Do you want to be able to cycle faster?

[Panter]

Just interested really. I'd be far happier with a 30mph average everywhere I rode (never gonna happen, obviously ) but a lot of folks seem to prefer to cruise around.

So, do you want to be able to ride faster?

 

[661-Pete]

It'd be nice to be able to do 12mph...

 

[numbnuts]

It'd be nice to be able to do 12mph...

me three.....if you can help it don't get old

 

[GlasgowGaryH]

I never bother with averages, would be worrying trying to increase average by taking chances and keeping speed up

 

[ianrauk]

I'm not fussed at going any faster.. I like to pootle my way about.

 

[mark barker]

I've never got to be anywhere in a hurry, so pootling around is fine with me.... although sometimes it'd be nice to have a sudden burst of speed to wind up the lycra louts on a sunday morning!

 

[tyred]

I don't know tbh. When I first started cycling again a few years ago, I had a few loops of varying lengths which I did often and was forever trying to improve my time for them, getting depressed if I wasn't seeing an improvement. More recently, I don't care anymore, and poor road surfaces mean the days of really pushing it are over until (if!)  they get fixed. I have come to realise that the time difference between a brisk but comfortable pace and absolutely flat out are very small and I am happy just to get the miles in and I have found my speed has improved without thinking about it. I did a ~40 mile ride on Sunday (longest in a few months), average of about 15.5mph on an old, heavy hi-ten Peugeot with steel wheels and cottered cranks. I realise many could go faster but I was pretty happy with that, mainly because I didn't feel I had really pushed myself so there must be more potential if I wanted.

 

[Manonabike]

I never bother with averages, would be worrying trying to lower average by taking chances and keeping speed up

+1

 

[beanzontoast]

Apart from a passing interest in how long it has taken me to get from A to B the first time I make a particular journey, my main concern is cycling safely. Also, I would like my knees to last my lifetime!

I can appreciate that for a lot of other people it's a significant element of their ride though and helps them to measure how well they are doing.

 

[accountantpete]

I like to pootle about but hate being overtaken, especially by a geriatric on a steel bike with mudguards.

So it's back to the turbo to work on my cadence.

 

[gavintc]

I always strive to increase my overall speed. Training and focussed application of work, particularly on the hills seems to work.

 

[swee'pea99]

I don't particularly work much less train to go faster, but I do go pretty much as fast as I can pretty much all the time. Would I like to go faster? Sure. Getting overtaken puts a crimp in my whole day.

 

[Fnaar]

I usually cycle (out of choice) fairly hilly routes. On my roadie, average speed is about 14.3 mph, on MTB-used-on-road about 13.8...
T'other day, I did a pretty much flat route from home to the coast, and was amazed to find my average on the roadie was 17 mph!!!
But I'm never going to get that much faster, even though I've got a wee bit faster over the last three yrs or so...

 

[Crackle]

Nope, not really, maintain it is all and extend my distances.

 

[Simba]

I am at the max performance on what the bike is capable of, I can get up to 16mph average and a top speed of 48mph then I run out of gears and the aero position stops me going faster. My cruising speed is 15-22mph (not average)