# is 16 miles an hour a miserable average speed?



## Kaboom (Jul 18, 2003)

Because that is what i am averaging and i feel its miserable. Am i right to think so? the areas around here are mostly flat with the occasional semi-steep climb.


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## purplepaul (Nov 21, 2002)

That's really tough to answer. How windy is it? Lots of stop lights or obstacles to slow you down? Are you only timing yourself when you're moving?

Remember that a 16MPH average means that you are spending most of your time above that to compensate for any time spent below.

Frankly, it doesn't sound bad to me.




Kaboom said:


> Because that is what i am averaging and i feel its miserable. Am i right to think so? the areas around here are mostly flat with the occasional semi-steep climb.


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## bimini (Jul 2, 2003)

*Depends on why you are riding the bike*

If you are riding for fitness and fun I would throw away the computer if it makes you miserable to see the speed. Focus on the time spent and / or the destination you are going to.

Many of the group rides around here (non-racing club) average 15-16 MPH in the main group of riders. Sometimes less. And this is with a bike in front of you blocking the wind to some degree. This group rides for fun and as a social event. If you charge off the front, they say good ridance.

If you want to race or be a hammer, well, you got some work to do.


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## 633 (Feb 10, 2004)

I hope not. I average 16.5-17 myself. I'm certainly not fast, but I go by a lot of people on the organized rides around here. Of course, I'm never even in range of the fast guys, but I'm out for my own enjoyment, so ultimately, it doesn't matter than much to me.


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## iktome (Aug 29, 2003)

*don't worry about it*

I'm finally starting to get over worrying about my average speed, but it's hard. last summer i moved to a place that has a lot of short steep hills. because none of them are real "climbs" in my opinion -- i'd spent my whole life up until now in the west -- i thought my average speeds would be higher. but they've been a lot lower. on one ride i'd do in idaho, i could average between 19 and 20 mph on a 60 mile ride that has a long, consistent climb. here (madison, wi), i'm usually around 17 mph. the difference is that the short, steep climbs slow me down a lot more than long, less steep climbs. and short steep climbs also mean short downhills, so there's less time to make up for the slow parts.

anyway, i guess my point is that average speed is a function of a multitude of factors that we often don't notice. so don't worry about what the numbers are, just try to make them gradually increase. oh, and don't believe anyone else's average speed. we all have a tendency to exaggerate, or ignore that it was all downhill or downwind, or that we were in a group of 20 hard guys that did all the pulling.



Kaboom said:


> Because that is what i am averaging and i feel its miserable. Am i right to think so? the areas around here are mostly flat with the occasional semi-steep climb.


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## bill (Feb 5, 2004)

This is such a loaded question. Average speeds (on the computer) can vary so much depending on how often you have to stop, what are your obstacles, is it an MUT or an open road, wind, grade, etc. And, what are your goals? 
Please do yourself a favor. Don't, don't, don't think in terms of numbers. Go ride and have fun. If you want to hang with a different group (I love group rides, myself), go with them until your eyes bleed, and you'll be faster. If you want to get faster because of increased fitness goals, there are specific exercises to go faster.
Who are you comparing yourself to? And why?


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## Kaboom (Jul 18, 2003)

I guess saying that i feel miserable is an exaggeration. I am really happy with what i ride and how i ride it, but sometimes i wonder if i am riding below the average of most other riders. The problem with the group rides is that where i am i can only easily acess ONE group, and they are even slower!! Thanx a lot for the feedback guys


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## JimP (Dec 18, 2001)

*Distance?*

If you consider the distance you are riding, 16 may be very slow or not too bad. If you can average 16.6 mph for a century you will complete it in 5 hours. If you can hold 16 mph for Paris-Brest-Paris, you will finish in a great time.


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## Go Kart Motzart (Jan 26, 2004)

*What math are you using?*



JimP said:


> If you consider the distance you are riding, 16 may be very slow or not too bad. If you can average 16.6 mph for a century you will complete it in 5 hours. If you can hold 16 mph for Paris-Brest-Paris, you will finish in a great time.


Here on planet earth you have to average 20 mph to do a 5 hr. century.

BTW, don't feel bad about you average speed. If your riding alone with a few hills mixed in, that is a fine average.


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## johnny99 (Apr 2, 2004)

16mph over what distance? Are you including rest and lunch stops? In my club, most rides are well under 16mph on rides of 50 miles or more if you include all the stops. Many moderate recreational paced rides are 10mph or slower (i.e., 50 miles in 5 hours including a half hour lunch stop).


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## Cory (Jan 29, 2004)

*About what I do on a good day...but I'm OOOOLLLD.*

No, I'm yanking your chain. As others have pointed out, it depends on terrain, wind, distance and other factors. I'm a semi-serious recreational rider with no racing pretensions, and I average 15-17 mph over varied terrain. I know guys who are faster and guys who are slower, and I try not to compare myself to either group. Do what you can and what you enjoy.


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## Infini (Apr 21, 2003)

*No Smoking!!!*

If you're worried about how fast you're going, stop smoking. I'm pretty sure it would help.


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## aliensporebomb (Jul 2, 2002)

*Depends....*



Kaboom said:


> Because that is what i am averaging and i feel its miserable. Am i right to think so? the areas around here are mostly flat with the occasional semi-steep climb.


Depends on your bike and the way you ride it. You riding a mountain bike frame
with slicks? Lightweight roadie? Older heavy roadie? How much do you weigh
and what is your height?

The message before this one has a point too - smoking probably is hampering lung efficiency in one way or another.

Also, if you tend to go a certain speed that's the speed you'll gravitate to. It takes
practice to get the speed up.


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## goldsbar (Apr 24, 2002)

From what I've seen, most people who talk about average speeds are complete BS artists. I live in NJ which, depending on the section, can have a lot of up & down riding, flats, and even a fair amount of sustained climbing (10 mins, not 45 mins). I used to be a good "sport" mountain bike racer and average 4/5 roadie. I'm still in fairly good shape (one of the faster guys in the recreational set) and when I ride the ups & downs solo it's tough for me to average much over 16mph. 

If you someone tells you about an average speed beginning with a 2, they are either (a) very good (unlikely), (b) full of s---, (c) riding with a group on flats. Cruising at 20 on the flats with a halfway operational paceline is not that hard.

Don't worry about average speed.


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## Mike Prince (Jan 30, 2004)

*Only if you think it is*

A few points:

If your computer doesn't stop when you do, 16 may not be too bad
Longer rides tend to be slower
Focus on effort, not speed
Depending where you live, this may be early season and you should be building base miles, not worrying about how fast
Stop beating yourself up - you should ride for you, it's not about the other people
One of my most satisfying rides ever happened this year - my average was 13.8 for 50 miles and yes, we were riding in pacelines and going hard. Relentless mountain passes slowed us down.

I often remind myself to think outside of my bike computer and focus on quality time on the bike. Figure out why you like to/want to ride and then go do it.

Sometimes it's not 'how fast', but 'how long' that determines whether or not a ride is great. Unattach your computer for a few rides and you may understand what I mean.

PS - smoking is definitely NOT helping you.


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## coonass (Feb 4, 2004)

*Don't let the 'puter crush you*



Kaboom said:


> Because that is what i am averaging and i feel its miserable. Am i right to think so? the areas around here are mostly flat with the occasional semi-steep climb.


Keep in mind, that it uses EVERY speed during the ride to calculate your average speed.
After starting your ride (computer), whenever you walk your bike, that 2mph speed is entered into your overall average speed..... We'll have rides of 50-60 miles and I'll be cruising at 17.5 - 22.0 mph; (excluding headwinds, hills, etc.) and I'll find that my 'average speed' is 15.4 - 16.2 mph for the ride... Huhhhhhhhhh? As bimini pointed out...riding without a computer is really an enjoyable ride (you won't see '12 mph' when into a 30 mph headwind....just feeling the burn  ) Last Sunday's ride of 44 miles had 25 - 30 mph South winds (+35 mph gusts) and the ride was 30% headwind, 50% crosswind and 20% tailwind....ended with a 14.2 avg., but still had a great time (300 riders makes it fun)
If you're not into racing, but are concerned about performance, concentrate on Cadence & HR and enjoy the ride and comraderie. 
IMHO: Don't let the 'puter be the judge of your ride.....it's not set up to monitor your overall performance.......

Ride to work, work to live and LIVE TO RIDE !!!!!!


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## Kaboom (Jul 18, 2003)

*some details u asked for*

19.3 pound all alu trek, riding with perfectly sleek pro-races
And about the smoking thingie, i know it doesnt help me, but it doesnt hinder me that much either. I did the test once, I quit smoking for two months and then attempted the one killer hill around here. Result? 30 seconds faster... BUT i didnt get the lung burn. So for thirty seconds difference i dont think its worth it (now, the cancer, thats another matter) and since i dont race (YET) it doesnt bother me excessively. If i start racing and become obsessed with race results, perhaps i'll consider quitting.


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## elviento (Mar 24, 2002)

*I ride without a computer*

Back when I had a computer (and back when I was in shape), pushing really hard on 2 hour solo rides at cruising speed like 19mph, the average speed in the end was barely above 16. These days I bet it's in the 14mph range.



******* said:


> Keep in mind, that it uses EVERY speed during the ride to calculate your average speed.
> After starting your ride (computer), whenever you walk your bike, that 2mph speed is entered into your overall average speed..... We'll have rides of 50-60 miles and I'll be cruising at 17.5 - 22.0 mph; (excluding headwinds, hills, etc.) and I'll find that my 'average speed' is 15.4 - 16.2 mph for the ride... Huhhhhhhhhh? As bimini pointed out...riding without a computer is really an enjoyable ride (you won't see '12 mph' when into a 30 mph headwind....just feeling the burn  ) Last Sunday's ride of 44 miles had 25 - 30 mph South winds (+35 mph gusts) and the ride was 30% headwind, 50% crosswind and 20% tailwind....ended with a 14.2 avg., but still had a great time (300 riders makes it fun)
> If you're not into racing, but are concerned about performance, concentrate on Cadence & HR and enjoy the ride and comraderie.
> IMHO: Don't let the 'puter be the judge of your ride.....it's not set up to monitor your overall performance.......
> ...


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## JimP (Dec 18, 2001)

*Brain Fart*



Go Kart Motzart said:


> Here on planet earth you have to average 20 mph to do a 5 hr. century.
> 
> BTW, don't feel bad about you average speed. If your riding alone with a few hills mixed in, that is a fine average.


Either I had a brain fart or dyslexic fingers. Mea Culpa


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## Spinfinity (Feb 3, 2004)

*Does the time include smoke breaks?*

I used to stop every 90 mins or so for a Lucky. Really played hell with my average speed. When I quit it took quite a while to give up the 90 min breaks. When I quit I noticed little difference climbing but recovered way faster after the climb without rolling down the back of the hill. The other benefit was more spare change for bike goodies.


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## Ricky2 (Apr 7, 2004)

Are you out of shape? If so, then that's damn ****ing slow. Are you in shape? Boy, you are fast to get 16mph with all those stop signs!


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## freezin_is_the_reason (Feb 5, 2004)

*Also depends on how your computer is set up*

If you have the computer set up to start timing when you push the button at the start of your ride, and then stop when you push the button again at the end of your ride, then you are including all of the time that you spend sitting still at stop lights etc in your average speed. Two or three minutes with a speed of 0MPH will have a big effect on your avg. If you have the option, set the computer up to only count the time that you are actually moving. It should have an auto start/stop function. This will increase the avg that is registered on the computer and is a more accurate measure of how fast you are actually riding.

Case in point, on my first century ride, I took 6.5 hrs to do the whole ride including rest stops. My avg spd=15.33MPH. With my computer set up to only record the actual time that I was moving, it showed that I spent 5.5 hrs in the saddle with an avg spd over 18MPH. That is a big difference!

Also, for anyone thinking that I am just tootin my own horn here, the ride was an organized century, and I had plenty of stronger riders to wheelsuck all day long. Had I been out by myself, I am sure that It would have been much slower.


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## Rushfan (Apr 20, 2003)

I'm not terribly fast, but I've found that the very few times I've ridden with others it's been mixed. Last year I did my first metric and blew away the folks I was riding with. Rode with my friend's dad who's logged 10000 miles in the past three years and had to go really slow to ride with him, too. Then a friend who just started riding (he averaged 10 mph), and I didn't even sweat riding with him.

Then there was the time early this season where I rode with a guy building to a double century, and my efforts to stay with him tweaked my knee and forced me to rearrange my season goals.

I average 17 mph by the way...


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## zooog (Mar 18, 2002)

Some days I give anything for 16MPH........

16 MPH is fine. In fact, just getting on the bike and riding is even better.


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## DaveT (Feb 12, 2004)

Kaboom said:


> ........And about the smoking thingie, i know it doesnt help me, but it doesnt hinder me that much either. I did the test once, I quit smoking for two months and then attempted the one killer hill around here. Result? 30 seconds faster... BUT i didnt get the lung burn. So for thirty seconds difference i dont think its worth it (now, the cancer, thats another matter) and since i dont race (YET) it doesnt bother me excessively. If i start racing and become obsessed with race results, perhaps i'll consider quitting.


Sorry, but I gotta say this; that statement is about the _dumbest_ thing I've read on this forum! "...doesn't hinder me that much either.."! "....I don't think it's worth it.."! Man that's some real 15 year-old words coming out of your mouth. The cancer thing aside (that in itself is a very real concern) the stuff that gets deposited in your lungs cuts your lung capacity hugely. You sort of learned that with your 2 month hiatus from cigarettes, you didn't get the lung burn you usually did when you smoked. Where it really shows up is with long continuous efforts, when your body needs the large amounts of oxygen to function, your lungs can't deliver it and your heart rate increases so the blood circulates faster. If the smoke-affected lungs aren't delivering the required oxygen, the heart beats much faster to compensate. Fainting, passing out or heart attacks can result. If any of these happen while you're on the bike, well, serious damage can result from the fall.

If you have been riding any time at all, you probably have come close to this condition. When you've stopped to 'get your breath' and felt very light-headed. Brother, that's a warning sign.


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## supercrank (Feb 20, 2004)

*ARRRGHHHH!!! I can't take it anymore!*

Sorry, I REALLY didn't want to get sucked into this, but being a pulmonologist, I feel compelled to open my big fat mouth (or more aptly, hit the "reply" button)

You already know about the cancer risk-- bad way to die. 5 year survival after diagnosis of lung cancer is dismal-- the very small "lucky" minority will survive after getting a lobe or entire lung removed +/- chemo.

Don't forget about emphysema/chronic bronchitis (COPD). Best case scenario: you're not susceptible to cigarette smoke. Worst case: up to 5% permanent reduction in lung function every year until you're dependent on supplemental oxygen and can't exist without feeling short of breath. Most people are somewhere in between, but I've seen plenty at the bad end of the spectrum.

I'm not even going to talk about coronary disease, peripheral vascular disease, risk of venous thromboembolism (blood clots), etc.

Just wanted to make sure you knew that once you actually start noticing a decline due to your breathing, it's probably too late to reverse it. Or, think of it this way: smoking may limit your ability to enjoy yourself on the bike in the future. Imagine not being able to go on a group ride in 10 years because you can't average 13MPH, let alone 16MPH. This is no joke: I've done cardiopulmonary exercise testing on smokers whose VO2 max is around 10 ml/kg/min at a workload of approximately 40 watts. These poor folks cross their anaerobic thresholds almost as soon as they start pedalling!

Sorry for the ranting and raving. We've all got our vices-- you just happen to have the courage to put yours on display.

I hope you quit


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## zero85ZEN (Oct 11, 2002)

*Quit smoking, train hard for six months.*

I'll bet your average would go up a mile an hour or two. And the money you save not buying cancer sticks could be put towards an OCLV Trek.


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## kreger (Mar 10, 2004)

*was just thinking about this*

I did 53 miles today, took me 3 hours and 18 minutes jsut shy of 16 average. I thought this was real low, recently I've been riding along Seattle's burke gillman trail its a mut (on your left,,,,on your left...on your left) that follows lakes Union and Washington. I have been. hauling for 30 or so (15 up and back, reset computer at start) i was averaging 19 (and I'd tired after that 30); however this trail is DEAD FLAT. Today instead of turning back i rode up and around lake Washington, Marrymore-Redmond,-Bellevue (scary) and back over on i 90 birdge, damn water had white caps. This will make loads of sense to people not from Seattle, but there were alot more hills.. Had to climb one twice in Kirkland when I got lost,,,

But the point I'm trying to make is that hills mess with your average something fierce, I have auto start stop turned on and, though I am new to road biking, the years of pounding the gams on the mountain bike have left a good base to build from.There were a few times I was spinnning 95 in 53-12 and still,,,15.7 average, almost threw the damn thing away..


Ill be quite now


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## CFBlue (Jun 28, 1999)

*whats wrong with you???*

why would you smoke and ride a bike? thats like purposefully carrying a 50lb sack of weights on your back in an uphill TT when you want to win the event...pretty stupid huh? Guess that stupidity goes with the territory of being a smoker. you are doing two things which are absolutely contradictory to one another, dont you see this?? on a side note, if the small digits are hurting your ego (why you have one about speed when you smoke is baffling), then just simply switch the computer over to Kph. not too mention riding in Mph is just plain silly...there is a significant difference in effort to go from 25-27mph and 20-25 mph than that isn't done justice by Mph. bec the mile is a larger number it is a less precise way to evaluate you speed change and current speed. MPH sucks and smoking sucks.


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## ramboorider (Sep 25, 2003)

*Even if you think of it as miserable, consider it a public service...*



Kaboom said:


> Because that is what i am averaging and i feel its miserable. Am i right to think so? the areas around here are mostly flat with the occasional semi-steep climb.


I don't think it's too bad. I tend to average anywhere from 14 to about 17 on the fairly hilly rides I do and about 18-19 on the dead flat 40 miler I do at the shore a couple of times per year. I pass a lot of people but I also get passed a LOT - there are always gonna be faster people out there. I figure that IF I'm below average, I'm doing a public service, because SOMEONE's gotta be slower than average or else the average speed would be even higher and then even faster people would be below average. This would never do, so I'm happy to provide the service.

Also, I ride with a computer because I like to know about how far I rode and I like to be able to follow a cue sheet on group rides. But only one of my bikes has an average speed function or a trip time on the computer - I ride that every now and then just to see how I'm doing relative to past years (I used to know my average speed every ride). The other bikes have computers with only current speed, trip mileage, total mileage, and a clock. Any more information than that gets in my way.

-Ray


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## HANK (Jan 9, 2002)

*Quit Smoking or Die*

Or worse yet...Quit smoking so I won't die. With all the recent information on second hand smoke, I have zero tolerence for smokers! You can't stop someone from smoking in thier own home but I don't like being in public around a smoker. Unfortunatly I have become very outspoken in my old age about smoking and if someone smokes around me I'll ask them (or tell them if they insist) to go someplace else to smoke. I think that an earlier poster already said it but here it is again..."Why would you smoke and ride a bike?"
I think that average speed is the least of your worries.


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## shokhead1 (Jan 21, 2003)

Dont worry about it,just ride. As you can see,nobody is much help but they can brag about the avg they have. Doesnt mean much because of all other factors. Some people wont start the computer until warmup is over and stop it at the start of cooldown so the avg looks better. Stats are coffee talk, just keep riding and it will be fine.


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## CFBlue (Jun 28, 1999)

*you guys are supporting his smoking habit by.....*

responding to his question about average speed. by just saying crap like that you are legitimizing his smoking behavior. stop ignoring the fact that this dude smokes by just giving answers like 'oh blah, blah..thats an alright speed, or blah, blah your average speed depends on many things..etc.' its like when a stupid friend makes some racial or sexist joke and you dont say anything...by not telling the guy that what hes doing is wrong, you are part of the problem, and implicitly assenting to his behavior.


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## James30Florida (Apr 14, 2004)

Go Kart Motzart said:


> Here on planet earth you have to average 20 mph to do a 5 hr. century.


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## purplepaul (Nov 21, 2002)

It's none of our business if he wants to smoke and ride. I hate being around smoke, but the air's clean on RBR.com





kenyonCycleist said:


> responding to his question about average speed. by just saying crap like that you are legitimizing his smoking behavior. stop ignoring the fact that this dude smokes by just giving answers like 'oh blah, blah..thats an alright speed, or blah, blah your average speed depends on many things..etc.' its like when a stupid friend makes some racial or sexist joke and you dont say anything...by not telling the guy that what hes doing is wrong, you are part of the problem, and implicitly assenting to his behavior.


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## Free2Pedal (Oct 25, 2003)

*I think that's pretty good*



Kaboom said:


> Because that is what i am averaging and i feel its miserable. Am i right to think so? the areas around here are mostly flat with the occasional semi-steep climb.


I'm only averaging about 12 MPH - and have been for some time. I got up to 16MPH once, but that was during group rides where I was drafting, and I pretty much killed myself that summer trying to keep up.

I recently ditched my computer and went back to just riding. I'm not going to care abount comparing myself or performing anymore. When I was doing that, I kept getting injured and was miserable. Now I ride for fun and fitness. My body will tell me when it wants to go to the next level.


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## shokhead1 (Jan 21, 2003)

Free2Pedal said:


> I'm only averaging about 12 MPH - and have been for some time. I got up to 16MPH once, but that was during group rides where I was drafting, and I pretty much killed myself that summer trying to keep up.
> 
> I recently ditched my computer and went back to just riding. I'm not going to care abount comparing myself or performing anymore. When I was doing that, I kept getting injured and was miserable. Now I ride for fun and fitness. My body will tell me when it wants to go to the next level.


Best answer yet.


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## pugdog1 (Mar 23, 2004)

*Arent you 17 years old?*

I am 33 and out of shape. I have been riding road for 4 weeks and I average 15mph over my 40 mile ride. I average 17.5mph over my 24 mile ride. Around here thats a B to B+ riding group/


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## Len J (Jan 28, 2004)

*This smells like a troll...........*

anyone who mixes average speed with smoking is asking for troll type responses, however, in the event that this query is for real, I would answer this way:

1.) Average speed is affected by so many variables that it is almost meaningless when attempting to compare it to anyone else's riding. No of stops, Hill length, steepness, and frequency, riding distance and intensity, weather, wind, sleep etc all can have significant impacts....not mentioning how your computer works (wether or not it turns off when you stop.

2.) If you ride enough, it can be meaningful to you.......but only if you complement it by some measure of effort (HRM or Power meter. As an example, I know that if I go out for a 2.5 hour ride where I am disciplined to stay in Zone 2 of my Heart rate, that (with a light wind) I will average between 16.7 and 17 MPH. I ride enough that I know what my effort (HRM)/speed relationship is when there is little if any wind (I live in a realtivly flat area. However, yesterday, I did a 2.5 hour zone 2 ride, and averaged 16 MPH......What happened, well there was a steady 16 MPH headwind for the first hour and a half. There were times where to keep my HR in the zone 2 I had to ride at less than 14MPH. Because of this, and because you never make up the average coming back (due to it always taking you less time to get home), my average was lower. Because of this, the only person the average means anything to is you......you are the only one who knows if you had a tail wind, a head wind or rode in zone 2 or zone 4 the entire way.

3.) Use you're own average speeds to learn how to read your own body and how it reacts to training.....what works for you and what doesn't.

4.) As Free2Pedal said, don't let concern over speed ruin the joy of riding.

5.) If you are really concerned about your average, stop smoking (I couldn't resist). 

Len


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## Free2Pedal (Oct 25, 2003)

*Were you speaking to me or Shok?*



pugdog1 said:


> I am 33 and out of shape. I have been riding road for 4 weeks and I average 15mph over my 40 mile ride. I average 17.5mph over my 24 mile ride. Around here thats a B to B+ riding group/


I'm not really sure what your point was, but your comments came off to me as degrading towards the abilities and experiences of some here while simultaneously exalting yourself. Is that what you intended to do? 

I'd like to introduce myself. I've been posting here for 3 years, though formerly under another name. I'm a 34 year old woman who is also out-of-shape. Though the term "out-of-shape" is pretty subjective. I've heard some pretty fit people call themselves that.

I began pursuing fitness about 5 years ago as a means to becoming healthy in all aspects of my life...physically, spiritually and emotionally. (I've worked hard at all three.) I got into road riding 3 years ago and did pull off a couple 16+ MPH averages in my first season. Again, I was riding with a group & drafting. I was also pushing my body so hard that I weakened my immune system and caught a bad cold. Not wanting to back off, I went out and attempted a solo charity metric just 2 weeks later. The result of that was ITBS (Illio-tibial band syndrom) which put me off the bike for almost 8 months. The following summer I still struggled with my knee and with my image as a rider. This year, I've scaled my intensity way back and am riding just for me. I intend to have fun at it and believe I will be in better shape at the end of this season that I was at the end of the previous two. 

Could I do better than 12MPH? Absolutely! I could sit less, and crank more. I could push my heart rate higher. Right now I chose not to. If I flat out killed myself and only had the computer on during a TT, I could probably get 14.5 MPH today.

Regarding your claim to achieving a 17.5MPH average in just 4 weeks. I find that to be either extrodinary or doubtful. Of couse, some of this hinges on what you think "out-of-shape" means. As I said, I started riding road out-of-shape when I was 31. I know what a 17.5MPH average feels over a 28 mile, moderately hilly route. It was not easy and was not remotely possible until I'd had 3 months of regular saddle time. I figure there could be a few explainations for your achievement:

1. You have extrodinary natural talent. This is certainly possible. There is a guy on the West-Virginia team who only started riding 4 years ago, was 150 pounds overweight and turned pro-after only a couple seasons. If this is you, bravo. Seriously. That's very cool. Just remember, not everyone can do that. As a matter of fact, very few can.

2. There is the possibility you are exagerating. Experience has taught me that a person who chooses says things to flatter themselves, may also be prone to embellishment. This is something only you know. If you tell me that wasn't your intention, I will believe you.

3. You are pushing too hard and will end your first season like mine. Cycling can be a nasty, image-driven, little sport. Don't get me wrong, it can be great fun too; but if you don't have a strong sense of self confidence, its easy to get sucked into the, "who's better than who's got the coolest bike/jersey, latest carbon fiber goody." That is one slippery slope my friend.

4. You're bike computer is busted. It can happen.


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## Free2Pedal (Oct 25, 2003)

*Do any of the pro riders smoke...that anyone knows of?*

Not to keep this thing going, but I'm just curious about that. I know some very strong riders who smoke. How much could someone improve if they quit I wonder.

Personally, I smoked from age 14 to 20 and then quit. One of the best things I ever did for myself. It sucked at the time, but I've saved over $14,000 to date and I don't reek.


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## MR_GRUMPY (Aug 21, 2002)

*Average speed is overrated*

Average speed is about the same worth as tits on a bull. Unless you are training to prepare yourself for a time trial, why would you just ride along at a constant speed?
If you want to get really fit, start riding with a group. One minute you may be riding along at 20 mph, the next minute you'll be at 27 mph. 
I always get a kick out of some of the riders that I ride with. They think that if the ride had a higher average speed, they got a better work out. I feel like telling them that if they would go to the front more often, they could get a better workout at a slower pace.
Sometimes a ride is just a ride, not a workout. 
Just ride.....


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## pugdog1 (Mar 23, 2004)

Free2Pedal said:


> I'm not really sure what your point was, but your comments came off to me as degrading towards the abilities and experiences of some here while simultaneously exalting yourself. Is that what you intended to do?
> 
> I'd like to introduce myself. I've been posting here for 3 years, though formerly under another name. I'm a 34 year old woman who is also out-of-shape. Though the term "out-of-shape" is pretty subjective. I've heard some pretty fit people call themselves that.
> 
> ...



Excuse me, wacko, my comments weren't directed towards you or anyone. They are here for the origianl postee to compare himself to. If you read whe "who, who ,who are you?" post you will see that Kaboom says he is 17 years old. It's not your post, dont take it personally!
I have been mountain biking for 5 years, cycling is nothing new to me.

Let me profile you now!

1. You are a single woman that has so much love to offer
2. You have cats
3. You are an out of work school teacher
4. You are out of shape

Watch the sharp tongue pal, cycling is supposed to fun!


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Free2Pedal said:


> Not to keep this thing going, but I'm just curious about that. I know some very strong riders who smoke. How much could someone improve if they quit I wonder.
> 
> Personally, I smoked from age 14 to 20 and then quit. One of the best things I ever did for myself. It sucked at the time, but I've saved over $14,000 to date and I don't reek.



A lot of pro's used to  Also, I agree with Len J, this post smells like a troll...


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## shokhead1 (Jan 21, 2003)

In the last year of riding,around 3000 miles,i have checked my avg maybe twice because to me it means nothing, Like i said,its a nice coffee stat. Funny we are talking about something here and someone comes in and talks about a troll.Trolls are good.


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## HouseMoney (Oct 28, 2002)

Everyone else here has pretty much touched on the subject. Depends on terrain, wind, distance, etc.

Reminds me of a story a mechanic at one of the shops told me a while back. Some riders he knew tended to exaggerate their avg speed on their group rides and crow about it (usually quoting their cruising speed on flats). When it came time for him to lead a ride, he took them on a hilly, rolling ride. Since most group rides had a name attached to them, he named this particular ride, "There goes your average speed group ride"!


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## froteur (Feb 29, 2004)

I really think that average speed serves an important purpose. Say I know that I average 15 mph and I am riding a 60 mile course. That should work out to 4 hours needed to finish. Let's say I've budgeted myself around five hours of time for this ride. Knowing my average speed and estimated ride time, I then know that I can take two 30 minute coffee breaks (or four 15 minute breaks) during the ride.


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

OP, It's a great speed compared to ASFOS in this thread

If i ride 14 miles in 60 mins, what is my average speed? - Page 2


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## factory feel (Nov 27, 2009)

op, if it was a recovery ride then I guess it was ok speed.

do you still smoke?


damn time flies....


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

factory feel said:


> op, if it was a recovery ride then I guess it was ok speed.
> 
> do you still smoke?
> 
> ...


If he's smokin fast, I'm sure that was a recovery ride. I wonder if his last name is ASFOS?


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## jetdog9 (Jul 12, 2007)

ziscwg said:


> OP, It's a great speed compared to ASFOS in this thread
> 
> If i ride 14 miles in 60 mins, what is my average speed? - Page 2


Whoa, whoa, whoa, in fairness to ASFOS, he has also ridden 16 mph, when you round up from 15.7: http://forums.roadbikereview.com/ge...16mph-over-10-miles-good-beginner-352564.html

And remember he also sprinted for 10 miles in 36 minutes, which turns out to be like 16.67 mph.

2004, seriously?


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

Page 3 into the trolling thread now.


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## t3c9 (Sep 12, 2014)

Its faster than 15


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

jetdog9 said:


> Whoa, whoa, whoa, in fairness to ASFOS, he has also ridden 16 mph, when you round up from 15.7: http://forums.roadbikereview.com/ge...16mph-over-10-miles-good-beginner-352564.html
> 
> And remember he also sprinted for 10 miles in 36 minutes, which turns out to be like 16.67 mph.
> 
> 2004, seriously?


He did 10 miles in 36 minutes??? That's 39.76 mph avg. I misjudged Mr ASFOS


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## jetdog9 (Jul 12, 2007)

No, you've done some "everybody sharing one Powerball pot would end poverty" math. It's only 16.67 mph


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

jetdog9 said:


> No, you've done some "everybody sharing one Powerball pot would end poverty" math. It's only 16.67 mph


Wait, after all these threads, ASFOS is still only avg 16 mph????

WTF!!! We gave him all this great information and it appears to be for not.

I'm getting a unicycle.........................


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