Highest Average for a 50+ mile ride

2

Comments

  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    Indeed it does. Wattage is the best quantifier, but not available to everyone.
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • danowat
    danowat Posts: 2,877
    jane90 wrote:
    Hi all, a newbie question if you don't mind (from a cycling newbie) - how meaningful is a comparison of average speeds?

    It isn't, it's pure willy-waving, especially when people are quoting average speeds that don't take into account stops :roll:
  • marcusjb
    marcusjb Posts: 2,412
    jane90 wrote:
    Hi all, a newbie question if you don't mind (from a cycling newbie) - how meaningful is a comparison of average speeds? I went out today at lunchtime for a short 15 mile ride and was struggling to reach a top speed in cold, blustery conditions not much more than my average speed a couple of days ago on a 30 mile ride when it was about 10 degrees warmer and windless. How much of that was due to me being a bit rubbish today and how much the conditions? If the latter, doesn't that make this sort of comparison a bit arbitrary?

    It's not meaningful - unless you ride the same routes a lot of times - certainly day-to-day improvements/set backs are irrelevant(as has been said by myself and others already).

    But detecting trends can make average speeds a useful metric.
    marcusjb wrote:
    Speed's a pretty rubbish measure of anything really - even as a measure against yourself - unless you ride the same course a LOT of times, the individual factors (wind, weather, traffic, tyre pressure etc. etc.) on any given day are too numerous to give really useful metrics.

    On a route you ride a lot, you can start to detect trends as a measure of improvement - but just taking one off faster performances as a sign of improvement is not the right thing to do. Equally, worrying about one slower performance is daft because some days the wind is against you, you don't feel 100% whatever.
    Stuff about riding a bike a long way
  • southdownswolf
    southdownswolf Posts: 1,525
    Comparisons day to day are meaningless. Best thing to do is to look at your average times over the course of a few months at least. If you have a 10 -15 mile course that you like to do, check your times every now and again. But take into account that wind can make a huge difference.
    http://www.stuartmole.co.uk/
  • upperoilcan
    upperoilcan Posts: 1,180
    pturcot wrote:
    I don't think trying to compare avg with others can give you a ballpark figure on how much to aim for. Personaly my good avg for a 50+ would be 28 mph with a reasonnably moderate to calm windy day. I actually got this avg in a Grand Fondo cyclosport event (not a race just a timed event) on a 70+ ride.

    Pierre

    Is that you Brad ?

    If so let me be the first to congratulate you on taking the sports personality of the year.

    I voted for you.
    Cervelo S5 Ultegra Di2.
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    danowat wrote:
    Il Principe wrote:
    :roll: turn off auto-pause for a TRUE average speed.

    Easy tiger, I did clearly state 'moving average' After all, what's the sodding point of riding if you don't stop for cake?
  • danowat
    danowat Posts: 2,877
    Il Principe wrote:
    danowat wrote:
    Il Principe wrote:
    :roll: turn off auto-pause for a TRUE average speed.

    Easy tiger, I did clearly state 'moving average' After all, what's the sodding point of riding if you don't stop for cake?

    I never stop on rides, but that's because all my riding is training for racing and not social,but moving average is extremely misleading 'tiger'.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    danowat wrote:
    jane90 wrote:
    Hi all, a newbie question if you don't mind (from a cycling newbie) - how meaningful is a comparison of average speeds?

    It isn't, it's pure willy-waving, especially when people are quoting average speeds that don't take into account stops :roll:
    Well - I don't think it's completely meaningless ... Powermeters are not yet at a price where they're available to everyone, but the vast majority of us know roughly what speed we can realistically achieve - even if some ppl do have a tendency to exaggerate when it comes to forums (btw I cruise all day at 22mph whilst tapping out emails on my tablet and talking on the phone ... yes - complete bullsh1t ... ;) )

    Group rides are often advertised with an average speed guide - and this is done to give guidance as to what sort of pace to expect. Downhills are going to be faster and uphills much slower - but mostly it tends to average out quite well.

    Putting an exact number on it is meaningless - it's no good saying "I average 17.4mph over 50 miles" ... because it's simply a calculation and you'd probably not hit that speed next time you rode it - unless you're really anal and try and stick to it come hell or high water! So a "I ride at 16-18mph" would be more sensible - and this is how many group rides are advertised.

    Personally, I have good and bad days - good days I can be 4-5mph faster than my bad days ... but then good days usually have a good tailwind whilst bad days are headwind all the way! ;)
  • marcusjb
    marcusjb Posts: 2,412
    Il Principe wrote:
    danowat wrote:
    Il Principe wrote:
    :roll: turn off auto-pause for a TRUE average speed.

    Easy tiger, I did clearly state 'moving average' After all, what's the sodding point of riding if you don't stop for cake?

    Yep, to be fair he did danowat (and I am in no way trying to put down the performance as my quickest 100 miles is somewhere just north of 7 hours). I just wanted to make the comment on moving average vs elapsed average (and what a difference even just half an hour stopped makes) but, 100%, no cake = no point in riding at all!
    Stuff about riding a bike a long way
  • danowat
    danowat Posts: 2,877
    Nope, it IS meaningless, unless you are all riding in the same conditions and on the same terrain.
  • danowat
    danowat Posts: 2,877
    marcusjb wrote:
    Il Principe wrote:
    danowat wrote:
    Il Principe wrote:
    :roll: turn off auto-pause for a TRUE average speed.

    Easy tiger, I did clearly state 'moving average' After all, what's the sodding point of riding if you don't stop for cake?

    Yep, to be fair he did danowat (and I am in no way trying to put down the performance as my quickest 100 miles is somewhere just north of 7 hours). I just wanted to make the comment on moving average vs elapsed average (and what a difference even just half an hour stopped makes) but, 100%, no cake = no point in riding at all!

    My quickest 100 is 24mph average overall speed, I've ridden 250 miles in 12 hr's, getting on for 21mph average overall speed, good hey?
  • marcusjb
    marcusjb Posts: 2,412
    danowat wrote:
    My quickest 100 is 24mph average overall speed, I've ridden 250 miles in 12 hr's, getting on for 21mph average overall speed, good hey?

    Yebbut, what was your average moving speed? :wink:
    Stuff about riding a bike a long way
  • danowat
    danowat Posts: 2,877
    marcusjb wrote:
    danowat wrote:
    My quickest 100 is 24mph average overall speed, I've ridden 250 miles in 12 hr's, getting on for 21mph average overall speed, good hey?

    Yebbut, what was your average moving speed? :wink:

    http://app.strava.com/activities/16885865

    My point is context, both rides would have been more impressive if I wasn't racing, and on an old clunker in flappy kit :wink:
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    danowat wrote:
    marcusjb wrote:
    danowat wrote:
    My quickest 100 is 24mph average overall speed, I've ridden 250 miles in 12 hr's, getting on for 21mph average overall speed, good hey?

    Yebbut, what was your average moving speed? :wink:

    http://app.strava.com/activities/16885865

    My point is context, both rides would have been more impressive if I wasn't racing, and on an old clunker in flappy kit :wink:

    That's quite flat. Come ride the Welsh 12 this year ;)
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • danowat
    danowat Posts: 2,877
    Grill wrote:
    danowat wrote:
    marcusjb wrote:
    danowat wrote:
    My quickest 100 is 24mph average overall speed, I've ridden 250 miles in 12 hr's, getting on for 21mph average overall speed, good hey?

    Yebbut, what was your average moving speed? :wink:

    http://app.strava.com/activities/16885865

    My point is context, both rides would have been more impressive if I wasn't racing, and on an old clunker in flappy kit :wink:

    That's quite flat. Come ride the Welsh 12 this year ;)

    Nah, you're alright, I'll leave the hills to the sheep :lol:
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    danowat wrote:
    Nope, it IS meaningless, unless you are all riding in the same conditions and on the same terrain.
    Nope - it isn't meaningless ... so long as you're starting and ending at the same altitude.

    Do you think Power is a better indicator? Well - the power required is also going to depend on wind/weather/weight/gradient - exactly the same problems you get with average speed.

    The meaningless bit of it is reporting it to any degree of accuracy.
  • Bozman
    Bozman Posts: 2,518
    Slowbike wrote:
    danowat wrote:
    Nope, it IS meaningless, unless you are all riding in the same conditions and on the same terrain.
    Nope - it isn't meaningless ... so long as you're starting and ending at the same altitude.

    Do you think Power is a better indicator? Well - the power required is also going to depend on wind/weather/weight/gradient - exactly the same problems you get with average speed.

    The meaningless bit of it is reporting it to any degree of accuracy.

    So you're saying that a gradual climb would be the same as lots of short sharp climbs?
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Slowbike wrote:
    danowat wrote:
    Nope, it IS meaningless, unless you are all riding in the same conditions and on the same terrain.
    Nope - it isn't meaningless ... so long as you're starting and ending at the same altitude.

    Hold on - first things first. Inevitably (assuming you ride from/to the same location) you will finish at the same altitude, regardless of where you go. So you're saying it's ok to compare the average speed of a hilly 50 to a flat 50 ??
  • bernithebiker
    bernithebiker Posts: 4,148
    How about my new Fitness Factor?

    FF = (Average Speed on flat over 5km x Age/10 ) / (Heart Rate/100)

    So, if you can do 40km/h, you're 40, with an HR of 150, your FF is 106.6

    If you can do 35km/h, you're 30, with an HR of 160, your FF is 65.6
  • pride4ever
    pride4ever Posts: 510
    Man this thread is dull.
    the deeper the section the deeper the pleasure.
  • anto164
    anto164 Posts: 3,500
    Last year i was quick-ish.

    http://app.strava.com/activities/12128770
    http://app.strava.com/activities/9653918

    But now i'm all slow and unfit...

    http://app.strava.com/activities/41566478
    http://app.strava.com/activities/41094600
  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    bernithebiker wrote:
    How about my new Fitness Factor?

    FF = ...

    How about the next time someone asks about average speed, we all just respond "FFS" and move on :wink:
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    Bobbinogs wrote:
    bernithebiker wrote:
    How about my new Fitness Factor?

    FF = ...

    How about the next time someone asks about average speed, we all just respond "FFS" and move on :wink:

    I'm in FFS :mrgreen:
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • cheaterkiller
    cheaterkiller Posts: 159
    BillyMansell wrote:
    pturcot wrote:
    I don't think trying to compare avg with others can give you a ballpark figure on how much to aim for. Personaly my good avg for a 50+ would be 28 mph with a reasonnably moderate to calm windy day. I actually got this avg in a Grand Fondo cyclosport event (not a race just a timed event) on a 70+ ride.
    I think you've got your 'internet speed' calculation wrong there. It should be x+10% and not x+100%, where x is your actual speed.

    Dont know if it counts but on my mountain bike I averaged 23mph down from the summit of Olympus Mons.
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    cheaterkiller wrote:
    Dont know if it counts but on my mountain bike I averaged 23mph down from the summit of Olympus Mons.

    How did you get there from Enceladus?
  • cheaterkiller
    cheaterkiller Posts: 159
    Imposter wrote:
    cheaterkiller wrote:
    Dont know if it counts but on my mountain bike I averaged 23mph down from the summit of Olympus Mons.

    How did you get there from Enceladus?

    Its a bit cold in Enceladus so like a fly on a toilet seat I got pissed off and left.
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    cheaterkiller wrote:
    Imposter wrote:
    cheaterkiller wrote:
    Dont know if it counts but on my mountain bike I averaged 23mph down from the summit of Olympus Mons.

    How did you get there from Enceladus?

    Its a bit cold in Enceladus so like a fly on a toilet seat I got pissed off and left.

    cool story.
  • GGBiker
    GGBiker Posts: 450
    Reliability trial last week averaged 19.1mph over 80 miles, 1 ten minute break at 50 miles for fuel. That was a B group but going hard on a hilly course with over 3000ft climbing. The A group averaged around 21.5mph over the same course (mainly A1-A4 racers).

    For really fast check out the following Strava entry (in a race). Massive power output over the time period also.

    http://app.strava.com/activities/lucan-gp-24-03-2012-portan-co-meath-ireland-county-meath-ireland-5644467?utm_campaign=ride_share&utm_content=8492&utm_medium=widget&utm_source=www.stickybottle.com
  • Grill
    Grill Posts: 5,610
    GGBiker wrote:
    Reliability trial last week averaged 19.1mph over 80 miles, 1 ten minute break at 50 miles for fuel. That was a B group but going hard on a hilly course with over 3000ft climbing. The A group averaged around 21.5mph over the same course (mainly A1-A4 racers).

    For really fast check out the following Strava entry (in a race). Massive power output over the time period also.

    http://app.strava.com/activities/lucan-gp-24-03-2012-portan-co-meath-ireland-county-meath-ireland-5644467?utm_campaign=ride_share&utm_content=8492&utm_medium=widget&utm_source=www.stickybottle.com

    3000ft over 80 miles does not a hilly course make; not even remotely.
    English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    pturcot wrote:
    I don't think trying to compare avg with others can give you a ballpark figure on how much to aim for. Personaly my good avg for a 50+ would be 28 mph with a reasonnably moderate to calm windy day. I actually got this avg in a Grand Fondo cyclosport event (not a race just a timed event) on a 70+ ride.

    So this relate on the time you spend on the saddle and how much miles you got in your legs thus far :oP if your trying to improve. Aim for bettering your own score and be pround everytime you get a better feel on your bike and enjoy! It's not all about numbers but how much fun you get when you push yourself a bit :mrgreen:

    Pierre

    I've got a c0ck like a baby's arm holding an apple too.
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved

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