Average Club Run Speeds

Brushiemma10w

47 year-old born-again cyclist back from a 15 year break. Am 5ft 10" & 95kgs (yes, theres a lot to shift :oops: ). Bought a Trek Cobia MTB to do some offroad with a couple of mates, but have enjoyed the road side more, so have been out a couple of times on the Cobia during lunch hour and done just under 12 miles in a little under 48 minutes at an average speed of 14.9mph around the undulating roads of Ipswich (mostly flat).
Because of my enjoyment of roads I should pick up an Allez Comp by the weekend and was wondering what sort of difference I could expect between the two bikes speed/timewise?
Although my sons sporting committments take up most of my time from September-end of April, during the remaining months I'm considering maybe the odd club run but don't want to be the fat "all the gear, no idea" chap at the back. Obviously the speed of club runs will vary from club to club, but what is a typical club run road speed?
Sorry for the long-winded post from a happy newbie and I'm sure this has been asked before, but I can't find anything even using the search function

SBezza

Depends on the club to be honest, the club I am in has club runs from 10 mph average up to 20 mph average. Some clubs may only have 1 run however.

Just ask the clubs local to you, and see if you can find one that suits your need.

aidso

Our club has three groups that go out on a Sunday morning and the slowest group does an AVG of about 16mph. They go out for about 2-3 hours and have a coffee break in the middle. While that speed might seem "fast" in the beginning, remember when you are by yourself you are taking the brunt of the elements (wind and rain etc) but in a pack you can work together and tuck in behind people - so in effect you get sucked along by the other people (ooh err).

Bar Shaker

4 levels in my club, although the upper and lower 2 sometimes don't get many entrants.

13/15/17/19mph averages are about right but distances also increase. Level 2and 3 are 35 miles with a coffee break, level 3 is 50 miles and not much more than 30seconds every now and then for re-grouping. The Elite squad to 70-80 miles but I am not up to their standard (by a long way).

As above, riding in a pelleton makes 1-2mph difference to your average.

Start in a low level group and work up until you find your limit. You should be pushed, but not to the point of holding everyone up. If you are always the last to arrive at a re-group, you are in the wrong grouping.

kieranb

oh, and don't worry if the club if of a decent size you won't be the only overweight bloke on a nice shiny bike.

kayakerchris

this does vary a lot. Our local club said that I wasn't good enough (ave 15.5/100miles) to join them on a Sunday run.
The local CTC group were very happy to see me, had enough fast guys to do hill sprints, etc with and never leave people behind. I would recommend contacting your local group.

carl_p

If you can ride for around 50 miles at 16-17 mph ish then you'll be fine.

Don't worry about being at being at the back of group, or even falling off the back from time to time. Just be prepared to work hard to get back on.

JackPozzi

kayakerchris wrote:

this does vary a lot. Our local club said that I wasn't good enough (ave 15.5/100miles) to join them on a Sunday run.
The local CTC group were very happy to see me, had enough fast guys to do hill sprints, etc with and never leave people behind. I would recommend contacting your local group.

:shock: Is your local club Team Sky?

nakita222

Well, it varies. It depends on the club, the length of the route and the amount of climbing. I can do one of my 60 mile routes, faster than one of my 35 mile routes, reason why, the amount of climbing. When I ride with my club, the average speed varies depending on the amount of climbing within the route, and the length. Plus certain clubs will have more of an emphasis on racing and won't cater for the road beginner. Just look online at clubs in your area. Assess the info given to you, see it you can find the route gpx file online, and look at the length and amount of climbing. If the proposed av speed is 16mph, but the route is long, or has alot of lcimbing, you may find youself not being able to hang-on and if you don't know where you ar, in a whole load of toruble

Smokin Joe

The average speed of a clubrun is 1mph less than they claim, bearing in mind that 16.1mph will be rounded up to 17 for accounting purposes.

And over the course of a year the "average" will be taken as the fastest one they did in the middle of the racing season on a warm windless day. Not that cyclists are liars and prone to exaggeration, of course.

robdaykin

I watched a documentary a while back, where a guy was trying to get into the RAF trans america challenge team. He was struggling with speed, and there was a classic moment where one of the RAF team support guys was moaning that even an average club rider can keep up a 25mph average... Perhaps he was confusing motor and push bikes.

Conversely it turned out on the one occasion I rode with a club that 60 miles in 5 hours translated to 30 miles in 2 hours, one hour in a cafe, and 30 miles back in 2 hours... So the average speed expected may include a significant (and in my case distinctly unwanted) break in the middle.

As for differences between bikes, my hybrid (700x37C, 30lbs, MB gearing) averges 4mph less on the road then my audax (700x23c, 21lbs, triple) over any length of run, and road gradient, so when you get the Allez it may well be a few mph quicker.

Rob

millymoose

Carl_P wrote:

If you can ride for around 50 miles at 16-17 mph ish then you'll be fine.

.

Really?

millymoose

aidso wrote:

Our club has three groups that go out on a Sunday morning and the slowest group does an AVG of about 16mph.

.

Again - Really?

millymoose

I must be in the wrong club judging by averages quoted!

danowat

You've got to bear in mind that there is a whole lot of bullshit around when people quote avg speeds.

Some of the speeds people talk about wouldn't be out of place in the top 5 times at open TT events.

carl_p

millymoose wrote:

Carl_P wrote:

If you can ride for around 50 miles at 16-17 mph ish then you'll be fine.

.

Really?

What's your point? Below is the summary of my last club ride at the end of October. Haven't been out since because of injury, but hoping to make a comeback this Sunday

Summary
Overall
Time: 02:43:18
Distance: 45.42 mi
Elevation Gain: 3,911 ft
Calories: 3,045 C

Timing
Time: 02:43:18
Moving Time: 02:37:59
Elapsed Time: 03:50:29
Avg Speed: 16.7 mph
Avg Moving Speed: 17.3 mph
Max Speed: 28.8 mph
Avg Pace: 03:35 min/mi
Avg Moving Pace: 03:28 min/mi
Best Pace: 02:04 min/mi

SpeedPaceElevation
Elevation Gain: 3,911 ft
Elevation Loss: 3,920 ft
Min Elevation: -15 ft
Max Elevation: 298 ft

Garz

Max speed 28.8, ahh I noticed the Norwich whilst typing the reply. Not too many hills round there!

millymoose

Carl_P wrote:

millymoose wrote:

Carl_P wrote:

If you can ride for around 50 miles at 16-17 mph ish then you'll be fine.

.

Really?

What's your point? Below is the summary of my last club ride at the end of October. Haven't been out since because of injury, but hoping to make a comeback this Sunday

t

My point is that there is a load of bullshit on these type of threads that put people off.

If you look at our club runs www.redhillcc.co.uk and the kind os speeds we do then we must be really slow.

I suspect not given some of the TT records etc we have!

Garz

I think people tend to exaggerate milly. As Smokin Joe mentioned people will manipulate the stats to suit their story. The only way to find out if their quoted average speed is accurate is to show up and try out your measly 15mph av and see if they really leave you for dust.

8)

danowat

You've also got to ask if people take into account stops in their avg speeds, if they don't, then a 50miler in 2.5hrs becomes much less impressive if you've got a 30min cafe stop that isn't taken into account, elapsed time vs moving time.

Personally, 15mph will be fine for a novice club run.

carl_p

Garz wrote:

Max speed 28.8, ahh I noticed the Norwich whilst typing the reply. Not too many hills round there!

28.8 was on a descent on that particular run as I recall

My first post was directed at the OP who cycles near Ipswich so similar to myself, hence I was passing on similar info gave to me before I joined my club.

And yes that particular run did have a cafe stop of at least 30 mins and I also punctured so got an additional rest as well

mattsaw

Garz wrote:

I think people tend to exaggerate milly. As Smokin Joe mentioned people will manipulate the stats to suit their story. The only way to find out if their quoted average speed is accurate is to show up and try out your measly 15mph av and see if they really leave you for dust.

8)

I'm not even sure it's just down to that.

A 3 hour run on flat open roads with little traffic is going to average far more than a run from central London out into the Surrey hills. I just don't think they're comparable.

If you're worried about keeping up, find a local club large enough to have several ability groups and then choose the slowest - you'll be fine.

Pross

Like the OP I returned after a long break and was shocked that club runs had gone from about 60 miles at 15mph average with a cafe stop to nearly 18mph with no stop.
Most routes have between 3000 and 4000 feet of climbing and the waiting for me at the top of each one brings the average down! The last run I went on was 61 miles and I averaged over 17mph despite getting dropped with 2 others around half way. First group back had a moving average of just over 20mph! We do have another group who still do a slower ride with a stop but I'd. Rather push myself and get a pasting as I try to get some fitness back.

spokegeezer

millymoose wrote:

Carl_P wrote:

millymoose wrote:

Carl_P wrote:

If you can ride for around 50 miles at 16-17 mph ish then you'll be fine.

.

Really?

What's your point? Below is the summary of my last club ride at the end of October. Haven't been out since because of injury, but hoping to make a comeback this Sunday

t

My point is that there is a load of bullshit on these type of threads that put people off.

If you look at our club runs www.redhillcc.co.uk and the kind os speeds we do then we must be really slow.

I suspect not given some of the TT records etc we have!

Quoted speeds here are very realistic IMHO.

dgstewart

Definitely look on club websites and/or contact them to ask. You should be able to gauge by the type of information given as to whether they are friendly and also whether they cater for a rnage of abilities or are race focused.

My local Sunday run generally averages as low as 16 - 17 mph at the lowest in winter to 18 - 20 mph in summer. Last 3 weeks have been between 18.0 and 19.2 mph, over 50 miles, some slight hills but not that much (about 2000 ft ascent).

mattshrops

my club run is pretty much around the 16mph. im the new boy and the one getting dropped. no one complains and they all wait for me- yeah i feel bad about it but im doing my best. Any way the point is your speed should be ok, and if you get dropped any good club will wait for you without complaint. obviously if you only turn up every now and again so give the impression that youre not doing all you can to improve then maybe their patience wont last forever

Brushiemma10w

Many thanks gents for the comments/suggestions. My original post was made just after completing my ride today and in my rabid enthusiasm, I forgot to mention that my route includes about three quarters having of a mile offroad and also includes crossing a couple of busy roads. Having only done the route twice, I was chuffed to shave 3+ minutes off my first run, but think that is largely down to better riding conditions and my becoming more familiar with the bike.
I'll see how I go with the Allez before deciding what to do. Am just kicking myself for having left cycling for so long.

Brommers76

If you can average 15mph on your own then what with the benefit of drafting you shouldn't be afraid of 18mph averages for a club ride with no mountains in it. You may not be able to spend too much time on the front.

I can ride in the group ride with a few hills with an average speed of 18mph over 50miles with a HR Average less than 130bpm. On my own the same ride would be reasonably challenging and I would be 150bpm average.

jibberjim

I (and other KW's) put all our rides up on Strava:

http://app.strava.com/athletes/8308

If you look around at various sundays you'll see the different routes and speeds that are maintained by our club runs, there are people recording from fastest to slowest, you'll also likely be able to see what the individuals can do solo if they make it obvious to compare.

Generally in the surrey hills, with ~4 hills and some flat riding south of them our fastest group averages 30kph at best, the more hills, the slower the average.

Just go along to your club and ride with them - tell them you don't mind making your own way home if you're just too slow - but you won't be.

hammerite

In winter our club runs average about 15-16mph (moving average), sometimes a tad slower in depending on conditions. Over winter they can be anything between 2.5-4hrs without a stop (apart from re-grouping at climbs).

In summer the moving average isn't much quicker, if we have good conditions the average may go up a touch. It can also depend on who turns up as to what the average we end up riding. In summer we tend to go out for longer rides, but will also include a cafe stop.

Gazzaputt

Agree with a post here earlier. Take average speed with a large pinch of salt.

Honestly as long as the club has split levels you'll be fine.