closed road race simulation/training or with my 16 yr old(who rides me into the ground) Not only do you improve more quickly but the motivation levels remain really high-biggest issue is not doing too much!
One of the guys who kept up fine last night is 63 so we still have time on our side

I don't worry about average speeds TBH but will make a note some times. I

amnezia

Ride very flat routes