Am I the only one who's not in a hurry?

[Origamist]

But you'll agree that it sometimes is.

It certainly is.

I have been trying to discover my "inner pootler" for a while, but with only a small measure of success. The Friday Night Rides to the Coast have helped, but I still struggle with a sedate pace.

 

[Bman]

I agree that you do seem to get more respect (leeway?) from other road users if you are travelling the same speed as them.

That said, sometimes I feel almost pressurised while holding a strong secondary to speed up. Although I know I shouldnt.

 

[Bigtwin]

The Friday Night Rides to the Coast have helped, but I still struggle with a sedate pace.

That's because riding slowly is a pain in the butt - literally and metaphorically. I find riding below natural pace means your arse and wrists start to ache as you're leaning on them rather than powering on your legs. Unless you are on a bent of course, but then I find you spend too much energy holding yer legs up, as opposed to pushing the pedals.

 

[eldudino]

I have no quarrel with that; I do it myself.

What about when the motor traffic is generally moving rather slower than you're capable of, though?

I think that's when it gets risky to be going flat out - as I hinted by alluding to filtering in complicated conditions.

Having seen other people's commutes on helmetcams mine is completely different. Stirling is a small place and the times I commute at (8am & 6pm) are outside rush-15mins so I'm always generally moving slightly slower than the traffic which, as I used to drive it, would always be going at 30mph.

Again, having seen other people's commutes I think my riding style would change completely to fit with my surroundings if I had to trek through a busy city/town.

 

[Origamist]

I'd be curious how the comparison worked out in reality, if you took a 15 mile commuting stretch and compared a rider doing at 30mph to one doing it at 15mph. Though taking double the time I'd suspect that travelling within yourself at 15mph would be safer than all out at 30, but it would be a guess.

Only a few elite riders would be able to hold 30mph over 15 miles, but I see the point you are making...

 

[MacB]

Only a few elite riders would be able to hold 30mph over 15 miles, but I see the point you are making...

I know, just plucked the No's out of thin air, balls out for me would probably be about 18mph and comfortable about 13.5mph. I certainly know that my awareness of surroundings, and reading of the road, would diminish a lot more than a 4.5mph variance might suggest.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

I know, just plucked the No's out of thin air, balls out for me would probably be about 18mph and comfortable about 13.5mph. I certainly know that my awareness of surroundings, and reading of the road, would diminish a lot more than a 4.5mph variance might suggest.

.. definitely. I was in a "take it easy" mode last week in the heat. I suppose "take it easier than normal" would be more accurate .. but I was surprised how much less of an effort it was going even slightly slower. I guess it's down to drag increasing as the square of speed - where's Jimboalee when you need him?

 

[jack the lad]

Speed relative to other moving traffic is only one risk factor and, I would have thought, a relatively minor one on the average urban commute. There is a much higher risk of accidents from unpredictable slow moving objects than from relatively predictable traffic movement and as traffic gets faster it does behave more predictably, making it easier to avoid. Car doors, pedestrians, dogs, potholes, diesel, debris, other cyclists etc. are constant threats. If I'm right it would be safer to travel at nearer the speed of those things, or at least speeds that mean you can avoid them.

Just to avoid doubt here i'm talking about the likelihood of accident rather than severity. Contact with a fast moving vehicle may be less likely than hitting a dozy jaywalking pedestrian, but lots more painful/fatal if it does happen. I can't imagine that the damage caused by being hit by a car at 50mph will be much different for a cyclist whether they are doing 10 mph or 20 mph though.

 

[Arch]

It certainly is.

I have been trying to discover my "inner pootler" for a while, but with only a small measure of success. The Friday Night Rides to the Coast have helped, but I still struggle with a sedate pace.

I like that phrase. It makes me feel superior, as I have no trouble whatsoever with a sedate pace.

I struggle with speed though

I'm averaging about 12mph on my commute, and that's quite fast enough for me in traffic - I'm accelerating away from lights faster than most cars, and junctions/mini RABs/lights are fairly frequent, so I don't have long stretches to go fast on. At a top speed of about 15-16 mph I'm happy I can brake in time if I need to, and I still overtake a few folk (and am overtaken myself). I don't generally feel the need to chase anyone down...

 

[shunter]

I know, just plucked the No's out of thin air, balls out for me would probably be about 18mph and comfortable about 13.5mph. I certainly know that my awareness of surroundings, and reading of the road, would diminish a lot more than a 4.5mph variance might suggest.

Interesting point - I know that I have to have the same sort of awareness going through traffic on a motorcycle albeit with information coming from a rear view mirror and a much higher speed but I would have to say that I feel I have to deal with it a lot faster on a bicycle as if I'm really going faster on a bicycle.

Maybe on a bicycle there is much more information to process -eg road texture, potholes etc, passengers in cars, apparent invisibility to car drivers, more aggressive tactics by car drivers - than what you have to consider on a motorcycle. Suspension, accelerating out of trouble, loud horn, larger object on road, better brakes, moving with the speed or faster than other vehicles makes it a lot easier.

Maybe that is why some folk feel safer cycling at a faster and more assertive speed.

All in all, the bicycle in traffic is more of a adrenalin rush!

 

[zimzum42]

However hard I try to go for a cruise, I end up riding fast, I just can't help it

In some ways it can be safer to ride fast, cars less likely to cut you up or do a left across you...

 

[summerdays]

I do think that there's a benefit to moving with the traffic though - I get fewer marginal overtakes at pinch points &c if I'm above 20mph than I do if I'm below, personally.

If I can I do like to be going at a similar pace to the cars but unless its a big downhill, if the road isn't nose to tail, then more likely they will be going faster.

What about when the motor traffic is generally moving rather slower than you're capable of, though?

I think that's when it gets risky to be going flat out - as I hinted by alluding to filtering in complicated conditions.

In that situation I think its mad to go flat out. Today I had just crested a hill and starting the run down but there was a hold up at lights. I was on the left of the trafffic after being in an uphill cycle lane that had just finished, and was filtering back into the traffic (for the nice fast downhill).

Luckily I was going slowly due to the traffic as the taxi in front (pulled out of side road to get ahead of me), basically didn't take into account the bus immediately in front was stopping. He slammed on the brakes, I went past on the right and had a clear run down the hill. The taxi driver ,must have been held up behind the bus for some time judging from when it next over took me.


As to my general cycling style it varies from enjoying speeding down hills, crawling up them, pootling for fun, and the occasional burst of speed. If you look at Cyclogs you would see I'm one of the slower riders.

 

[ComedyPilot]

I am slow, old and fat (but getting slimmer).

If I turn a corner and see another bike ahead (Roadie, MTB, BMX, Tourer or Paperboy) I feel an urge to try just that bit harder to catch them. As I pass I always offer a friendly hello, then look out for the next one.

I do not do anything to endanger me or them, but it does raise your game (for people like me that need motivating)

 

[fossyant]

I think some folk are confusing riding fast as being out of control. When filtering I slow down, especially if it's a known dodgy spot, but where I know the cars are nose to tail, and no/little junctions, then it's flat out - I'm still reading the road though, way ahead.....

 

[hambones]

Surely you need to take into account the fact that one person's cruising speed is another's flat out!

I average around 18mph for my commute which is a nice steady effort. The journey often involves stretches well in excess of 20mph filtering past slow moving traffic as well as riding in primary keeping up with the traffic. None of this would be considered as 'balls out' effort.

Being on a bike you are higher than most of the traffic on the road. You have excellent visibility of traffic up ahead and there is really very little excuse for getting into a situation which might be considered dangerous!