Are these times any good for a beginner.

[CXRAndy]

As said above you have to be really getting fit to knock out 20 miles in an hour , the fastest i ever did was 24 miles at that average and i was on the rivet all the time .
Good riders can obviously do faster and when you move into time trial bikes that a whole new ball game , Philipo Ganna did a 13 km TT this year at an average of just under 40 mph but its a short distance on a pan flat course

My fastest riding was just a few years ago, I did Tour of Cambridge. I averaged >21mph for 80 miles, the first 40 miles were greater than >23mph and the first 20 miles ave over 25mph. Im by no means super fit , I would say then, fair to middling.

Younger riders can knock out some decent pace. I spotted one of my club riders did his first 100 miles this week, he solo'd 20mph average for the 100 .

 

[keithmac]

I doubt that there are more than 10% of the British population who could manage more than ten miles in a day.

That puts you in the top five percent.

As a kid, me and a few mates would think nothing of doing a 40 miler (20 miles there and 20 back).

My lad would easily do that as well.

If it's right 10% is shocking really!.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I think it’s more likely that no more than 10% would contemplate cycling 10 miles as being perfectly ordinary. Many have a poor relationship with exercise. Just as some have no idea about the price of milk, some have no idea what a reasonable comfortable cycling distance is.

 

[houblon]

42 Km’s on an indoor bike are nothing like the same distance outside, outside I would expect that distance to be done in about 2 hours ish , doing it in an hour will have world tour teams chasing your signature, closely followed by UCI testers wanting blood and urine samples

Am I missing something? 42km in an hour is mediocre in an open (amateur) British time trial. I've beaten that several times and I wasn't that good, though the older I get the better I was.

 

[DRM]

Am I missing something? 42km in an hour is mediocre in an open (amateur) British time trial. I've beaten that several times and I wasn't that good, though the older I get the better I was.

A sub 1 hour 25 mile is a pipe dream for a beginner straight off a spin bike, 1 hr 10 would be good going for an on form amateur rider with all the gear on a TT bike, on a road bike it’d be even harder, we are talking about someone who sounds like he’s using a spin bike right now

 

[rogerzilla]

Look at the ride lengths- the 1500m of climbing was over 135km (4200 ft of climbing over 84 miles roughly= 50ft climbing per mile). My 1200 feet of climbing was over 28 miles, roughly 46 feet of climbing per mile- there isn't much in it.

But the point it is- FTP alone doesn't indicate speed. There are a lot more factors to consider: bike choice, rider size and weight, tyre choice, clothing choice, how aero or not someone is, wind speed and direction, wheel choice, terrain etc.

Tyres make a vast difference. My mate is 20 years younger, has more power and 8lb less flab than me but, on the flat, he struggles to hang onto my back wheel if I'm on fast tyres and he's on touring tyres. Nothing special, just Vittoria Rubino Pro, which is a decent training tyre.

 

[houblon]

I have only taken up cycling this year and use an indoor bike currently. Not an expensive one though. I have no idea if these times are any good. I have set myself a target to cycle a marathon (42.17km) in under an hour. Thanks View attachment 579376

Anyway. You got a few 'not a chance's and sparked off a debate about the accuracy of power meters, but not a lot of encouragement.

So I say: yes of course you can. It might take more than a year, but get out there and ride with others when you can. Ride with people older and faster than you (I'm assuming you've got youth on your side, most contributors here don't have that unfair advantage) - you might get dropped a few times but you'll get better and better while they get older and slower. Pay attention to what you eat. Get plenty rest between heavy sessions. Give up smoking. Work on your position on the bike. Join a club. Do some evening 10 mile time trials. Go touring in France. Take a holiday in Mallorca in April. Admire your own legs in the mirror. Find a partner who appreciates cyclists' arses. Enjoy beer (or 'sports nutrition' as it's known in this household).

Unless you're in poor health or badly overweight 40km/hr is attainable. And if you are in poor health and overweight, you'll get healthier and lighter the more you ride.

Where do you live?

 

[houblon]

A sub 1 hour 25 mile is a pipe dream for a beginner straight off a spin bike, 1 hr 10 would be good going for an on form amateur rider with all the gear on a TT bike, on a road bike it’d be even harder, we are talking about someone who sounds like he’s using a spin bike right now

Sure, it'll take time. A lot of folk here are saying 'not a chance'. They're wrong.

 

[PaulSB]

A sub 1 hour 25 mile is a pipe dream for a beginner straight off a spin bike, 1 hr 10 would be good going for an on form amateur rider with all the gear on a TT bike, on a road bike it’d be even harder, we are talking about someone who sounds like he’s using a spin bike right now

Could I ask about the bit I've highlighted please? Just to be clear I think you're saying an on form amateur would find it hard to ride a 10 mile TT in an hour.

I think a decent amateur would complete a TT10 in less than half the time. I've only ridden three TTs as part of my club handicap championship. I didn't enjoy the experience and did no more.

I consider myself a decent club rider. I simply turned up on my road bike and blitzed it. My times were between 26:30 and 27:10. I've several friends who will hit 25-26 on road bikes on a 10.

My last three rides were 90 miles/3500 feet/15avg, 52 miles/1250 feet/17.1 and 54 miles/2500 feet/15avg.

These were Wednesday, Friday last week and yesterday. Just two friends out for a social ride with no big efforts other than a Top 💯 climb in the 90 miler.

Ten miles in an hour is, in my view, slow for a good amateur. I'm 66. The slowest ride my club offers is expected to average 13mph over a 30 mile ride.

 

[T4tomo]

Pretty sure he's saying a 1h10mins 25miles TT... is good going......

Clearly 10mph is not very fast at all.

 

[PaulSB]

Pretty sure he's saying a 1h10mins 25miles TT... is good going......

Clearly 10mph is not very fast at all.

Ah, yes you're quite right. I read it several times and got a different message altogether. Ignore me!

 

[figbat]

So here’s a philosophical one - if OP is using a spin bike, have they really “taken up cycling”? Not trying to diminish or belittle the effort or intent, but without a bicycle, is one cycling?

 

[vickster]

So here’s a philosophical one - if OP is using a spin bike, have they really “taken up cycling”? Not trying to diminish or belittle the effort or intent, but without a bicycle, is one cycling?

Not in my view, they are exercising on a spin bike. Ditto a turbo trainer is a piece of exercise equipment or training tool

 

[houblon]

So here’s a philosophical one - if OP is using a spin bike, have they really “taken up cycling”? Not trying to diminish or belittle the effort or intent, but without a bicycle, is one cycling?

Where did he say he was on a spin bike? As far as I recall he said it wasn't an expensive bike.

We seem to have scared him off anyway :-(

 

[DRM]

Could I ask about the bit I've highlighted please? Just to be clear I think you're saying an on form amateur would find it hard to ride a 10 mile TT in an hour.

I think a decent amateur would complete a TT10 in less than half the time. I've only ridden three TTs as part of my club handicap championship. I didn't enjoy the experience and did no more.

I consider myself a decent club rider. I simply turned up on my road bike and blitzed it. My times were between 26:30 and 27:10. I've several friends who will hit 25-26 on road bikes on a 10.

My last three rides were 90 miles/3500 feet/15avg, 52 miles/1250 feet/17.1 and 54 miles/2500 feet/15avg.

These were Wednesday, Friday last week and yesterday. Just two friends out for a social ride with no big efforts other than a Top 💯 climb in the 90 miler.

Ten miles in an hour is, in my view, slow for a good amateur. I'm 66. The slowest ride my club offers is expected to average 13mph over a 30 mile ride.

No I’m not, I’m saying a 25 mile TT will be a huge effort to go sub 1 hour 10 minutes, ten miles even I could do that in a reasonable time and I’m far from race fit, the OP asked if it’s possible to do 42 km’s In under 1 hour, I say unless they have a huge talent , no, Eddie Merckx did 49.431 km’s In 1 hour, so I stand by what I say