Average speed v poor

hartcity

Ok, might be a long post but I think I need to include a bit of background. I'm 46, weigh 207lbs and want to get into cycling primarily to lose weight...I got a mtb for my 40th but found never really used to go to mountains etc and what riding I did was mostly road based, although did enjoy the odd trail through some local woods. Was off and on, off and on but not really using the bike that much, then 6 months ago had a bit of a blood pressure scare...that combined with work getting involved in the c2w scheme (plus many hours on here/talking to lbs) resulted in me getting a Giant cyclocross bike 6 weeks ago, figured it was the best of both worlds and I am really enjoying being out on it...

However...my average speed is poor..I am increasing my mileage nicely, first 5/6 miles, then 10, been up to 25 recently but it seems no matter how hard I try I can't increase the speed...I have 2 good friends who go out regularly and I would like to join them but they average 5-6 mph more than me and despite what they say I know it will spoil their day constantly waiting for me...I average around 11mph, I went out last week over 12 miles and really went for it...I mean really really tried as hard as I could...resulted in an average of 11.3 :-(

There are a couple of things that spring to mind and I am just after some advice on which may be the main culprit and what I can do to get faster (just so I can join my friends, I have no wish to become KOM anywhere!)
First, it just might be my general (un)fitness and I just need time on the bike to get used to it, and the speed (and miles) will slowly increase over time..I am quite sure its nothing to do with the bike as I had a bike fit (very impressed with it)...what the bike fit did show though, and I am guessing that this is maybe the main cause, is I have no power in my right leg when peddaling - the graph was fine for the left hand side but the graph on the right (for those of you weho have had a bike fit) just barely made it above the flatline (0)..I am presuming this stems from knee problems I have in both legs, but much worse in the right one
But also I wonder if I am pushing myself as much as I can...I know I am definatley guilty of pootling around but thats simply because I enjoy cycling and being out, maybe I should start treating them like training runs instead of 'enjoying' it...I remember coming back from mtb rides and I could hardly walk, took ages for me to catch my breath back, now when I come back from a ride I am hardly out of breath, although when I am cycling, and going for it, I dont feel I have anything left to give :-(
Whats the answer, pedal harder, try more, just get out more and it will come, forget about average speed and just enjoy it...

Urghh, hope someone can help...

29black

Keep at it, 25 miles is relatively low mileage for cyclists. Even if it's short distances, as long as you keep doing it you'll get faster over time. Good luck on your weight loss goal.

tmg

Go out with your mates, hang on as long as you can, if they drop you then ride as normal. You will find that you can stay with them longer than you think from drafting and it will get you fitter quicker.

If going solo then intervals will help you improve, even if short bursts, so pick an object in distance and give it everything rest and repeat. If your right side is weak consider what exercises you can do off the bike to increase strength.

Good luck, just ride as much as you can and it will get better.

sungod

as above, speed/endurance comes with training, be patient

what cadence are you riding at? if it's low, try increasing it to 80-90, it takes time to train your legs to do this, but for the same power using a higher cadence means less pedal force/strain on knees

you say there's no power in the right leg, do your knees hurt? move side to side as you pedal? if pain/discomfort is holding you back then i'd have an assessment to see if footbeds and/or wedges etc. could help

hartcity

Thanks for the quick replies..no, no pain at all in knees etc. I think I am riding around 80 cadence and try to stick to that, think my natural urge is to drop the gears to make it harder to pedal (go faster) but I have read a few times about the pressure/pain that could cause on the knees so if anything I err towards the higher gears..
I like the idea of intervals, never really thought of that, will try it next time I am out.
Appreciate the replies and the good luck..I start a new job on 1/7/15 and am determined to lose weight/get fit for then :-)

kajjal

It just takes time to build speed and fitness, often you are a lot fitter than you think. Use the gears on the bike to make cycling as easy as possible. A common mistake people make is to force gears that are too hard to pedal in.

Apart from that just go out a few times a week with a longer ride at the weekend. Make sure you eat and sleep well as this helps as well. Another mistake people can make is not eating enough and not resting enough to allow the body to build fitness.

desweller

It's mostly just practice. How many rides are you doing per week? Do you keep a record of your weekly mileage?

simon_masterson

If you want to go faster, you have to push harder. It sounds obvious, but you have to push bigger gears, and resist the urge to shift down. Don't drop to your granny gear at the first sight of an incline. It'll hurt, and it takes time, but you will get there if you work hard - get out there and ride. Agreed with all those that have mentioned cadence - it's hugely important, but working on this early on will help you to build fitness quicker. Once you can hold 18-20mph fairly comfortably, you should notice your times start to go down/your averages begin to creep up a bit.

kajjal

Simon Masterson wrote:

If you want to go faster, you have to push harder. It sounds obvious, but you have to push bigger gears, and resist the urge to shift down. Don't drop to your granny gear at the first sight of an incline. It'll hurt, and it takes time, but you will get there if you work hard - get out there and ride. Agreed with all those that have mentioned cadence - it's hugely important, but working on this early on will help you to build fitness quicker. Once you can hold 18-20mph fairly comfortably, you should notice your times start to go down/your averages begin to creep up a bit.

I think your post is being misunderstood a bit but new unfit riders don't need to be told to push bigger gears and to expect to hold 18-20mph. Only once you can ride the bike properly and have a good base fitness should you start really pushing if you want to.

simon_masterson

davidmt83 wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

If you want to go faster, you have to push harder. It sounds obvious, but you have to push bigger gears, and resist the urge to shift down.

Absolutely bonkers. Pushing a bigger gear is completely the opposite of what you want. As I've mentioned above focus on cadence and whichever gear keeps you in the range of 60 - 90 RPM is the right gear for YOU.

The numbers don't lie. If your comfortable gear doesn't produce your desired speed within your ideal cadence range, you won't achieve your goal. End of. 1+2 does not equal 5.

davidmt83 wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

Don't drop to your granny gear at the first sight of an incline. It'll hurt

Yep that's your knees saying please, drop down a gear! Sure you may get up 1 hill, maybe more, but you'll find you won't be in a good position for the next hill and the one after. Do get out of the saddle, build the thigh muscles but don't struggle grinding a big gear. Use all you gears and drop down until you can spin up the hill.

I made no such suggestion - and when I say it will hurt I am referring to the effort overall. Anyone would think you have a chip on your shoulder!

davidmt83 wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

Once you can hold 18-20mph

An average speed of this might be normal on 25mm tyres but he's riding (from a quick google) 35mm tyres...

If I'd said that should be the average, I'd have said so. I said 'hold that speed fairly comfortably', and I meant exactly that.

But your comment about tyre size is hysterical - I'm not sure what to do with that at all. I use 32mm (27 x 1 1/4) on my main bike, personally. When I started cycling I used 35mm hybrid tyres. What relevance does it have?

simon_masterson

Kajjal wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

If you want to go faster, you have to push harder. It sounds obvious, but you have to push bigger gears, and resist the urge to shift down. Don't drop to your granny gear at the first sight of an incline. It'll hurt, and it takes time, but you will get there if you work hard - get out there and ride. Agreed with all those that have mentioned cadence - it's hugely important, but working on this early on will help you to build fitness quicker. Once you can hold 18-20mph fairly comfortably, you should notice your times start to go down/your averages begin to creep up a bit.

I think your post is being misunderstood a bit but new unfit riders don't need to be told to push bigger gears and to expect to hold 18-20mph. Only once you can ride the bike properly and have a good base fitness should you start really pushing if you want to.

I think you're right, but all of this is relative. 50x12 isn't as hard as 55x11, but it takes a strong rider to push either at 100rpm for an hour. 50x16 is quite tough for most to begin with. It's all about pushing personal limits. Unfortunately there are a few around these parts that like to jump down the throat of anyone that appears to be recommending the use of 'hard gears'.

simon_masterson

davidmt83 wrote:

Let's have a think... Wider tyres = more rolling resistance and hence slower speeds. Thinner tyres = less rolling resistance and hence higher speeds. Quite A LOT of relevance isn't it...

It seems obvious, doesn't it? But current thinking has been moving away from that proposition, and for quite some time now (and when 18-20mm tyres have been used in pro road cycling, aerodynamics and weight have been key factors in consideration). It is now commonly thought that a 25mm tyre may produce lower rolling resistance than a 23mm, and the choice of many professional and amateur road cyclists now reflects this. A bigger tyre run at lower pressure is usually more comfortable and can exhibit better traction (and often with a very modest weight penalty, even). The simple fact of the matter is that in isolation it's not a major factor. I'm obviously not referring to tyres that you cannot easily buy for or fit to a typical road bike.

Being able to hold 18-20mph fairly comfortably on flat and rolling terrain, on a gear you can push at 70-100rpm (depending on who you believe on what the ideal cadence range is) is a great place to start if you're looking to go a bit faster. Keeping momentum when you get to a hill, maintaining cadence and shifting gears steadily rather than dropping straight to bottom gear and (if nothing else) leaving yourself nowhere to go, likewise. If you want it get better, ride more.

rjkflyer

I started 'proper' cycling two years ago this month. I'm 51.

For a 40 mile route, in August 2012, my average speed was 10mph, and average cadence 50 rpm.

For the same route, now, those averages are 18mph and 85rpm.

I am no athlete - never played sport, never exercise before cycling. In two years, I've gone from 64kg to 61 kg and stayed there.

My thoughts:
1. I initially rode my hybrid, but I did change the 37mm tyres to 28mm, realising that I wasn't really doing any 'mountain' biking (roughest would be a cycle track). This helped on the road.
2. When I bought a road bike, an almost immediate increase in average speed of 2-3mph, simply as you are producing a lot less drag as you're in a more 'hunched' profile, and the bike is lighter and easier running etc.
3. It's simply fitness...! The numbers I have quoted show that. I now ride about 40-50 miles a week in fine weather, so I'm no athlete, but you can see the results.
4. I will probably be shot at a bit here, but essentially if you are 'limited' by your muscle performance/mass (possibly relevant due to your knees and legs from what you say), then cadence is definitely your friend, aside the protection against joint damage that this provides. On the other hand if you were hugely strong in the muscle and build, you could indeed handle a lower cadence as (a) your aerobic capacity to get oxygen to your legs is more likely the limiting factor and (b) your strong muscles provide greater degree of joint protection.
5. Get yourself a Heart Rate monitor. This will begin to give you some insight into how hard you're working. I now ride at an average of about 85% of my max heart rate (approx max HR is 220 - your age). This average HR (i.e. 'input effort') probably hasn't changed much but the results ('output') certainly have...!

Somewhat obviously, as others have said, the more you practice the better you get. All I would say is that in my experience, at my age and fitness, I find every other day is a practical limit - it's important to allow genuine recovery time. Probably my 'best' feeling and fitness came from alternating 'hard' rides (fairly high average HR) with 'easy' rides (trying to stick down at 70% max HR). Also the latter actually tend to build stamina and burn off more fat that short hard rides.

StillGoing

I fully agree with higher cadence and lower gears as against lower cadence and bigger gears. If your legs are full of lactic acid from making your best effort, taking a bigger gear is not going to help. You need to spin to help the legs recover.

Most of us are slow when we first start out. Weight is a big negative factor for average speed unless you constantly ride downhill when it will help. So firstly work on your diet by eating a calorie ratio closer to what you expend during the day.

Don't hammerfest it everywhere trying to stay with mates who are quicker than you. You lose the wheel, they realise and slow down getting a nice rest waiting for you, you keep the effort going to close the gap again getting no rest and it all begins again once you're back on the wheel. All it will do is demoralise you eventually ending up with you putting the bike at the back of the garage never to be seen again because you don't enjoy cycling. Instead, if you can't find others of similar ability to ride with or a mate that will stay at your pace rather than riding off ahead, do your own thing. You currently have no base training and need to build it. This simply means riding several times a week at a slower pace for longer distances/time. If you can do your 25 mile route several times a week in zone 2 of your maximum heart rate, you'll find in a couple of months your average speed will have increased when you try for a best effort. Also don't avoid where the road goes up. The uphill never get easier, you just get quicker at it. Don't try sticking with people that are fitter than you going up ramps/hills blowing yourself out half way up. Go at a pace you can sustain.

I started cycling at 49, very overweight, unfit for for my age with muscular and skeletal injuries, and hadn't ridden a bike since my early teens. Like you, my average speed was very low even over short 10-15 mile distances. I avoided ramps/hills because I was crap at them. Riding hard all the time, my average speed did increase, but it wasn't enjoyable making me seek an excuse not to ride. It wasn't until hitting 52 I changed things. I lost the excess weight and slowed it all down to build my endurance and found that my average increased to what was for me a mythical solo 18mph with more to come. I now enjoy the ramps/hills even though they still hurt and I'll never be the KOM.

johnny25

Sound like you enjoy cycling already, so your fitness will improve over time. Getting yourself a bike fit was a good move.

I wouldn't get obsessed with speed. Speed will come with increase fitness. Remember that speed is dependent on lots of factors - fitness, weight, terrain, distance, bike, clothing, weather, etc etc. It's not dependent on other cyclists average speeds.

I found this article a good read - http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/h ... sts-28838/

Also take a look at the British Cycling web site. They have lots of info on training etc (you may have to become a member to access the info though).

I'm no expert on training but I find it very beneficial to do some interval training a couple of times a week (on bike or at gym) and a longer ride when I can (distance dependent on fitness etc). This type of approach will show benefits fairly quickly, well it did with me. I also go to the gym once/twice a week - spin classes, strength work, rowing machine. All help. (Interval training does put large stresses on your heart and body, so make sure your up to it before trying it out!)

Most important is to keep at it. Cycling is essentially an endurance sport.

awavey

Simon Masterson wrote:

davidmt83 wrote:

Let's have a think... Wider tyres = more rolling resistance and hence slower speeds. Thinner tyres = less rolling resistance and hence higher speeds. Quite A LOT of relevance isn't it...

It seems obvious, doesn't it? But current thinking has been moving away from that proposition, and for quite some time now (and when 18-20mm tyres have been used in pro road cycling, aerodynamics and weight have been key factors in consideration). It is now commonly thought that a 25mm tyre may produce lower rolling resistance than a 23mm, and the choice of many professional and amateur road cyclists now reflects this. A bigger tyre run at lower pressure is usually more comfortable and can exhibit better traction (and often with a very modest weight penalty, even). The simple fact of the matter is that in isolation it's not a major factor. I'm obviously not referring to tyres that you cannot easily buy for or fit to a typical road bike.

Being able to hold 18-20mph fairly comfortably on flat and rolling terrain, on a gear you can push at 70-100rpm (depending on who you believe on what the ideal cadence range is) is a great place to start if you're looking to go a bit faster. Keeping momentum when you get to a hill, maintaining cadence and shifting gears steadily rather than dropping straight to bottom gear and (if nothing else) leaving yourself nowhere to go, likewise. If you want it get better, ride more.

but 23mm to 25mm isnt that much of a step change, thats like a marginal gains comparison (and might be linked in to pedal stroke power breaking the contact patch on 23mms, that wont be of that high an importance to most bike riders), whilst 35mms are quite chunky and its not so much aero effect, the flabby carbon based lifeform sitting on the bike accounts for most of that but theyll have a much wider contact patch.

I ride 26mm on my hybrid now, but when I swapped down from 35mms I almost had to relearn how to balance properly on the bike again as it completely altered the handling characteristics and where I felt the centre of gravity was, part of that is lack of core strength as well. but as the max pressure they can handle is 65psi, I dont tend to run much beyond 55psi,yet thats half what most roadies run at, and sure the rides comfortably squidgy but its not the quickest way to do things. whilst I can hold 18-20mph reasonably comfortably on the flat, my average generally sinks to 13-15mph overall, so where you measure your average from can be important as well.

mangetout_rodney

May I suggest a few trips to the gym to work on leg strength and don't neglect your core.
When you are starting out there will be the temptation to lean on the bars, which will cane your wrists and tire you out.
Getting tired means you slow down.
You will get tired anyway, until your core is strong enough to support your body in the right riding position- it takes a few months (at least).

When you are sitting on the bike try to cultivate a loose feel on the bars- don't grip too tightly- you want the energy to go to your legs, not your arms.

Having the right bike fit can help too.

HebdenBiker

philthy3 wrote:

I fully agree with higher cadence and lower gears as against lower cadence and bigger gears. If your legs are full of lactic acid from making your best effort, taking a bigger gear is not going to help. You need to spin to help the legs recover.

Most of us are slow when we first start out. Weight is a big negative factor for average speed unless you constantly ride downhill when it will help. So firstly work on your diet by eating a calorie ratio closer to what you expend during the day.

Don't hammerfest it everywhere trying to stay with mates who are quicker than you. You lose the wheel, they realise and slow down getting a nice rest waiting for you, you keep the effort going to close the gap again getting no rest and it all begins again once you're back on the wheel. All it will do is demoralise you eventually ending up with you putting the bike at the back of the garage never to be seen again because you don't enjoy cycling. Instead, if you can't find others of similar ability to ride with or a mate that will stay at your pace rather than riding off ahead, do your own thing. You currently have no base training and need to build it. This simply means riding several times a week at a slower pace for longer distances/time. If you can do your 25 mile route several times a week in zone 2 of your maximum heart rate, you'll find in a couple of months your average speed will have increased when you try for a best effort. Also don't avoid where the road goes up. The uphill never get easier, you just get quicker at it. Don't try sticking with people that are fitter than you going up ramps/hills blowing yourself out half way up. Go at a pace you can sustain.

I do understand where you're coming from about the morale thing, but I'd respectfully take issue with this bit:

Don't hammerfest it everywhere trying to stay with mates who are quicker than you.

Riding with faster people (club, mates, whatever) is an excellent way to get stronger quickly, providing you don't get discouraged by being the back marker for a while, until you build up the fitness to stay with the group for the whole ride, or else someone else joins who is slower than you

To get faster, you have to ride faster. To be able to ride longer, you have to ride longer, etc. Then your muscles and your CV system adapt. That's why cycling is challenging, and a sport. Pootling along without goals or challenge is fine for leisure cycling, but if the OP wants to go faster he'll need to pop a few muscle fibres Trying to stay on your mate's wheel is a fun and sociable way of doing it.

StillGoing

I don't say never ride with faster riders, but don't make it your regular training. There is no fun in working hard for 20 miles holding someone's wheel at 20mph only to be dropped, exhausted and struggling to make your own way back. I've been the victim and the culprit when the slow rider is dropped purely because sometimes you can't hear them holler they're being dropped. It's fine if the group has someone that is willing to knock it off and ride back with the rider, but often it can be a free for all leaving the rider demoralised when it's happened for the umpteenth time. Once the Op gets to a certain standard, then I'd agree that chain ganging it is the way to go. At the moment though, an average speed of 11-13mph isn't chain gang territory in my opinion.

simon_masterson

awavey wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

davidmt83 wrote:

Let's have a think... Wider tyres = more rolling resistance and hence slower speeds. Thinner tyres = less rolling resistance and hence higher speeds. Quite A LOT of relevance isn't it...

It seems obvious, doesn't it? But current thinking has been moving away from that proposition, and for quite some time now (and when 18-20mm tyres have been used in pro road cycling, aerodynamics and weight have been key factors in consideration). It is now commonly thought that a 25mm tyre may produce lower rolling resistance than a 23mm, and the choice of many professional and amateur road cyclists now reflects this. A bigger tyre run at lower pressure is usually more comfortable and can exhibit better traction (and often with a very modest weight penalty, even). The simple fact of the matter is that in isolation it's not a major factor. I'm obviously not referring to tyres that you cannot easily buy for or fit to a typical road bike.

Being able to hold 18-20mph fairly comfortably on flat and rolling terrain, on a gear you can push at 70-100rpm (depending on who you believe on what the ideal cadence range is) is a great place to start if you're looking to go a bit faster. Keeping momentum when you get to a hill, maintaining cadence and shifting gears steadily rather than dropping straight to bottom gear and (if nothing else) leaving yourself nowhere to go, likewise. If you want it get better, ride more.

awavey wrote:

but 23mm to 25mm isnt that much of a step change, thats like a marginal gains comparison (and might be linked in to pedal stroke power breaking the contact patch on 23mms, that wont be of that high an importance to most bike riders), whilst 35mms are quite chunky and its not so much aero effect, the flabby carbon based lifeform sitting on the bike accounts for most of that but theyll have a much wider contact patch.

Correct. The point is the principle - it does not follow that narrower is faster.

But don't pay too much attention to the max pressures on tyres. They are essentially fudge numbers. I doubt that I would run a 26mm tyre at 65psi, whatever the stated maximum. FWIW, I run my 32mm tyres somewhere between 60-85psi, depending on my mood, and I weigh somewhere between 67 and 70kg depending on my mood.

HebdenBiker

philthy3 wrote:

I don't say never ride with faster riders, but don't make it your regular training. There is no fun in working hard for 20 miles holding someone's wheel at 20mph only to be dropped, exhausted and struggling to make your own way back. I've been the victim and the culprit when the slow rider is dropped purely because sometimes you can't hear them holler they're being dropped. It's fine if the group has someone that is willing to knock it off and ride back with the rider, but often it can be a free for all leaving the rider demoralised when it's happened for the umpteenth time. Once the Op gets to a certain standard, then I'd agree that chain ganging it is the way to go. At the moment though, an average speed of 11-13mph isn't chain gang territory in my opinion.

I agree with everything you say, although hanging on like grim death for a couple of hours then heading back on my own was how I got stronger. It's only demoralising if it happens and you didn't plan it that way! And it's satisfying after a few weeks when your clubmates tell you "Christ, you've come on" etc.

However I do agree that the OP shouldn't be troubling the "A" ride just yet. If I were him I'd be finding a beginner-friendly club that has a "steady" ride too.

StillGoing

I agree with that. Although if it's anything like around here, there are some clubs who want to know whether you have aspirations of racing and what your current pace is before deciding to send you an application.

DavidJB

philthy3 wrote:

I don't say never ride with faster riders, but don't make it your regular training. There is no fun in working hard for 20 miles holding someone's wheel at 20mph only to be dropped, exhausted and struggling to make your own way back. I've been the victim and the culprit when the slow rider is dropped purely because sometimes you can't hear them holler they're being dropped. It's fine if the group has someone that is willing to knock it off and ride back with the rider, but often it can be a free for all leaving the rider demoralised when it's happened for the umpteenth time. Once the Op gets to a certain standard, then I'd agree that chain ganging it is the way to go. At the moment though, an average speed of 11-13mph isn't chain gang territory in my opinion.

I used to get dropped every week on the 'fast' club 50 (4 years ago) and I came back for more and it caused me to get fitter / stronger. Too many wimps and babies in cycling now, I see it in my local club. If you get dropped ride home by yourself and come back for more next week. Not reaching your target should spur you on not 'demoralise' you.

Mikey23

Well jolly good for you ... I think 'wimp and baby' is where i choose to remain thank you

dcroke77

hartcity wrote:

However...my average speed is poor..I am increasing my mileage nicely, first 5/6 miles, then 10, been up to 25 recently but it seems no matter how hard I try I can't increase the speed...I have 2 good friends who go out regularly and I would like to join them but they average 5-6 mph more than me and despite what they say I know it will spoil their day constantly waiting for me...I average around 11mph, I went out last week over 12 miles and really went for it...I mean really really tried as hard as I could...resulted in an average of 11.3 :-(

For me I am in a similar situation, i'm 36 and weigh about 230lbs. Shorter rides up to 15 miles, I am averaging about 12-13mph, but for longer 30-40 mile rides I am averaging about 11-12mph. All of this riding a Hybrid with very wide tyres (45 I think). However, I don't think average speed really matters. I use a heart rate monitor to manage my effort levels and have found I am making better progress fitness wise doing it this way. there are a number of good articles about HR training which are very useful. The other thing on longer runs I am getting to grips with is not using all my energy on climbs early on. By this I mean if I am on a climb my heart rate is getting to the 170 and upwards range, I will slow down or stop to keep my heart rate down to under 170 for climbs, as I find this preserves my overall energy level for the later part of the ride. Otherwise I find my legs are dead in the last 20 miles.

Until am I a properly fit I am not going to worry about average speeds etc.

StillGoing

DavidJB wrote:

Too many wimps and babies in cycling now, I see it in my local club. If you get dropped ride home by yourself and come back for more next week. Not reaching your target should spur you on not 'demoralise' you.

What a fantastically sympathetic attitude to have towards novice riders. I'd sooner ride with a bunch of beginners at half my pace than with a bunch with that kind of attitude. :roll:

kajjal

One thing no one has mentioned that really affects speed on a road bike is wind resistance from the riding position and what you are wearing.

When I first got my road bike I wore the same clothing as on my mountain bike , baggyish shorts, T-Shirt , coat you could use as a sail. Once I got fit enough to wear closer fitting clothing without looking like I was having a midlife crisis I found the speed jumped up. The usual suspects of lycra shorts, close fitting top and close fitting windstopped jacket mean I now go much faster than when I was like a huge 6ft6 plus wind break.

Some of it will be fitness but some is definitely less air resistance. Also you riding position has an impact but better to be in a riding position that suits you than to aggressive.

Frank Wilson

Hey OP, it comes good with putting the miles in mate, the speeds gradually go up, if that is your goal, but more importantly your confidence on the bike goes up.

With putting the miles in and regular rides you will start to notice that things do get easier, your leg muscles get stronger for getting out of the saddle and as they get stronger you will also find yourself using bigger gears.

Like many on this board I am a returing cyclist, did a lot when I was young then did family things, now I am an old b--tard I started again.

I have been back cycling a couple of years and only into my second year am I now using the big front ring, because it has become easier, only now am I getting out of the saddle for hills, previously I was down-gearing and pedalling and getting nowhere.

Don't get hung up on what others can do, don't join in the willy waving mate, enjoy what it brings to you in terms of increased fitness, being out in the open air and seeing places that previously you had zoomed past at 70mph in the car.

One day mate it will all just fall into place, you may not notice when it happens or remember afterwards when it was, but it will mate.

We've all had the bad days out on the bike mate, persevere and the good days will come along.

Good luck.

secretsam

DavidJB wrote:

Too many wimps and babies in cycling now I see it in my local club. If you get dropped ride home by yourself and come back for more next week. Not reaching your target should spur you on not 'demoralise' you.

It's a shame there isn't a"Road He-men" forum so that you can go on it and boast about riding Ventoux on a 53x11. What an unhelpful and demoralizing thing to post on a beginner's forum.

marcustwice

Hmm

kajjal

philthy3 wrote:

DavidJB wrote:

Too many wimps and babies in cycling now, I see it in my local club. If you get dropped ride home by yourself and come back for more next week. Not reaching your target should spur you on not 'demoralise' you.

What a fantastically sympathetic attitude to have towards novice riders. I'd sooner ride with a bunch of beginners at half my pace than with a bunch with that kind of attitude. :roll:

You have it all wrong break those wimps and babies they will be stronger for it :roll:
Different people find different motivations in cycling