What is a good average mph for commute?

[buggi]

depends doesn't it. between the two towns i reckon i do an average of 15mph but this drops off to around 12mph as i hit either my home town or work town due to heavier traffic.

it's not good to go all out on a commute ride anyway. you just knacker yourself.

conversation with me and my brother:

brother: i don't seem to be getting any fitter
me: why not?
bro: because i used to take 35 mins but now i take 25 mins
me: well that's better
bro: but i'm still knackered
me: so you're going as fast as you can all the time?
bro: yea, so?
me: your pushing yourself to the peak everytime then?
bro: yea?
me: that's why you're knackered you plonker! try doing it in 35 mins and then see if you feel as knackered as when you used to do it in 35.
bro: o yea!

LOL

 

[Adasta]

Especially in a city filled with other cyclists, every light change is a sprint to the next red.

What I don't understand is why cyclists that you have just overtaken cycle round you at a red light and "park" in front of you. It just means you have the overtake them again.

 

[CopperCyclist]

it's not good to go all out on a commute ride anyway. you just knacker yourself.

What! This is exactly why I always go all out on my commute - if I still did it at the speed I did when I first started cycling, yes it'd be easy and I wouldn't get knackered, but I also wouldn't continue to improve my fitness with each commute

Go for it! If you don't get to work sweaty, you haven't tried hard enough.

 

[PaulSB]

Better off judging speed and averages from a training run. Not commute due to lights/traffic etc. If you can do 17mph on a training run, you'll be OK on a club run. Endurance comes in though.

My commute is cycle-train-cycle. The first cycle is at around 17-18mph with 6 inclines (can't call them hills!) but only a left turn at a mini-roundabout, the second is flat and I get 15mph+ over 13 miles, the first 4 miles if which are at around 12mph due to lights, crossings etc

The first section of my commute is done at 6.50 to 7.15, no traffic and quite fast. The second is much busier especially the first 4 miles.

BTW in my experience if you average 15 mph on your own you will be fine on an average club run. Our B group does about 15-16mph and the benefit of group cycling will easily pull you up to 17-18 when needed. The bigger question is can you average 15mph over 70-80 miles which is what mist Sunday runs cover.

 

[BentMikey]

What I don't understand is why cyclists that you have just overtaken cycle round you at a red light and "park" in front of you. It just means you have the overtake them again.

Isn't that what we do to the cars?

 

[BentMikey]

My missus saw a cyclist flying up the hill between Downe and Keston last week, he was doing 30mph and half drafting a van and half looking like he either wanted to overtake or just look past. I'm happy if I do 16mph there on a strong day.

 

[Andrew_P]

My best advice is do not get caught up in data obsession, you will end up chasing targets all the time, I should know!! <hmm must upload my Garmin>

 

[jonny jeez]

My 40 mile commute (20 each way) averages at 14.6mph right now although i expect that to drop over time as the computer is relativley new (4 weeks).

On the flat (at cruising speed), I generally ride at between 20 and 25mph (3 or 5 less in a strong wind)

 

[HLaB]

What I don't understand is why cyclists that you have just overtaken cycle round you at a red light and "park" in front of you. It just means you have the overtake them again.

That is so annoying, especially after the third time

 

[jonny jeez]

What I don't understand is why cyclists that you have just overtaken cycle round you at a red light and "park" in front of you. It just means you have the overtake them again.

Yep, that frustrates me too.

I try to make a point of not walking/edging past other riders at the lights, especially if they've already overtaken me or were cruising at my speed but some riders just dont seem to get this.

Even worse if they edge up your left hand side and try to push you out into traffic as you start off again....grrrr

 

[mcshroom]

My commute is rural but rather lumpy, and this year my average commuting is just over 13mph. There's a lot faster than me though.

 

[jonny jeez]

depends doesn't it. between the two towns i reckon i do an average of 15mph but this drops off to around 12mph as i hit either my home town or work town due to heavier traffic.

it's not good to go all out on a commute ride anyway. you just knacker yourself.

sounds obvious but this is really good advice. I took a ride up the longest hill on my commute last week and for one reason or another I did it really slowly.

I could have had a chat all the way up, was totally full of beans at the top and not that puffed at all. Compare that to a few months ago when I would have crawled up that hill in the smallest ring, wheezing and puffing all the way.

Riding slow is a real challange though (and i dont mean that in an arrogant way, I just find my ego kicks in and I *have* to get up to cruiusing speed)

 

[headcoat]

My average is probably around 12mph (over 11 miles), but most of my commute is on canal tow paths, and cycle paths (with gates at every farmers field) I could go on the road which would be more direct and quicker, but I prefer the safety of the off road route.

 

[ianrauk]

sounds obvious but this is really good advice. I took a ride up the longest hill on my commute last week and for one reason or another I did it really slowly. Bromley Hill per chance?

I could have had a chat all the way up, was totally full of beans at the top and not that puffed at all. Compare that to a few months ago when I would have crawled up that hill in the smallest ring, wheezing and puffing all the way.

Riding slow is a real challange though (and i dont mean that in an arrogant way, I just find my ego kicks in and I *have* to get up to cruiusing speed) Just normal London commuting cyclist then

 

[jonny jeez]

Right on both counts Ian.

Bloody bromley hill