Speed and distance....

[ray316]

Been cycling for a few years now and my distance and speed has not changed though not for trying.
l usually go on a bike ride 3 to 4 times a week and each ride is around 15 miles, and my speed is about 15mph..
l have tryed to increase my speed which l do every so often in a ride but cannot keep it up and wondered if l'm doing something wrong what others are doing right. l often get cyclist's going past me at ease, after so many years on the bike surely l should be able to have increased my speed by now.
What gears are the best to be in on flat roads and for hills. l have to cogs on the front and 9 on the back on a specialized alite.. l would also like to improve my distance..
Help and advice please..

 

[biggs682]

more important is the enjoyment rather than the speed you ask any women

 

[TonyEnjoyD]

If you want to build up either, you need to get a program to stretch yourself.
Start with longer distances at the same or slower pace, once they become easier, get some intervals in - the same distances interspersed with sprints or just faster than normal for a few minutes followed by recovery pace until you feel fine, then same again.
Once you can get a good few sets of intervals going, try a few rides with less but longer speed intervals.

You'll see your speed ability as well as distances increase over a couple of months.

I am sure there's someone on the board that'll give you a proper set of intervals/training to work on.

Tony

 

[derrick]

Would have thought after being on a bike for a few years, your rides would have been longer by now, i started last summer doing 12 mile rides for the first week or so then uped it to 16 miles then 20 and just carry on going further, it's just a case of putting in the miles.

 

[Part time cyclist]

Sorry there is no real short cut. You only get out what you put in. So you got to push yourself harder and harder each ride

 

[TheDoctor]

Or just do what you enjoy doing and don't worry about it.
It's supposed to be fun, after all.

 

[Edge705]

lots of good avice in posts above but I was once told by a pro cyclist if you want to increase your average speed you cycle for miles miles more miles then for lots more miles again and again daily only then will your average speed increase the faster cyclists do it every day and if they are not on their bike they are on a turbo remember also if you cycle in a group your average will increase due to the breaks you get from drafting so a 15mph regular would probably be able to do 17mph average in a group or maybe more. BTW there is nothing wrong with 15mph you can also increase your average by using a lighter bike with a good drivetrain you'll probably get one/two mph more if you used a carbon over a steel with an equaly lighter pair of wheels - I wouldnt get too hung up on speed but go for fitness instead - Fitness is easier to measure and it will make you feel better

 

[TheDoctor]

15 mph is a perfectly respectable speed. Four one-hour stints of that and you've done a 60 mile trip.

 

[marzjennings]

It is important to enjoy riding, and if you're like me that includes going fast.

And the only way to get faster is to ride faster, sounds simple but that's it. You're already throwing in the odd attempt to go faster each ride, just add in a bit structure to how long you plan to hit those higher speeds. For example ride at 15mph for 4 minutes and then at 20 for 1 minute, then repeat. It's going to hurt, but once you're comfortable with 1 minute stretches at 20, try 2 minutes. Now you're riding intervals. Don't forget you're now in training mode, focused on how you ride more than the ride itself and so you may need to find sections of road when you can ride at 20mph without lights, heavy traffic, etc getting in the way.

Eventually your fast paced intervals become 5,10, 20 minutes and up and you then set your sights on hitting 25mph as a comfortable average (which is where I am at the moment).

A lighter bike helps, but it's your legs that make you fast.

If you're legs are not hurting after a training ride, you're not training hard enough.

If you start spending hours on the bike training for speed your distance will increase at the same time.

Good luck.

 

[briantrumpet]

set your sights on hitting 25mph as a comfortable average (which is where I am at the moment)

Glad to see preparations for the Tour de France are going well. You should be in with a chance.

 

[tyred]

Get the miles in, speed will come in time.

 

[fossyant]

Like the others have said, it works like a pyramid - more base miles, will lead to increased speed. So the more miles you do, you'll eventually get quicker.

 

[totallyfixed]

25mph as a comfortable average (which is where I am at the moment).

Comfortable???? that is by some margin quicker than anybody I know.

 

[ray316]

wow l think l would need a motor on the back wheel to go that speed .. marzjennings says do 1 min at 20mph and 4 mins at 15mph then repeat and eventually go for 2 mins at 20mph and so on...
What would you chaps recommend the best gears to be in for the flat road, a low gear or high gear also the gear for uphill and downhill.. l maybe selecting the wrong gears for the cycling..

 

[HLaB]

Find the gears you are most comfortable with. I do a lot of my riding in the big ring at the front (52T) as I have a quite wide cassette at the back (11-26); I'm in the middle of the rear cassette for the flat or small gradients usually (although headwinds or how I feel may change that. For fast down hills I drop to the smaller cassette cogs and for steep gradients I go up the cassette to the larger cogs. On really steep hills I'll drop to the smaller (38T) chainring at the front. The size of your gears/ the ability will affect what gears you are comfortable in but the basic is smaller at the front/ bigger at the back for ascent, bigger at the front/smaller at the back for fast down hills and somewhere in the middle for flats.