considerably faster than yow

dcurzon

i've noticed that some folk get some serious speed going on on they're commute... as a newb, my speed is pretty low - around 12mph average in the epping area (some hills) and 10mph avg in london (borisbike). I'm assuming its just a case of time in the saddle will increase my speeds, but seriously, how long in the saddle??

I read on here of people commuting at 20+ avg on a daily basis, to me at the moment, that just seems incredible! I doff my cap to you fast boys n girls, and aspire (but not perspire) to get to your standards!

UndercoverElephant

I bet no-one averages 20+ on a Boris Bike, though A lot of the extra speed does come from a well maintained, fast bike.

soundninjauk

I tend to carry along at a steady 17/18mph, traffic lights notwithstanding. This is on a 3 speed Cannondale Bad Boy (no drop bars or anything, I guess you'd call it a fast hybrid). I could probably go faster, but I don't have any gears inbetween 'riding on the flat' and 'riding downhill' so I'm kind of speed limited unless I feel like burning my legs off on the fastest gear.

SimonAH

You're going to speed up fast, don't sweat it (or rather do.........)

biondino

No-one averages 20mph in London, except perhaps the very fastest at 4am. It's very easy to cruise for a short time at 20mph, so perhaps that's what you're seeingm people refer to?

Also, a lot of people with bike computers will only be recording moving averages - so when they're stopped at a traffic light or zebra crossing, the computer doesn't record the time spent stationary. My average speed commuting through London tends to be 14-15mph, but that's a moving average, and if my speed took into account the times when I wasn't moving, that would fall to about 12mph.

soundninjauk

biondino wrote:

No-one averages 20mph in London, except perhaps the very fastest at 4am. It's very easy to cruise for a short time at 20mph, so perhaps that's what you're seeingm people refer to?

Also, a lot of people with bike computers will only be recording moving averages - so when they're stopped at a traffic light or zebra crossing, the computer doesn't record the time spent stationary. My average speed commuting through London tends to be 14-15mph, but that's a moving average, and if my speed took into account the times when I wasn't moving, that would fall to about 12mph.

Yeah, my actual average speed from door to door is generally about 12mph on the way in, and 13/14mph on the way home (downhill, less traffic, kinder lights). The 17/18mph is definitely cruising rather than average speed.

biondino

soundninjauk wrote:

biondino wrote:

No-one averages 20mph in London, except perhaps the very fastest at 4am. It's very easy to cruise for a short time at 20mph, so perhaps that's what you're seeingm people refer to?

Also, a lot of people with bike computers will only be recording moving averages - so when they're stopped at a traffic light or zebra crossing, the computer doesn't record the time spent stationary. My average speed commuting through London tends to be 14-15mph, but that's a moving average, and if my speed took into account the times when I wasn't moving, that would fall to about 12mph.

Yeah, my actual average speed from door to door is generally about 12mph on the way in, and 13/14mph on the way home (downhill, less traffic, kinder lights). The 17/18mph is definitely cruising rather than average speed.

My cruising speed is about 20-21mph over longer distances on my roadie, so I guess if I were commuting in a flat rural area it might be a realistic target.

To put it in perspective, my average speed for 3 laps of the slightly hilly Richmond Park is 19.4mph and my average speed on the (very flat) Top Gear racetrack, where I took part in a 24 hour relay race last summer with obviously no traffic or stops to contend with, was 21.3mph over 116 miles.

Zaim

I got an app for the iPhone yesterday, Cyclemeter, and recorded my journey to/from work. To 16.5mph average and from 19.1mph average, although I'm cycling on the outskirts of London/Surrey so mainly all fast A roads (which scare the bejesus out of me some mornings).

To show this is not mainly down to man and bike on the way to work I climb 260ft and on the way home 170ft.

In response to your question, it will get easier, you will get faster but London is no easy quick commute due to all the obstacles in your path.

Wallace1492

This morning I averaged 18.5mph over 7.5 miles (moving time). I stopped at all red lights, as required, however would not say I was lucky or unlucky with stops as I did have a few. Just quite fast when I was on a longer section, and really pushed it the whole way. Legs were screaming when I arrived. It is my best ever.... but.... it will get better!!

Can I get 20mph average for end of the season? - you betcha I can!!

iPete

It'll come with time and depend on whether you train to get faster. Push yourself day in day out and it'll come. Don't expect a high average in London.

Today I was fortunate to have a short out of town commute which turned into a TT home and a chance to use my new MiCoach app! :twisted:



On the normal 17 mile commute I'll average around 15-18mph (rolling), depending on wind, traffic and motivation.

I'm now a little worried about biondino and a possible scalping!

Clever Pun

I've done a 20.3 mile commute sub one hour (rolling) twice, but that's mainly out of town and wind and traffic light assisted.

the rest of the week was a write off each time...

dcurzon

ah, moving avg v total avg...

mine are all total avg, clock doesnt stop when i do. Although the epping side of my journey has almost no stops for me to worry about and tends to be between 12-13.5mph avg, i guess the 10mph avg on the boris (aksherly, 10.5) isnt so bad considering the stops. but 3.5 miles e/w on the boris kills my legs!

cjcp

Moving speed is around 17 mph in dry conditions.

Gazzaputt

biondino wrote:

No-one averages 20mph in London, except perhaps the very fastest at 4am.

Hate to disappoint and although I don't hit central London no more my 9 mile training ride to and from work is an average 20.6mph everyday. Bexley to Charlton at about 7-8am. Fastest without carrying laptop and clothes was 23.7mph on race bike.

Plenty of times last summer I rode from Bexley to Moorgate and averaged over 20mph.

There are plenty I know that do average over 20mph riding into London but we don't participate in SCR.

dresbo

I'm really just using this thread to share this

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/88627 (doesn't like ie6).

This is my commute from work.

I thought I rolled at about 20 on the flats, but grade vs speed chart reckons it's more like 17. I think this is because I have to slow and accelerate a lot for the lights (which I stop for) which brings it down.

How cool is that site btw.

Clever Pun

dresbo wrote:

I'm really just using this thread to share this

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/88627 (doesn't like ie6).

This is my commute from work.

I thought I rolled at about 20 on the flats, but grade vs speed chart reckons it's more like 17. I think this is because I have to slow and accelerate a lot for the lights (which I stop for) which brings it down.

How cool is that site btw.

you live very close to me.... I head around the hills as the roads are clearer and faster (down long lane, through beckenham, catford, deptford then Jamaica road...

you should try it

asprilla

cjcp wrote:

Moving speed is around 17 mph in dry conditions.

Is that your average or your max?

Butterd2

My fast cruising speed is 22-23mph and I can sustain that for as long as the traffic lights allow (which normally isn't that long). Can't do this on a proper long ride btw, tend to cruise 18-20mph then.
My 7 mile journey into Aldgate is done in 25mins on a good day which gives me a total average of 16.8mph.
I max out at 27-28mph when SCRing on Jamaica Rd.

As previously commented though a lot is down to the bike, above numbers are on my CR-1, I have just converted my Pace into a 700c Fixed Gear with 46-18 (67GI) so I expect these figures to plummet (at least in the short term).

dcurzon

not a bad site that one... just uploaded one of mine to it:
http://ridewithgps.com/trips/88973

10.7mph moving avg on borisbike

dresbo

dcurzon wrote:

not a bad site that one... just uploaded one of mine to it:
http://ridewithgps.com/trips/88973

10.7mph moving avg on borisbike

What happened at the end - get lost?

cjcp

Asprilla wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Moving speed is around 17 mph in dry conditions.

Is that your average or your max?

You should see that chappy on the Cannondale. There's a rider for Sigma Sport I've seen now and again. He's absolutely motoring by my standards, but he's barely breaking sweat. You know, he can speak at traffic lights and stuff.

DonDaddyD

I actually no longer know.

I aim to ride my bike at 21mph on the way in and 17mph on the way home. However, this is helped by traffic lights and my ability to recover. I wouldn't be surprised if my average was something pathetic like 9mph, though a year ago I was getting 12-14mph.

If in the Country I'm slower because I have to pace myself far more than a ride through traffic light-pit stop London.

dcurzon

dresbo wrote:

dcurzon wrote:

not a bad site that one... just uploaded one of mine to it:
http://ridewithgps.com/trips/88973

10.7mph moving avg on borisbike

What happened at the end - get lost?

only one empty dock available, and that was cos it was faulty. Went back to previously spotted docking area.

homercles

I used to get a moving average (stopping for RLs etc) around 15-16mph commuting from Twickenham to London Bridge. Now I'm going from W9 to London Bridge on quieter, smaller roads, through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park averaging about 14-15mph. It's only about 60% of the distance of my old commute but feels noticeably slower.

In conclusion, long unencumbered stretches on fast roads will help an average speed hugely.

Total avg generally around 12mph as others have said, seems fair for London. Does anyone know if the average traffic speed (at peak times as for my commute) always referred to for London just means motorised vehicles, in which case we're probably still ahead of the game?

PS: these are fixie average speeds.

biondino

Gazzaputt wrote:

biondino wrote:

No-one averages 20mph in London, except perhaps the very fastest at 4am.

Hate to disappoint and although I don't hit central London no more my 9 mile training ride to and from work is an average 20.6mph everyday. Bexley to Charlton at about 7-8am. Fastest without carrying laptop and clothes was 23.7mph on race bike.

Plenty of times last summer I rode from Bexley to Moorgate and averaged over 20mph.

There are plenty I know that do average over 20mph riding into London but we don't participate in SCR.

Moving average or overall average? I don't doubt you can ride fast enough to average 20mph, but I do doubt that with any amount of obligatory stops (you do stop at red lights, right?) and traffic you'd be fast enough in the fast bits to make up for it. When there's no traffic, okay, sure. There is never no traffic on Fulham/Kings Roads, I can assure you of that.

Also, Bexley to Charlton is hardly London

freehub

I must just be a slow cyclist, because on my 3 mile commute to college that I used to do I probably averaged around 15mph, 13 if taking it steady and I always felt knackered trying to do anything faster, my best was probably 18mph or something, I don't have a speedo and I guess Manchester is alot more hilly even in the city than London tho. Or maybe my body is just not letting me push fast, in normal clothes I never seem to go fast.


Do you all commuter on nice racing bikes in yer lycra and have the privilege of a shower at work that allows you to all thrash yourselves?

gaz545

With over 100 traffic lights on my 16ish mile commute. I'm stop start stop start stop start. This means at some points it's a sprint from light to light meaning reaching speeds of over 30mph isn't unheard off.

But my total average speed is somewhere between 12-14mph and my moving speed is around 16-19mph

ketsbaia

Not sure what my bike computer measures, tbh, but I average about 17mph in to work and between 18 and 19mph on the way back. Assuming my computer's calibrated right, etc. High teens is probably about as accurate as I can be.

Stacks of lights on the way in mean even if I push it (like this morning), I can come a cropper - think I was 17.3mph this morning and I gave it some serious welly. I go a different route home with fewer lights, so that's how the average creeps up. I am going to nail 20mph on my way home soon, though.

asprilla

freehub wrote:

Do you all commuter on nice racing bikes in yer lycra and have the privilege of a shower at work that allows you to all thrash yourselves?

Yes. Well, I do anyway. I ask the question about facilities at contract interviews. No facilities to change and shower, and park my bike securely is a massive negative.

I aim for a minimum of 32kph when rolling, but on the way home in a headwind that's certainly not always possible (such as tonight when I blew up with two miles to go and nearly ground to a halt).

Radioactiveman

12 mile commute takes 35 -45 minutes depending on weather conditions/trafic lights and if I am on nights or not

Lovely how powerfull showers and locker room at work

thinbo

dcurzon wrote:

not a bad site that one... just uploaded one of mine to it:
http://ridewithgps.com/trips/88973

10.7mph moving avg on borisbike

how does 30 mph feel on a Boris bike? I can't imagine it to be the safest feeling in the world.