How fast do you go?
- Thread starter Matthames
- Start date
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Audax UK, cus that’s what I do, has minimum speeds for distance.
A BP can be as low as 10kmh if the organiser regularly has a lot of juniors attending, but organisers usually ask for 14.3 kmh.
Here is their regulation.
The minimum speeds may not be altered and shall be:
for events up to 699km - within the range 14.3 to 15kph;
for events from 700 to 1299 km - 13.3kph;
for events from 1300 to 1899 km - 12kph;
for events from 1900 to 2499 km - 10kph; and
for events over 2499 km, 200 km per day.
As you can see, AUK reduce the minimum speeds as the ride gets longer. They know about 'fatigue'.
Newbie and novice cyclists suffer fatigue at much lower distances than 699km no matter how much they eat and drink.
When someone posts "I average 17 mph", that's probably over a short distance of 100km or so. Will they average 17 mph over a 300km Rando?
Clever gits have spreadsheets that predict speed vs distance based upon a graph of Watts vs Duration ( minutes ).
It helps them 'pace' themselves on a ride of 200, 300 and 400 km that will last 10 hrs, 17hrs and 24 hrs.
When the distance gets to lower than 10 miles, the limit is aerobic capacity and lactate tolerance, and of course traffic. Don't go attempting Personal Bests on the public highway. You might be riding indirectly to A&E.
A BP can be as low as 10kmh if the organiser regularly has a lot of juniors attending, but organisers usually ask for 14.3 kmh.
Here is their regulation.
The minimum speeds may not be altered and shall be:
for events up to 699km - within the range 14.3 to 15kph;
for events from 700 to 1299 km - 13.3kph;
for events from 1300 to 1899 km - 12kph;
for events from 1900 to 2499 km - 10kph; and
for events over 2499 km, 200 km per day.
As you can see, AUK reduce the minimum speeds as the ride gets longer. They know about 'fatigue'.
Newbie and novice cyclists suffer fatigue at much lower distances than 699km no matter how much they eat and drink.
When someone posts "I average 17 mph", that's probably over a short distance of 100km or so. Will they average 17 mph over a 300km Rando?
Clever gits have spreadsheets that predict speed vs distance based upon a graph of Watts vs Duration ( minutes ).
It helps them 'pace' themselves on a ride of 200, 300 and 400 km that will last 10 hrs, 17hrs and 24 hrs.
When the distance gets to lower than 10 miles, the limit is aerobic capacity and lactate tolerance, and of course traffic. Don't go attempting Personal Bests on the public highway. You might be riding indirectly to A&E.
GrasB
Veteran
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
jimboalee, useful info however I'd hate to be the person who needed to know those minimum speeds for their daily commute 
Goldie, I often find that my best commutes in numerical terms are those which I felt were slow on the ride & that I was really having to push hard to make good headway.
Goldie, I often find that my best commutes in numerical terms are those which I felt were slow on the ride & that I was really having to push hard to make good headway.
That's just the kind of perverse, mind-playing-tricks-on-you horror I live in fear of! And you're right, the ones where it seems a massive struggle were often the fastest.
I remember coming past LCC's ground at Old Traffprd last summer. I'd had a shite day at work and my legs were aching from top to bottom, and I felt like it'd take an hour to get home. Then, to my utter delight, one of those "30 - slow down" speed sign thingies lit up as I passed the sensor. I shoulder checked and there wasn't a car in sight. I've alwaqys thought they were programmed to go off at about 6mph anyway but that day, I took the pat on the back and was happy with it.
I remember coming past LCC's ground at Old Traffprd last summer. I'd had a shite day at work and my legs were aching from top to bottom, and I felt like it'd take an hour to get home. Then, to my utter delight, one of those "30 - slow down" speed sign thingies lit up as I passed the sensor. I shoulder checked and there wasn't a car in sight. I've alwaqys thought they were programmed to go off at about 6mph anyway but that day, I took the pat on the back and was happy with it.
