Beginner cyclist, good average speed to aim for?

[e-rider]

Hello everyone I have recently got a new road bike and i joined a cycling club. So far I am able to do about 16 mph, 26kmh as my average pace. Its not very fast though, what would be a good goal to aim for in average speeds etc?

I am hoping to try and work my way up to the faster group in our cycling club. They do about 30kmh.

Any tips?

there is always someone faster and always someone slower whatever speed you ride at. Set a target, such as your local cycling club fast group and aim for it - you might make it, you might not, just make sure you enjoy what you are doing and remember that it's all good exercise!

 

[mjr]

They may be able to arrange another rider willing to stay with him if necessary .Point I was making is discuss it first not on the side of the road.

Good point. Also, leaving a youngster alone with only one adult probably isn't a wise move unless they've been qualified and ideally not even then.

 

[Tin Pot]

I am hoping to try and work my way up to the faster group in our cycling club. They do about 30kmh.

Any tips?

Bike more.

 

[User48980]

Bike more.

is 7 days a week enough?

 

[Tin Pot]

is 7 days a week enough?

...How many hours per day are you doing, and at what intensities?

 

[User48980]

...How many hours per day are you doing, and at what intensities?

about 1 hour and 20 minutes, I would say 90% effort the whole ride. Then I have a club ride on Saturday which is 3 hours. The club does 65km, then I have to cycle to the meetup some and back so about 92km.

 

[Tin Pot]

about 1 hour and 20 minutes, I would say 90% effort the whole ride. Then I have a club ride on Saturday which is 2 hours 30 minutes. about 92km

I would consider changing this up for better effect. Riding the same way over and over doesn't create the conditions for your body to improve.

Whilst perceived exhertion is ok, I think you need to measure intensity in some objective way, e.g. Power or heart rate.

Then identify your goals; sprints, time trials, endurance racing, criterium, what part of cycling do you want to focus on?

Then segment out a plan combining aerobic work outs, and anaerobic efforts to achieve that goal.

For example, my goal last year was the Ironman bike leg, no sprint efforts needed, so I focussed on all aerobic rides building up distance from 40km Olympic distance to 180km over six months. I used Hill work to give me occasional anaerobic efforts, but the main focus was on cardiovascular fitness.

92km in 2:30 in quite quick, averaging over 33kph. What's different about this ride to take you up from 26kph, or have I misunderstood?

 

[User48980]

I would consider changing this up for better effect. Riding the same way over and over doesn't create the conditions for your body to improve.

Whilst perceived exhertion is ok, I think you need to measure intensity in some objective way, e.g. Power or heart rate.

Then identify your goals; sprints, time trials, endurance racing, criterium, what part of cycling do you want to focus on?

Then segment out a plan combining aerobic work outs, and anaerobic efforts to achieve that goal.

For example, my goal last year was the Ironman bike leg, no sprint efforts needed, so I focussed on all aerobic rides building up distance from 40km Olympic distance to 180km over six months. I used Hill work to give me occasional anaerobic efforts, but the main focus was on cardiovascular fitness.

92km in 2:30 in quite quick, averaging over 33kph. What's different about this ride to take you up from 26kph, or have I misunderstood?

Thanks for the reply.

For exertion, the other day I was at the gym and used the bike machine. For a 40 minute ride my heart rate was about 186 beats per minute average. I was using hill workout mode so it would give occasional hard spikes to climb. Which would be my maximum effort and it would be 198 bpm.

I meant to say I did 2:30 of riding with the club doing 65km. then I had to cycle there and home, so I did an extra 25km.

So would you suggest doing hill climbing and flats in a cycle? because i have about 3 hard hills for climbing in my area. I could do them and then flats, I have done that sort of ride about 3 times before.

 

[Tin Pot]

Thanks for the reply.

For exertion, the other day I was at the gym and used the bike machine. For a 40 minute ride my heart rate was about 186 beats per minute average. I was using hill workout mode so it would give occasional hard spikes to climb. Which would be my maximum effort and it would be 198 bpm.

I meant to say I did 2:30 of riding with the club doing 65km. then I had to cycle there and home, so I did an extra 25km.

So would you suggest doing hill climbing and flats in a cycle? because i have about 3 hard hills for climbing in my area. I could do them and then flats, I have done that sort of ride about 3 times before.

Yes, but variety day to day is what we're after. So, have a couple of days you do anaerobic , intensity work, say

1. get to one of those hills and ride as many repetitions as is sensible
2. get to the gym, warm up, then do 3 minutes very hard, 5 mins easy, five times, warm down

Then have your 3-4 aerobic days

1. Club ride, make sure you are in a group you can stay near the front easily but not so easy you're coasting
2. 1-3hr solo rides, stay seated and lowest gear to spin up hills

Recovery days
Usually 7 days a week training won't optimise you're improvement, the body needs to repair the muscle damage your training causes. However being only fifteen this may vary.
I think most people would recommend that you're having at least one day off, socialise, do homework, see a movie etc.

 

[S-Express]

None of the above represents anaerobic work - but it doesn't actually matter. And words like 'aerobic' and 'anaerobic' are kind of irrelevant for a beginner anyway. Ride hills, ride on the flat, as long as you are riding, you will be improving. Ride with your club over the winter and see where you are in the spring.

 

[Boon 51]

Don't forget your bike?... Lighter wheels and tyres will help and a good bike fit as well. Saddle height etc.

 

[smutchin]

Yes, but variety day to day is what we're after.

Tbh, I think it sounds like he has enough variety already - a few shorter rides at high intensity during the week, plus longer, easier group rides at the weekend sounds like an almost ideal training regime, especially for a young rider who's still fairly new to it. There's a danger of over-thinking it and making it more complicated than it needs to be.

 

[Racing roadkill]

45 Km/h, or your never going to be able to keep up with the faux pro's. But seriously, if you can maintain 28-30 Km/h on the flat, that will be what most people would call a decent cruising speed.

 

[Ben Reeve]

Saw this the other day, might be a useful guide!

 

[Racing roadkill]

View attachment 153937
Saw this the other day, might be a useful guide!

Those are 'average' speeds. Average speeds include a multitude of evils, speeding up, slowing down, getting pinned in traffic, etc. etc. etc. A lot of people 'trim' their Strava plots to deliberately remove any warm up / warm down bits, and deliberately ride flat courses when recording rides, or ride in 'chain gangs' to seemingly get their speeds up. Strava averages are by and large, a load of balls. I find a better way to judge your actual speed, is to look at a GPS speedo when riding at steady state, take a mental note, then the next time you get to a steady state, look again. See if you can get that reproducible, then do similar, but going up inclines, then work on getting those figures reproduceable. When you can hit a certain speed reproducibly, then work on increasing that speed.