Rate my ride......

[Wigbank]

Got myself one of those map my ride apps. I've just done 11 miles in 49 mins averaging about 13 mph. To be fair I was taking it fairly steady, there was some decent hills involved and a slight headwind and was bloody cold!!

I thought the app had sold me short on the mileage so went and clocked it in the car to see, and low and behold the phone app didn't lie!!

Not sure wether to be disappointed by the low ave speed or not?

 

[Fubar]

13 mph is fine in anyone's book with hills, headwind, etc, the main thing is to use it as your benchmark for future improvement - don't worry how it sizes up against everyone else. Some of the "average" speeds on here would make you want to give up cycling! Regards, Mark

 

[helston90]

Not sure where you are but in this mornings wind I reckon 13mph I would have been pretty happy with (hoping for tail wind on the way home)
Best thing is to do it again on the bike in a few days and compare it to yourself.

 

[cyberknight]

Well done !
Only compare yourself with yourself as everyone rides different bikes, has different levels of fitness and different terrain etc.
If you see and improvement over time you know your getting fitter

13 mph is fine in anyone's book with hills, headwind, etc, the main thing is to use it as your benchmark for future improvement - don't worry how it sizes up against everyone else. Some of the "average" speeds on here would make you want to give up cycling! Regards, Mark

lol !
Like i said averages are meaningless and vary from day to day, mid summer i clocked 20 mph average on a 25 mile circuit but commuting home into a headwind the other week over 10 miles i managed 15.5 mph average .

 

[Wigbank]

That's the thing, some guys who I'm doing this sportive with in April a saying they're clocking 15-17 mph ave. at that pace I don't want to slow them down as we've agreed to stick together, but I don't want them getting frustrated at me.

 

[cyberknight]

when you ride in a group you can save up to 40 % of your energy once you get used to riding on the wheel of the rider in front.
Do not worry with a bit of practise and time on the bike you will be fine and if they have already agreed to ride together and they know you current pace then you will be fine, just enjoy the ride !

 

[CopperCyclist]

lol !
Like i said averages are meaningless and vary from day to day, mid summer i clocked 20 mph average on a 25 mile circuit but commuting home into a headwind the other week over 10 miles i managed 15.5 mph average .

This. I've done almost exactly the same (just replace the 10 mile commute with a seven mile one!). What's worse is the 15.5 mph one felt harder! I thought I was motoring along and expected to see 18mph average.

There's just too many factors to compare average speeds on different sorts of rides - wind, hills, those extra cakes over Christmas, those days over winter when you just Sussex out as it was too cold, traffic lights - you know during and after the ride if you put effort in or not, judge it by that and just bask in the 'good' speeds as and when they turn up!

 

[nickyboy]

For me the factor which affects my average most is the hillyness. Flattish (never had a truly flat ride) 18mph, Mega Hilly 12mph.

So you just can't compare rides. As others have said, just concentrate on improving over similar terrain

 

[paul04]

Like the others have said, don't worry about your average speed, some days when I cycle to work my average speed is say 12mph the next day its 14mph. just as long as your out on your bike and putting the miles in (and enjoying it)

 

[HLaB]

Did you enjoy it Wigbank, if so I'd rate it as a good ride

 

[Andrew_P]

Hill increase my average, what goes up must come down - fast!

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

It's gotta be all about the enjoyment factor. If I was riding a 20 average but found it a chore then I'd much rather ride a 15 but have fun. Don't get hung up on speed, certainly not if you've recently started riding.

 

[Cycleops]

Nothing to be ashamed of here.

 

[jdtate101]

Avg speeds can only really be compared when done over the exact same course. On my regular training route I can avg 18mph over 25miles with 2700ft of climbs, but equally I did a sportive last yr when I averaged 23mph over 153miles, but only climbed 500ft.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I am not the slowest or fastest by any means, but the two short rides I had this morning/afternoon one was at 14mph the other @ 13.2mph and although the amount of climbing in the second was less the wind was 2mph more and for the most part was a head wind.
So if your starting out 13mph is fine, i shouldn't worry about it, as it will increase (mine hasn't, but I try and climb more) I have the data and could show ft/mile ect, but briefly in Aug I attained my fastest avg speed for any month so far of 14.09mph with a 28.03 ft per/mile climbing and 567miles ridden, this dipped to 12.89mph with 48.33ft per/mile and 538miles, this month so far it's 13.39mph with 51.42ft per/mile and 397.41 miles, or from an avg gradient (this is the climbing bit overall its all ways 0 as I start and finish at home) 0.6% in Aug to 0.66% this month, I can now do an average of 1%, and that is where I see my improvemensts
So dont ever go off just one ride, even the same route will vary from day today and through the year, my data includes rides which were just for the ride and the commutes I do ( which isn't much compared with some commutes)
If you want to view the chart it will probable show it better.