# Average speed



## ianwoodi (5 May 2013)

I have been cycling for a year now and have made alot of progress over the year. Now my average speed over a 30 miles with alot of hills is 16mph. How dose this compare with other cyclists as i am a lone cyclist i have no one to compare it with


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## dodgy (5 May 2013)

Check out local cyclists on Strava, you'll see the length of their rides, where they rode, how fast, how much they climbed etc.


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## 400bhp (5 May 2013)

How long is a piece of string.


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## GrasB (5 May 2013)

ianwoodi said:


> I have been cycling for a year now and have made alot of progress over the year. Now my average speed over a 30 miles with alot of hills is 16mph. How dose this compare with other cyclists as i am a lone cyclist i have no one to compare it with


Does it actually matter?

If you are a solo rider you just need to be happy with your riding abilities for the terrain. If you're not happy then train, if you are happy then carry on with what you're doing.

If you're looking to group ride then you need to find out what clubs & groups there are in the area to find out which one you fit in with not only in terms of strength but also socially & philosophically. I mean I often go out with a group of much weaker riders than me, for me it makes a nice recovery ride because they're not interested in training. Riding with exactly the same group of riders if they were interested in training wouldn't fulfil my needs & so I wouldn't ride with them.


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## Pikey (5 May 2013)

400bhp said:


> How long is a piece of string.



Twice from one end to the middle.


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## Andrew_P (5 May 2013)

dodgy said:


> Check out local cyclists on Strava, you'll see the length of their rides, where they rode, how fast, how much they climbed etc.


Strava stalking, my favourite hobby!! I only pay for pro so I can whittle it down by age group to try and help my ego.


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## MickeyBlueEyes (5 May 2013)

The only way to make an accurate comparison with other riders is over the same route. 16mph average over some of the Derbyshire Hills vs 16mph over the flats in Lincolnshire, means nothing, inaccurate data.

To compare with another (mainly) solo Derbyshire rider, my averages sit between 15 mph at the start of the year, peak around 18-19 mid year, then I back it off again towards the end of year.

Most importantly, are you having fun ?


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## SpokeyDokey (5 May 2013)

Pikey said:


> Twice from one end to the middle.


 
Ah....but where exactly is the middle?


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## SpokeyDokey (5 May 2013)

ianwoodi said:


> I have been cycling for a year now and have made alot of progress over the year. Now my average speed over a 30 miles with alot of hills is 16mph. How dose this compare with other cyclists as i am a lone cyclist i have no one to compare it with


 
Well, that's quick to me but probably slow to others!

There are too many variables really. Your fitness, age, build, CV system. Blah, blah, blah.

Just log your rides. Revel in your improvements.

One day in the future you'll plateau and then further down track you'll start to decline. Mimics life really. Enjoy it all whilst you can as one day there will be no ride tomorrow!


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## Hip Priest (5 May 2013)

Depends what you mean by hilly. I can do a 20 mile flat route (500ft of elevation) with an average of 20mph. Make it 20 miles with 2000ft of climbing, and I'd be looking at 11-12mph probably.


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## DCLane (5 May 2013)

It depends; e.g. I did 70 very hilly miles yesterday at 14.5mph average. However, my commute's 21mph (into work) or 16mph (going home) - which is based on mostly downhill/uphill.

Just enjoy it.

And if you want to compare, get Strava as @dodgy states.


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## ianwoodi (5 May 2013)

I have uploaded 2 rides to strava and i am above average so well pleased you have to set some goals in a hobbie


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## Nearly there (5 May 2013)

If your a solo cyclist strava is the best way to compare but be warned its addictive


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## ianwoodi (5 May 2013)

hi yes i think it is first time i have used it


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## SpokeyDokey (5 May 2013)

ianwoodi said:


> I have uploaded 2 rides to strava and i am above average so well pleased you have to set some goals in a hobbie


 
I agree some goals may be good for some people (I like them) but they are far from essential in a "hobby".


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## Matthew_T (6 May 2013)

16mph is close to what I average. On the commute I can only average 14mph because of wind/rain/weight of bike. I have never averaged over 20mph though even if I could do that on the flat with no wind (target for summer).


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## Cyclist33 (6 May 2013)

GrasB said:


> Does it actually matter?
> 
> If you are a solo rider you just need to be happy with your riding abilities for the terrain. If you're not happy then train, if you are happy then carry on with what you're doing.
> 
> If you're looking to group ride then you need to find out what clubs & groups there are in the area to find out which one you fit in with not only in terms of strength but also socially & philosophically. I mean I often go out with a group of much weaker riders than me, for me it makes a nice recovery ride because they're not interested in training. Riding with exactly the same group of riders if they were interested in training wouldn't fulfil my needs & so I wouldn't ride with them.


 
How very altruistic of you!!


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## cyberknight (6 May 2013)

Matthew_T said:


> 16mph is close to what I average. On the commute I can only average 14mph because of wind/rain/weight of bike. I have never averaged over 20mph though even if I could do that on the flat with no wind (target for summer).


I think its mostly the weather, i recently re read an article comparing a 20 year old steel pinarello to a modern dogma and the average speed for the giro on the two bikes has only gone up about 5 kph and i suspect some of that would be done to modern sports science as much as weight of the bike.
Comparing my virtuoso to my boardman i can be within half a mile an hour average over a 24 mile loop and the lighter bike is about 3 kg lighter
This makes interesting reading..
http://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/7661/why-arent-tour-de-france-riders-going-any-faster


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## numbnuts (6 May 2013)

Sit back and spin and enjoy the ride, lifes too short to be rushing about.


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## Mo1959 (6 May 2013)

numbnuts said:


> Sit back and spin and enjoy the ride, lifes too short to be rushing about.


Couldn't agree more. Life seems to slip past at an alarmingly fast rate once you get older so better enjoying what you are doing rather than beating yourself up caring about how you compare to others.


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## Hip Priest (6 May 2013)

I doubt I'd enjoy cycling as much if I just cruised along smelling the flowers. I like the feeling of getting faster, fitter & stronger. I desire a lithe torso, rippling calves and razor sharp tanlines and by God I'm going to get them!


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## david k (6 May 2013)

ianwoodi said:


> I have been cycling for a year now and have made alot of progress over the year. Now my average speed over a 30 miles with alot of hills is 16mph. How dose this compare with other cyclists as i am a lone cyclist i have no one to compare it with


 
netter than me, i average that on the flat


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## DiddlyDodds (6 May 2013)

On a good day 18mph average , on a bad day 12mph average


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## ianwoodi (6 May 2013)

Been out this afternoon covered 33miles and average speed 17.3mph two gould cups on strava so a good day all round rest day tomorrow


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## cyberknight (6 May 2013)

ianwoodi said:


> Been out this afternoon covered 33miles and average speed 17.3mph two gould cups on strava so a good day all round rest day tomorrow


Very hard for me to get KOM`s round here, seems all my routes have been hammered by members of the clubs fast group.
the club secretary is a full minute faster up my local hill , a 5 % average and he can do it at an average of 18 mph uphill.
http://goo.gl/maps/w6xQX


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## Pedrosanchezo (6 May 2013)

cyberknight said:


> Very hard for me to get KOM`s round here, seems all my routes have been hammered by members of the clubs fast group.
> the club secretary is a full minute faster up my local hill , a 5 % average and he can do it at an average of 18 mph uphill.
> http://goo.gl/maps/w6xQX


It's called a "beast of a tailwind".


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## Andrew_P (6 May 2013)

The main thing I look for is weekly/monthly/annual averages that's really were you should see an improvement. That's where Garmin connect excels you can get that report up for weeks/months/years. Single rides can be influenced by so many factors, I could quite easily say my average is xx mph to work and could post up a few rides to prove it, but I would be lying... Where as the last 30 days takes out the unusual beneficial weather, traffic, legs and hangovers.


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## Hip Priest (6 May 2013)

Most of the decent segments on my training rides are used for road racing. More chance of me becoming prime minister than swiping a KOM.


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## Andrew_P (6 May 2013)

Hip Priest said:


> Most of the decent segments on my training rides are used for road racing. More chance of me becoming prime minister than swiping a KOM.


I look for first page on most of mine, chuffed if I get top ten.


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## Andrew_Culture (6 May 2013)

Depends on the traffic lights.


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## Pedrosanchezo (6 May 2013)

Andrew_Culture said:


> Depends on the traffic lights.


You are a bad man.......


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## Andrew_P (6 May 2013)

The shoot thing about Strava is that often I will be close or even rarely above the current KOM when view by "Today/week/month" and he is KOM from 2010 so you know that it was freakish conditions tailwinds or group riding. Strava has lost a bit of spice for me due to this.


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## Pedrosanchezo (6 May 2013)

I think the best way to look at it is with something like Garmin connect. It can summarise days, weeks months and years into a lot of useful data. Here is my April to give an idea of an average speed for the month. For me this includes recovery rides and relaxed club runs. Hope it's helpful. The software is free, you just need a Garmin. 

Count:
18 Activities


Distance:
596.65 mi
Time:
34:25:48 h:m:s
Elevation Gain:
10,816 m
Avg Speed:
17.3 mph
Avg HR:
--​Avg Run Cadence:
--​Avg Bike Cadence:
76 rpm
Calories:
41,195 C
Max Avg Speed:
20.6 mph
Max Power - 
Max Speed:
58.5 mph
Max Elevation Gain:
2,173 m


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## Sittingduck (6 May 2013)

Can't believe you only hit 58.5mph in April 






Joking....!


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## ianwoodi (6 May 2013)

Never come close to 58mph how do you do it rocket pack


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## Pedrosanchezo (6 May 2013)

Erm......that one was aero tuck and long steep, winding hill. Decent road surface too which for me is the difference between being on the brakes and going with the flow. Best not to think of these things too much. Mess with the head.

Defo don't go home and tell the missus. She won't be as pleased as you think!


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## Ningishzidda (6 May 2013)

Go ride round for 100 miles. Make sure there aren't any hills that would get a Tour de France category. Look at the average speeds of the flat stages of the tour. If you are averaging 2/3 of their speed, you're doing OK.


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## Pedrosanchezo (6 May 2013)

Actually the mini pedro on my shoulder (dressed in all white) has just suggested that i should not encourage such things and strongly advise that no one go faster than they are completely comfortable with.


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## gbb (6 May 2013)

ianwoodi said:


> I have been cycling for a year now and have made alot of progress over the year. Now my average speed over a 30 miles with alot of hills is 16mph. How dose this compare with other cyclists as i am a lone cyclist i have no one to compare it with


 
How old are you ian ?
16mph average is very respectable, not set the world on fire respectable, but you'll notice you don't get many people overtaking you. That's telling you something in itself....or that's what I found.
At 45, I was generally averaging 16 mph on rolling countryside, it took a huge amount of effort over a season to up it to 18 mph..but beware, if i'm typical of most people, I simply got fed up of busting a gut in the end. I got a huge amount of pleasure and pride in building that extra 2 or 3 mph, but in the end, you realise you just can't keep upping it...we all have a limit. So I sat back and enjoyed it and slowly slid back to 16 mph.
If its important to you...its important. It was to me, or how do you increase fitness without benchmarks to work to ? But only to the point where age, health or you simply realise its no longer that important any more.
At 50, I realised I couldn't keep it going...and sat back. But what went before WAS important.


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## Andrew_Culture (6 May 2013)

LOCO said:


> The s*** thing about Strava is that often I will be close or even rarely above the current KOM when view by "Today/week/month" and he is KOM from 2010 so you know that it was freakish conditions tailwinds or group riding. Strava has lost a bit of spice for me due to this.



Yup, the local bike club thrashes all KOMs on windy days.


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## HLaB (6 May 2013)

Ive not broke 40mph this year, Cambs/ Leicester/ Northants/ Rutland needs some longer non technical hills; I have the feeling I could have today but I couldn't use my smallest two cogs.
Back to the OP question my average speed varies alot depending on the circumstances, a flat commute can be 11mph or less, whereas a hilly bumpy is usually in the region of 15-16mph, go figure  And today my third consecutive ride was 18.4mph and my first TT was 23mph (I havent been faster but I havent done another flat one).


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## Andrew_P (6 May 2013)

Pedrosanchezo said:


> I think the best way to look at it is with something like Garmin connect. It can summarise days, weeks months and years into a lot of useful data. Here is my April to give an idea of an average speed for the month. For me this includes recovery rides and relaxed club runs. Hope it's helpful. The software is free, you just need a Garmin.
> 
> Count:
> 18 Activities
> ...


 
And mine, not bad for an old duffer @@ 48, if only I packed in the fags... lol

pity my climbing is in imperial


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## Hip Priest (6 May 2013)

My all-time top speed is 34mph. Despite being well placed on most local Strava segs, I am bringing up the rear on any steep descent. I am a cowardly descender. The anti-Pedro!


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## Shut Up Legs (6 May 2013)

Hip Priest said:


> My all-time top speed is 34mph. Despite being well placed on most local Strava segs, I am bringing up the rear on any steep descent. I am a cowardly descender. The anti-Pedro!


I prefer to call it "prudent descender", and I'm the same. I just prefer to get to the bottom in 1 piece, rather than taking one too many risks.


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## guitarpete247 (6 May 2013)

Out today I averaged 7.13 mph. I wasn't alone. I had GF who is not an experienced cyclist. I was on my heavy, steel, 1987 MTB. I also had trailer with 2 little girls 4 and 2 years old but who will be 5 and 3 in a couple of months. 

So My speed, today, doesn't bother me. We had a great ride and a picnic in a children's park (as can be seen from my linky). Some of the wobbly bits in the road were when we had to hang about behind a couple of farm workers moving some 'in calf' heifers.


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## ianwoodi (7 May 2013)

I AM 53 YEARS OLD AND GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME WITH AGE


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## ianwoodi (7 May 2013)

You should never give up in trying to improve yourself weather its in fitness or health or life is not worth living


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## Pedrosanchezo (7 May 2013)

LOCO said:


> And mine, not bad for an old duffer @@ 48, if only I packed in the fags... lol
> 
> pity my climbing is in imperial
> 
> ...


Defo give up the fags!! 

Mine seems to default to metric. Here is imperial version of those April elevation stats:

Elevation gain - 35485ft

Max elevation gain - 7129ft 

It was a pretty hilly month but i was ill and off the bike for a week at the beginning of the month, so i tried to make up for it. 
Think i was only on the turbo 3 times the whole month. A testament to the decent/dry weather we have been getting.


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## Rob3rt (7 May 2013)

Hip Priest said:


> My all-time top speed is 34mph. Despite being well placed on most local Strava segs, I am bringing up the rear on any steep descent. I am a cowardly descender. The anti-Pedro!


 
I am the same, I go uphill fairly well and usually have to wait for quite a few at the top, but coming back down, they will all be waiting for me at the bottom, lol


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## Andrew_P (7 May 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> I am the same, I go uphill fairly well and usually have to wait for quite a few at the top, but coming back down, they will all be waiting for me at the bottom, lol


 Whoops a bit of Red Wine bank holiday willy waving from me.

Progress for me is the key, I am sure at some point I will plateau but as someone said earlier always trying to get better go longer or faster, for me it is part of the enjoyment from cycling nothing against pootling around, in fact I love doing that with the kids but I would be lying if I said I didn't think about the impact the pootle was going to have on my monthly average speed! I love looking back and comparing April 2013 to 2012 and 2011 etc


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## ianwoodi (7 May 2013)

Man after my own heart nothing against the pootling but i am to young to pootle plenty of time in my 70s to pootle if i last that long


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## SquareDaff (7 May 2013)

All relative - I cracked 18.7mph average on the 30 mile commute into work this morning - TBH I'm not interested in competing against other people. I'm approaching 45 and am absolutely certain there are many people out there that will be faster than me. With the best will in the world I'm only going to get slower!!

I track my training from the start of my season (1st April this year) throughout. As long as I can see that I'm improving that works for me. Oh - I don't mean obsessively either.


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## Rob3rt (7 May 2013)

SquareDaff said:


> All relative - I cracked 18.7mph average on the 30 mile commute into work this morning - TBH I'm not interested in competing against other people. *I'm approaching 45* and am absolutely certain there are many people out there that will be faster than me. *With the best will in the world I'm only going to get slower!!*
> 
> I track my training from the start of my season (1st April this year) throughout. As long as I can see that I'm improving that works for me. Oh - I don't mean obsessively either.


 
You might want to look at your local TT and race results! Put it this way, 80% of the top 10 in the TT I raced on Saturday were Vets (>40 years old)! One of the 2 riders in the top 10 who was not a Vet was a pro rider, 26 years of age, he did not win, he came 2nd! The guy who won, was a Vet!


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## DWiggy (7 May 2013)

Strava is your friend (my personal best friend) , push yourself on as many segments as you can you your ride, if there are not enough segment's then create some, you will soon get a jist of the typical speed for your area and for your ride (you can even make your whole ride a segment), theres nothing quite like getting into the top ten and getting the converted KOM, well that will really make your day!!!


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## SquareDaff (7 May 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> You might want to look at your local TT and race results! Put it this way, 80% of the top 10 in the TT I raced on Saturday were Vets (>40 years old)! One of the 2 riders in the top 10 who was not a Vet was a pro rider, 26 years of age, he did not win, he came 2nd! The guy who won, was a Vet!


Is that experience and tactics showing through? "Or is it just that all the younsters spend all day sat on their backsides in front of the TV playing on the XBox" he says, lighting the blue touch paper and standing well back


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## ianwoodi (7 May 2013)

Careful


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## Mo1959 (7 May 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> You might want to look at your local TT and race results! Put it this way, 80% of the top 10 in the TT I raced on Saturday were Vets (>40 years old)! One of the 2 riders in the top 10 who was not a Vet was a pro rider, 26 years of age, he did not win, he came 2nd! The guy who won, was a Vet!


Sorry if this is a daft question, but is there an age when you can't really expect to improve much? Or, if like me you haven't really started cycling until you are in your fifties, can you realistically expect to at least make a reasonable amount of improvement if you put the effort in?


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## SquareDaff (7 May 2013)

Mo1959 said:


> Sorry if this is a daft question, but is there an age when you can't really expect to improve much? Or, if like me you haven't really started cycling until you are in your fifties, can you realistically expect to at least make a reasonable amount of improvement if you put the effort in?


I'm not expert - but I'd expect that, at any age, if you put effort into improving then you will see a return. The returns might not be as great as if you were in your 20's though! In your case, if you've only just really started cycling I'd expect the returns to be very noticeable, mainly as the initial baseline is probably low (I don't know how much cycling you consider "haven't really started")


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## Rob3rt (7 May 2013)

SquareDaff said:


> Is that experience and tactics showing through? "Or is it just that all the younsters spend all day sat on their backsides in front of the TV playing on the XBox" he says, lighting the blue touch paper and standing well back


 
Pacing and experience will only get you so far, you still need the engine and vice versa, such things are not mutually exclusive!

If age was as dramatically limiting as many people allude to, then the small percentage of the field made up by the younger riders would make up the largest percentage of the fast end of the results sheet! But this is not the case.

As for age distribution of entrants, you will find that there are a lot of >40's racing bikes and they make up a large part of the field. This is partly due to expense, some people think you need all the best kit to race, which can put many off. Gear becomes increasingly important as you get better especially at the sharp end of TT'ing where the gear can make the difference between winning and not winning but not having the gear shouldn't put you off giving it a go. But it is also probably partly due to lifestyle, as people get older, generalising, their lifestyle becomes less sporadic, this lends itself to pursuits such as racing bikes! There are probably many other factors too it.


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## Pedrosanchezo (7 May 2013)

Mo1959 said:


> Sorry if this is a daft question, but is there an age when you can't really expect to improve much? Or, if like me you haven't really started cycling until you are in your fifties, can you realistically expect to at least make a reasonable amount of improvement if you put the effort in?


Mo, you will be able to come on leaps and bounds. It all just depends on time spent in the saddle. I have faith in you! I like Crieff people.


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## Mo1959 (7 May 2013)

Pedrosanchezo said:


> Mo, you will be able to come on leaps and bounds. It all just depends on time spent in the saddle. I have faith in you! I like Crieff people.


Ha, ha.........I take it you used to live around here. I suppose I have improved slightly but I don't think I will ever have the legs/lungs to get all that much better. Afraid average ride speeds of only around 14mph seem pathetic to me compared to the vast majority on here.


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## SquareDaff (7 May 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> If age was as dramatically limiting as many people allude to, then the small percentage of the field made up by the younger riders would make up the largest percentage of the fast end of the results sheet! But this is not the case.


That does surprise me - but I have no reason to doubt what you say.
I know I still feel pretty good - I'd just assumed I'd be doing better when I was younger (can't comment as I didn't cycle in my "peak" years). Maybe that's not the case after all.


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## Sittingduck (7 May 2013)

Mo1959 said:


> Afraid average ride speeds of only around 14mph seem pathetic to me compared to the vast majority on here.


 
I seriously wouldn't worry about it. Average speeds really don't mean much because of all the variables. The main killers for my avg speeds are elevation and weather conditions. Anyway, I reckon that the vast majority will fall somewhere within one or 2 mph either side of that figure.


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## Octet (7 May 2013)

Just got back into the saddle after a long period of not cycling. After noticing the flab on the stomach, I thought it was time I started to get some more exercise in. On the flats I can average about 15 mph, up relatively steep hills (subjective, I know) I can manage about 7 mph.

Anyway, hopefully I can bring up my average to 20 mph by the time summer comes around.


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## Rob3rt (7 May 2013)

Not to be a debbie downer, but I wouldn't bank on such gains! It may be a 33% speed increase but it is much more in terms of power!


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## Octet (7 May 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> Not to be a debbie downer, but I wouldn't bank on such gains! It may be a 33% speed increase but it is much more in terms of power!


 
That's a point, I didn't think of it like that.
Well, hopefully I shall at least get myself back into shape, and if I get to a 20 mph average then brilliant.


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## Andrew_P (7 May 2013)

Mo1959 said:


> Ha, ha.........I take it you used to live around here. I suppose I have improved slightly but I don't think I will ever have the legs/lungs to get all that much better. Afraid average ride speeds of only around 14mph seem pathetic to me compared to the vast majority on here.


That's a really good speed, it took me to cycle through my first winter to start see good gains. That's got nothing to do with cycling in the cold and was all about being consistently in the saddle. Although I would also add winter riding is tougher buy cannot beat it for effect. If you hibernate away from the bike during the winter you more or less start from scratch again.


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## Andrew_P (7 May 2013)

Octet said:


> Just got back into the saddle after a long period of not cycling. After noticing the flab on the stomach, I thought it was time I started to get some more exercise in. On the flats I can average about 15 mph, up relatively steep hills (subjective, I know) I can manage about 7 mph.
> 
> Anyway, hopefully I can bring up my average to 20 mph by the time summer comes around.


Don't go chasing it too hard, 15mph to 20mph is a big leap in % terms without even considering the extra resistance you start to generate the faster you go I would say it is closer to 45-50% increase in your power output


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## uclown2002 (7 May 2013)

Octet said:


> Just got back into the saddle after a long period of not cycling. After noticing the flab on the stomach, I thought it was time I started to get some more exercise in. On the flats I can average about 15 mph, up relatively steep hills (subjective, I know) I can manage about 7 mph.
> 
> Anyway, hopefully I can bring up my average to 20 mph by the time summer comes around.


 
Good luck with that! 15-20 mph average is a monumental leap in performance. I doubt there are many seasoned riders on here who average 20mph on a decent ride.


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## 400bhp (7 May 2013)

Sittingduck said:


> I seriously wouldn't worry about it. Average speeds really don't mean much because of all the variables. *The main killers for my avg speeds are elevation and weather conditions*. Anyway, I reckon that the vast majority will fall somewhere within one or 2 mph either side of that figure.


 
And talent perhaps?


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## Sittingduck (7 May 2013)

That too


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## Pedrosanchezo (7 May 2013)

Mo1959 said:


> Ha, ha.........I take it you used to live around here. I suppose I have improved slightly but I don't think I will ever have the legs/lungs to get all that much better. Afraid average ride speeds of only around 14mph seem pathetic to me compared to the vast majority on here.


I genuinely believe that more time in the saddle will reward you with better fitness and as a result you will become faster. Just as less time in the saddle will eventually make you go slower. I am not going to recommend interval training of course but i would say taking in the odd hill on each ride will speed up the process. Also try keeping your cadence quite high until it becomes second nature. Maybe somewhere between 75-95rpm. I say this because i see a lot of riders churning huge gears and really making hard work for themselves. Efficiency is the key. 

What kind of bike do you ride Mo? Road? Hybrid?


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## Mo1959 (7 May 2013)

Pedrosanchezo said:


> I genuinely believe that more time in the saddle will reward you with better fitness and as a result you will become faster. Just as less time in the saddle will eventually make you go slower. I am not going to recommend interval training of course but i would say taking in the odd hill on each ride will speed up the process. Also try keeping your cadence quite high until it becomes second nature. Maybe somewhere between 75-95rpm. I say this because i see a lot of riders churning huge gears and really making hard work for themselves. Efficiency is the key.
> 
> What kind of bike do you ride Mo? Road? Hybrid?


Actually have 3  Strange thing is I find very little difference in speeds no matter which one I use. Best bike is Specialized Ruby but I am inclined to use the Forme Longcliffe most as invariably the roads are a mess and I put mudguards on it. I have been doing a bit of climbing lately even although I find it hard work. Did the Dunning Glen last week and often go up the climb out of Comrie to go along the Langside. Speed is only creeping up very slowly and did my longest ride so far this morning of 52 miles so getting there gradually.


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## Hacienda71 (7 May 2013)

Your aero profile I think makes a big difference to your speed as well. Upright on the hoods will be much slower than low down on the drops. The faster you go the more this matters. Look at a TT rider they stay mega low with their hands close together reducing their frontal area considerably.


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## Pedrosanchezo (7 May 2013)

Hacienda71 said:


> Your aero profile I think makes a big difference to your speed as well. Upright on the hoods will be much slower than low down on the drops. The faster you go the more this matters. Look at a TT rider they stay mega low with their hands close together reducing their frontal area considerably.


Absolutely and this is why core work is paramount. Spending 20 minutes, let alone a few hours, in an aero position can be a neck, back, shoulder pain fest! I am so used to riding aero that i now think i get sore when i sit up.


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## Herzog (8 May 2013)

Pedrosanchezo said:


> Absolutely and this is why core work is paramount. Spending 20 minutes, let alone a few hours, in an aero position can be a neck, back, shoulder pain fest! I am so used to riding aero that i now think i get sore when i sit up.


 
It's amazing what the body can accommodate/ignore. After working on my body position a lot in the last two seasons, I can maintain an areo profile much longer (and without thinking about it) than before.


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## 400bhp (8 May 2013)

Pedrosanchezo said:


> Absolutely and this is why core work is paramount. Spending 20 minutes, let alone a few hours, in an aero position can be a neck, back, shoulder pain fest! I am so used to riding aero that i now think i get sore when i sit up.


 
Interesting.

I've recently bought some TT bars and have used them a few times, the most recent being an hour on saturday. I don't seem to suffer (non legs) pain wise, albeit I didn't change the riding position (the bike fit I had said to knock 10mm off the stem and 7mm forward seat adjustment).

The more I read and experience about riding fast, the more I realise (for me) it's more in the head than in the body. I just need to harden the feck up.


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## Fasta Asloth (8 May 2013)

400bhp said:


> And talent perhaps?


And traffic lights... if you're an urban rider and don't rlj......


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## Rob3rt (8 May 2013)

400bhp said:


> Interesting.
> 
> I've recently bought some TT bars and have used them a few times, the most recent being an hour on saturday. I don't seem to suffer (non legs) pain wise, albeit I didn't change the riding position (the bike fit I had said to knock 10mm off the stem and 7mm forward seat adjustment).
> 
> *The more I read and experience about riding fast, the more I realise (for me) it's more in the head than in the body. I just need to harden the feck up.*


 
Probably true for most. I find I can suffer more on the turbo than on the road, on the road there are too many things going through my head at times.


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## Ningishzidda (8 May 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> Not to be a debbie downer, but I wouldn't bank on such gains! It may be a 33% speed increase but it is much more in terms of power!


 
Power / speed is a square law.

To double speed, multiply power output by 4.

33% speed gain requires a 99% power gain.

Easy. 20 Watts at 6 mph, 40 Watts at 8 mph.


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## Hacienda71 (8 May 2013)

400bhp said:


> Interesting.
> 
> I've recently bought some TT bars and have used them a few times, the most recent being an hour on saturday. I don't seem to suffer (non legs) pain wise, albeit I didn't change the riding position (the bike fit I had said to knock 10mm off the stem and 7mm forward seat adjustment).
> 
> The more I read and experience about riding fast, the more I realise (for me) it's more in the head than in the body. I just need to harden the feck up.


 
Yeah ya lazy fekker.


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## Pedrosanchezo (8 May 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> Probably true for most. I find I can suffer more on the turbo than on the road, on the road there are too many things going through my head at times.


Weird i am the opposite. I concentrate to much on the suffering on the turbo and time seems to stand still. Outside i can enjoy the scenery and forget that nasty growling pain in my legs. Time seems to go by much quicker too.


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