New to cycling. Average speeds? How long to improve?

[reacher]

It appears to be the people new to cycling who believe avg speed is up there.

It'll wear off.

If you want to look at average speeds, then enter time trials.

thats because it has to be ,
also ,
when you start anything you have to measure performance ,
whether or not it matters or is comparable is not the issue realy
people want to know how they rate as a cyclist to some degree or other , are they getting fitter , faster , loseing weight , should they pedal harder ? same in any sport , people want to know how good they are , unless its an activity then its irrelavent of course , which is the one single reason many people who attend a gym dont lose weight or get fitter , they dont track performance they simply just go through the motions each time they train ,
tell me one sport where they dont measure performance ?
a person new to cycling is hardly likely to enter a time trial are they ,

 

[400bhp]

I CBA to decipher the above.

 

[david k]

i think your saying everyone needs a benchmark
the more you do anything the less you need that benchmark as you have your own

 

[totallyfixed]

I have been cycling for two months now and is strange as my muscles ache like no other! Not like running anyway (Runner by trade) Anyway, I started off with a few 10 milers in the first few weeks then two weeks ago did a few 30 milers and did a 68 miler on Saturday. I am averaging 18 mph which feels really slow. That and irritates me that I am passed by the club riders with me being competitive. As I am riding solo and conscious that the clubs will be too quick is there any beginners clubs I could go to? (Live in Bolton)

How quick does it take to improve this? Also 68 miles is short for a number of riders so how long does it take to get used to 100 mile + distances?

Look forward to your advice. . .





Kind regards


Are you sure your speedo is correct? It would mean that your average rolling speed would have to be well over 20mph, probably near to 22mph

. Travelling at that speed no club run I have been on would have passed you, and the area you come from isn't exactly flat. You sure it wasn't team Sky out on a training run

. I guess I have done hundreds of club runs and you would be more than a match for any I have been on.


Onepedalaway

 

[david k]

think my computer is fixed up incorrect
it suggest im slow and fat

 

[reacher]

I CBA to decipher the above.

yet again a comment thats meaning less , not only do i not know what it means , its typical of comments on here from senior members , throw away lines that must mean something to the dinosours that have managed to elevate them selves to senior members ,
may be it means some thing positive and their will be an explanation forth comeing , as for the other senior members contributions such as their profound statements , lots of rubbish being talked about again and insights from them to people starting out such as they will soon learn , they think average speed is up their , then i can only think that elevation to senior member is not done on ability to coach or inspire people ,.
typcal of this forum is and many others is the ability of senior members to buddy up and add nothing but dross to the threads that many people starting out need to know in order to progress .

 

[david k]

just to confirm, i cycle at 12mph-14mph, am i a senior member? or just cycling like a senior?

 

[lukesdad]

Average speed is subjective, a true test of improvement would be a regular route, or a TT.

 

[david k]

or how easy you find it
or how much further you can go

 

[lukesdad]

To elaborate a little more reacher. The way someone rides and the benchmarks they use are different. If you use the same method i.e. Av. speed you will improve initially but then you will hit a plateau and no matter how much you try you will get no further. New benchmarks and training methods and targets have to be introduced. Increase in Av. speed would then become a bi product of the regime.

As has allready been said there are to many variables in Av. speed and it is not a good motivational tool after the initial improvement. The OP is allready finding this out. Alien 8 has a very high Av. speed (check out MCL) but I bet its not his primary Benchmark.

As an example my ride to work is 42 miles using the coast road with 2 big lumps Av. speed over the last 8 years has been between 15 and 20 mph with similar out puts on the HRM why such a difference ? Wind direction and strength. On the gower I have a training loop all left turns no stoppers. Similar outputs on the HRM (effort iff you like) Gives av. speeds of 23 mph plus over 30 miles. Riding at home in the mountains same effort Im lucky to get 14mph. Extreme s of my riding yes but you get the idea.

Slating members wont get you anywhere ! If you post on a forum such as this you will get all manner of replys. Its down to you to sort the wheat from the chaff. If you want serious replys on this sort of subject try posting in the Training threads. The subject of Av. speed has been discussed many times. If you search the forum you will find quite a lot of usefull info.

 

[reacher]

not slating members , just telling it how it is , its a discussion betwen new cyclists and yet so called senior members feel free to post dross thats meaningless ,
if they have nothing to add but comments like that then dont add them ,
average speeds have to be explored by new cyclists and yes its agreed that they are meaningless in reality unless its all on the same course same day ,
new cyclists will explore every thing from what shoes to what bike , yet senior members feel free to address them all as though they are retarded chimpanzees ,
and further the amount of people i meet who tell me they are pro cyclists , athletes , ex world champions and could have been the best but for !!
then i say realy , why are you two stone over weight them m8

 

[400bhp]

yet again a comment thats meaning less , not only do i not know what it means , its typical of comments on here from senior members , throw away lines that must mean something to the dinosours that have managed to elevate them selves to senior members ,
may be it means some thing positive and their will be an explanation forth comeing , as for the other senior members contributions such as their profound statements , lots of rubbish being talked about again and insights from them to people starting out such as they will soon learn , they think average speed is up their , then i can only think that elevation to senior member is not done on ability to coach or inspire people ,.
typcal of this forum is and many others is the ability of senior members to buddy up and add nothing but dross to the threads that many people starting out need to know in order to progress .

Come back when you can communicate properly.

 

[400bhp]

Look, average speed is not very useful.

Cycling is very different from other sports in that no 2 exercise sessions are the same and it is very difficult to compare One cycle with another.

Wind direction & speed/terrain/weather/traffic lights/traffic density are all major factors when you are cycling.

IMO almost a feel you have when out as to what your level of fitness is.

For example I did an 80 mile ride this morning. I felt very good & I was making a good attempt at beating the wind and was making easy work of short inclines (today was a flat route for me). It's not nearly 8pm and I don't feel tired. My average speed was 14mph.

Today was a watershed for me so far this year. Up until now I have been feeling very tired after rides and feeling sluggish. On similar ride distances recently my avg speeds have been between 15-16mph. Last week I did an 80 mile hilly run. I have a feeling this broke me through to another level of fitness.

Today, the wind was blowing up to 20mph and at points I could barely hit 10mph when I was heading directly into it. On other rides,they have been hilly, have taken it a bit easier, took some wrong turns etc etc. See how useless avg speed is.

You have to learn to understand and listen to your body and I appreciate this comes with experience.

Try measuring some of the following (not in any particular order):
1. resting heart rate (so get a HRM if you don't have one. This is by far the best way to measure fitness)
2. maximum heart rate
3. Your recovery times.
4. Choose a few hills and measure the ease you climb them. "Ease" being the gear you are able to maintain and whether you can do some/all of the hill out of the saddle.
5. Try to get a training partner, ideally a similar ability or better. Measure yourself against them. See if you can improve the need for less drafting (i.e. hiding behind the other rider to stay out of the wind and save energy), compare hill climbing ability and how you fare over time.
6.Try a few TT's at a local club.

I'm sure others have different ways of measuring their improvements over time but a combination of the above works for me.

 

[briantrumpet]

Look, average speed is not very useful.

Try measuring some of the following (not in any particular order):
1. resting heart rate (so get a HRM if you don't have one. This is by far the best way to measure fitness)
2. maximum heart rate
3. Your recovery times.
4. Choose a few hills and measure the ease you climb them. "Ease" being the gear you are able to maintain and whether you can do some/all of the hill out of the saddle.
5. Try to get a training partner, ideally a similar ability or better. Measure yourself against them. See if you can improve the need for less drafting (i.e. hiding behind the other rider to stay out of the wind and save energy), compare hill climbing ability and how you fare over time.
6.Try a few TT's at a local club.

I'm sure others have different ways of measuring their improvements over time but a combination of the above works for me.

Obviously different things work for different people - but for me, so far, average speeds 'work'. I think I've got a good sense of how hard I can push myself in different contexts, and use the cycle computer on everything except my short commute in order to push myself. 95% of my riding is solo - my benchmarks are my own speeds on my various routes. Of course they will vary with different routes & weather conditions, but with logging of rides, it's possible to see what ranges you are in, and when you have a disappointing/average/good ride. But I've got a good idea of where I'm at now (in the last 2.5 months I've done 1209 miles, in average 60 mile rides with 3900ft of climbing, at an overall average of 19.1 mph), after 8 months of serious riding, and that's certainly a lot better than when I started last year. I've done that using average speeds as my main tool. Well, my only tool actually, other than just getting out there and riding.

Now I'm perfectly prepared to admit that I might plateau here (lukesdad could well be right), and that I'll need to visit other methods to make further progress. But average speed can be a useful tool, and I'll be using it for a while yet, I think.

 

[MacB]

It appears to be the people new to cycling who believe avg speed is up there.

It'll wear off.

If you want to look at average speeds, then enter time trials.

I disagree, if you're not competing then average speed is up there, it may or may not wear off, that's down to the individual. The only realisation that's bound to come is that the numbers only matter to yourself.