How to improve my average speed?

[derrick]

Hi all, I've been cycling since 2015 and cycle 3 or 4 times a week and my average speed hasn't improved much from when I started around 12mph on a 20 mile loop, now I average around 13.5 mph on the same loop. Yesterday I did a shorter route with less gradients I just manage 13.6mph. Looking at my strava data most of my rides give my watts output of around 145 watts. Yesterday I was looking at a rider stats who I was following his watts output shows 116watts and averaging 15.6 mph on a 34 mile loop. I just want to improve my average speed to 15mph anybody could give me some advice?. Hope it make sense my eng!ish is not the good. Thanks.

Don't know how old you are, But plenty of room for improvement, I am a 68 year old pensioner, This is yesterdays ride. https://www.strava.com/activities/3417823718
Before lockdown i was riding with guys a lot younger, you need to ride with faster people to give you that push you need, I found that loop a few weeks back, i try to better my time each time i ride it, I have done it three times on my own, and have knocked a few seconds of each time, twice with my other half, she was faster the second time she did it. Just push yourself harder, it ain't hard if you want it.

 

[Globalti]

Here's the answer: don't train; take the train. Wait for a really windy day then take a train out into the wind and ride home with the wind. You'll feel like a cycling God and your average will increase by 5 mph.

 

[kiwifruit]

Don't know how old you are, But plenty of room for improvement, I am a 68 tear old pensioner, This is yesterdays ride. https://www.strava.com/activities/3417823718
Before lockdown i was riding with guys a lot younger, you need to ride with faster people to give you that push you need, I found that loop a few weeks back, i try to better my time each time i ride it, I have done it three times on my own, and have knocked a few seconds of each time, twice with my other half, she was faster the second time she did it. Just push yourself harder, it ain't hard if you want it.

Am age 48, I just like to reach average mph to at least 15. You are 20 years old and the speed you do I take my hat to you.👏👏

 

[neil_merseyside]

Am age 48, I just like to reach average mph to at least 15. You are 20 years old and the speed you do I take my hat to you.👏👏

I'm 58 and I can now thrash myself to get to 15mph solo, when riding in a group that same speed is (or seems) much easier, so don't dismiss a group as a training aid. I could never average more than 12-13 before I started joining group rides to stretch me, you don't have to do much more than ride along with a group, no great need to chat and socialise (especially if you can't breathe).
Most CTC groups are a gang of loners

 

[Mr Celine]

Try going for a longer ride. I don't think I've ever managed a 20 mile loop at more than 14 mph but a more normal for me evening 30 mile loop is always at least 15 mph. Last weekend's 50 mile ride was 16.3 mph.
Beyond 50 miles my average speed stops increasing. I rarely go more than 100km but the few occasions I have, including 100 miles, have all been at more than 16 mph.

I'm not sure why this is. It could be that it takes me at least 8 miles until I feel warmed up and during that part of the ride I'm not going so fast. Those 8 miles are a bigger percentage of a short ride than of a long one.

 

[Tom B]

Fitness fitness fitness.

If you think about it all races from the TdF to the kids in the street are about average pace.

I have not idea what parameters starva uses to calculate average pace and it's not something I look at. I do however know that it's often significantly different from the ave pace on my Garmin, and looking at a few commutes from this week my pace varies from between 16.9 and 12.7mph. I dare say stopping for junctions / slowing for lights (I'm a slow and crawl to red lights sort) affects this. My fitness certainly hasn't improved that much over the week.

 

[PaulSB]

S/he is in Kent
I’m in SW London, you can do 20 miles with pretty much no gain if you ride along / around the Thames

Thanks.......that explains it.

 

[Globalti]

My average solo is between 13 and 14.5 mph depending on wind and hills. With a competitive buddy that can increase to 15-16 mph but only for a couple of hours. Best ever was a local Wednesday evening road club TT on a hilly circuit where I just managed 20 mph over 10 miles. That was a huge effort. I daresay that might be more easily achievable on a flat circuit with no wind.

 

[PaulSB]

@kiwifruit I've been thinking about your question and think it should be pointed out there are many different factors which I have experienced which have helped me increase my averages and overall performance for want of a better word. For me there is no such thing as one cyclist being better than another, we are all simply cyclists with differing abilities which are influenced by a wide range of factors.

I'm 65 and frankly enjoying the form of my life - a fact not a boast. I enjoy two types of riding, simple bike rides bowling along at +/- 80% of effort and on a flat ride this will average 15/16 solo and around 16-19 with a group and dependent on how we feel on the day. I should say flat here is what some consider hilly. My other pleasure is climbs and hills, sometimes I just enjoy riding them, other times I go for it. For example on yesterday's easy ride of 32 miles, 2500 feet avg 15.1 and included two of my favourite local climbs. Last Sunday I did the club hill climbing challenge and rode 20 miles, 3084 feet, 10.8 avg, knowing the climbs I had to do I ambled along between climbs.

So what are all the different factors which influence our speeds? The first has to be time. I'm four years in to retirement and ride 150/200 miles/week. Every mile helps. My rides vary between 30ish miles for training to 70/80 for a ride and cafe with friends. I've changed both my pedalling and climbing technique. Lost weight. Learned to relax more on the bike. Three years ago I bought a new bike, it makes a huge difference. March 2019 I invested in very good wheels and tubeless tyres, again it made a huge difference, around 2-3mph on the flat. Get your head right, know you can do it. Much good cycling is done in the mind. The last thing is pain! To get better one has to be prepared to ride through the hurting. I don't mean physically damaging oneself but pushing on when your legs are screaming stop, the breathing is hard and all you want to do is stop - next time it will be easier. This aspect is best achieved with a group which runs at above your personal average or comfort zone.

To my mind all of the above influences speed and performance. Different riders will pick out different aspects. I am not suggesting to get better people have to buy better bikes but I am saying in my experience a better bike and good wheels does considerably improve the rider's overall performance.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Hi all, I've been cycling since 2015 and cycle 3 or 4 times a week and my average speed hasn't improved much from when I started around 12mph on a 20 mile loop, now I average around 13.5 mph on the same loop. Yesterday I did a shorter route with less gradients I just manage 13.6mph. Looking at my strava data most of my rides give my watts output of around 145 watts. Yesterday I was looking at a rider stats who I was following his watts output shows 116watts and averaging 15.6 mph on a 34 mile loop. I just want to improve my average speed to 15mph anybody could give me some advice?. Hope it make sense my eng!ish is not the good. Thanks.

Plan your rides so as the wind is behind you ( tail wind ) as much as possible. Buy a heart monitor ( or power meter(s) preferably) work out your FTP ( functional threshold power / the maximum power you can sustain for 1 hour ) then ride ‘intervals’. That’s segments of time in various ‘power zones’ based on your FTP. The key figure, if your comparing your outputs and resultant speeds, to others, is your Power to weight ratio, as someone who’s lighter, putting out the same power as you, on the same day, on the same route, in the same conditions, with the same ( or very similar bike / set up ) would almost certainly have a higher speed, because their power / weight ratio would be higher. You’ve also got to try to not get too hung up about average speeds, as they are a pretty rubbish metric by which to measure your performance, as there are too many external factors beyond your control, that can influence them negatively. Power is Power, work on increasing that, and / or reducing weight, and your speeds will increase ( in given conditions / terrain / routes / bike set up). Ultimately, the fitter you are, the easier you will find it to up your Power / weight ratio, so that’s the bottom line really, increase fitness.

 

[kiwifruit]

@kiwifruit I've been thinking about your question and think it should be pointed out there are many different factors which I have experienced which have helped me increase my averages and overall performance for want of a better word. For me there is no such thing as one cyclist being better than another, we are all simply cyclists with differing abilities which are influenced by a wide range of factors.

I'm 65 and frankly enjoying the form of my life - a fact not a boast. I enjoy two types of riding, simple bike rides bowling along at +/- 80% of effort and on a flat ride this will average 15/16 solo and around 16-19 with a group and dependent on how we feel on the day. I should say flat here is what some consider hilly. My other pleasure is climbs and hills, sometimes I just enjoy riding them, other times I go for it. For example on yesterday's easy ride of 32 miles, 2500 feet avg 15.1 and included two of my favourite local climbs. Last Sunday I did the club hill climbing challenge and rode 20 miles, 3084 feet, 10.8 avg, knowing the climbs I had to do I ambled along between climbs.

So what are all the different factors which influence our speeds? The first has to be time. I'm four years in to retirement and ride 150/200 miles/week. Every mile helps. My rides vary between 30ish miles for training to 70/80 for a ride and cafe with friends. I've changed both my pedalling and climbing technique. Lost weight. Learned to relax more on the bike. Three years ago I bought a new bike, it makes a huge difference. March 2019 I invested in very good wheels and tubeless tyres, again it made a huge difference, around 2-3mph on the flat. Get your head right, know you can do it. Much good cycling is done in the mind. The last thing is pain! To get better one has to be prepared to ride through the hurting. I don't mean physically damaging oneself but pushing on when your legs are screaming stop, the breathing is hard and all you want to do is stop - next time it will be easier. This aspect is best achieved with a group which runs at above your personal average or comfort zone.

To my mind all of the above influences speed and performance. Different riders will pick out different aspects. I am not suggesting to get better people have to buy better bikes but I am saying in my experience a better bike and good wheels does considerably improve the rider's overall performance.

I did in one point I thought I was improving well even doing the London ride 💯 in an average of 14.9mph. Since then it just been on avg 13.5mph.

 

[HLaB]

The motivation, crowd drag etc on events like Ride London pulls you along.

Do you fuel (eat/drink) correctly/often?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

How does your speed vary over your rides. If you look at the Strava analysis does it look like your average speed remains constant over the whole ride or do you slow down at some point which shows up the graph?

 

[kiwifruit]

The motivation, crowd drag etc on events like Ride London pulls you along.

Do you fuel (eat/drink) correctly/often?

Normally in the early morning rides I just tend to have a banana and a cereal bar with a cup of tea, and take 750ml of electrolyte drink and a cereal bar in case I need it for an 20 mile ride.

 

[kiwifruit]

How does your speed vary over your rides. If you look at the Strava analysis does it look like your average speed remains constant over the whole ride or do you slow down at some point which shows up the graph?

Looking at the graph I did struggle a bit on the hills otherwise I think is constant over the whole ride.