Just upped my average for 20 miles

ineedalager

I set out today to see if I could beat my average for a 20 mile time I set in October 2011 when I first got my spesh It was a flat ride 5 miles over to a stretch of duel carriageway and a 3 mile loop up and down the carriageway. I did 20 miles in 3M and 59 seconds then so that was my target. I'm 1 and a half stone lighter than last Oct and I know I'm going faster than I was then.

Last time I noticed my average was only 17. something on getting to the duel carriageway today it was better 19 mph. So I went 4 times up and down the carriageway until I had 17 miles on then rode home which would make 23.25 total distance. I've never noted my 10 mile time before but it was 29 minutes exactly avg around 20.8mph which is not that fast as that would put me in the slower times on my clubs 10 TT looking at last years results. I must have got faster for the next 10 as 20 miles came up in 56 mins 40 seconds 21.1mph avg. I'm over the moon with that.

I slowed slightly once the 20 miles was done and the ride home seemed to bit into the wind which slowed me also. I brought it home with my avg dropping slightly to 20.5mph for the 23.25 ride in 1 hour 7 mins something. What was important was the 20 mile avg for 21.1mph woohoo!

Now I get all the average speeds are pointless if your not racing posts! I am racing, against that fat slow B*****d I used to be when I first started cycling! As soon as you put a computer on your bike and start looking at times and distances your going to try and beat them it's just human nature to try and better yourself if you can! :P

Peddle Up!

Well done. It's a nice feeling, after all the only one you have to beat is yourself

ineedalager

Thanks I'm going for another milestone Saturday I going to be riding 75 miles with some fellow club guys. Farthest I've done so far is 60. I read an interesting post about bike fit on here and went to a site and entered all my measurements looked at the results and went and changed a few things for long comfortable ride hopefully! Nothing drastic I just had to move my saddle down and forward a bit.

jibberjim

Average speeds really aren't pointless - they are if that's all you chase, and you pick routes to celebrate how fast you are, and you manipulate how you ride to maximise average speed. But having the same route you do as a test to track performance and progress is really, really good. Obviously the weather can make big differences, but getting to know how the weather changes things can still help you use it as progress.

I have a power meter and couldn't care less about average speed for most of my riding, but I still test myself often on routes where I care about how quickly I finish.

anto164

jibberjim wrote:

Average speeds really aren't pointless - they are if that's all you chase, and you pick routes to celebrate how fast you are, and you manipulate how you ride to maximise average speed. But having the same route you do as a test to track performance and progress is really, really good. Obviously the weather can make big differences, but getting to know how the weather changes things can still help you use it as progress.

Have to agree with this point.

I've got myself a 35mi circuit with 1500ft of climbing in it. Last year i was happy with blasting a solo ride with an ave of 17mph. Went out on monday and i'm up to 19.3. It's great the feeling the realisation of progress.

Still get destroyed up the hills by others though..

ineedalager

Thanks Guys I try and work at as much as I can. My weak point was climbing so I 'I have done a lot of work improving that. I'm getting better at it I tackle every hill I can find in my area. I'm never going to be an Andy Schleck but I get up them. It's a shame I don't live in Wales where then have some bigger hills to take on. Maybe I'll drive over there and tackle something bigger than Birdlip mind you that was pretty tough! :oops:

andy46

I was pretty happy with myself last night for upping my average to 15.8 mph on a regular route of mine, seems like I've got a long way to go to get near some of you guys. :oops:

Matt the Tester

im sure your closer then they let on

@anto - i get killed in the hills by some of my follow riders, we're equal in almost everything else just not hills! hills are a different story, just gotta go up at your own pace.

ShutUpLegs

ineedalager wrote:

It was a flatish ride 5 miles over to a stretch of duel carriageway and a 3 mile loop up and down the carriageway.

something on getting to the duel carriageway today it was better 19mph. So I went 4 times up and down the carraigeway until I had 17 miles on then rode home which would make 23.25 total distance.

Well done, sounds like the dullest ride ever though.

ineedalager

[quote}. Well done, sounds like the dullest ride ever though.[/quote]

PricK!

racingcondor

Nicely done.

Average speeds posted on the internet are only useless if you're comparing yours with someone you don't know (how hilly was their ride?). Sounds like you have a good route to measure your improvement against yourself on which is totally different.

ineedalager

Thanks this one was a flat route I've only done it twice a couple of small inclines on the 5 mile journey to the duel carriageway.

I upped my 20 mile average for my hilly route from 17.2mph last Oct to 17.7mph then 18 mph and last week 18.7mph avg I put it into Bikehike and there is 968ft of climbing one 17% 0.8 mile 600ft hill another 1 mile 300ft hill and a steeper short hill of course I have to go down the other side so 3 nice decents a lot, I do that route a lot because the two main climbs give me a good workout and I can work at my climbing on them,

I haven't found a way of putting a bikehike KML file on here and I don't have a smart phone or a Gamin so I can't use Strava. The profile looks pretty imposing on bikehike. I did a bikehike profile of Birdlip hill in Glous 2 miles long 16% I rode over to there and back 51 miles and did the scenic route hill that did look good with a 954ft climb in the middle down to 200ft and then straight back up again.

ForumNewbie

ineedalager wrote:

[quote}. Well done, sounds like the dullest ride ever though.

Thanks duel carriageways never going to be a scenic ride but I found I get my fastest speeds on them I hit 34mph on there before flat out maybe because thay aint full on pot holes because they get resurfaced more often and there long and straight! if you call hitting 26 mph for periods dull. I did that route because it was the same as last Oct. I'm pretty pleased with my 20 mile 21.1mph avg never felt dull to me!

On the dual carriageway which I assume had fast traffic passing you all the time, you would definately get a bit of help from the drag as cars and lorries pass - that is another reason you would have faster average speeds on there than other quieter roads.

ineedalager

I've never felt any draft effect or pull from a car on any duel carriageway! They would have to pass so close to you they would probably knock you off the bike for you to get a tow from them! All you seem to get is buffeting from them when they pass too close at speed.

Lorries yeah only if they pass without moving fully to the outer lane then you get a draft from them, shame is it's only short lived as they as going to fast for it to last very long.

It a simple fact duel carriageways are always flatter smoother longer and straighter than our old road systems which was designed for horse and carts mostly!

Pseudonym

you're heading down a blind alley with this one, fella. Do yourself a favour - forget about achieving 'fake' averages like this one if it means riding up and down dual carriageways ad nauseam, side by side with high-speed HGV traffic. It's not the way to enjoy your riding...or to stay safe. Bit like trying to achieve terminal velocity on a parachute jump - you will end up forgetting to pull the cord...

team47b

Well done! Good positive post.

Whatever it takes to make you feel better about your achievements is right, keep at it. I'm sure that if you were not enjoying what you were doing you would stop.

...and don't listen to negative people, there are the ones with the problems, no matter how hard they try to tell you you are doing it all wrong, and they will try!

Pseudonym

If you're referring to my earlier post as being 'negative' - then you're absolutely correct. If my post makes the OP think twice about riding DCs simply to achieve some arbitary average speed, then it will have been worthwhile. There is so more to life than that...

Bobbinogs

If there is one type of road that scares the crap out of me then it is dual carriageways, although duel carriageways [sic] is probably more appropriate. Cars whizz past at 80-90mph often squeezing by in the same lane...and even if they don't, then leaving a few feet clearance at that speed is still enough to give anyone the colleywobbles.

You live in a great part of the world for fantastic routes with lots of variation (why not spin up the Slad Vally or perhaps Selsey Hill (both out of Stroud)) and then go across country to Tetbury, etc. All very lovely and you can just ignore your average speed because you are doing proper rides, that's the law.

If you want some decent routes with nice lumps then just PM me with your actual home town and I will see if I can dig something out from previous experience. Failing that, why not try the Cotswold Audax in June, it has a few length options with lovely routes and it is about as good an audax as you can get (for a small cost which includes a big nosh at the end and even a free waterbottle).

RoadMeridaBen

2nd thread you have made about average speeds, why are you so obsessed by them?
Averaging 21 on a D/C isnt exactly anything to brag about anyway, if you want some times on a D/C
do some TT's, atleast you'l be in company.

ineedalager

I went 73 miles today for the first time felt good, bloody cold today though. I'm well pleased as I've done 60 a couple of times solo. This was with a group of about 10 guys. Fairly good pace pointless 16.9mph average I did a few adjustments to my bike after checking out a bike fit web site. Following what I saw there I put my saddle forward a bit and dropped it down an 1" It seems to have paid off because I didn't get saddle sore like I normally do on longer rides.

As far a DC.s being dangerous your more likely to get knocked off your bike in a town!

I only tried this 20 mile flat route twice in 6 months most of my time I spend riding up pointless hills try to get up them quicker but that's pointless also because I have to look at the computer to see if I went quicker than before!
Funny thing is all that pointless riding up hills which I must be obsessed with also cause I do a lot of them puts me at the front of the group when we come to the hills

21.1mph avg for 20 miles may not be fast to you but most of the guys I ride with it's fast to them and know they're not all slow. Fast for an old beginner unless your have something positive to say butt out! You must be a pro rider I'm surprised you have the time to lurk on MB's hating up the place!

ineedalager

team47b wrote:

Well done! Good positive post.

Whatever it takes to make you feel better about your achievements is right, keep at it. I'm sure that if you were not enjoying what you were doing you would stop.

...and don't listen to negative people, there are the ones with the problems, no matter how hard they try to tell you you are doing it all wrong, and they will try!

Thanks I had the same two haters in my other thread. I'm pleased with my 73 miles today I wanna keep pushing the distances up to get to all these farther away places and ride the hills.

Pseudonym

I'm disappointed you think I'm a 'hater' just because I suggested to you that riding needlessly on DCs just to pursue some meaningless goal of 20mph av might be a little dangerous for your own safety in the long term. Anyway, you're obviously invincible, so carry on.

team47b

I'm impressed by your 73 mile pootle!

ShutUpLegs

Pseudonym wrote:

I'm disappointed you think I'm a 'hater' just because I suggested to you that riding needlessly on DCs just to pursue some meaningless goal of 20mph av might be a little dangerous for your own safety in the long term. Anyway, you're obviously invincible, so carry on.

Not sure why the OP is overly defensive :roll:

LOCKER

RoadMeridaBen wrote:

2nd thread you have made about average speeds, why are you so obsessed by them?
Averaging 21 on a D/C isnt exactly anything to brag about anyway, if you want some times on a D/C
do some TT's, atleast you'l be in company.

Bang on the money, perfectly put.

RoadMeridaBen

ineedalager wrote:

I went 73 miles today for the first time felt good, bloody cold today though. I'm well pleased as I've done 60 a couple of times solo. This was with a group of about 10 guys. Fairly good pace pointless 16.9mph average I did a few adjustments to my bike after checking out a bike fit web site. Following what I saw there I put my saddle forward a bit and dropped it down an 1" It seems to have paid off because I didn't get saddle sore like I normally do on longer rides.

As far a DC.s being damgerous your more likely to get knocked off your bike in a town!

I only tried this 20 mile flat route twice in 6 months most of my time I spend riding up pointless hills try to get up them quicker but that's pointless aswell beacuse I have to look at the computer to see if I went quicker than before!
Funny thing is all that pointless riding up hills which I must be obsessed with aswell cause I do a lot of them puts me at the front of the group when we come to the hills

21.1mph avg for 20 miles may not be fast to you but most of the guys I ride with it's fast to them and know they're not all slow. Fast for an old beginner unless your have something positive to say butt out! You must be a pro rider I'm surprised you have the time to lurk on MB's hateing up the place!
Hey I get out and ride hilly scenic routes and I'll be doing more and more of them the more my stamina improves and my distance go up. Stroud is on my list of places to ride over to. I went to Birlip to take on the 2 mile hill this week but 51 mile round trip was in the edge of my endurance.

I don't wanner pay money to ride Sportives Audaxs just ride solo or with my mates for free!

Just looks to me as if you are fishing for compliments, as most people on this section are about the 15 mph mark (just a rough guess) your just wanting people to praise you for the speeds you are doing.

ineedalager

That's funny that same haters all the time!

Riding on DC's is dangerous what a crock of sh1t riding on any road is dangerous riding in town I think you will find is much more dangerous especially for cyclists

Post up more garbage you can't help your selves the sad thing is you don't think your being offensive!

Thanks god for the ignore list!

Now where's the section for a beginner who have improved a bit.

Better cancel all the TT's because average speeds are pointless! Your racing on your own but your with others!

RoadMeridaBen

Lol calm down, obviously didnt get the praise you were hoping for :P

slowondefy2

Isn't this the kind of thing that girlfriends/other-halves should have to listen to, so everyone else is spared? ;-)

After all my enthusiastic ranting, my girlfriend thinks I'm king of the mountain out there :-)

nathancom

slowondefy2 wrote:

Isn't this the kind of thing that girlfriends/other-halves should have to listen to, so everyone else is spared? ;-)

After all my enthusiastic ranting, my girlfriend thinks I'm king of the mountain out there :-)

Haha, I think I will wake up one day and find myself sleeping next to the handlebars of my bike. She must get so bored listening about cycling...

Anyway well done on your average speed. Off to make the most of the last day of sun.

ineedalager

My posts about what avg I've achieved are not here as a boost. I'm achieving things I thought were impossible for someone as old and unfit as I was.I still consider myself to b a beginner to road cycling only started in Oct 2011. But I had over 3 years on a MTB & Boardman Hybrid. I thought all road bikers were cycling around at 25mph didn't think I was riding fast enough to get a road bike. Turns out I was doing 17mph avg on my hybrid before I switched to the road bike so bit of a head start really.

My posts are meant as encouragement to other newbs you don't have to be a 20 something and a superfit athlete it just takes time riding your bike to go quicker on it tackle those hills there still hard work. Even when I was MTBing I tackled a couple of steep road hills on like I way to the Ridgeway or I didn't feel like I've done anything.

So what do I do if I go quicker not tell anyone incase I'm going to fast and i might offend someone! I going to go on try to improve my fitness and most of all my endurance and maybe I might throw a rack on my Hybrid and go touring. I want to do a 100 miles I want to ride to the nearest coast resort and back 140 miles I want to take on bigger climbs so loads to do!

The hater are all in my foe's list so I don't even have to see their negative crap!