gbb said:
I know there's hills and there's hills, but ive noticed something in the past...hills do not affect my average speed.
I can do a flat 30 miles or a 'rolling' hilly ride of 30 miles...the average is the same, give or take a tiny bit.
Of course, you go slower than your average uphill, but faster than your average down...it all averages out. The (mine anyway) average is the same, flat or hilly.
Your right on this, what I actually meant it to mean was over a long distance they eventually have a tiring effect on you and slowly grind you down.
I posted on some thread a while ago, that I have noticed, that on many of the hills that I climb, I will always have an average speed crossing it of 22 mph, for example one hill I climb its always around 4mph up, but coming down its always 40mph, giving me an average of 22 mph. Once I noticed it on one hill, I began to notice it was on most of the hills I climb.
But by my calculations hills should drop your average speed from A to B ie if you climb a 2 mile long hill at 4mph, that would be 30 mins, and descend 2 miles at 40 mph, that would be another 3 mins, giving a total of 33 mins. Now if that hill was not there and it was flat and you kept up a pace of 15mph, then in that time of 33 mins, you would have progressed 8.25 miles instead of 4 miles. Jimbo hopefully will provide a proper answer as to the theories.
Another thing I have also become aware of is 3 speeds that I always seem to ride at, 16mph, 18mph or 22mph, I've never fathomed out the significance of them, but on flattish ground, whenever I look at the computer, I will be doing one of those speeds, perhaps my preferred cadence matched to certain gears I find comfortable is the cause.
. So I've stopped making any claims about speed. 
