YesPretty sure I have seen some erm how can I put this competitive Cams Vids of you racing against complete strangers
but SCR is a different kettle of fish
.Although there was no real racing just me easily overtaking slower cyclists
Just can't get above 16mph average :-(
- Thread starter Easytigers
- Start date
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but SCR is a different kettle of fish.Although there was no real racing just me easily overtaking slower cyclists
videoman
Guru
- Location
- Staffordshire
Only time I achieve 16mph is going downhill with a tailwind, usually only manage around 10 mph but being old and unfit I have a good excuse!
smutchin
Cat 6 Racer
- Location
- The Red Enclave
I'm the same height but under 11 stone but I would consider 16mph a decent average speed on my commute.
If you want to get faster, you need to put more effort in. There are no shortcuts. If you can't get motivated to put the required level of effort in, that means you don't want it badly enough. That's not a criticism - just the opposite, in fact: it means you have your priorities right.
du think tyres are as big a difference as makers say?
(serious question btw)
ayceejay
Guru
- Location
- Rural Quebec
I agree with most here that 16mph is a good average speed over 10 miles, some might even call that a sprint. To take a different perspective: if you want to travel over a particular course faster than previously you need to see where the highs and lows are because your average will have some stretches faster and some slower, right, unless this route is flat and straight and windless? Once you have analyzed your route you can decide which areas to work on: do you try to improve on the slow bits or maximize on the easy bits obviously you can't do much about traffic lights and stop signs but they should fit into your analysis. Is your average the same in both directions, if so why?
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
Do not worry about it too much, my average for a 10 mile commute can vary by as much as 4 mph average dependant on traffic ,weather,tiredness etc!
G3CWI
Veteran
- Location
- Macclesfield
Measure your speed in km per hour. Everything seems better. I find country lanes rather poor for getting good averages. My fastest times are always on A roads.
- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
Well, there's a huge difference between say some 2.5" knobblies and a 23mm Conti Latest Must Have but once you are in the realm of slicks/semi-slicks vs different slicks/semi-slicks on a 'racing' bike you are entering the world of small margins.
I have no doubt that some people are so fit and so well tuned that these small differences make a real difference to their performance but it'll still be in the margins which I do accept may well be crucial to them.
There's many a post re tyres and wheels (esp' wheels) making a world of difference. Generally anecdotal with no/little real evidence of performance gains - same with manufacturers blurb.
Maybe if some real like for like data was published It would help make a properly informed decision. For instance if tyre X shaved 30 seconds off of a 30 miler vs tyre Y under exactly the same conditions you might think that is an absolutely wonderful eureka moment in your life or you might regard it in much the same way as a gnat hitting your windscreen on a motorway.
For someone averaging 16mph as per the OP (a tad more than me btw) I can't imagine specific tyre choice from a world of oh so very similar tyres making a significant difference tbh.
Mo1959
Legendary Member
- Location
- Perthshire,Scotland
I am slightly tempted just to experiment at some point. Have been running the Schwalbe Durano Plus with the wire beads for the last 6 months. If I remember correctly I think they weigh around or just over 400gms which is double the weight of a lot of the racier tyres. If I have any spare cash at some point..........doesn't often happen
I wouldn't mind trying a lighter tyre to see what difference in speed and how the bike handles.The Durano Plus have been amazing having covered well over 4000 incident free miles now and it is maybe silly giving that up for maybe a 1mph increase if even that.
Andrew_P
In between here and there
The other factor could be is your cycle computer set correctly, what tyres are you running and what wheel size have you input? I changed wheels to a Mavic that came with a racier tyre than my normal 4 Season Conti and my speed went up a little bit which I was chuffed with, except my commute distance went from 14.80ish to 14.95ish... Racier tyre = small rolling = incorrect speed and distance.
I went 5 months when I started out using my Garmin 705 letting it autoset the wheel size my commute got shorter and shorter went down as low as 14.5, so I just set a 700c 23mm Gator @ 2096
I went 5 months when I started out using my Garmin 705 letting it autoset the wheel size my commute got shorter and shorter went down as low as 14.5, so I just set a 700c 23mm Gator @ 2096
I got all hung up on average speeds and figures etc when one day I was out for a ride and pedaling down a quiet single track road, spot a guy up ahead making good pace on what turned out to be a slick clad MTB. Anyway slowly pulled him in and as I was passing gave him a nod and a "morning" at that precise moment a chap came steaming past me clad in garmin sharp kit like I was standing still. I went around the next bend and he had pulled 50 meters in a few minutes and was soon out of site despite my 20mph best efforts. I then realised I am 45 years old, only been road cycling since April and what does it matter. I am never going to race and cycle for fun and to keep reasonably fit. My average started around 13mph, soon ramped to 16mph and has stuck there and I tell you what as long as I am enjoying it and it gets me out the house and out in the fresh air for a few hours then who cares.
- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
I am slightly tempted just to experiment at some point. Have been running the Schwalbe Durano Plus with the wire beads for the last 6 months. If I remember correctly I think they weigh around or just over 400gms which is double the weight of a lot of the racier tyres. If I have any spare cash at some point..........doesn't often happen
The Durano Plus have been amazing having covered well over 4000 incident free miles now and it is maybe silly giving that up for maybe a 1mph increase if even that.
I like puncture protection too Mo - I have Marathon Supreme 32mm and so far not a single puncture.
If you ever perform a test let us know the results!
Nomadski
I Like Bikes
- Location
- LBS, Usually
I bought some Michelin Pro 4 Service Course tyres and I havent noticed any difference at all between the stock Schwalbes on my Cannondale and these. So your probably right, at a certain level they will make a difference, but for the mere mortal cyclists its a placebo.
Mind they do look nicer!
Hacienda71
Mancunian in self imposed exile in leafy Cheshire
- Location
- Wilmslow, Cheshire
The main way to get faster if you plateau is to ride more miles and train specifically to improve your sustainable power. This should also help with reducing weight which helps in all areas of cycling although hills in particular. Others with more knowledge than me on the subject of training will eloborate I am sure, but a couple of things that will help are intervals to improve your speed and threshold rides to get your body used to riding at higher speeds for sustained periods.
Getting into a better aero position on the bike will help noticeably as well, basically ride on the drops or get low on the hoods. If you ride on the hoods in an upright position improving your aero shape should give you a mile an hour or so on your average, and the faster you go the more important it becomes. Think of your torso as a massive windbreak.
The bike will help but not a huge amount. If you are already riding 23 tyres, the bike isn't very heavy and your gearing is not holding you back then changing tyres won't make a massive difference. Even the merits of aero wheels are limited at sub 20 mph speeds.
Ultimately fitness is the key.
Getting into a better aero position on the bike will help noticeably as well, basically ride on the drops or get low on the hoods. If you ride on the hoods in an upright position improving your aero shape should give you a mile an hour or so on your average, and the faster you go the more important it becomes. Think of your torso as a massive windbreak.
The bike will help but not a huge amount. If you are already riding 23 tyres, the bike isn't very heavy and your gearing is not holding you back then changing tyres won't make a massive difference. Even the merits of aero wheels are limited at sub 20 mph speeds.
Ultimately fitness is the key.
