10 miles in 42 minutes any good?

[MntnMan62]

You did good. I'm going to be 58 next month and I've been doing 20 miles in an hour and 40 minutes. So I'm only going about 11.5 mph. But I am doing about 1,300 ft of elevation gain in those 20 miles. I've only been riding again since the beginning of May so I feel I've been making progress. And I always make sure to take in some scenery by taking some view breaks at key spots. Just have fun.

 

[stoatsngroats]

Sounds a good time, you’ll get better, more efficient, and healthier.
I very occasionally do a 12 mile commute, in around 45 mins, aged 54, and not in too bad shape. I also don’t use clipless peddles, as I don’t see much benefit from the, and fear the locking in for my feet.
The main point as mentioned a few times is the enjoyment! It’s good to keep an eye on speed/timing etc, but for me it’s not about the data, more the accomplishment.
Well done!

 

[biggs682]

To me it's not about speed or distance it's the enjoyment factor of getting out and looking around you watching the world go by

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Most clubs round here ask that you are able to ride at 15mph on the flat, on your own, on a wind free day before you join one of their "standard" club rides. You easily meet that criteria so by definition you are a decent rider.

Well done.

 

[Mo1959]

To me it's not about speed or distance it's the enjoyment factor of getting out and looking around you watching the world go by

This! I never seem to do the same speed two days in a row. Day before yesterday it was the road bike and 14.6, yesterday I took the hybrid as it was drizzling and set out deliberately taking it extremely easy and only averaged 12.2. Both rides were equally enjoyable, but I do especially enjoy the odd day when I take it extra easy. Unless you're training specifically for something, no point killing yourself. It's supposed to be fun.

 

[alicat]

You should try to have a higher cadence, it works your cardiovascular system more, protects the knees from over stressing. It will build endurance.

Are you sure about that, @CXRAndy?

 

[CXRAndy]

Are you sure about that, @CXRAndy?

Absolutely. I've done countless hours on Trainer Road.

I can set a power level in erg mode, lets say 200W.

I will then vary my cadence, anywhere from 50 rpm to 110 rpm. At the lower cadences, my HR is lower by up to 10 bpm, than higher cadences. So my muscular effort is taking the burden. Its around 85 rpm my HR begins to rise with increased cadence.

By cycling at higher cadences 90+ rpm, you can train your body to become accustomed to long periods of non stop pedalling without burning out your legs. Cardiovascular system recovers very quickly compared to glycogen depleted muscles

My max duration for non stop pedalling is 3 hr 15 mins, some do a lot more, but I'm 55 now. It usually takes me 1-2 months of Trainer Road sessions to get my heart rate to track power level without too much drift over 3 hr sessions.

That's when I know I'm cardio fit.

 

[Boopop]

Did you enjoy the ride? That's all that matters, surely.

 

[HarryTheDog]

I started cycling at 43 and remember reading that I could expect a improvement over 5 years, starting in your 50's I dont know if that would apply.
Comparing yourself to others on a random ride is quite hard as elevation /wind etc is not really a know, If you looked at local time trials of people in their 50's it would give you a false idea ie people doing times of say 23 minutes. That might make you feel you were not doing very well. I am now 58 and have had power meters for a while and all I see is a decline in my power over the last 3 years but I am an experienced rider, you would still see a improvement.
If you bought a power meter and did a ftp test that could give you your FTP watts/kg ( FTP is your supposed max avg watts over a hour) but then again if you compared it on the web it may make you feel crap. Mine is 2.9 watts per kg, on a website that tells me I am in the bottom 23% , however thats really for young riders. For a fairer comparison I read on a site you need to subtract 40 from your age and multiply your watts/kg by 0.04 and add to your original so would give me 3.62 watts/kg which then puts me in the top 36%.Age makes a huge difference apparently. However I race occassionaly in over 50's age group and i am always just in the bottom half so maybe dont believe everything on the web.
Or you could take up time trialing but that could get expensive if you get the bug, or don't stress ride your bike and enjoy!

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I'm 53 years old and just wondered if covering 10 miles in 42 minutes is any good? There was just a couple of hills on the route but it was mainly flat surface. My avg speed says 14.3 mph, but I have no idea if this is any good for my age. I am using a Giant Defy 4 Road bike, it's not a Carbon bike and cost around £600 new. What do you reckon? Cheers!

Thats lively, you're riding about my pace, but as others have said, stop worrying about your pace and just enjoy the ride.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Speed's not necessarily everything. My moving average speed on my last ride was 18.5 kmh (about 11mph) yet I was extremely pleased with it. The ride had other features that were quite challenging. And yes, I enjoyed it too.

 

[Brandane]

Most clubs round here ask that you are able to ride at 15mph on the flat, on your own, on a wind free day before you join one of their "standard" club rides.

And there is another reason why I won't be joining any cycling "club".

 

[Mo1959]

Absolutely. I've done countless hours on Trainer Road.

I can set a power level in erg mode, lets say 200W.

I will then vary my cadence, anywhere from 50 rpm to 110 rpm. At the lower cadences, my HR is lower by up to 10 bpm, than higher cadences. So my muscular effort is taking the burden. Its around 85 rpm my HR begins to rise with increased cadence.

By cycling at higher cadences 90+ rpm, you can train your body to become accustomed to long periods of non stop pedalling without burning out your legs. Cardiovascular system recovers very quickly compared to glycogen depleted muscles

My max duration for non stop pedalling is 3 hr 15 mins, some do a lot more, but I'm 55 now. It usually takes me 1-2 months of Trainer Road sessions to get my heart rate to track power level without too much drift over 3 hr sessions.

That's when I know I'm cardio fit.

No clue on the science, but I know I am more of a grinder and on occasions when I deliberately try to spin at a higher cadence, actually feel more breathless. Presumably if I persevered it would improve. Unless you're a pro, surely it's just as well to cycle in a style that feels right to you rather than force yourself to do something different.

 

[Dogtrousers]

And there is another reason why I won't be joining any cycling "club".

It was a bit of a sweeping statement (that you are replying to). There are plenty of clubs that are more welcoming to all kinds of rider. Sure there are some that have ridiculously high entry requirements, (and no, I wouldn't consider joining any of those either) but it's certainly not a universal thing.

 

[Fab Foodie]

That's interesting. I did notice I was using a higher gear to get upto speed, but I didn't feel totally comfortable while I was in a higher gear. When cycling with two perfectly normal knees do you usually just peddle at a comfortable pace, or do you use a higher gear to add presure to your legs? I'm trying to increase my stamina using cycling as an exercise. So would it be best to apply pressure to the legs or cycle at a comfortable pace to gain stamina? Any thoughts on that anyone? Cheers!

It is indeed a good pace. So no worries there.
Yes, pedal at a pace that's comfortable and use gears to achieve this, too much pressure on the pedals will aggravate the knees with time.
Stamina is an interesting question, Stamina for what?
I have CHD (and am 57) so can't push myself too hard, but I can keep riding at my comfortable pace for over 24 hours and 230 miles over lumpy terrain, that's my stamina. There is no obvious reason why if you pedal sensibly you can't build-up the miles - just listen to your body.
One further point... set-off slowly and gently, to let your body properly warm-up, at least 10 to 15 minutes before upping the pace. At the end allow 10 mins to slow-up before you finish.
But well done :-)

EDIT: Don't go down the Strava/stats route, it's futile. You'll know whether you're getting better or not. Enjoy the ride 'Smiles not miles'!