Average Speed

[lejogger]

I slow down in the winter months.

^^ This ^^

 

[lejogger]

Just one problem with that Rob, I have difficulty with people and groups of people, besides i am only really interested in my improvements over time not racing against someone, or time.

Even if you're not in an official event you can still record your times over a proper TT course to gauge improvement. This will be far more consistent than using a commute or other normal route as the turns will be left handers and there will be few lights and roundabouts. You're not doing it to break any records or beat anyone but you can accurately gauge average speed improvement without relying so much on traffic and lights being in your favour

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Just to get a little idea of how average speed is affected by traffic lights:

For example say a cyclist can cycle consistantly at 10mph for 10 miles, if obvious it would take me 60 mins to complete the journey.

If i throw in 3 sets of lights and it takes 2 mins for the lights to change at each set ( if catch all red at the wrong time). It will now take me 66 mins to complete the route: My average speed is now 9mph.

I have lost 10% of my average speed and thats without taking account of acclerating or breaking away or to lights.

But it's not your avg moving speed. The two are different things.

Even if you're not in an official event you can still record your times over a proper TT course to gauge improvement. This will be far more consistent than using a commute or other normal route as the turns will be left handers and there will be few lights and roundabouts. You're not doing it to break any records or beat anyone but you can accurately gauge average speed improvement without relying so much on traffic and lights being in your favour

I can set up my own for repeated time trials, the way I look at it, is overall performance will work out in time, I am not out to break any records just improve my fitness, its not even a weight issue never was. Just that I am at a level I can go where I want no matter what the terrain, I cam make Wakefield from here in about 40 mins, when I started the first hill nigh on killed me and I used to crawl up it, these days it doesn't although faster on it, I am now quicker and it is more convenient than the train or bus, plus I save £3.20 toward the bike. In fact if I set of at the same time as the train, I get to my destination about the same time, now the train is much faster than me, but I dont have to cycle out of Wakefield city centre.

 

[aces_up1504]

So when people quote average speed, Its there moving average rather than journey average?

 

[Nigelnaturist]

So when people quote average speed, Its there moving average rather than journey average?

Usually, if its taken from a cycle computer. Though some can show both, as will sites like strava ridewithgps ect.

 

[vickster]

Presumably if there are lots of lights and junctions, your average speed is lower as you have to slow down for such annoyances and then get going again? Hills are rubbish for my average speeds

I can't see that it really matters other than as some idea - better to see if you can better your time on a set route in similar traffic conditions - if it worries you.

 

[aces_up1504]

Does not worry me as such, more interested in finding what speed I am actually pedalling at.

Probably time to invest in a basic wireless computer i think

 

[vickster]

Indeed, perhaps with cadence if you can afford it

I personally like the Cateye Velo wireless but there are cheaper

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

So when people quote average speed, Its there moving average rather than journey average?

Yes, I'm pretty sure that moving average is the figure most people will quote. There is still the slowing effect of lights, waiting for traffic, etc, but a bigger part of it is the getting up to speed and slowing down. You can improve your moving average speed by muscling your first few starting out pedal strokes and by braking harder at stops (unless you know the lights are about to change to green). But it will still not be a good representation of your speed. Better to do a measured distance on open roads. It will still be faster judging from my experience and it will be closer to the journey average. A 50 mile ride out of town will give me a higher moving average than a 5 miler into town.

 

[aces_up1504]

Yes, I'm pretty sure that moving average is the figure most people will quote. There is still the slowing effect of lights, waiting for traffic, etc, but a bigger part of it is the getting up to speed and slowing down. You can improve your moving average speed by muscling your first few starting out pedal strokes and by braking harder at stops (unless you know the lights are about to change to green). But it will still not be a good representation of your speed. Better to do a measured distance on open roads. It will still be faster judging from my experience and it will be closer to the journey average. A 50 mile ride out of town will give me a higher moving average than a 5 miler into town.

I am always amazed by how slow the average speed in the car computer gives, for around 500 miles at mixed usage its around 23mph. So can give you and idea of how "obstacles" can make a difference to average speeds

 

[Rob3rt]

If you want to know how fast you are and are not willing to actually race. Find out the courses your local clubs use for their 10 and 25 mile time trials and ride them in your own time, there will not be any traffic lights, all turns will be left handers, either corners or scooting round the edge of a roundabout so you can carry through a lot of speed. If it is an out and back course, you might go straight over a roundabout or two then do a U-turn at a round about to come back on yourself, but you won't be stopping at any point except in exceptional circumstances. If you use the course at a similar hour they run their TT's but on a different day you will encounter less traffic. Riding a none stop efforts of 10 miles or 25 miles will give you a good idea of the sort of average speeds you can actually maintain (you will still be subject to traffic to some degree and also other conditions, but it is probably the best way to benchmark on the open road).

Actually racing a TT would be better as you will push harder in a race environment, also there will be marshals and some road signage alerting drivers of a cycling event/race going on so they may be a bit more considerate about not holding you up. But it is not for everyone, I understand that. If you do fancy doing one or two, don't worry about fancy equipment.

 

[lejogger]

If you want to know how fast you are and are not willing to actually race. Find out the courses your local clubs use for their 10 and 25 mile time trials and ride them in your own time, there will not be any traffic lights, all turns will be left handers, either corners or scooting round the edge of a roundabout so you can carry through a lot of speed. If it is an out and back course, you might go straight over a roundabout or two then do a U-turn at a round about to come back on yourself, but you won't be stopping at any point except in exceptional circumstances. If you use the course at a similar hour they run their TT's but on a different day you will encounter less traffic. Riding a none stop efforts of 10 miles or 25 miles will give you a good idea of the sort of average speeds you can actually maintain (you will still be subject to traffic to some degree and also other conditions, but it is probably the best way to benchmark on the open road).

Actually racing a TT would be better as you will push harder in a race environment, also there will be marshals and some road signage alerting drivers of a cycling event/race going on so they may be a bit more considerate about not holding you up. But it is not for everyone, I understand that. If you do fancy doing one or two, don't worry about fancy equipment.

Also this ^^

I had a go at my first TT last summer and averaged 25mph for the course. I now know I'm capable of that under race conditions despite never having achieved that before as i certainly gave it everything, the commute is hilly and stop-starty and club runs are never at full pace for very long (if at all).

 

[redcard]

Mine didn't I got faster till Aug then I slowed down and so far I am slower this month than last month.
View attachment 19385

My average speed increased by around 1mph every month for the first 6 months, and levelled off around 17-18mph for my commute. If I'm below 17 one day I'll make a pretty concerted effort to make sure I make up for it following day

 

[Nigelnaturist]

My average speed increased by around 1mph every month for the first 6 months, and levelled off around 17-18mph for my commute. If I'm below 17 one day I'll make a pretty concerted effort to make sure I make up for it following day

Like i said apart from peaking in Aug about 14mph it went down, but that was due to more climbing, it was painful and slow, but I got better, today I did 37.3 miles @ 13.14mph, but I climbed 2223ft 59.62ft per mile, I wouldn't have even looked at that in Aug when I was hitting speeds of 16mph avg (once) I did 25.32 ft per mile climbing, thats where the difference is I am not really to bothered about fast avg's it's nice to have them, but I would rather climb ( all be it slowly ), because if can climb I can go on rides where I couldn't, and enjoy it.

 

[MrJamie]

If you want to know how fast you are and are not willing to actually race. Find out the courses your local clubs use for their 10 and 25 mile time trials and ride them in your own time, there will not be any traffic lights, all turns will be left handers, either corners or scooting round the edge of a roundabout so you can carry through a lot of speed. If it is an out and back course, you might go straight over a roundabout or two then do a U-turn at a round about to come back on yourself, but you won't be stopping at any point except in exceptional circumstances. If you use the course at a similar hour they run their TT's but on a different day you will encounter less traffic. Riding a none stop efforts of 10 miles or 25 miles will give you a good idea of the sort of average speeds you can actually maintain (you will still be subject to traffic to some degree and also other conditions, but it is probably the best way to benchmark on the open road).

Actually racing a TT would be better as you will push harder in a race environment, also there will be marshals and some road signage alerting drivers of a cycling event/race going on so they may be a bit more considerate about not holding you up. But it is not for everyone, I understand that. If you do fancy doing one or two, don't worry about fancy equipment.

I decided to do exactly this last summer I'd been repeating a few local routes trying to get round as fast as possible, which were a mixture of light gravel trails, cyclepaths with numerous blind road crossings etc and absolutely gunning it (safely) round on my hybrid(mtb) I could average a little over 15mph. I found a local 10mile TT route on Strava and gave that a go, like you say a couple of roundabouts and then a 180 back to start, average over that despite stupidly trying it in rush hour was about 18mph. I don't think either figure really tells much of a useful story though, give me some hills and ill be last everytime