Feeling slow

thistle_

Maybe I'm riding too much:

On Thursday I got a PB going up the Horseshoe Pass and this morning I got a 3rd place on Strava on my usual route to work (i.e. another PB) but every ride I do feels slow and hard work.

It's the same when I'm out on my mountain bike - feels like a snails pace but I'm still setting personal best times according to Strava.

Anyone else feel the same?
I ride my bike because I enjoy it, but if it feels slow and a lot of effort then it's a lot less fun.

Escher303

The hot weather perhaps?

suzyb

I felt like that end of last week when Scotland was basking. Riding along I felt like I could go just put my head down on the handlebars and go to sleep but I did my 2 fastest rides ever.

EKE_38BPM

So, you're riding faster but feeling slower?

Reminds me of something I heard many moons ago: It never gets easier, you just go faster.

Unless you are actually training for something, I suggest you do what I do; chuck away your cycling computer, get rid of the Garmin, sling Strava in the bin and just ride for the fun of it. Push yourself only as hard as you feel like at the time.
I'm not saying I pootle, I just don't wring myself out on every ride, whilst keeping one eye on the clock/screen.

kalioon

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Reminds me of something I heard many moons ago: It never gets easier, you just go faster.

Had this recently. Cycling home, couldn't be arsed. Felt like a slow, heavy, and crap ride. So i pootled. Little did I know that in actual fact it was my 2nd fastest ride home. Its true, it never ever gets easier, you do just go faster. Even when it feels slow and crap, your probably flying along.
Bad days happen, they just make the good days even better!

lockstock666

Maybe you are riding at a more constant pace for a whole segment/ride?

Rather than busting your gut at the start which feels fast but leaves you hurting and slower to the finish line?

markhewitt1978

LockStock666 wrote:

Maybe you are riding at a more constant pace for a whole segment/ride?

Rather than busting your gut at the start which feels fast but leaves you hurting and slower to the finish line?

There's a lot in that. Quite often when I say "Right; I'm going to do a PR here" it doesn't happen because I set out too quickly, but when I ride without any expectations it can surprise me.

daviesee

LockStock666 wrote:

Maybe you are riding at a more constant pace for a whole segment/ride?

Rather than busting your gut at the start which feels fast but leaves you hurting and slower to the finish line?

^^^^ This ^^^^

I went out for a leg spinner last night, taking it easy but at a high cadence. Two PB's.
I am learning more about technique now that I am not going full blast.

essex-commuter

thistle (MBNW) wrote:

On Thursday I got a PB going up the Horseshoe Pass

Not sure if that's something to brag about :-)

twist83

daviesee wrote:

LockStock666 wrote:

Maybe you are riding at a more constant pace for a whole segment/ride?

Rather than busting your gut at the start which feels fast but leaves you hurting and slower to the finish line?

^^^^ This ^^^^

I went out for a leg spinner last night, taking it easy but at a high cadence. Two PB's.
I am learning more about technique now that I am not going full blast.

Precisely this. I usually go riding with either my other half or with a friend. The other is not slow but slower than me. As a result I usually sit on the front for the majority and have plenty of energy left. Ironically I collect a lot of PB along the way. However when I go out with a mate, he is faster and although we agree on a steady ride he goes smashing off and I try and follow, end result I am usually drained at the end of the ride and bar the odd decent time they are nothing special.

So I have been going out on my own and setting a comfy pace and pushing myself a bit more each time. As a result the past month my fitness and riding have come along leeps and bounds.

markhewitt1978

twist83 wrote:

daviesee wrote:

LockStock666 wrote:

Maybe you are riding at a more constant pace for a whole segment/ride?

Rather than busting your gut at the start which feels fast but leaves you hurting and slower to the finish line?

^^^^ This ^^^^

I went out for a leg spinner last night, taking it easy but at a high cadence. Two PB's.
I am learning more about technique now that I am not going full blast.

Precisely this. I usually go riding with either my other half or with a friend. The other is not slow but slower than me. As a result I usually sit on the front for the majority and have plenty of energy left. Ironically I collect a lot of PB along the way. However when I go out with a mate, he is faster and although we agree on a steady ride he goes smashing off and I try and follow, end result I am usually drained at the end of the ride and bar the odd decent time they are nothing special.

So I have been going out on my own and setting a comfy pace and pushing myself a bit more each time. As a result the past month my fitness and riding have come along leeps and bounds.

This happens *every* time I go riding with my friend Chris. He's faster than me, especially up hill. So I try and keep up, but I end up maxing out, then blow up and end up falling even further behind.

daviesee

Oh!
And possibly the weather meaning you are running hotter so feel more tired.

bigmat

I feel your pain. Have felt in a slump of form for the last couple of months, tired, down on enthusiasm, lacking any kick. During that time I have set PB's on a handful of Strava segments and taken nearly half a minute off my PB for the Richmond Park time trial. It never feels easier, as people have said, also I think sometimes you can be too hard on yourself mentally - just try and enjoy the riding and let the rest look after itself. I have been pushing on as I have a big race at the weekend but after that I'm just going to chill out for a couple of months and try and enjoy my time on the bike a bit more.

wandsworth

I have experienced the same recently. These days, under 40 mins door-to-door is a good time for my morning commute. Yesterday I pushed it and did it in 35. Today, feeling a bit jaded I deliberately took it easy, kept the HR under 150 and still did it in 38 mins. Of course, there's luck involved with traffic lights, traffic, etc but by not even trying I still did a time that I would have struggled to do a couple of months ago. It's good to see signs of improving fitness. Especially at my age ...

ManiaMuse

Changed anything on your bike recently?

Could be something as silly as the hot weather, tyres running at higher pressures than normal without you realising?