Highest Average for a 50+ mile ride
Comments
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Indeed it does. Wattage is the best quantifier, but not available to everyone.English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg0
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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.0 -
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.0
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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 Di2.0 -
danowat wrote:
Easy tiger, I did clearly state 'moving average' After all, what's the sodding point of riding if you don't stop for cake?- 2023 Vielo V+1
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Il Principe wrote:
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'.0 -
danowat wrote:
It isn't, it's pure willy-waving, especially when people are quoting average speeds that don't take into account stops :roll:
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!0 -
Il Principe wrote:
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!0 -
Nope, it IS meaningless, unless you are all riding in the same conditions and on the same terrain.0
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marcusjb wrote:
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?0 -
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?0 -
marcusjb wrote:
Yebbut, what was your average moving speed?
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 kit0 -
danowat wrote:
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
That's quite flat. Come ride the Welsh 12 this yearEnglish Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg0 -
Grill wrote:
That's quite flat. Come ride the Welsh 12 this year
Nah, you're alright, I'll leave the hills to the sheep0 -
danowat wrote:Nope, it IS meaningless, unless you are all riding in the same conditions and on the same terrain.
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.0 -
Slowbike wrote: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?0 -
Slowbike wrote: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 ??0 -
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 65.60 -
Man this thread is dull.the deeper the section the deeper the pleasure.0
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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/410946000 -
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 on0 -
Bobbinogs wrote:
How about the next time someone asks about average speed, we all just respond "FFS" and move on
I'm in FFSYellow is the new Black.0 -
BillyMansell wrote: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.0 -
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?0 -
Imposter wrote:
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.0 -
cheaterkiller wrote:
Its a bit cold in Enceladus so like a fly on a toilet seat I got pissed off and left.
cool story.0 -
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.com0 -
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 Koppenberg0 -
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
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 preserved0