How is it that you're sometimes faster at the end of a decent ride?

[Stonechat]

You know you're pushing a little bit, if you've been riding a fair bit, maybe some aches in the legs, but by the time 50 miles are in the bag, you're going better than at the start?
Natural endorphins? So you don't feel discomfort?

 

[goody]

Maybe the coffee taken at the cake stop is having an effect and you're rushing to get back to the loo.

 

[ColinJ]

I take a long time to warm up so I often feel better in the second half of a ride. (Mind you, half the time I am going straight up a whacking big hill from a cold start, which never helps!)

 

[I like Skol]

Was considering this just this week. My commute is 10 miles each way. I often grumble and moan for the first half of the ride and just don't feel like I am getting in to 'it'. By the time I am covering the final mile I feel like I have picked up the pace and am just settling into a groove where I could keep going for hours..... Then I have to stop and get a shower
One day I will ride straight past work and just keep going........

 

[Milkfloat]

My thoughts are that you have warmed up and you have been holding yourself back a little for most of the ride.

 

[raleighnut]

it's definitely part down to the fact you've warmed up but I also think it has to do with stopping 'trying' too hard, I've found that once you relax and just ride you're often faster (well I am)

 

[Fab Foodie]

it's because you're getting closer to the pub ....

 

[sheddy]

Well the misses seems to like it...

 

[Globalti]

Arf arf.

 

[Spinney]

Cos if I approach my house from the west it's downhill...

 

[ozboz]

I usually head off toward Richmond Park , its just over a mile , uphill , steady at first the goes quite steep to the gates , My legs are burning and I'm out of puff when I ride through them , but it all gets better from there !

 

[User33236]

I had a PB on a local Strava segment, straight run with no lights, I set on the ride back home at the end of the Manchester / Blackpool ride. Seems the relatively leisurely pace had been a nice warmup as it's a segment I ride along regularly and it took me 2 1/2 years to better that time.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Like Colin it takes a long while for me to warm up, I normally go well in the middle of the ride and tire towards the end, but occasionally I find that I've not gone well until the end of the ride. Like Stonechat I'm puzzled as to why that should happen and I haven't figured out why yet. Its like the fact that after a long ride I've got no appetite until the following day and I can't sleep the night after a ride. I would have thought that I'd be hungry after a ride and sleep well but usually neither happens.

 

[albion]

You ate baked beans and they are now having the desired affect.

Tail wind.

 

[screenman]

For me it would be wanting to use the loo that would speed me up.