Alien8
Senior Moment
- Location
- (A little bit north of) Cambridge
Intensity is your friend ... and your enemy.
Speed and distance....
- Thread starter ray316
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
I would aim to learn to spin a lower gear rather than mash a high gear. Work up to gradually and you may find you feel as if you are out of breath and going nowhere but longterm, you will be able to "twiddle" along in a middle gear of around 70" at 20 -23 mph for hours on end.
ushills
Veteran
You need strength in the legs to turn the pedals in a higher gear at the same cadence, i.e. with my compact front I'm quite comfortable at 12mph using the 34 at 90rpm, move up to the 50 and at 90rpm i'm doing 16-17mph but my legs suffer. Set my fastest average speed this week but my leg muscles are painfull, however, come this weekend it will be easier.
Just do more at a higher speed when you can.
Just do more at a higher speed when you can.
TheSandwichMonster
Junior Senior
- Location
- Devon, UK
Proof or GTFO
ushills
Veteran
+1, when I used to do 10mile timetrials as a kid the highest average I ever got to was 27.2mph and that was over a measured distance and puking at the end.
How do you ever manage a 25mph comfortable average.
CopperCyclist
Veteran
Ray - this worked for me...
On the flat get to your normal speed. Drop a single gear, then spin faster aiming to maintain the same speed. Resist the urge to go back up a gear, and keep spinning. Once you've done a few rides like this (and probably noticed an increase I. speed anyway) start to aim to push back up to that old gear, maintaining the same cadence.
Though it seems counter intuitive, dropping a gear and spinning faster ended up increasing my averages noticeably.
On the flat get to your normal speed. Drop a single gear, then spin faster aiming to maintain the same speed. Resist the urge to go back up a gear, and keep spinning. Once you've done a few rides like this (and probably noticed an increase I. speed anyway) start to aim to push back up to that old gear, maintaining the same cadence.
Though it seems counter intuitive, dropping a gear and spinning faster ended up increasing my averages noticeably.
totallyfixed
Veteran
- Location
- The only county without a McDonalds
In a way you answered your own question, you need more base miles in your legs. For a start to get warmed up properly so your muscles are working at their optimum you need at least 30 mins, everyone is different and for me it's usually about 11 miles. If you are only doing 15 miles each time you go out and pushing yourself from the start, at best you are doing yourself no good and at worst you may be doing yourself harm. You must warm up first. My advice would be to actually ride a little slower [keep the cadence high] for the first 10 miles then push harder for the next 10 or however far you can manage. Basically though you need to increase your mileage as others have said.
Gearing is individual, even for fixed riding, so asking what gear you should be in is impossible to answer, cadence is much more important but again is individual and I would aim to be spinning your legs only as fast as you feel comfortable with. As you get better you will find it easier to keep higher cadences.
There is always talk on cycle forums of average speeds that quite frankly are probably making you feel slow, there are a fair few of us who are club or ex club riders, race, have raced who you will come to recognise. It's a funny thing but those that make extravagant claims never seem to be known or ride with anyone else. That might rattle the odd cage.
Gearing is individual, even for fixed riding, so asking what gear you should be in is impossible to answer, cadence is much more important but again is individual and I would aim to be spinning your legs only as fast as you feel comfortable with. As you get better you will find it easier to keep higher cadences.
There is always talk on cycle forums of average speeds that quite frankly are probably making you feel slow, there are a fair few of us who are club or ex club riders, race, have raced who you will come to recognise. It's a funny thing but those that make extravagant claims never seem to be known or ride with anyone else. That might rattle the odd cage.
lulubel
Über Member
- Location
- Malaga, Spain
How do you ever manage a 25mph comfortable average.
Downhill?
TheSandwichMonster
Junior Senior
- Location
- Devon, UK
Or just over a very short distance!
- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
As several people have already said, 15mph isn't a bad average (quicker than me) but if you are aiming to improve on that you need more mileage under your belt. If you are riding 15 miles several times a week then the odd 30 mile ride should be easily doable. Take it easy to start and build on it.
Personally I'm just a plodder who's happy to be out on any bike but despite this, as I've built the mileage my speed has steadily increased so it does work.
Personally I'm just a plodder who's happy to be out on any bike but despite this, as I've built the mileage my speed has steadily increased so it does work.
marzjennings if you are doing a comfortable 25mph average (nearly double my usual speed) then thats a big chapeau from me . When are you racing next so we can keep a look out for your results?
rollinstok
Well-Known Member
- Location
- morecambe
+1 for cadence, better to be in a gear that seems a little easy than one that seems a little hard
But I tend to do distance rather than concentrate on speed so I,m probably wrong
But I tend to do distance rather than concentrate on speed so I,m probably wrong
briantrumpet
Legendary Member
- Location
- Devon & Die
Watch out .... look behind you....
It's the ISP (Internet Speed Police).
It's the ISP (Internet Speed Police).
marzjennings
Legendary Member
- Location
- Houston, Texas, USA
At 42 I think my chance's of riding the Tour are gone. I'm just trying to hit ol' time trial times and improve my one hour distance.
marzjennings
Legendary Member
- Location
- Houston, Texas, USA
Sorry I wasn't clear, but I'm at the 'setting my sights on 25mph as a comfortable average' stage, not that 25mph is a comfortable average over the long haul. According to my endomondo personal bests, my best 1 mile is 2.28 minutes, just over 26mph.
Now FO.
