# Road Bike Speed



## Hacienda71 (24 Nov 2009)

Hope this is in the right forum. Having got into cycling this year to increase my fitness levels, I seem to becoming a little obsessive about recording my miles and speed, but riding on my own in general i wonder about other peoples speeds. I see a lot of posts from people saying that they do bursts at thirty mph or the high twenties and on 10 mile time trials people are clearly averaging well over twenty, but on cyclelogs there don't seem to be many people over 18 mph let alone 20, so is all the chat just banter and bravado or do the really competitive riders not bother with cyclogs. by the way i am not implying i will ever be a quick cyclist just wondered what the reality is and what club riders do.


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## marinyork (24 Nov 2009)

Some people exaggerate a bit, some people do those speeds but not for sustained (average means average) and some of the people even on cyclogs are exceptionally quick. Some pretty strong riders on there have quite low averages as they live in hillier areas or just slow commutes. And some of us are just slow anyway.

LOL I see you have an average of 17.02mph for this month.


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## BarryP (24 Nov 2009)

i'm pretty new back to cycling. Currently average 13-14 pmh


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## Wavey (25 Nov 2009)

Cyclogs ? Who, what, where, when?


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## gaz (25 Nov 2009)

Living in london means my commute has 102 traffic lights for 13.5miles. anyone who can get an average speed of over 17mph on that run is more than likely a nutter.

+ my weekend runs are also in and around london, which again means i'm not pedalling for prolonged period of time, and can't keep my speed up due to traffic and stopping and starting.

+ my mentality is, don't put the hammer down unless you know you don't have to stop/slow down


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## on the road (25 Nov 2009)

When they say bursts of 30 mph, they mean doing 30 for maybe a minute or 2. But it's not big white lies, it is possible to do 30 for a *short* time, just not all the time. I can do over 30mph on the flat giving the right conditions, if I've got a strong tailwind then I can keep that speed up for as long as I have that tailwind, once I lose the tailwind then I slow down.

As for time trials, it is possible to average over 20mph, because the route is carefully chosen.

Find yourself a 10 mile circular route with no traffic lights and no right turns, see what kind of average you get.


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## Garz (25 Nov 2009)

I can give you an example. I average about 18mph on a flat route for 22 miles, this is my mean speed over that distance at about 75% intensity. I log this on cyclogs.

I also log on cyclogs the rides I do with friends and other CC members, and as we are a social bunch not racing off leaving others behind it means I do say 30-50 miles at a *much* slower 14mph.

This doesnt bother me as im only logging my mileage, if I could differentiate between solo 'going for it' rides and slow pootles you would see my _real_ average. Another example is arran who does lots of TT and I know he's not slow but his average is also 16mph on cyclogs as he rides with other members and probably doesn't feel the need to impress.

The only time I look at my av speed in more detail is to compare the same rides together or the odd check that I havnt slowed down however as its a mixed bag of social and serious rides it's really a poor estimate.


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## Randochap (25 Nov 2009)

As others have noted, speed -- average and maximum -- depends very much on topography and conditions (hills and weather).

There is much misunderstanding about average speed and more than a little exaggeration on the internet.

For myself, when in shape, I will _average_ 30kph over the same distance. Over the long distances I enjoy riding -- say 600km -- I will average 25 km/h _on the bike_. However, my true average over the 35 hours I usually take for that distance is 17 km/h.

At whatever distance, often people report the average their computer gives, without mentioning that they stopped for cake 3 times. If your computer has a manual setting (Cateye Enduro8 does), this gives a real average of the speed over the total time spent to complete the distance.

I should comment though that as interesting as stats are, my real reason for cycling and my love of the sport is not collecting numbers, but watching the scenery and my thoughts in response roll by.


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## snorri (25 Nov 2009)

Wavey said:


> Cyclogs ? Who, what, where, when?



www.cyclogs.co.uk


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## addictfreak (25 Nov 2009)

I think there maybe a few who exaggerate a tad. I generally average 18-19mph and its extremely rare that im passed by anyone. 

Even doing 18-19 depends on straight runs etc with not too many big hills


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## Hacienda71 (25 Nov 2009)

Garz said:


> I can give you an example. I average about 18mph on a flat route for 22 miles, this is my mean speed over that distance at about 75% intensity. I log this on cyclogs.
> 
> I also log on cyclogs the rides I do with friends and other CC members, and as we are a social bunch not racing off leaving others behind it means I do say 30-50 miles at a *much* slower 14mph.
> 
> ...



I appreciate that in different scenarios you ride at vastly different speeds. When i commute my rides are slower due to heavy traffic and the fact i have to cycle through quite hilly terrain to get to the office or if i go out on my old rigid mountain bike it is slower. While a weekend ride will be across the cheshire plain with little or no traffic and hills and i tend to use my road bike. I suppose the intention of my post is to see what speed a good amateur, club will ride at, as if you look at cyclogs and and read peoples posts you tend to get a distorted figure. 

Also as said cycling is about enjoying getting out on the bike not speeds. Although going that little farther or faster than the month before is definitely motivation to work harder and improve your fitness.


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## Alangh (25 Nov 2009)

Being what you might call a mature cyclist of three score years and a bit, I have always been concerned with my cycling speed. I started cycling at the age of 14 and joined my first club at 15 and have been riding on and off ever since. Speed in the 60's was important as we were racers so riding a 25 mile race in 1 hour was the goal. Not too many people at club level could maintain that pace and I only managed to record just under the hour with 1 hour and 7 seconds towards the end of my career.
General riding at club level was around the 15 miles per hour mark and when i go out now a leasurely 15 miles an hour is fast enough if I can manage it. Having said that it is still arse up and head down for a few miles. Dont worry about the speed, enjoy the riding, it is a great sport.


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## addictfreak (25 Nov 2009)

Hacienda71 said:


> I appreciate that in different scenarios you ride at vastly different speeds. When i commute my rides are slower due to heavy traffic and the fact i have to cycle through quite hilly terrain to get to the office or if i go out on my old rigid mountain bike it is slower. While a weekend ride will be across the cheshire plain with little or no traffic and hills and i tend to use my road bike. *I suppose the intention of my post is to see what speed a good amateur, club will ride at,* as if you look at cyclogs and and read peoples posts you tend to get a distorted figure.
> 
> Also as said cycling is about enjoying getting out on the bike not speeds. Although going that little farther or faster than the month before is definitely motivation to work harder and improve your fitness.




I have looked at joining a couple of clubs, and thats the question I always ask (dont want to be left behind). Depending on the size of the club, you will often find they have a couple of groups which go out on rides and one group will always be slower and you will not be left behind..
The groups i looked at usually have average speeds of 15-16 and 18-19. Just need to get my lazy arse in gear and get up early on a sunday!


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## Garz (25 Nov 2009)

Hacienda71 said:


> I appreciate that in different scenarios you ride at vastly different speeds.
> ...
> I suppose the intention of my post is to see what speed a good amateur, club will ride at, as if you look at cyclogs and and read peoples posts you tend to get a distorted figure.



Yes, you just observed an odd statistical piece of data that doesnt really reflect all aspects. The guys with over 16mph average will tend to be only logging (or never ride casually) the training type mileage.



Hacienda71 said:


> Also as said cycling is about enjoying getting out on the bike not speeds. Although going that little farther or faster than the month before is definitely motivation to work harder and improve your fitness.



Just use it as a tool when your working on specific improvements buddy. I find that if I start pushing myself too much and worrying about other peoples speeds it tends to make the whole cycling experience more of a chore than actually 'fun'.


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## jimboalee (25 Nov 2009)

More Jimbo mumbo-jumbo.

On a journey of 10 miles, there are thirty instances where I might be forced to stop. I call them 'Stop Junctions'. Traffic lights, T, Islands etc.
There are twenty 10m contours which are uphill. These are 'Slow spots'.

My cruising speed is a steady 20 mph round a cycle track with no stopping.

That means I COULD ride the 10 miles in 30 minutes ( in perfect conditions where I am not required to stop ).

For every 'Stop junction' and 'Slow spot', add on 1% to the time.

So for the 10 mile trip with fifty 'Stop junctions' + 'Slow spots', I would expect to finish in 45mins at an overall average of 13.33 mph.


Puts tin hat on and waits for the sirens.


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## jig-sore (25 Nov 2009)

Garz said:


> Yes, you just observed an odd statistical piece of data that doesnt really reflect all aspects. The guys with over 16mph average will tend to be only logging (or never ride casually) the training type mileage.




i log all my rides !!!!! 

your average mileage takes into account all the times you crawl up a hill at 9mph or stop for traffic etc. most of the time i ride between 18 and 24 mph on the flat but my average is very rarely near this, in fact i've never got over 19.3mph average.

anyone remember Mean, mode, and median from school ???? http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/book8/bk8i5/bk8_5i2.htm


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## GrasB (25 Nov 2009)

jimboalee said:


> More Jimbo mumbo-jumbo.
> 
> On a journey of 10 miles, there are thirty instances where I might be forced to stop. I call them 'Stop Junctions'. Traffic lights, T, Islands etc.
> There are twenty 10m contours which are uphill. These are 'Slow spots'.
> ...


I'd completely agree.

A while back I was riding very hard & was with another rider doing through & off every 40s or so. Every time I looked at the speedo it was over 28mph, average speed 22mph! Today I had the wind behind & was 22-24mph sustaining on the flat & was above 25mph for all sustained downhill sections. I was on the primary road where I have priority at junction, it was a clean run with 0 traffic light or motorist interactions, over 13.5 miles I averaged 20.34!


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## Garz (25 Nov 2009)

the anorak said:


> i log all my rides !!!!!
> 
> your average mileage takes into account all the times you crawl up a hill at 9mph or stop for traffic etc.



 (Both cycle computer and phone gps account for stops)

I ride with a guy regularly who I wait for after the big climbs and slow down for if I get too far ahead. I worked out roughly when he's on the same rides as me I dont go above 14mph average.

so "your average mileage takes into account all the times you crawl up a hill at 9mph or stop for traffic etc" also takes into account the times im actually riding at a slower pace with friends, which is why im not too fussed when people highlight they do near 20.


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## marinyork (25 Nov 2009)

I log all my rides. A lot of group rides I do are 8.5-10.5mph. The first sort of figure drags my even very low average down a fair bit.


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## Garz (25 Nov 2009)

My point exactly MY.

I suppose the true average speed of a rider would be all solo efforts within a month of riding, cyclogs would then display a truer figure.


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## limey (25 Nov 2009)

The original posting was "took up cycling to improve fitness" in which case the average speed is far less important than time on the bike. As any fitness instructor will tell, it's the exercise time that counts, not the speed, not the distance and not the maximum heart rate either. You should plan to exercise within your aerobic zone if fitness is the objective. Having said that anyone who has an average speed greater than 20 mph over at least 20 miles is pretty fit and doing well.


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## zacklaws (25 Nov 2009)

During the summer I discovered that I climb a certain steep hill at a paltry 4mph max hard effort and coming down the same side, I would peak at 40mph flat out, I then noticed that whilst on the flat, deep in thought, I would normally cruise along at 22mph, and it was then that I spotted the average of up and down the hill was also 22mph. I thought this was just a coincidence but when I tried it on some other hills the results were the same, if I climbed faster, I would descend slower, but the average was always 22mph. It only worked on steep hills though and even wind did not alter things too much if I recall. Today for instance doing a circuit 4 times being well blasted by the wind sadly, I was climbing at 7mph and maxing out at 31 mph downhill, but I could only manage 19mph flat out on the flat, stranger than fiction!

Perhaps this is one for Jimbo to enlighten us with some of his vast knowledge or maybe its just a coincidence overall.


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## gbb (25 Nov 2009)

zacklaws said:


> During the summer I discovered that I climb a certain steep hill at a paltry 4mph max hard effort and coming down the same side, I would peak at 40mph flat out, I then noticed that whilst on the flat, deep in thought, I would normally cruise along at 22mph, and it was then that I spotted the average of up and down the hill was also 22mph. I thought this was just a coincidence but when I tried it on some other hills the results were the same, if I climbed faster, I would descend slower, but the average was always 22mph. It only worked on steep hills though and even wind did not alter things too much if I recall. Today for instance doing a circuit 4 times being well blasted by the wind sadly, I was climbing at 7mph and maxing out at 31 mph downhill, but I could only manage 19mph flat out on the flat, stranger than fiction!
> 
> Perhaps this is one for Jimbo to enlighten us with some of his vast knowledge or maybe its just a coincidence overall.



This (or something along the same lines) has always occured to me.
If i do a 40 mile circuit, it doesnt matter whether its a hilly (by my standards), flat, windy, no wind...my average is always pretty much the same.
Horrid head winds slow you on the outrun...but push you home faster than you'd have otherwise achieved.
Hilly, slow on the up, faster down.
No wind...you actually create your own headwind.
The result is, everything averages out, and its always the same average.


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## montage (25 Nov 2009)

People that claim they can keep 30+mph up all day have noses longer than replies to the tea thread....otherwise we would see far more athletes hour attempts


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## Wavey (25 Nov 2009)

snorri said:


> www.cyclogs.co.uk




Thanks Snorri 

Still new to this cycling lark, longest trip so far is a measured 20 miles - thanks google maps - it took 1hour 20 mins = 15mph. 2 sets of lights, straight through on green.

Was well knackered at the end though 

Dave


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## GrasB (25 Nov 2009)

It's easy enough to do those sorts of speeds for long periods if, and it's a big IF, the conditions are right. Thing is about the hour record is it's in a velodrome, there's no head wind or tail wind, it's man v's the lowest drag levels possible without any aids or hinderance. In some ways it's a bit of a fantasy world & averaging around 30mph for 1h is something I know I can't do.

Out in the real world I know I can maintain 30-35mph most of the way up the B1368 between Barley & the A505 then the A505 to the A10 with a nice tail wind & I didn't feel like I was totally spent. Thing is though, under the same conditions I was looking at 5-15mph A10 to Barkway (a little further down the B1368), why? that time I had a head wind plus a slow but steady climb.


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## Bill Gates (25 Nov 2009)

GrasB said:


> It's easy enough to do those sorts of speeds for long periods if, and it's a big IF, the conditions are right. Thing is about the hour record is it's in a velodrome, there's no head wind or tail wind, it's man v's the lowest drag levels possible without any aids or hinderance. In some ways it's a bit of a fantasy world & averaging around 30mph for 1h is something I know I can't do.
> 
> *Out in the real world* I know I can maintain *30-35mph* most of the way up the B1368 between Barley & the A505 then the A505 to the A10 with a nice tail wind & I didn't feel like I was totally spent. Thing is though, under the same conditions I was looking at 5-15mph A10 to Barkway (a little further down the B1368), why? that time I had a head wind plus a slow but steady climb.



Really? What on a motorbike? B*ll Sh*t


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## GrasB (25 Nov 2009)

Bill Gates, road bike with a good 40 to 45mph tail wind down hill. It's about conditions & you can get to silly speeds if you get the right ones.


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## Ceedee (25 Nov 2009)

on the road said:


> When they say bursts of 30 mph, they mean doing 30 for maybe a minute or 2. But it's not big white lies, it is possible to do 30 for a *short* time, just not all the time. I can do over 30mph on the flat giving the right conditions, if I've got a strong tailwind then I can keep that speed up for as long as I have that tailwind, once I lose the tailwind then I slow down.
> 
> As for time trials, it is possible to average over 20mph, because the route is carefully chosen.
> 
> Find yourself a 10 mile circular route with no traffic lights and no right turns, see what kind of average you get.



Good answer, choose a 10 miler and see if you improve your own ave speed.

my average speed for the year is 15.55 but I have ridden all different conditions and gadients.


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## Downward (25 Nov 2009)

jimboalee said:


> More Jimbo mumbo-jumbo.
> 
> On a journey of 10 miles, there are thirty instances where I might be forced to stop. I call them 'Stop Junctions'. Traffic lights, T, Islands etc.
> There are twenty 10m contours which are uphill. These are 'Slow spots'.
> ...



How much Ascending is that doing in Feet.

True though about the Road conditions

One of my logs is a 13.1 mile ride - 13.47mph average 1019 feet of climbing. Route county lanes.
Commute 6.6 miles- 13.49mph average, 332 feet of climbing. Route Main roads with traffic.

I know which one was easier


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## jimboalee (26 Nov 2009)

Garz said:


> My point exactly MY.
> 
> I suppose the true average speed of a rider would be all solo efforts within a month of riding, cyclogs would then display a truer figure.



But that would depend on the ratios of city, country and motorway riding.


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## jimboalee (26 Nov 2009)

Downward said:


> How much Ascending is that doing in Feet.
> 
> True though about the Road conditions
> 
> ...



Take no notice of it, it's MUMBO JUMBO.

To answer the eternal question "How fast can I go on a road bike?";

"How much power can you produce?"


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## Downward (26 Nov 2009)

jimboalee said:


> Take no notice of it, it's MUMBO JUMBO.
> 
> To answer the eternal question "How fast can I go on a road bike?";
> 
> "How much power can you produce?"



Anyone can do 20mph easily on a bike but most of us have to stop.


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## jimboalee (27 Nov 2009)

Downward said:


> Anyone can do 20mph easily on a bike but most of us have to stop.



Claps his hands a few times.

What is the Mumbo jumbo telling you?

When you ride a bike round a track, as I did a lot in the seventies and eighties at the Birmingham track under Spag' Junc, you get to know how fast you can ride.

But, out on the open road ( which means 'open to all users'), there are all sorts of obstacles against a rider's progression.

The Mumbo jumbo on this occassion was a little experiment to formulate a departure time for my commute from Castle Bromwich to Hockley Jewellery Quarter, taking into consideration junctions and contours where I might have to stop or slow down.

It worked to a fashion, not being more than 3% adrift. Some juncs I didn't need to stop and some I did, but it all averaged out in the end...

Departure time was set at the 'worst case scenario', so any juncs I rode through without slowing were a bonus.

The same methodology worked fine when I rode from MIRA to Coventry rail station in the nineties. 3 minutes wait for the train was long enough.. amongst those Sky blue morons.

Nowadays, I have a more sophisticated method, because I'm not going to count all the junctions and contours on a 200 km Audax route.


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## Garz (27 Nov 2009)

jimboalee said:


> When you ride a bike round a track, as I did a lot in the seventies and eighties at the Birmingham track under Spag' Junc, you get to know how fast you can ride.



I take it this isn't still there (as i have never seen it)?


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## jimboalee (27 Nov 2009)

Garz said:


> I take it this isn't still there (as i have never seen it)?



Nope, it ain't there. It was demolished in the mid nineties to have 'Super Six' soccer pitches laid.

This news was in Cycling Weekly at the time.


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## jwd80 (23 Dec 2009)

I've recently moved from a fairly flat area to a very hilly area. Before the move I could average up to 19 mph over 20 miles, and 22 mph in a time trial- which i think is 'OK', although not outstanding. Now after the move, I'm averaging about 15 mph, cos there lots of hilly roads. Shows you how the environment effects speeds. But I do think the hilly roads gives good interval training in which to build performance.


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## Bill Gates (23 Dec 2009)

jwd80 said:


> I've recently moved from a fairly flat area to a very hilly area. Before the move I could average up to 19 mph over 20 miles, and 22 mph in a time trial- which i think is 'OK', although not outstanding. Now after the move, I'm averaging about 15 mph, cos there lots of hilly roads. Shows you how the environment effects speeds. But I do think the hilly roads gives good interval training in which to build performance.



Exactly.

If I go out for a recovery ride I'm in a low gear and spinning on flatish roads for about 45 minutes @ 65% MHR and average 17.5 mph.

I go out for a hilly training ride for +2 hours @ 75/80% on the flat and pushing up to 95% on some of the hills and average 17.5/18.0 mph.

Average speeds mean diddly squat.


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## jasonmccullum (24 Dec 2009)

i ride a 35 mile route in just over 2 hours 15. this works out just over 15 mph.

I would take what people say with a pinch of salt as each person works there time out differently.

an example of this is my cycle computer only runs when i am moving, if i stop at traffic lights the timer pauses. so might be out for longer that 2 hours but computer only records when i am actually moving.

Work out your how you want to record your own time and just try and beat it. thats what i do


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## gavintc (24 Dec 2009)

Road bike speed is to the cyclist what the fish that got away is to the angler.


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## Flipside (24 Dec 2009)

My commutes are quite hilly and i am on a heavy steel mtb with 26in knobbly tyers my average is 8.88, not fussed in the slightest. I am looking forward to changing the tyers to road tyres to see if it makes any difference once this weather changes.


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## Garz (24 Dec 2009)

jwd80 said:


> I've recently moved from a fairly flat area to a very hilly area. Before the move I could average up to 19 mph over 20 miles, and 22 mph in a time trial- which i think is 'OK', although not outstanding. Now after the move, I'm averaging about 15 mph, cos there lots of hilly roads. Shows you how the environment effects speeds. But I do think the hilly roads gives good interval training in which to build performance.




QFT. I would only use the av speed to compare your _own_ fitness as a guage, if you start involving other people then unless you ride along-side them it wont be a fair comparison.

Just enjoy your rides and log for personal reasons.


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## Banjo (24 Dec 2009)

In rolling countryside with not too many stops at junctions etc I do about 15 to 16 mph average on the road bike but have to say I get passed by bikes more often than I pass another bike :-)


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## scott s10 (24 Dec 2009)

i can not sustain higher speeds for long distances i can only average about 17-18mph for 40 miles which is quite slow compared to some people in my club.


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## a_n_t (24 Dec 2009)

Garz said:


> QFT. I would only use the av speed to compare your _own_ fitness as a guage, if you start involving other people then unless you ride along-side them it wont be a fair comparison.




Which is why the good old club 10 is a great fitness indicator. You do the same course every week with pretty much the same people. Sure the conditions will change but if its windy and you have a stinker just check out how someone who is usually close to you went. Much better than using the average speed on a commute, too many variables imho.


and btw http://www.manchesterwheelers.co.uk/news/20/detail.htm


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## Garz (24 Dec 2009)

Damn I wonder who this Mr Blair is, if only he used these forums..


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## MacB (24 Dec 2009)

I log all my miles and the averages vary wildly from pootling with the kids to my own personal training runs. They're differentiated by ride type on cyclogs so I can view my averages splits by social, training, commute and pootling, I don't bother. Initially it mattered a lot to me but that was mainly due to wanting to be able to ride with others, only socially mind you. Next year I'd like to try some of the local club runs with the slower group. Again I will use cyclogs tracking to make sure that I'm fast enough to be able to keep up. Apart from that I only use my stats to see if I'm improving.

I'd also agree with those that feel hills are immaterial as the descent averages against the climb. But only to a point as other factors can make hilly rides slower on average. Not all descents can be taken at speed and there are people, like myself, who descend slowly no matter what.


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## jimboalee (24 Dec 2009)

jimboalee said:


> More Jimbo mumbo-jumbo.
> 
> On a journey of 10 miles, there are thirty instances where I might be forced to stop. I call them 'Stop Junctions'. Traffic lights, T, Islands etc.
> There are twenty 10m contours which are uphill. These are 'Slow spots'.
> ...



This is quite good for commuting. For countryside rides, there's another 'frig-factor' that can be used.

When marching, it is generally accepted to be a 20 minute mile, but add on 1 minute for every contour you cross UP OR DOWN.

In cycling, the speed is faster (x5) so add on 12 seconds for every contour UP ONLY.

The time saved going fast downhills is counteracted by when you have to stop at junctions.

It's not exact, but you can plan a reasonable ETA at the cafe.


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## BentMikey (24 Dec 2009)

GrasB said:


> It's easy enough to do those sorts of speeds for long periods if, and it's a big IF, the conditions are right. Thing is about the hour record is it's in a velodrome, there's no head wind or tail wind, it's man v's the lowest drag levels possible without any aids or hinderance. In some ways it's a bit of a fantasy world & averaging around 30mph for 1h is something I know I can't do.




I know someone who's done just over *35mph for a whole hour*. No, it's absolute truth, and it's not Boardman either.


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## a_n_t (25 Dec 2009)

Garz said:


> Damn I wonder who this Mr Blair is, if only he used these forums..



if only


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## Garz (26 Dec 2009)

There were rumours he was a catologue model for cycle-wear!


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## Ian H (26 Dec 2009)

BentMikey said:


> I know someone who's done just over *35mph for a whole hour*. No, it's absolute truth, and it's not Boardman either.



Yes, but did they do it lying down?


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## yenrod (26 Dec 2009)

Hacienda71 said:


> Hope this is in the right forum. Having got into cycling this year to increase my fitness levels, I seem to becoming a little obsessive about recording my miles and speed, but riding on my own in general i wonder about other peoples speeds. I see a lot of posts from people saying that they do bursts at thirty mph or the high twenties and on 10 mile time trials people are clearly averaging well over twenty, but on cyclelogs there don't seem to be many people over 18 mph let alone 20, so is all the chat just banter and bravado or do the really competitive riders not bother with cyclogs. by the way i am not implying i will ever be a quick cyclist just wondered what the reality is and what club riders do.



If anyone can ride at 20mph....for a long time; they're either a seasoned roady / racer... OR talking out of their ARSE !


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## BentMikey (26 Dec 2009)

Ian H said:


> Yes, but did they do it lying down?



Well of course! In a streamliner too, it was LeeW. I seem to recall he did 35.1 miles in the hour, this was outdoors. I forget where, some track I think.


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## BentMikey (26 Dec 2009)

yenrod said:


> If anyone can ride at 20mph....for a long time; they're either a seasoned roady / racer... OR talking out of their ARSE !



I'm no racing snake, and I can do rather more than 20 on the flat for a couple of miles. Admittedly I'm cheating, mind.


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## Ian H (26 Dec 2009)

yenrod said:


> If anyone can ride at 20mph....for a long time; they're either a seasoned roady / racer... OR talking out of their ARSE !



Hmm. Well, as an old fart (56 if you must know), who tried time-trialling for the first time in around fifteen years, I managed a fraction over 23mph for my first 50 of the year - not good enough to get in the prizes, but not too bad. 

(Admittedly, two hours and a bit is not really a long time.)


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## a_n_t (26 Dec 2009)

yenrod said:


> If anyone can ride at 20mph....for a long time; they're either a seasoned roady / racer... OR talking out of their ARSE !




really? Averaging over 20mph for 10 miles isn't _that _hard! But then whats "a long time"?


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## gaz (27 Dec 2009)

a_n_t said:


> really? Averaging over 20mph for 10 miles isn't _that _hard! But then whats "a long time"?



Depends on the route, no way i could maintain that without going 10 miles in the first place. too many traffic lights near me.


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## jeltz (27 Dec 2009)

Most of the social rides I go on average about 13-15mph and I live in a hilly area. 

I can only sustain 20 mph+ on the flat (or down hill) for a few miles, before I get to the next hill.


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## marzjennings (27 Dec 2009)

yenrod said:


> If anyone can ride at 20mph....for a long time; they're either a seasoned roady / racer... OR talking out of their ARSE !



Not a seasoned roadie, not even cat 3, but I average 20mph on most of my rides.


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## GrasB (27 Dec 2009)

jimboalee said:


> The time saved going fast downhills is counteracted by when you have to stop at junctions.


It's rather scary how quickly junctions add up.. This is the data from my last commute, this route was on roads known to be clear of ice where I may have to stop for traffic when on side roads etc. 
Distance: 14.68miles
Max: 26.4mph
Door to door time/ave speed 49:34/17.77mph
Rolling time/ave speed 45:17/19.45mph


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## a_n_t (27 Dec 2009)

Well i kinda meant doing a 10 TT!

Averages on normal roads are useless.


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## Garz (27 Dec 2009)

Out of interest ant, any places to go nearby that have no junctions etc to do any kind of TT circuit?


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## a_n_t (27 Dec 2009)

dunno, here's our club 10 course 

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...53.22212,-2.318459&spn=0.029959,0.090637&z=14


wether or not its local is another matter! think its about 25 miles from me!


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## Ian H (27 Dec 2009)

If you live in a large conurbation you're likely to find any TT courses are some distance away. Ask you local club.


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## Ludwig (27 Dec 2009)

Damn dudes! you sound like a right bunch of nerds. Go at whatever speed you feel comfortable doing and enjoy the scenery. The emphasis on speed and athleticism is very off putting to the casual cyclist who just wants to get from A to B. So if you can all grow up a bit it would be much appreciated.


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## BentMikey (27 Dec 2009)

Ludwig said:


> Damn dudes! you sound like a right bunch of nerds. Go at whatever speed you feel comfortable doing and enjoy the scenery. The emphasis on speed and athleticism is very off putting to the casual cyclist who just wants to get from A to B. So *if you can all grow up* a bit it would be much appreciated.



I suppose that goes just as much for those who don't like to tolerate what others enjoy.


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## jeltz (27 Dec 2009)

Ludwig said:


> Damn dudes! you sound like a right bunch of nerds. Go at whatever speed you feel comfortable doing and enjoy the scenery. The emphasis on speed and athleticism is very off putting to the casual cyclist who just wants to get from A to B. So if you can all grow up a bit it would be much appreciated.



I'm a leisure cyclist, I do it for fun but can't see why it this kind of discussion is off putting it is after all a sport as well as a means of transport.


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## Randochap (27 Dec 2009)

Ludwig said:


> So if you can all grow up a bit it would be much appreciated.



Growing up is overrated. Look what its done for you.


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## Garz (27 Dec 2009)

Ludwig has kind of like bought a digi telly with built in freeview but is too scared to venture past channel 5 methinks!


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## on the road (28 Dec 2009)

Don't mention how many channels you've got


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## GrasB (28 Dec 2009)

Ludwig said:


> Damn dudes! you sound like a right bunch of nerds. Go at whatever speed you feel comfortable doing and enjoy the scenery. The emphasis on speed and athleticism is very off putting to the casual cyclist who just wants to get from A to B. So if you can all grow up a bit it would be much appreciated.


Did you ever stop to consider that for some people a comfortable speed is one where you are sweating, working hard & going damn quickly? Also that seeing a fast cyclist in the distance & trying to catch the is part of their enjoyment of cycling, knowing that some people won't be caught but the fun is in the trying regardless.

One would have to question the mentality of a leisure or utility cyclist just going from A to B who is put off or intimidated by competitive, performance or sporting cyclists who are trying to push their abilities to their limits in some form. Next you'll be saying utility drivers will be put off by those people who chose to go out & improve the driving skills be it on track, through advanced driver tuition or are involved in competitive motorsport! 



Randochap said:


> Growing up is overrated. Look what its done for you.


Hear, hear! Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional


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## yenrod (29 Dec 2009)

a_n_t said:


> really? Averaging over 20mph for 10 miles isn't _that _hard! But then whats "a long time"?



At least over 2hrs...


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## hambones (29 Dec 2009)

Depends if you are riding alone or in a group. 20mph for several hours is pretty comfortable if you are sitting behind a strong rider all of the time.


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## a_n_t (30 Dec 2009)

yenrod said:


> At least over 2hrs...




still do-able in a tt


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## bobbiezak (30 Dec 2009)

I use a 19 mile loop round Pexhill, Over Alderley. Henbury, Gawsworth and Broken X doing 15-16 MPH. There are some short sharp climbs and some downhills to balance it out


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## harry dunn (1 Jan 2010)

Dont worry too much about average mph. just enjoy getting out on the bike . You'll find that even if you do the same circuit all the time its going to change due to things like didnt sleep enough, traffic heavier that day , headwind or tail wind, mind not concentrating ..being a cycle tourist and enjoying the scenary. 
Keep a log of your rides but dont get obsessive about it.As your general fitness improves so will come speed.


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## steve52 (4 Jan 2010)

wow i did a 60 with a group and managed 18.2, and nearly died my normal ave on my own is 15-16 if i feel like working less if im cruzing, my best flat sprint was 38 mph for as long as it took to read it on my bike computer 0.3 of a second lol


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## steve52 (4 Jan 2010)

and i havent managed 20 for a ten yet lol im 7 seconds aweay from being a propper cyclist(so my brother says)


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## Paul N (20 Feb 2010)

First time out on my new bike today and I averaged 15.3mph with a max speed of 26mph. I'm hoping to improve on this as I get more comfortable with the bike.


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## PK99 (20 Feb 2010)

jig-sore said:


> i log all my rides !!!!!
> 
> your average mileage takes into account all the times you crawl up a hill at 9mph or stop for traffic etc. most of the time i ride between 18 and 24 mph on the flat but my average is very rarely near this, in fact i've never got over 19.3mph average.
> 
> anyone remember Mean, mode, and median from school ???? http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/book8/bk8i5/bk8_5i2.htm




Over what is the average taken?

If i ride for 3/4 hours, 30 min will be "warm up" as i get out of town. 2/3 hours will be a mix of flat terrain and Surrey hills, 30 mins will be steady riding again through traffic to get home.
Average? 12-14 mph is actually pretty meaningless!
Typical on extended flatter sections: 20 mph

A lap of richmond park 16.5mph
to the park, 3 times round and home (29 miles) typically 14/15mph - rolling average not counting breathers between laps.

Comparing your average to other peoples average without having a comparable base is an utterly meaningless exercise in futility!

I have a numbers of routes i do faily regularly and have an experince based idea of good/bad/indifferent times for those.


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## lukesdad (20 Feb 2010)

I do a 42 mile each way commute 4 days a week quite hilly and average between 16.5 and 19.5 mph wind being the overiding factor. Last chaingang run with the club 50 miles 2700ft climbing avs 20.2 mph but we were forcing it.


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