Increasing speed & Overall pace

[cyclenovice]

Hi All,


I am new to the cycling world and just wondererd:

HOW YOU INCREASE YOUR OVERALL RIDE SPEED & PACE

My thoughts were do I ..

1) Stay in an easy gear & over weeks slowly increase to a harder gear.

2 )Stay in a difficult gear from now (even if slow at times)& let speed naturally increase over weeks.

Their must be a method or training style ..Please Help if poss thank you

Cyclenovice.

 

[S-Express]

If you are a novice - just ride your bike, enjoy it and don't over-think it. Unless you have any plans on competing next year, then leave any semblance of structure and performance and just ride whenever, wherever and as often as you can, in any gear you like, at any speed you like.

 

[I like Skol]

Speed/pace usually comes with fitness and at the leisure level this roughly equates to time spent on the bike. Usually best to ride frequently for short distances and increase the distance as you feel more capable.

The gears should be used to allow you to remain comfortable while pedalling. There is a thing called cadence and this is the speed at which you turn the pedals. basic advice would be to pedal at around 60-70rpm but everyone is different and this could be anything from 50-90rpm for some people. if it is getting harder and you cannot continue pedalling at above 50-60 rpm then change to an easier gear. If you are flying down hill and struggling to pedal at 80-100rpm or above then change to a harder gear to slow down your pedalling.

Experience is the main thing but you really want to avoid straining muscles and joints trying to pedal in harder gears. It isn't meant to be torture, enjoy the experience and freedom that cycling provides

 

[Racing roadkill]

Are you planning on competing in any sort of racing? If not, don't worry about "speed and pace", if you are, there are several on line features by people who specialise in 'speed, powwwerrrr, Cadence' etc. Optimisation. Riding a bike is very person and bike specific, it's almost impossible to tell someone how to improve, without having seen their setup / riding first hand. As a baseline, I'd recommend joining a cycle club, there will almost certainly be some in your locale. Go out with a social paced bunch ( most cycle clubs have different paced / abliltied groups within them) speak to them, learn from them, give it time, and you'll be 'smashing out some sick rides' before you know it.

 

[I like Skol]

Race, race, race, race.........etc.

I would ignore what RR has said and just enjoy riding your bike for transport and pleasure. Do this often enough and you will likely be amazed at how your fitness soon improves. Not everyone wants to be a racer or club rider (in fact, in my experience most don't) and trying to force anyone down that path is going to quickly turn them off cycling!

 

[MichaelW2]

Efficiency is more important than speed. Unless you are competing, you can pick any work rate (power ) that you are comfortable with. You can apply the power by pedalling hard in a high gear, or rapidly in a lower gear. Most people find that higher cadence pedalling is more efficient but it can also depend on the length of your cranks in relation to your legs.You can also pick a compromise between a low aerodynamic riding position and a higher more comfortable one.

If you are new to cycling and not already an athlete, take a month or 3 to adapt to cycling before using the bike as a training tool.

 

[S-Express]

Talk of cadence, efficiency and power in the beginners forum, in a thread about someone who has just started cycling. I'll just leave that there. .

 

[cosmicbike]

Ride your bike. Be happy. You will, if you want to, get faster with time.
2 years ago my easy pedal pace was 12mph, now it's 16mph for the same effort. My training plan involved riding my bike..

 

[Tin Pot]

1. Bike more.

End.

 

[steve292]

^^^^^^^ wot he said.......

 

[Elybazza61]

Ride lots and get used to the bike and how it handles plus make any small adjustments one at a time.

Then if you wish search for any club rides local to you*,most clubs now have 'easy' paced rides with no drop rules and is a good way to get used to riding in a group and road discipline especially if you start to do sportives.

And unlike Skols's impression above not all club rides are about racing.

*Another option may be to see if there are any Sky rides in your locale or any rides organised by local bike groups.

But above all ride;keep slowly increasing the distance and if you feel up to it add a few 'efforts' in now and again if you wish.

 

[Elybazza61]

Oh and if budget allows a turbo might be handy in the winter just to keep things ticking over if the weather is bad;it can be boring but using a mix of music or using alaptop or pad for videos or a training app like Zwift will help.

Just be careful if you try one of the Sufferfest ones though.

 

[boydj]

Keep your pedalling in a zone where you are comfortably within yourself. This generally means a relatively easy gear and a relatively faster cadence. Pushing a hard gear will make your legs sore fairly quickly while 'spinning' gives your legs a chance to develop some endurance and should improve your aerobic fitness.

 

[screenman]

Start every ride into the wind.

 

[S-Express]

Start every ride into the wind.

Unless you live in a coastal area and the wind is blowing in off the sea.