Increase average speed

austin_parratt

Firstly... hello all.. (First post and all that)

I have been road cycling for a couple of months now, and am absolutly loving it..!

I have been increasing my distance over this time, and managed a 40 miler yesterday, with an average speed of 15.9 mph....

Is this a good average to maintain, I am looking to go 50 miles and beyond by the end of the summer, or should I really be looking to increase this.

The reason I ask is I would like to join a club, but am not sure I'd be able to keep paice .. :oops:

Any help or advice ..

Thanks

Dave-M

Hello!

You're about the same speed as me, and I don't find it changes much as my mileage increases.

I did 56 on Sunday in the wind and still managed 15.7 ave. I have a 17 mile route I do and if I try very hard I can complete that in an hour on a good day!

I've been adding 10 miles a week on to my big ride. Should have been 60 this week, but my riding buddy wimped out.

Sometime I do raise an eyebrow at some of the averages quoted on here.

I'm sure you'd be fine to join a club,

austin_parratt

.. thanks ..

I do worry when I read some of the average speeds.. I know it is still early days, from a training persepctive, but I am not sure how I would add another 3 mph..

Maybe a club would help with this however ..

Rich Hcp

Don't worry about your average speed, stick to your pace.

I average about 15, but I'm on my own and its difficult, if riding with others I know the average will get better

bobtbuilder

The reason I ask is I would like to join a club, but am not sure I'd be able to keep paice ..

A reasonable sized club will offer a variety of club runs at different distances / speeds from beginners through to racing groups.

With your current average speed, you are more than ready to join an intermediates group.

asprilla

Average speed is a function of distance, hills and wind so someone in Norfolk will have a completely different opinion to someone in the Scottish Highlands of what constitutes a good average speed.

Cycling in a group is easier than cycling on your own: most of your effort is spent overcoming wind resistance so if there is someone in front to do that for you then you can easily keep up with them.

Most good clubs will have various groups that go out doing different distances at different speeds so no-one gets left behind. Club cycling is a social sport. Especially when it comes to cake stops.

fatboy gonna get slim

i am in the same boat as youjust increasing from 40 to 50 miles from last week .i kept looking on here at peoples times and figures and kept asking myself if i was to slow . but alot of positive feedback on here and i am not going to worry about how far joe blogs is going or who fast he done the distance in .seems like you are doing ok keep it up .

ride_whenever

an increased average speed comes with a lot of miles basically.

You need your physiology to adapt to the exercise you're doing, really don't sweat it.

austin_parratt

thanks all... Think I will keep doing what I am doing for a few more weeks, then look to a club...


great source of info this btw...

irezumi

Most people average around 15mph alone, even the reasonably fit people who have cycled for a while on good machinery. Most people on here appear to be verging on cat4 racers it seems.

A higher average speed will partly come from practice/physical adaptation, partly from slipstreaming within the group and partly from determination to keep up with them.

Clubs normally have various groups/speeds anyway so just join and you will be fine.

MikeWW

Riding with other people helps a lot in terms of having someone to follow/keep up with
Join a club/or just go on a club ride and you will soon progress

Essex Man

Now that I've been riding for a year, and getting my average up from 16-17 to 18-19 in that time, I still now look at the pro riders and think - how the hell do they do that?

The answer is by being naturally gifted, but also by putting in many many hours and many thousands of miles.

This is the same with other people averages on here - some are stronger and some put in a lot of hours in. Unless you want to race you're just competing with yourself, so if you want to get quicker then push a little harder each time and put more hours in - but don't make it feel like a chore!

keef66

Just put a larger wheel circumference into your computer. You'll see your average speed rocket overnight, with very little effort on your part.

Mettan

austin_parratt wrote:

I have been increasing my distance over this time, and managed a 40 miler yesterday, with an average speed of 15.9 mph....

Is this a good average to maintain,

That's a good start for a new rider - with 1-2 years of regular riding/training, you might see your avgs in the 16.5 - 18.5 mph region for < 50 miles - Joining a club will bring your riding along significantly.

dulldave

MikeWW wrote:

Riding with other people helps a lot in terms of having someone to follow/keep up with
Join a club/or just go on a club ride and you will soon progress

+1

The best way of increasing your speed is trying to keep up with people who are faster than you. I'd recommend turning up at a few group rides of clubs in your area. Join the one where they're most helpful/friendly

drumsmasher

Keep on riding but dont let average speed be your ruler! If you ride flat out all the time to beat your averages, you will suffer! Try having sessions where you only attack uphill and push hard, then rest on other bits. Then another session may be split to include flat out sprint intervals. This will get your power and stamina up but dont do it every ride.
Make sure you put in some long steady rides as well.

Also i remember when i 1st started, i asked this same question and someone replied that as the warmer weather comes your averages go up due to the air being thinner. I thought it was bull for a while, but it seems to be true! (unless i go faster when its nice and sunny and not hammering down and cold)! Sounds more like it!

carl_p

I don't think you are far away from club standard to be honest. Just make sure to choose one that has a slower group as well. Most people on here claim their average speeds increase a bit whilst riding with a group anyway. You'll probably need to get up to 60 miles first though.

If you are really keen on getting your average speed up whilst riding alone, a good tip would be get yourself a Garmin, or similar, so you can analyse which part of your route is slowing you down. If you can ride a bit harder on those sections and maintain speed elsewhere then your average will increase. And it might not be the hills either, for example on a flat stretch of road (if you have any) then a sustained 18 to 20 mph could be a reasonable target. Up to you what you want from your ride.

Hals1967

Averages are very subjective anyway but I agree with what Carl_P says above...I'd be very content with an average of 18 - 20mph, currently at 16.2mph which I am happy with.

For what it's worth sometimes it's as well to not look at the computer and enjoy the ride without worrying about it.

austin_parratt

Thanks guys ..

I know I have only been riding (properly) for a short time, but like to consider myself as fairly fit...

Think I am going to forget averages for a while, just continue to enjoy it, and try and get my distance up ...

benno68

Your current average speed is respectable for riding alone and you should be on a club run. The worst that can happen is that you get dropped and need to find your own way home, the club I'm with have a few groups on a Sunday and no one gets dropped.

Maybe worth getting a heart rate monitor and start training to your heart rate zones. You don't need to do a 50 miler to up your average speed, a good 30 minutes to an hour of quality riding with recovery rides in between should really help and then do a decent distance once a week or so, so that you get used to spending a few hours in the saddle.

This maybe helpful:

http://www.machinehead-software.co.uk/bike/heart_rate/heart_rate_zone_calculator_abcc_bcf.html

rake

dulldave wrote:

MikeWW wrote:

Riding with other people helps a lot in terms of having someone to follow/keep up with
Join a club/or just go on a club ride and you will soon progress

+1

The best way of increasing your speed is trying to keep up with people who are faster than you. I'd recommend turning up at a few group rides of clubs in your area. Join the one where they're most helpful/friendly

do clubs have casual rides you can just turn up at? im getting bored sometimes riding around on my own. my main buddy isnt into cycling. i dont know weather i have time to commit to fully joining a club. i want to have a go at a 10 mile tt but dont know anything about how clubs operate. on a good day ive averaged 19 mph on a 70 mile solo with a half hour sit down and feed in the beatiful surroundings at rutland water. on an organised ride its much easier to put the effort in.

Paul32uk

Rake just take a look online and find out what local courses the clubs use for a 10 mile TT then go do it alone. This is what I did last week. My intention is to join a club later in the year when I have more free time but for now I make do with solo riding and solo TTs. Next is to start hill loop training! I just need to find a nice climb local to Southampton to keep looping on.

softlad

asking people what average speed they ride at is a bit like asking what size shoes everyone wears - the answers won't mean anything to you.

ride more, get fitter, your average will probably increase - but don't over-analyze it.

morstar

softlad wrote:

asking people what average speed they ride at is a bit like asking what size shoes everyone wears - the answers won't mean anything to you.

ride more, get fitter, your average will probably increase - but don't over-analyze it.

Well said.

I did a 14mph average for an 11 mile blast a couple of months ago. about a month ago I did 19mph for 30 miles and yesterday did a 15.6 average for 32 miles. I can say with confidence that the first one involved the hardest riding yet boasts the slowest average.

Only one of them was flattish (no prizes for guessing) and one of them was pitch black aswell as hilly.

Try not to worry about it too much. On the odd occasion when I am spinning a big gear doing 30ish mph on a flat road (typically wind assisted) I fully realise that the elite riders who can ride these speeds for many miles in TT's are on a somewhat different level.

softlad

morstar wrote:

I did a 14mph average for an 11 mile blast a couple of months ago. about a month ago I did 19mph for 30 miles and yesterday did a 15.6 average for 32 miles. I can say with confidence that the first one involved the hardest riding yet boasts the slowest average.

exactly...

17mph on a hilly 30 yesterday, 24mph in a crit on Tuesday and 15.2mph in 45 miles round the Elan Valley last Sunday. There's no such thing as an average-average.....

Buckled_Rims

Totally agree with the over-emphasis of average speeds. It means absolutely nothing to anyone else. My average speed is very low simply because I have lots of town traffic to go through before I get to a decent road. Someone else might just jump on their bike and straight into the countryside (lucky them).

Here is my average speed from a 40 miler I did yesterday if you really want to compare. But as you see it's a bit hilly and very little flat.

62.76 Km
Minimum height above sea: 1.64 Metres
Maximum height above sea: 208.08 Metres
Height ascended: 1010.39 Metres
Average speed 13.7mph

antfly

Simply putting the miles in doesn`t seem to make you any quicker after the first few months, when you improve a lot. I hit a plateau for a couple of years and i`m only just starting to take things up a notch now by puting in bursts of speed then easing up. Gradually the bursts are getting longer and easier to maintain and i`m getting quicker. I`ve only ever rode alone but I gather riding in a group puts your average up several miles an hour anyway.

rake

antfly wrote:

Simply putting the miles in doesn`t seem to make you any quicker after the first few months, when you improve a lot. I hit a plateau for a couple of years and i`m only just starting to take things up a notch now by puting in bursts of speed then easing up. Gradually the bursts are getting longer and easier to maintain and i`m getting quicker. I`ve only ever rode alone but I gather riding in a group puts your average up several miles an hour anyway.

yes ive seemed to have leveled off. if its not too hill im happy with a maeningless 17-18mph. im straight into the green stuff just my village to go through. the last couple of days ive felt ok but just had no power at all. settled for a steady 14mph saunter and realised i have to just enjoy some rides or it gets to be a chore. i really enjoyed it.

Gav888

Im really hoping to join a local club (SDCC) next year but they average 20mph + over 60 - 70 miles in a large group, after having a chat with one of the guys he said he can average 18mph solo for that distance so that is a good goal for me to aim for.

At present I can average 14mph over that distance, and hitting the 16's on 20 - 30 mile routes so i have a serious amount of work to do!

Rich Hcp

I never check my average until I finish the ride. Even if I feel I'm struggling.

Sometimes you get a nice surprise at the end