Am I fast enough?

jame58rown

Hi, first post here .

I'm thinking about joining a cycling club, however I don't no whether I would be able to keep up on group rides :oops: .

I know that speed on group rides differs alot depending on terrain etc, however i would like to know what the average speed is like on your own club runs.

I live in a very hilly area (Wales lol :roll:) and I can do a very hilly 18 mile route in 1 hour 10 - 15 mins. Since I've never cycled with anyone before I have no idea whether this is good or not :?.

Is this "OK" or should I do some more training .

Thanks in advance.

James

furrag

Average speed on club runs for the newbies tends to be around 14-16mph at my club. Why not contact your local cycling club and ask if you can tag along? Head out with the slower group to get your group riding and confidence up, and then you can progress onto the faster rides.

Robbie1958

My club rides are normally between 14 to 16 miles per hour as the previous poster said. You will find it eaiser to maintain those sorts of speeds in a group.

furrag

Yup; stick it in the group and save your efforts for the hills. Think of it as interval training. You'll also get to learn hand signals and group riding skills.

When you become strong enough or know the route, sit at the front of the group for periods. You'll be responsible for alerting others to danger, but as you're not drafting you'll be working harder and getting stronger so you can progress to a faster group.

ilm_zero7

jame58rown
James
you sound to have a decent level of fitness and may well find that cycling with a group is faster because the workload is shared - regardless, go and join up, or try them out, they wont bite - your speed will come on enormously cycling with others

sub55

jame58rown
were in wales are you?

Erudin

I'd say you are fit enough, I do a 20 mile ride at 14/16mph. I've done the last four Sundays with my local CTC group and I've learned a lot and improved already, and the routes/cafe stops were great. Found the pace hard on the longer ride I did (87 miles) as the others were able to keep over 15mph on a long hilly route, but the other rides (50-65 miles) were fine, about 13/14 mph.

Give the club/ride leader a phone to find out what sort of rides they do. On the rides I've been on some do just part of the ride or split off after reaching the destination. Take enough food and drink, and some cash if they do cafe stops.

jame58rown

wow, thanks for all the replies guys

I'm definately going to join a club now and just see how it goes, I cant wait to start some serious riding and try my hand at racing when I get fitter.

I live in South West Wales, my nearest cycling club is Aberystwyth (27 miles away )
I wish there was somewhere closer where I could ride with a group since its going to be difficult to find the time to cycle that distance as well as doing my a levels.

Thanks again

James

JohnCleland

jame58rown

Where abouts are you?

softlad

jame58rown wrote:

I live in South West Wales, my nearest cycling club is Aberystwyth (27 miles away

if you live in SW Wales, about 27 miles from Aberystwyth, that probably puts you somewhere near Cardigan - correct..?

starlet_gt

jame58rown wrote:

wow, thanks for all the replies guys

I'm definitely going to join a club now and just see how it goes, I cant wait to start some serious riding and try my hand at racing when I get fitter.

I live in South West Wales, my nearest cycling club is Aberystwyth (27 miles away )
I wish there was somewhere closer where I could ride with a group since its going to be difficult to find the time to cycle that distance as well as doing my a levels.

Thanks again

James

Cardigan way is it? I'm from Carmarthen lol.

jame58rown

I'm 24 miles from Cardigan.

I live in a little village called Llanwenog, near Lampeter. I cycle to Carmarthen all the time it usually takes me just less than an hour.

I take it you have the same problem regarding cycling clubs?

softlad

Your 'nearest' clubs are probably going to be Aberystwyth, Cardigan, Carmarthen or Llandovery, none of which are particularly near, unfortunately.

I've got a route that takes me through Horeb/Llandysul fairly regularly and I know your area reasonably well (and it is very hilly, even for round here) - the times you mentioned earlier should mean you would be pretty comfortable in a group...

anto164

pah, you sound like you should be in the baby group.. :P

But honestly, that speed sounds fine, but what about the distance? club rides tend to be a fair bit longer than just 18mi.

If you can do 40 mi averaging 16mph, then i rekon that you'd be fine in any club.

I personally normally average about 17-18mph on solo rides, went out with a few other guys, and we were taking it turns at the front, and we had averaged 19.8mph over the first 25 miles, which then dropped down to 18.6mph over the next 25 miles when we slowed down and started to chat a bit more:P (I was knackered at the end of that though).

Shows the difference with riding with others.

softlad

anto164 wrote:

I personally normally average about 17-18mph on solo rides,

do you live in the same area..?

starlet_gt

softlad wrote:

Your 'nearest' clubs are probably going to be Aberystwyth, Cardigan, Carmarthen or Llandovery, none of which are particularly near, unfortunately.

I've got a route that takes me through Horeb/Llandysul fairly regularly and I know your area reasonably well (and it is very hilly, even for round here) - the times you mentioned earlier should mean you would be pretty comfortable in a group...

Horeb is an absolute bugger, I hate going from nantgyredig to horeb, its just one loooooooong drag lol.

I'm a member of Bynea Cycling Club.

jame58rown

Softlad

I go through Horeb and llandysul all the time
I may have passed you actually, seeing as I've only ever seen 1 other cyclist doing that route. may sound stupid but do you own a cycling jacket made by BMC? Thats the only detail I can remember of the cyclist I passed lol

Anyway, I didn't know that there was a cycling club in Carmarthen? If there is it would be great because my parents go there all the time and would be willing to take me.

Thanks.

jame58rown

Starlet

didn't see your post.
which direction do you come from when you get to Horeb.
Your right, the hills there are stupidly steep especially if you dont have a compact :roll:

jame58rown

Starlet

We may be talking about a different Horeb lol.

I just looked on google maps and there are two horebs: One in Carmarthen and one near llandysul.

your talking about the one near Carmarthen.

Confusing eh? :roll:

softlad

nope - the BMC fella is not me. To be honest, it's rare to see another cyclist on those roads. I have gone out on my own up that way sometimes and literally not seen another rider in four hours. I know there are others, but the numbers up here are comparitively low...

Our club (Velo Teifi) sometimes goes up that way - but not often, as it's too flippin hard..

sub55

jame58rown wrote:

I'm 24 miles from Cardigan.

I live in a little village called Llanwenog, near Lampeter. I cycle to Carmarthen all the time it usually takes me just less than an hour.

I take it you have the same problem regarding cycling clubs?

i know where Llanwenog is about half way between lampeter and horeb.
am i right ?
if your averaging those sort of speeds around here , you probably have no problem with either the ystwyth or velo teifi. (cardigan)
llandovery is probably the same distance away as the other two. but more difficult to get too.
the club in carmarthen is a waste of time, full of old codgers. you may like to know for the last couple of years there were winter training sessions on the cycle track in carmarthen twice a week. these would be really good to bring you on.
there also used to be and possibly still is a club in lampeter, called sarn helen. it was really a sub division of the running club and were pretty mountain bike orientated . but i know some of the fellas still get out on their road bikes from time to time.
anyway , what ever you decide to do , feel free to pm me . i can put you in touch with other club members from any of the above. good luck with it.
oh, should have said , i live in felinfach about half way between lampeter and aberaeron.

.

jame58rown

Yeh, your right.
I'm glad to hear that the hills round here aren't pushovers as I was getting frustrated with myself at how slow I was going. :oops:

The drive to Cardigan is a little better than the one to Aberystwyth so I'll look into joining that one.

Do you guys have any info on how to join velo teifi? Since the website seems quite vague.... or am i missing something :?

I should really start a new thread..... but I've written all this now :roll:

Thanks again

softlad

jame58rown wrote:

Do you guys have any info on how to join velo teifi? Since the website seems quite vague.... or am i missing something :?

james - I'll send you a pm with the info...

anto164

softlad wrote:

anto164 wrote:

I personally normally average about 17-18mph on solo rides,

do you live in the same area..?

No, i was just saying what i experienced from riding in a group to riding on my own.

I don't see how what i said would matter on where you ride. Just said that when i was riding with others, i rode quicker.

starlet_gt

jame58rown wrote:

Starlet

didn't see your post.
which direction do you come from when you get to Horeb.
Your right, the hills there are stupidly steep especially if you dont have a compact :roll:

My horeb is at the top of the hill coming out of Brechfa, so I guess we are talking about a different Horeb, theres also a Horeb near llanelli aswell lol!