Winter vs Summer avg Speeds (ie slower in the cold)

[Ridgeway]

Perhaps i'm a bit hopeful that my speeds will improve as the weather warms up...

But it got me thinking that perhaps with colder, drier air that we perform less efficiently ? or that maybe our muscles perform better at a reasonable temperature rather that when our goolies are being frozen off ?

Probably false hopes and my avg speeds will get worse as Spring hits and the knee warmers get donned

 

[Racing roadkill]

Perhaps i'm a bit hopeful that my speeds will improve as the weather warms up...

But it got me thinking that perhaps with colder, drier air that we perform less efficiently ? or that maybe our muscles perform better at a reasonable temperature rather that when our goolies are being frozen off ?

Probably false hopes and my avg speeds will get worse as Spring hits and the knee warmers get donned

When it’s cold and damp, your lungs won’t work so efficiently. The little alveoli in your lungs constrict when cold air hits them, which reduces available oxygen levels quite a bit, there will be a bit of mucus produced as well, which further reduces efficiency.

 

[DRM]

Cold air is denser, so it’s going to create a very small amount of resistance to whatever tries to be pushed through it along with warmer less aero clothing, and as racing roadkill says your breathing/lungs won’t be as efficient so basically it’s marginal losses as opposed to Team Ineos marginal gains, the other thing I think is a sense of self preservation on wet & slippy roads means you ride a bit more cautiously

 

[Ridgeway]

Cold air is denser, so it’s going to create a very small amount of resistance to whatever tries to be pushed through it along with warmer less aero clothing, and as racing roadkill says your breathing/lungs won’t be as efficient so basically it’s marginal losses as opposed to Team Ineos marginal gains, the other thing I think is a sense of self preservation on wet & slippy roads means you ride a bit more cautiously

Yes the last bit for sure, anything slightly downhill is taken with caution.

 

[Milkfloat]

I also personally believe that being wrapped up so much restricts my movement. I am faster in shorts compared to longs. Damp roads undoubtably slow me down too, even on straights.

 

[steveindenmark]

Yes your speed will increase a bit when it warms up. You will be more comfortable and be wearing less gear. More importantly, you will be more inclined to ride longer. Your winter riding will give you a good head start for your summer riding.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Add in the fact that it’s generally darker for longer, and subconsciously ( or not ) you tend to ride more slowly during the winter months.

 

[Ridgeway]

so roll on the Spring !!!

it reached the heady heights of 10º today so i took advantage and set some Winter PB's

 

[Racing roadkill]

I tend to focus on normalized power, as I’m riding on the road, not a track. If you judge your effort by average speed, you’re on a bit of a hiding to nothing. You could be putting in a higher power, and getting a lower average speed, by virtue of wind conditions ( for example ). You’d then be thinking you’re performance was down on where you’d like it be, based on your average speed, when in actual fact it could be fine ( or better ) looking at power. Speed is influenced by all sorts of things ( including power ironically) Watts are Watts. Think of the speed as a secondary consideration, or as a consequence, but concentrate on getting your power up, and consistent firstly. There’s something known as 4 dimensional power or ‘4dp’ which trains looking at all power metrics ( not just averaged ) but that is a bit of a commercial thing, promoted by a particular commercial concern.