Road Bike Speed

[jig-sore]

Yes, you just observed an odd statistical piece of data that doesnt really reflect all aspects. The guys with over 16mph average will tend to be only logging (or never ride casually) the training type mileage.

i log all my rides !!!!!

your average mileage takes into account all the times you crawl up a hill at 9mph or stop for traffic etc. most of the time i ride between 18 and 24 mph on the flat but my average is very rarely near this, in fact i've never got over 19.3mph average.

anyone remember Mean, mode, and median from school ???? http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/book8/bk8i5/bk8_5i2.htm

 

[GrasB]

More Jimbo mumbo-jumbo.

On a journey of 10 miles, there are thirty instances where I might be forced to stop. I call them 'Stop Junctions'. Traffic lights, T, Islands etc.
There are twenty 10m contours which are uphill. These are 'Slow spots'.

My cruising speed is a steady 20 mph round a cycle track with no stopping.

That means I COULD ride the 10 miles in 30 minutes ( in perfect conditions where I am not required to stop ).

For every 'Stop junction' and 'Slow spot', add on 1% to the time.

So for the 10 mile trip with fifty 'Stop junctions' + 'Slow spots', I would expect to finish in 45mins at an overall average of 13.33 mph.


Puts tin hat on and waits for the sirens.

I'd completely agree.

A while back I was riding very hard & was with another rider doing through & off every 40s or so. Every time I looked at the speedo it was over 28mph, average speed 22mph! Today I had the wind behind & was 22-24mph sustaining on the flat & was above 25mph for all sustained downhill sections. I was on the primary road where I have priority at junction, it was a clean run with 0 traffic light or motorist interactions, over 13.5 miles I averaged 20.34!

 

[Garz]

i log all my rides !!!!!

your average mileage takes into account all the times you crawl up a hill at 9mph or stop for traffic etc.

(Both cycle computer and phone gps account for stops)

I ride with a guy regularly who I wait for after the big climbs and slow down for if I get too far ahead. I worked out roughly when he's on the same rides as me I dont go above 14mph average.

so "your average mileage takes into account all the times you crawl up a hill at 9mph or stop for traffic etc" also takes into account the times im actually riding at a slower pace with friends, which is why im not too fussed when people highlight they do near 20.

 

[marinyork]

I log all my rides. A lot of group rides I do are 8.5-10.5mph. The first sort of figure drags my even very low average down a fair bit.

 

[Garz]

My point exactly MY.

I suppose the true average speed of a rider would be all solo efforts within a month of riding, cyclogs would then display a truer figure.

 

[limey]

The original posting was "took up cycling to improve fitness" in which case the average speed is far less important than time on the bike. As any fitness instructor will tell, it's the exercise time that counts, not the speed, not the distance and not the maximum heart rate either. You should plan to exercise within your aerobic zone if fitness is the objective. Having said that anyone who has an average speed greater than 20 mph over at least 20 miles is pretty fit and doing well.

 

[zacklaws]

During the summer I discovered that I climb a certain steep hill at a paltry 4mph max hard effort and coming down the same side, I would peak at 40mph flat out, I then noticed that whilst on the flat, deep in thought, I would normally cruise along at 22mph, and it was then that I spotted the average of up and down the hill was also 22mph. I thought this was just a coincidence but when I tried it on some other hills the results were the same, if I climbed faster, I would descend slower, but the average was always 22mph. It only worked on steep hills though and even wind did not alter things too much if I recall. Today for instance doing a circuit 4 times being well blasted by the wind sadly, I was climbing at 7mph and maxing out at 31 mph downhill, but I could only manage 19mph flat out on the flat, stranger than fiction!

Perhaps this is one for Jimbo to enlighten us with some of his vast knowledge or maybe its just a coincidence overall.

 

[gbb]

During the summer I discovered that I climb a certain steep hill at a paltry 4mph max hard effort and coming down the same side, I would peak at 40mph flat out, I then noticed that whilst on the flat, deep in thought, I would normally cruise along at 22mph, and it was then that I spotted the average of up and down the hill was also 22mph. I thought this was just a coincidence but when I tried it on some other hills the results were the same, if I climbed faster, I would descend slower, but the average was always 22mph. It only worked on steep hills though and even wind did not alter things too much if I recall. Today for instance doing a circuit 4 times being well blasted by the wind sadly, I was climbing at 7mph and maxing out at 31 mph downhill, but I could only manage 19mph flat out on the flat, stranger than fiction!

Perhaps this is one for Jimbo to enlighten us with some of his vast knowledge or maybe its just a coincidence overall.

This (or something along the same lines) has always occured to me.
If i do a 40 mile circuit, it doesnt matter whether its a hilly (by my standards), flat, windy, no wind...my average is always pretty much the same.
Horrid head winds slow you on the outrun...but push you home faster than you'd have otherwise achieved.
Hilly, slow on the up, faster down.
No wind...you actually create your own headwind.
The result is, everything averages out, and its always the same average.

 

[montage]

People that claim they can keep 30+mph up all day have noses longer than replies to the tea thread....otherwise we would see far more athletes hour attempts

 

[Wavey]

www.cyclogs.co.uk

Thanks Snorri

Still new to this cycling lark, longest trip so far is a measured 20 miles - thanks google maps - it took 1hour 20 mins = 15mph. 2 sets of lights, straight through on green.

Was well knackered at the end though

Dave

 

[GrasB]

It's easy enough to do those sorts of speeds for long periods if, and it's a big IF, the conditions are right. Thing is about the hour record is it's in a velodrome, there's no head wind or tail wind, it's man v's the lowest drag levels possible without any aids or hinderance. In some ways it's a bit of a fantasy world & averaging around 30mph for 1h is something I know I can't do.

Out in the real world I know I can maintain 30-35mph most of the way up the B1368 between Barley & the A505 then the A505 to the A10 with a nice tail wind & I didn't feel like I was totally spent. Thing is though, under the same conditions I was looking at 5-15mph A10 to Barkway (a little further down the B1368), why? that time I had a head wind plus a slow but steady climb.

 

[Bill Gates]

It's easy enough to do those sorts of speeds for long periods if, and it's a big IF, the conditions are right. Thing is about the hour record is it's in a velodrome, there's no head wind or tail wind, it's man v's the lowest drag levels possible without any aids or hinderance. In some ways it's a bit of a fantasy world & averaging around 30mph for 1h is something I know I can't do.

Out in the real world I know I can maintain 30-35mph most of the way up the B1368 between Barley & the A505 then the A505 to the A10 with a nice tail wind & I didn't feel like I was totally spent. Thing is though, under the same conditions I was looking at 5-15mph A10 to Barkway (a little further down the B1368), why? that time I had a head wind plus a slow but steady climb.

Really? What on a motorbike? B*ll Sh*t

 

[GrasB]

Bill Gates, road bike with a good 40 to 45mph tail wind down hill. It's about conditions & you can get to silly speeds if you get the right ones.

 

[Ceedee]

When they say bursts of 30 mph, they mean doing 30 for maybe a minute or 2. But it's not big white lies, it is possible to do 30 for a short time, just not all the time. I can do over 30mph on the flat giving the right conditions, if I've got a strong tailwind then I can keep that speed up for as long as I have that tailwind, once I lose the tailwind then I slow down.

As for time trials, it is possible to average over 20mph, because the route is carefully chosen.

Find yourself a 10 mile circular route with no traffic lights and no right turns, see what kind of average you get.

Good answer, choose a 10 miler and see if you improve your own ave speed.

my average speed for the year is 15.55 but I have ridden all different conditions and gadients.

 

[Downward]

More Jimbo mumbo-jumbo.

On a journey of 10 miles, there are thirty instances where I might be forced to stop. I call them 'Stop Junctions'. Traffic lights, T, Islands etc.
There are twenty 10m contours which are uphill. These are 'Slow spots'.

My cruising speed is a steady 20 mph round a cycle track with no stopping.

That means I COULD ride the 10 miles in 30 minutes ( in perfect conditions where I am not required to stop ).

For every 'Stop junction' and 'Slow spot', add on 1% to the time.

So for the 10 mile trip with fifty 'Stop junctions' + 'Slow spots', I would expect to finish in 45mins at an overall average of 13.33 mph.


Puts tin hat on and waits for the sirens.

How much Ascending is that doing in Feet.

True though about the Road conditions

One of my logs is a 13.1 mile ride - 13.47mph average 1019 feet of climbing. Route county lanes.
Commute 6.6 miles- 13.49mph average, 332 feet of climbing. Route Main roads with traffic.

I know which one was easier