just cant do it!!!

[aberal]

Try as I may I just can't make my average speed to reach 15mph. It always seem to peak at 14.8!! So I am now resigned to it and just enjoy my cycling. No world record for me.

What kind of bike do you have? If it's an MTB or hybrid - then you would be doing well to get above 15mph. Even with a road bike - +1 for the advice about tyre pressure and gearing. Aim for a cadence of around 90rpm if you can, so get in the gear that gives you this and try and maintain it (excluding steep hills). Also....if you lose weight, you WILL go faster. That's scientific that...

 

[gavroche]

What kind of bike do you have? If it's an MTB or hybrid - then you would be doing well to get above 15mph. Even with a road bike - +1 for the advice about tyre pressure and gearing. Aim for a cadence of around 90rpm if you can, so get in the gear that gives you this and try and maintain it (excluding steep hills). Also....if you lose weight, you WILL go faster. That's scientific that...

I have a Specialized Allez triple. I am 5ft7 and weight 13.3 stones so not the lightest. I am also 61 years of age so have past my best a long time ago, but still feel 20 years younger and still feel the need to catch the guy in front when I see one. I don't do diets as I like my food too much but don't get me wrong, I don't eat like a pig either. I just eat what I like.
Just for the record, what is your average speed for members of a similar age to mine? I understand that geography of your region will make a difference as there are not many flat road round here.

 

[ColinJ]

I think 15 mph is pretty good for hilly North Wales!

I wouldn't go using your age as an excuse. Sure, no 61 year old can be as fit as they were at 25, assuming that they were very fit at 25, but that doesn't mean that you can't still be very fit at 61. I know a friend of a friend who is still racing, well into his 70s, and I'm sure he is fitter at that age than I have ever been.

(I wasn't particularly fit as a young man so I'm fitter now at 55.)

 

[53-11]

Re. the hill vs flat discussion.

If you use your brakes at all (and you will coming down most significant hills) then that will reduce your average because some of that energy that you put into the climb will be lost to heat. But that is but nothing compared to the energy you loose to wind resistance / drag at high speed.

Overall, your losses are much much higher doing hils so less average speed is the result

 

[Dayvo]

Is it possible you have the magnet incorrectly positioned on your spoke?

 

[screenman]

Put two magnets on your wheel, this always gives a huge increase in average speed.

 

[Keith Oates]

Put two magnets on your wheel, this always gives a huge increase in average speed.

But slip one of them along the spoke before going downhill otherwise people will know you've been cheating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Andrew_P]

Weather, Bike and the amount of traffic and hills will all have their impact.

I have changed bike for the winter, and I have dropped up to 10% over 15 miles in time & speed and increased my average HR by 10% so its not me taking it easy. I think a combo of Bike and weather conditions.

If you carry on riding through the winter you will come out stronger in the spring and will be easily braking the 15mph. As others have said don't over do the stats, it will come!

 

[lukesdad]

Gavroche you re doing your stats all wrong M8. I average about 10mph over the year. If I want to improve that on a ride just cut out the pub stop

 

[gavroche]

very unlikely to improve in the near future as unable to ride lately due to work commitments. By the time I get home it is too dark to go out for a ride ( no lights and no intentions to get any. Daylight riding only for me.) have not riden for a week now but will try and do it whenever I can even if only once a fortnight.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Step 1 - turn off computer/watch
Step 2 - Enjoy your cycling for a while ever

No further steps required.

 

[Blue]

Is it possible you have the magnet incorrectly positioned on your spoke?

nice one Dayvo, although a bit cruel.

 

[Blue]

I'm about a year into my cycling adventure, and have a bit of a speed obsession.

My view is that you need to look for multiple small gains:- I worked on my diet, weight, equipment (cleats, shoes, bib tights etc) pre-ride nutrition etc. Most of all though its just hard work. Build up distance, work on intervals and push yourself hard.

I kept one route for timing and don't do it very often - no more than once a month. Otherwise fluctuations just annoy.

+1

 

[andrewsdad]

as long as your enjoying it who cares about stats

Wholeheartedly agree, I got hung up on my speed for awhile last year but realised it was taking away my enjoyment, so sod it, I'll leave the worrying to the bradley wigguns out there.

 

[gbb]

Its sometimes no good telling others to slow down, enjoy the view etc....that desire to up the average, to ride hard just cant be turned off in some people...I'm one of them.
I'm just getting back intp it after a couple years illness, and my average used to be 15 to 16 mph over say 50 miles. At about 50, I wanted to up it more so pushed and pushed, attacked inclines, did anything I could to up the average and did indeed get it to 18mph. Bloomin hard work and I did love hammering along but it did spoil my enjoyment a bit I must admit, so I backed off to around 16mph average after a year of it
So now I'm just getting back some fitness and managing 14.5 average over 15 to 20 miles...and I'm disappointed.
Ridiculous, what should I expect, I'm 57 nearly, got slighlty dodgy lungs..and I still try to push myself, I always did, I always will, its in me, its just the way I am.
My terrain is fairly flat BTW, occasionally venturing into the rolling hills of Northants.