Average speed on a road bike

[RedBike]

Crikey, I'm feeling a bit slow looking at some of these times.

I can't average 20mph unless the conditions are just right. Add in hills. twisty desents, wind and my average speed just comes tumbling down.

On most of the hilly sportives i've done this year i've only averaged about 14-16mph. Yet this has been enough to get me in amoung quickest finishers.

 

[Perry]

14mph is a good average for me, I must be slow.

Me too, that's on my commute with the odd hill and lights.

 

[bikevigilante]

average

i am running at 14.8mph at the moment and if you check consett area on an O/S MAP that is not bad - normal roads around 22mph - but saying that the cahin set I have on I can get upto 36mph on the flat.
I am trying to keep the average up as I am in training for a couple of charity events- anyone interested have a look at bikevigilante.co.uk

 

[jimboalee]

Crikey, I'm feeling a bit slow looking at some of these times.

I can't average 20mph unless the conditions are just right. Add in hills. twisty desents, wind and my average speed just comes tumbling down.

On most of the hilly sportives i've done this year i've only averaged about 14-16mph. Yet this has been enough to get me in amoung quickest finishers.

15 mph overall average has got you in amongst the quickest finishers?

I must enter a sportive. Do they have special prizes for veterans?

 

[jimboalee]

15 mph overall average has got you in amongst the quickest finishers?

I must enter a sportive. Do they have special prizes for veterans?

Yes, an ambulance ride.

 

[thomas]

20+ average on a commute? with all the red lights, traffic.. ??
Reading this thread I wonder how some people calibrate their computer :-)
Or maybe I'm just slow, I rarely do faster than 15mph average (but improving!).

I've got about 4 sets of traffic lights on my commute. Traffic can be a problem.

On the way there i'd average about 16-18mph, home about 18-19mph. If there's bad traffic I'll loose about 1/2mph on my average. I'm much more of a short distance rider though. I can hold reasonably decent speeds to work and back, but couldn't do that for a day or a longer ride.

If I'm just going out for a ride, depends what mood I'm in and if I'm with people, distance, etc. Maybe between 14-19mph.

 

[garrilla]

This week I've extended my commute to 20.6mile and I did 15.8 on monday, 16.8 yesterday and 17.2 today.

I'd like to claim the performance gain on my efforts but obvioulsy the weather is due a shout for some part. However, over the next few week I hope to have this boxed off and by June and then throughout the summer I hope to be coming in at around the 20mph mark.

 

[jimboalee]

As a side note.

Audax UK have 'speed limits' on their rides.

Up to 200km, the organiser has the discretion to set the speeds. 10 kmh being the slowest and 30 kmh being the fastest.
Some organisers set 10 - 20 kmh and some set 15 - 30 kmh. Some set 10 - 25 kmh.

Between 200 and 699km, the speed limits are 14.3 - 30 kmh.
Then up to 1299km, 13.3 kmh.
Then up to 1899km, 12 kmh.
Then up to 2499km, 10 kmh.
Then events over 2499km, more than 200km every 24 hours.

The optional slow speed of 10 kmh for a 'populaire' shorter than 200km ( usually 50 and 100km rides) is to encourage beginners and novice cyclists.

It is recognised that as the distance increases, a rider's speed reduces

 

[John the Monkey]

On the commute, 17-18mph, depending on conditions on the way in, on the way back, 14-15mph (traffic heavier, more dangerous to move quickly &c) over about 13 miles. I could probably get 19ish on the way in if I mixed it with the busses, but the attitudes of the drivers from some companies mean that I don't.

At weekends, between 17 and 19mph depending in whether I have to slow down because I'm lost, and on how much distance I intend on doing - usually over 25-40 miles.

 

[TeddyP]

Average speed

I averaged 14.4 mph on my mountain bike on a 30 mile coastal ride, mainly flat but very breezy. Times according to my GPS.

 

[beachcaster]

My rides are all around my home in a hilly area of Wales. An typical ride takes in around 1000ft of climbing every 7 or 8 miles, with lots of 10% sections. My average speed over the last 1000 miles has been 11.7 mph.

I am 60 years old and had a heart attack (after a lifetime of smoking) 18 months ago and took up cycling in order to get fit after I left hospital. It has become a passion.

Well done that man Impressive

barry

 

[Bensbikespares]

My avrage on a Mtb is about 8.8 or somthing but i use it around town and doing jumps, my max speed is 31.0mph in a 30 speed zone.

Bearing in mind ive only got 30% gears working

 

[Wankelschrauben]

I've been very consistent with the 3 mile shallow climb home, my average speed has been about 10 mph, I put new tyres on it today and achieved an average of 13mph on the same road. The difference good tyres make.

 

[bassthatguitar]

This forum has made me feel much better about how I'm coming on cycled about 15 miles today. averaged about 18mph on the way there and then I was against the wind on the way back so 15.2mph in total. I maxed at 31.2 mph

 

[Speedywheelsjeans]

Absolutely nothing, nothing like the averages of other people here. I don't have a roadbike I have a hybrid. I've been cycling more seriously for 3 years (with a season out in there) and have yet to achieve these average speeds that other people claim is normal within a few weeks or months. Hills have improved, speeds on the flats (where available) haven't improved one iota over distances.

On the other hand I don't use a computer, I measure pure crude average speed which is different to some of the computers, but that'd only make a diff of perhaps 1mph.

What would you consider a realistic average then? I regularly travel the 50ish miles from swansea to cardiff and I can average 20+mph on a good day, one section in particular where the road is smooth and flat I put it in my 52 ring and maintain 30mph for a few miles on the TT bars. On my commutes to work and general riding I average between 17-20mph. But it all depends on lots of factors, I have averaged as little as 13mph on some days.