Average Speed

[ShinSplint]

Im trying to get an idea of how im doing in terms of speed. Does anyone know of a site where I can view race times, so I can see how well the big lads do? and maybe give myself something to aim for?

Cheers.

 

[Greenbank]

Im trying to get an idea of how im doing in terms of speed. Does anyone know of a site where I can view race times, so I can see how well the big lads do? and maybe give myself something to aim for?

You won't want to. It's depressing how fast the professionals go. The average speed over the whole Tour de France is about 25mph (40kph).

For a mortal, the traditional benchmark is a 10 mile TT (time trial) in under 30 minutes. That's 20mph. The national 10 record is under 19 minutes, which is over 30mph.

I average about 26kph (16mph) on my 8 mile commute, I could go a bit faster but I get held up by traffic and traffic lights.

On longer rides I'll slow to about 21kph (13mph) but I can keep going at this speed for a long long time (i.e. 400km or 250 miles).

I'm pretty fit, slightly overweight (could do with losing 4kg or so) but I'm far from an elite athlete (and never will be), more of an enthusiastic amateur.

 

[RedBike]

It's probably a bit pointless looking at race times. A well organised peleton will always go quicker than a solo rider.

It might be worth looking at the various times for cyclo-sportives events.
http://www.cyclosport.org/

 

[jimboalee]

If you've got a bike that is a 15lb 'dogs bollox' racebike, the aim is to do 2/3 of the Elite rider's average.

So if they are riding 42 kmh average, you aim for 28 kmh ( 17.5 mph ) over the same distance.

Choose a route with low traffic where you can get a roll-on.

The theory is :-
In the pack, the wind resistance is reduced by 1/2, so on your own, this speed is representative of the same power requirement.

Have fun

 

[jayce]

I done 39 miles on sunday and mine was 16.9

 

[MacB]

I did 20 miles today at an average of 14.69mph, when I apply a rationalisation formula to this:-

logged mph + age allowance + weight allowance + health allowance + a bit more for luck

I can see quite clearly that, were I young, fit and healthy, I'd be bowling along at about 40mph and putting pro cyclists to shame. I find this thought quite comforting as I'm overtaken, yet again. The poor roadie scalping me has no idea how lucky he/she is.

 

[ASC1951]

You won't want to. It's depressing how fast the professionals go. The average speed over the whole Tour de France is about 25mph (40kph).

Half a dozen years ago, when I was a lot closer to my prime than I am now, I was stood by my bike a couple of miles from the top of M. Ventoux watching Lance and Marco fighting it out, then the peloton, then the back marker half an hour behind the leader.

They had all done 120 miles. If I had got on my bike, completely fresh, behind the back marker.......he would still have beaten me to the top.

 

[arranandy]

16/17mph is a good average speed to aim for if you're out on your own. However it all depends on things like weather conditions, route, fitness, etc. I wouldn't get to hung up about your average speed - as long as you're out there enjoying yourself that's what counts

 

[ianrauk]

check out cyclogs for us Cycle Chat peeps avg speeds
http://www.cyclogs.org

Hey, even feel free to join in

 

[Auntie Helen]

One of the forumites here, Aran20, was doing a couple of TTs last weekend. Here's how he did:

They were short races...

A 10 mile Time Trial on Saturday and a 25 mile Time Trial Sunday with a few warm up miles for each... will update cyclogs tomorrow cause it's late and I'm tired.

I won the 10 mile TT with a time of 21:06 (was tough).
2nd today in the 25 mile TT with a time and new personal best time of 50:37 (average speed of 29.5 mph). Lost first place by only 7 seconds... Ohhhhh! Perhaps I shouldn't of done the 10 miler the night before??

He's also technically a 'veteran', i.e. older than me (and I'm old!)

 

[vorsprung]

I have been leisure cycling regularly for five years. Before that I did a short commute most days.
I have done lots of audax rides. You don't have to be fast to do audaxes, just water proof.

Now, speed.

If I go on the "club run" with my local club, 50 miles of Devon hills, I struggle to keep up. Compared with average club riders I am slow over this distance. When I do a 10 mile timed loop it takes me approx 27 minutes, in the summer when I am at maximum fitness. That's 35 kph

Riding to work (15 miles hilly) takes me under hour on my racing bike. That's 26kph
I often go riding at the weekend and 100km of hilly Devon takes just over 4 hours or 25kph

Notice how my speed drops off for the longer distances

When I looked into doing the "Tour of the Black Mountains" sportif my utter lack of speed put me off.

This is a 189km event but to do it at "bronze medal" speed for my age group requires a time of 7h. This is over 27kph! However, looking at the profile of the event there are some flat sections which could be ridden with a group at some speed. So I suppose in theory it could be done.

 

[allen-uk]

Haven't got a clue how slowly I go. Seems a pointless exercise from so many points of view. If you want to go fast, why not get a motor-bike instead?

A

 

[MacB]

calling Jimbo, what correlation is there to pace and energy consumption, ie if you're cycling to lose weight, are you better thrashing it or pacing it?

 

[jimboalee]

Notice how my speed drops off for the longer distances

Yup, the speed/distance curve is weird.

Really short rides are ridden slow because your not warmed up.
Then after ten miles or so, you average increases.
Then after 150 km or so, the average drops and then on 220 km and longer, the average steadies.

Well that's what happens to me.

 

[jimboalee]

calling Jimbo, what correlation is there to pace and energy consumption, ie if you're cycling to lose weight, are you better thrashing it or pacing it?

There was an interesting article posted as a link last week.

It detailed the proportionate Carbs/Fat burn vs Heartrate.

For max fat burn, 50% MHR is best.

For any Audaxers who regularly ride Randonnees of 200km or 300km, taking a friend on a 100km Populaire is just a battle to ride slow.
The first control appears almost instantly and I'm thinking "I'm not even warmed up".
A can of Coke and a packet of crisps makes me feel guilty of being greedy.

I'm doing Audax's Brevet 2000 Series this year - 20 x 100km. Keeping a 20kmh average is not just difficult, its a bag of fun.