What is wrong with me

[marko1975]

Recentley moved back to kent after spending 6 months on the coast in brighton. Now have an 11 mile commute to work, which I am to tight to use the car for. In the past, last year I used a road bike but now only have access to a Hybrid a giant Crs. My question is this with my road bike I could get the journey down to just under an hour as there are a lot of hills with my giant Crs its taking over an hour where am I going wrong.....I know that my average speed has dropped but surley it wouldnt make that much of a difference.

 

[HLaB]

I know that my average speed has dropped

There's your answer. Over a longer distance the roadbike v hybrid (reduced average is noticeable) the only way to improve is work a lot harder on the hybrid or go back to a roadbike.

 

[hackbike 666]

I must stop ageing im sure it's affecting my average speed.B)

 

[Fab Foodie]

Several newbie cycling mates have started on Hybrids and decent MTBs on slicks and then changed to a proper road bike and have all experienced significant average speed increases as a result. This has been quite a surprise to many of our group, former tail-end-Charlies are now leading the peleton almost instantly. In many ways it IS about the bike.

 

[hackbike 666]

Good point.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I must stop ageing im sure it's affecting my average speed.

Hackbike Same problem here, in the last five years I have dropped from an average close to 17mph to around 15mph, Aint nothing we can do about it though, just got to put up with it.

 

[hackbike 666]

You are right although I never accepted my loss of 'gears' or 'drive' since my treatment in 1996.I feel robbed but perhaps I should be happy im still alive.

 

[marko1975]

not sure now as I managed to do the same time this morining that I did on my road bike might have been the strong winds we have had over the last few days

 

[Wigsie]

Possibly could have been the wind, but like others say the average speed over an 11 mile route will make a fair bit of difference on a Hybrid after riding a road bike. Where in Kent have you moved to Marko? Its a bit thin on the ground in South Kent.

 

[marko1975]

I live in bexley and cycle to gravesend every day its a really hilly route, most of the hills are long more like trying to cycle up a cliff. Tried it last year on a electric bike what a waste of time and money. Killed the battery dead with in a month. Its around 11 plus miles put because of the hills its feels like more

 

[arallsopp]

Welcome aboard.

Console yourself that if you join a CC ride, you'll find your daily commute puts you in good standing for the pack. 11+ hilly miles daily soon gets easier, but you only really discover how much you've improved when you find yourself pulling away from your companions at the start of an ascent that you really hadn't noticed.

My commute is massively hilly, and always takes an hour ten. Rolling speed is reduced by about a billion red lights and traffic queues, with the result that my peak average and rolling average are a good 15 mph apart.

Stick at it. All gets easier.