# What is your average riding speed?



## darklyte27 (Sep 2, 2008)

Was wondering what everyones avg speed is, top speed? your weight? 

Im still a newer rider and of course can lose 10-15 lbs or even more, so i know 16-18mph is slower than most more efficient riders who do 20+mph constantly

thanks for your info.


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## Terrapin (Aug 1, 2002)

On this forum? Everyone averages 28mph, into the wind, up 12% inclines. At least that's what they write.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Terrapin said:


> On this forum? Everyone averages 28mph, into the wind, up 12% inclines. At least that's what they write.


Ha, very true. 

Anyway, to the OP: depends on how far I'm going, wind, amount of hills, if I'm alone or part of a hammer fest, if I'm on my roadie vs. TT bike, etc.


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## balatoe (Apr 15, 2009)

I am 42, 5'-9", 165 lbs. 
I average 20-22mph on flats, 17-18mph on 2% grade, 10-12 on 5-6% grade for about a mile.

I don't know what my top speed is, as I have never attempted before.


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

Depends. Are you on carbon fiber, aluminum, steel or magnesium? The material alone will determine your average speed.

Except on Thursdays.


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## martinrjensen (Sep 23, 2007)

*my speed*

I always check when I get home on my runs and my routes are 20 to 60 miles. Overall average is over 14, I consider it good. I can average 15 plus over the whole thing but that means I'm humping it when I can. i.e. flat stretches doing 20 mph and probably 17 or greater into a slight headwind. If my average time is 14 plus, I'm happy. If it's 15 plus, I'm very happy. It doesn't take many hills at 10 mph to drop your overall speed even if you do mostly 20 the whole way.....


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## nOOky (Mar 20, 2009)

I went 22 miles in an hour on the stationary bike at the gym today. I also burned over 1,000 calories. I know it's accurate because the guy who hands out towels said so.
So I would recommend you hold 22 mph for rides of about an hour if you want to be as awesome as me


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## Andy69 (Jun 14, 2008)

hmm, leseee

I'm 6', 220.

I usually cruise at 20 mph on flats or rolling hills, faster if I'm with others.

Top speed, I dunno. As fast as I can pedal on my Ultegra 9-speed triple with 12-25 cassette and 30/42/52 chainrings and 175 mm crank arms.


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## george kraushaar (Jan 15, 2007)

I can only go 3-4 MPH up 17% grades.


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## WadePatton (Dec 29, 2006)

what you eat is more important than how fast you go, wrt being skinny and living long and healthy.

study nutrition, enjoy the bike.:thumbsup:


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## Einstruzende (Jun 1, 2004)

I stopped riding at the end of May, but up until then I had about 2,500 miles with an average of just over 21 mph. Fastest ride was 16 miles averaging 25.9 (group ride), slowest was a hilly ~75 miler, average was like 17 (solo ride).

Group rides tended to be about 1 to 1.5 mph faster than I could do the course solo. 

I weigh high 170s and took every ride like it was a race.


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## natethomas2000 (Aug 2, 2009)

Avg around 19-20. Some rides get to around 22 and others more like 17. Group rides are a bit faster. 6' 180 recreational rider with aspiring triathlon hopes.


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## deadlegs2 (Oct 3, 2009)

If I wore black socks and a yellow flea collar I know I could average 35mph.


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## JoelS (Aug 25, 2008)

I tend between 16 and 19.


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

Terrapin said:


> On this forum? Everyone averages 28mph, into the wind, up 12% inclines. At least that's what they write.


LOL! Very true... any 'what's your average speed' topic is good for a lot of lies and a lot of laughs. 

It's third only to penis size and "how much money do you make" in terms of pp's propensity to exaggerate. :lol:
.


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## gibbons (Nov 9, 2002)

I think it as a legitimate question by someone with an interest. And the requester gets a bunch of stupid answers. Great, everyone!

Darklyte27, as you get better and/or ride more, you will obviously ride faster. I am 50 now, I used to ride my Orbea Orca with clincher tires about 18mph. That was doing about 1000 miles a year. This year, I am on a Ridley Noah with carbon tubulars, and my speed has popped up to 20 riding solo. I am on track to do 3000 miles this year, so the speed increase reason could be more conditioning, it could be the more aero of the wheels/frame. When I ride with my sons, they ride 24 or so, trading off pulls. If I get in that mix, I can hold 24. It seems to me like most recreational road riders go from 16-20 or so.


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## muscleendurance (Jan 11, 2009)

depends how fast Im going.


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

gibbons said:


> I think it as a legitimate question by someone with an interest. And the requester gets a bunch of stupid answers. Great, everyone!


Hey, better than he should know that most everyone BSes about this sort of thing, than have everyone post inflated numbers and him go, "Oh no, I'm so slow, I'll never be able to keep up, this sport isn't for me." :frown2:

If I was to take a stab at it, this is how it probably breaks down for solo riding avg speed on the flat, little or no wind (group rides are maybe 1-3 MPH faster, depending on how aggressive):

*Average* 16-18 MPH. Yesiree, you are average, nothing wrong here. Solid pace.
*Fast* 19-21 MPH. Not racer-fast. But fast for a recreational rider, for sure.
*Very Fast* 22-24 MPH. Hey, maybe you should race? Pretty darn fast.
*Slow* 13-15 MPH. Not "ohmygod, you really suck slow", but yeah, you could be going faster unless you have emphysema or something.
*Very Slow* 12MPH or less Okay, put out the cigarette, stop talking on the cellphone, and ride, pls.


That help any? Wait, why am I asking, I don't care all that much. *shrug*
.


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## darklyte27 (Sep 2, 2008)

reason i asked was to gauge where I am now and gives me an idea on how much more I should be riding.

When I first started, I was out of breath trying to keep up at 18-20mph with some friends. Then I found out my seat was too low! that was about a year ago.

So after that, I kept up around 18mph or so. still nothing compared to my friend doing 21-24 constantly as some of them are on a racing team.

I am sure theres alot of fudge out there and i get a laugh out of it thanks.
But it is good to know theres others out there like me, better and worse. But hey were out there riding right!


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## SROC3 (Jul 20, 2009)

My rides are usually filled with lots of stop and gos....and depending on the distances and varied "kinds" of rides within a ride (did that make sense?) it would be hard to say what my true average speed is.....However, without blowing up my numbers...I'd say i could muster 19.5 to 20 MPH for 45 minutes on a good day (meaning me feeling strong and no headwind). Once, for a flat out sprint on a flat, which recently occurred racing cars from stoplight to stoplight, I maxed out at 28.7 MPH. Although I recon I could probably hit 30 if i chose my gears correctly and was a better rider. I currently weigh 140 LBS.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

I’m not sure.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

I always see these threads and people mentioning how they average in the flats. I wish there were flats around here.


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## deadlegs2 (Oct 3, 2009)

It can become a real drag watching your average speed or judging your rides by your average speed.. The wind might be blowing and you might think.."I guess I better stay home since there is no way I can do a good average." Whatever other people do is not necessarily reflective of your ride or fitness.. They may blow through stop signs or always ride behind an animal.


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## MR_GRUMPY (Aug 21, 2002)

30 mph in a 3 mile time trial
up hill
in a 50 mph head wind

No matter what I do, my bike computer always says 0 when I get done.

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck?


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## Fredrico (Jun 15, 2002)

*An honest man.*



martinrjensen said:


> I always check when I get home on my runs and my routes are 20 to 60 miles. Overall average is over 14, I consider it good. I can average 15 plus over the whole thing but that means I'm humping it when I can. i.e. flat stretches doing 20 mph and probably 17 or greater into a slight headwind. If my average time is 14 plus, I'm happy. If it's 15 plus, I'm very happy. It doesn't take many hills at 10 mph to drop your overall speed even if you do mostly 20 the whole way.....


Club rides I've done, everyone's going all out, max. heartrates, and we'd average 21 mph on a 20 miles course of gently rolling hills. That's 25 mph on the flats, 17 up the rises.

The same effort alone, for me, would be around 16 mph avg., but I seldom ride that hard alone, so I'd be lucky to average 15 mph. I'm 66, work comfortably at a heart rate of 120 bpm. Some kid may pass me and I'll draft, heart rate now 130-135, depending on how fast we're going, 20-23 mph usually, seldom faster than 25 mph. Weigh 160# on a 22# racing bike. I can sprint to 35 mph when in peak fitness, 28-30 the rest of the time--on a flat!

Averaging 15 mph means you're going 20+ on the downgrades and 10- on the climbs, maybe 17-18 on the flats. That's pretty normal for most riders. I very seldom see someone doing 25 mph for any length of time, solo. So guess I've never met any of these guys who average 22 mph. :shocked:


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## John Kuhl (Jul 20, 2007)

I'm 6'1", 155 pounds, and 55 years old. I average about 15 mph. However
about 1/3 of my ride is up hill. A lot of people must ride nothing but flats to
do the speeds they claim. I can run 20 plus no problem on the flats, but
where I live hills are the rule.

Best, John


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## rogger (Aug 19, 2005)

What's the average amount of replies to this question before the thread gets locked?


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

Hopefully I don't come off as some exaggerating douchebag:

20-22mi/h on flats...or mildy rolling terrain if you're anal about how "flat" flats are. Wind is beyond my knowledge as I find MSN to be telling me a house of lies, but this average is based on low wind (obviously). 19 y.o, 5'10.5, 140lb.

Hills are a different story. I don't know the grade, but seemingly more dedicated riders are climbing at 8-10mi/h while I'm at 6-7mi/h. Of course, I'm lugging around a near 30lb hybrid, but I can accept the fact I just got whupped. There's no sense in saying "my hybrid lost that race".


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## schimanski (Jan 11, 2002)

Ventruck said:


> 20-22mi/h on flats...or mildy rolling terrain if you're anal about how "flat" flats are.


Not to pick on you, good Sir, but doesn't ride distance matter? 20-22mph for 50 miles and the same for 100 miles or 150 miles for that matter? One just keeps on ticking. 

My point being this. I start blowing up around 85-125 miles depending on the wind speed and after that comes a serious decrease to the avg speed I can hold. And this is not to say there aren't more durable riders out there than me because for sure there are and a lot of them indeed. Just trying to make some kind of point that with this kind of question as the OP posted, one should give a distance at which the avg he's asking is measured.


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

schimanski said:


> Not to pick on you, good Sir, but doesn't ride distance matter? 20-22mph for 50 miles and the same for 100 miles or 150 miles for that matter? One just keeps on ticking.


Good point that I haven't really seen addressed here. My rides will go as long as 40mi tops. That stated average can be sustained until the end where it'd be glued at the 20's, given that there is no dramatic increase in headwind as well.


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## jarbiker (Sep 29, 2009)

*Speed*

My average speed is 20 MPH period. Of course I'm riding a 6 year old aluminum Trek with a 9 speed 105 group with a 172 mm crank. I'm sure I could average 28 or 9 just by getting a newer, lighter, more expensive bike. My wife thinks she would go a little faster if my crank was a little longer:thumbsup:


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## ewitz (Sep 11, 2002)

Ventruck said:


> Hopefully I don't come off as some exaggerating douchebag:


Too bad, you do.



Ventruck said:


> 20-22mi/h on flats...I'm lugging around a near 30lb hybrid.



32.19 - 35.4 km/h on your hybrid. Top speed, sure, sustained over any meaningful distance, unlikely.


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## Becky (Jun 15, 2004)

I always wonder about these threads... Are people talking about true rolling average- start to stop, and every traffic light in between- or are people talking about the speed that they can hold when they're clipping along, or something else altogether?

Just curious... Personally, I'm just plain slow most days, and I'm ok with that.


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## kermit (Dec 7, 2004)

Average speed will show up at the end and it depends on my ride. Some days I want to go tool around for 3 hours, 16-18 mph great, with a few sprint drills thrown in. Some days I do a high cadence/low resistance ride for fat burning. If you feel you are progressing at time and distance, then you are getting faster and more fit!


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## fireplug (Nov 19, 2008)

solo I average 17-18 mph average on rides under 60 miles...after that I tend to slow it down a bit.

Group rides are a little fater and there we average over 20 mph for around 40 miles.


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## meat (Aug 10, 2006)

Our club came up with four levels. Most of the group rides are full of B and C riders.

Level A

These rides take place at a low, social pace -- usually not more than 12 - 14 mph. The rides regroup frequently. Paceline riding is not required.

Level B

The ride pace varies, but is generally not faster than 18 mph. The ride regroups frequently, and some paceline riding may occur.

Level C

The ride pace is brisk. These are rides for strong recreational riders. After a period of warming up, the pace often exceeds 20 mph in the flats. The group generally regroups at the top of long climbs. Paceline riding is required.

Level D

The ride pace is fast. The rides are for strong recreational riders and racers. The atmosphere is competitive. If you are looking for love, get yourself a puppy, because you won't find it on one of these rides. These people eat their young. The group is not obligated to re-group if you are dropped. Paceline riding is required and FAST!


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## Hank Stamper (Sep 9, 2009)

I'm between 10 and 23, give or take.

I'm fairly new myself OP so I understand the temptation to judge your self by average speed but really unless you are comparing the average speed of an identical ride done on different days, don't get so caught up in it.

I've done rides where I felt really really strong (by my standards) and layed out 100% and found the average about 16-17. By the same token I've done other rides where I was just out to enjoy the weather and checked the average as just an after thought and found it at 20ish.


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## JoelS (Aug 25, 2008)

Paceline riding is different. I'm not very fast solo, 16-19. But I was at the tail end of a group over the last 10 miles of a century last weekend, and I was quite comfortably doing 22mph. It only sucked accelerating from lights. I about had to sprint to stay with the group on the acceleration. I couldn't have taken the front for more than a minute or 2.


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## dougclaysmith (Oct 17, 2009)

I once got my bike up to 53mph! I was hauling down a very steep hill. (Vista Del Lago, in Mission Viejo CA, the 1984 Olympic road race was held there) The speed was not the problem; stopping at the red light at the bottom of the hill was the problem. I was 18 at the time, no wife, no kids, no worries!


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## WadePatton (Dec 29, 2006)

Fredrico said:


> ... So guess I've never met any of these guys who average 22 mph. :shocked:


i can introduce you to "my boys". couple of jr. racers i coach. they spend a lot of time averaging 22, sometimes better _and they also_ spend a lot of time standing around on podiums.

i'll try to remember to report back here with their avg for the 108-mile group ride this weekend.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

I recently bought a new, more powerful headlight for my commuting bike. My average speed jumped to 90+ mph, with a top speed over 100 mph. .. I like it!


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## teapotter (Feb 1, 2007)

Here's my Garmin Connect rides info:

http://connect.garmin.com/explore?owner=teapotter#owner=teapotter&sortField=relevance&currentPage=1

Says it all, speed, elevation, etc.

If this can't be seen, and someone really wants to see it, ask me nice and I'll send it as a spreadsheet to whoever is curious.

For reference, I'm a cat4 racer. I got back on the bike again in March after a long time of no riding. I'm 38. I currently weigh around 170 and I'm 6"1.

Terence


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## chocy (Feb 4, 2009)

I think for me distance matters the most (sustained power duration)

I averaged 18.4 MPH on Escape New York Century which has 5500 feet of climbing (but it returns to where it started) just for an idea I was doing well above 19 before 80 mile mark.

usually my legs die before my breath in long distances, so longer I go slower my average will be.

My best cetral park lap (rolling hills) so far is 16.25, about 22.MPH average 

If I am on a line there is no point discussing because it's not all me.


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## Sylint (Jul 27, 2009)

76..

feet per minute.


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## jeepinmike (May 23, 2007)

I am a very casual rider, lunches, to and from work on occasion, few charity rides. I have a hybrid (Redline R550), am 5'9" @ 215 lbs. My speedo usually has me at 16 average or so with my lunch or commute rides, which are short at 9 for lunch (round trip) and 5 (one way) commute, and include a few slow downs and stops. Usual cruising speed is 18-20, with slight head wind or grade I lose 1- 2 mph and it goes down accordingly, tailwind same thing just positive gain.

I did 62.5 charity ride through rolling hills with very slight wind, which averaged out because of the route (50% E, 50% W). I did about the same as my daily cruise. When I ride in groups, I tend to do a little better.

So I guess I have an average average. Not surprised, cause I am a pretty average rider when compared to most enthusiasts, fast if compared to a non-enthusiast!


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## smokva (Jul 21, 2004)

darklyte27 said:


> Was wondering what everyones avg speed is, top speed? your weight?
> 
> Im still a newer rider and of course can lose 10-15 lbs or even more, so i know 16-18mph is slower than most more efficient riders who do 20+mph constantly
> 
> thanks for your info.


My average is much influenced by the amount of climbing and the traffic. If you give me free flat road I'm in 35+ km/h range. Anyway, here are my Polar logs:


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## martinrjensen (Sep 23, 2007)

*my times*

My times are from my Astrale 8 bike computer so they are from start to finish and include everything in between. I was actually curious as to how many people figure this is also. With my average speed of 14-15 mph, I figure I'm doing pretty good because what with all the stops and hills, it means I was humping on the flats, and while Seattle is hilly, it's got several flats where you can spin for pretty good time.


Becky said:


> I always wonder about these threads... Are people talking about true rolling average- start to stop, and every traffic light in between- or are people talking about the speed that they can hold when they're clipping along, or something else altogether?
> 
> Just curious... Personally, I'm just plain slow most days, and I'm ok with that.


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## Mr. Bill (Oct 3, 2007)

If you haven't seen this sort of often repeated thread before, don't be offended by the good humored sarcasm; it's just because the question is asked so often, yet is nearly impossible to answer objectively. Some people don't quite understand what "average" means, others don't appreciate the effects of varying terrain, and still others succumb to ego and make unrealistic claims. In my area - rolling New England hills - 19 mph, average, as indicated on the computer at the end of a 30 to 40 mile solo ride, is my absolute best. That's pretty much a maxed out "pretend you're in a race" effort for me. My more typical rides are consistently 17mph average, and my easy "base" rides are 15 mph average. To keep this in perspective, look at the averages of the pro's in the grand tours. Averages of 27+ mph, over courses of 80 miles or more, and with real mountains to boot, are common. Time trials, though shorter and flatter, bring significantly higher averages. For the vast majority of us mere mortals, this is the stuff of fantasy.


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## natethomas2000 (Aug 2, 2009)

meat said:


> Our club came up with four levels. Most of the group rides are full of B and C riders.
> 
> Level A
> 
> ...



Interesting - The letters are reversed with the clubs I've done rides with. 

A is usually 20+

B 18-20

C 16-18

D less than 16

I guess if you have guidelines and people don't get confused - I just wouldn't want to ride in your A group.


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## terry b (Jan 29, 2004)

According to my spreadsheet I have averaged 16.73 MPH over 1881 rides. I keep a record of it because it's such a silly number and I like a good chuckle now and then.


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## Fredrico (Jun 15, 2002)

*Ah, careless youth!*



WadePatton said:


> i can introduce you to "my boys". couple of jr. racers i coach. they spend a lot of time averaging 22, sometimes better _and they also_ spend a lot of time standing around on podiums.
> 
> i'll try to remember to report back here with their avg for the 108-mile group ride this weekend.


I guess the reason I don't ever remember seeing guys with this capability, is they're gone before it registers on short-term memory!

Do remember once, on the flats outside Shreveport, LA, hangin with a big group going a steady 25 mph for at least 20 miles, in a nice, disciplined rotating paceline. It was wonderful! But now, I'd get dropped on the third or fourth rise. :frown2:

It would be great to hear how they did their century! :thumbsup:


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

natethomas2000 said:


> Interesting - The letters are reversed with the clubs I've done rides with.
> 
> A is usually 20+
> 
> ...


"A" is for "Alpha Male". Or wannabes thereof. :lol:
.


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## GTDave (May 17, 2002)

3.4 lightyears per nanosecond, 3.2 if it's windy.
I'm 12' 8" and weigh 978 pounds
I ride a quantum Trek, it's red.


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## DBtheCyclist (Oct 4, 2004)

*It is hard to be subjective on this topic -- for what it's worth...*

I am a 51 (well, almost, in a week I will be) year old 210 pound, (give or take) 6" 3" male rider. I have been riding pretty seriously for almost 20 years, really seriously for the last 4-5 years (topped 3000 miles in 2006, 4000 in 2007, 5000 in 2008, and might reach 6000 this year). I have about 50,000 miles ridden in 20 years of serious cycling.

In recent years I have seen averages below 17 (say, in the wind and cold of winter), and averages above 22 (warm weather, flatter route, centuries, veraged 22.1 on Hotter n Hell 100 in TX 2008, 22.3 same ride this year (102 miles)). In the Kansas city area, with steep short hills, less steep rolling hills, or fairly flat routes, depending on length, I will avg (usually, but there are exceptions, both faster and slower) 18-20 mph. Did a fairly flat solo sprint (as others I said "like I was racing") of about 18 miles a month ago, 21.4 avg. Solo shorter rides, if going moderate to really hard, will generally be 19 to 20. Group rides can be faster. Longer rides will generally be a little slower, but not always. Cool / cold weather rides can be slower, the air is heavier, wind packs more punch. Being over 200 pounds, hills aren't exactly my strong suit, but I do OK. Did a 106 mile group ride a few weeks ago (Octoginta, for any of you familiar with it). avg was 18.6. Some hills, plenty of wind. I rode the Copper Triangle in the Colorado Rockies this summer, 6000 of climbing (extending climbs) in 78 miles, didn't have a paricularly good ride, average wasn't even 15. 

OK, enough on my averages -- what I think this illustrates is that is is hard, virtually impossible, to compare averages from rider to rider, post to post, on a forum. WAY too many variables to make a subjective comparison. Some of my rides where I averaged 18 seemed harder than the HH 100 rides that I averaged 22+ (10,000 riders, large groups/pacelines, but I did my share of pulling at the front of the groups, I didn't just sit in with faster riders). Terrain makes a difference, solo/groups/big groups make a difference, having a good or bad day makes a difference, even the air (try riding at say 25 degrees, or 75 degrees, you will see what I mean), wind makes a difference (it always hinders you more than it helps you).

If I can offer a little advice -- if you want to be a stronger rider -- ride lots, as much as you can, vary your rides (go hard/fast on some, not so on others), and if it is possible for you, try to ride / train year round. I think that has made the biggest difference for me. I rode quite a bit when I took up cycling in my early 30s (2500-3500 a year for a few years), I was fairly strong (after riding a bit, it didn't just happen instantly (you have to ride, and be patient regarding your progress), and rode at least some in the off seasons. Then 10 years ago my wife had twins (our only children), my cycling "year" was basically riding 1500 or so miles, from say mid April to mid September, and I didn't do ANYTHING for exercise during the rest of the year. A very fast ride for me was to avg over 18.5 mph. One summer, I had ONE ride over 19.0 mph, 19.1 I think (for some reason I still remember). This pattern went on for 5 years. Now, well for the last 4-5 years (this winter will be my 5th of riding all year, and training regularly (cycling) inside during the off season) with the additional mileage and doing it year round, I have turned myself into a stronger cyclist than I have ever been, in my late 40s and early 50s. Ride lots, do it regularly, and you will improve


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## AndrewClarke (Jul 29, 2009)

teapotter said:


> Here's my Garmin Connect rides info:
> 
> http://connect.garmin.com/explore?owner=teapotter#owner=teapotter&sortField=relevance&currentPage=1


HOW oh how did you get that URL? I bought a Garmin Edge 305 recently and have been trying to figure out how to make my data publicly available.

Anyway, in the absense of this capability, here are my stats. I'm 36, 6'4 and 198lbs. Back in my early 20s I was a decent mountain bike racer (expert) but now I'm married, busy job, dad, and just ride for fun. I didn't ride at all for a few years and although I've been riding more this year I'm sure I'm still paying the fitness penalty for that.

Since getting my Garmin, I've done 8 solo rides and one ride with someone else. The first 2 rides were with my ancient 24.5lb steel bike and my last 6 rides have been with my shny new 18.5lb Cannondale Synapse Carbon 4. So, here goes:

Averages with old steel bike:
Time: 42 minutes
Distance: 19.3 km
Total elevation gain: 141 metres
Max speed: 48.8 km/hr
Average speed: 27.7 km/hr (17.2mph)

Averages with new Cannondale:
Time: 48 minutes
Distance: 23.72 km
Total elevation gain: 157 metres
Max speed: 47.6 km/hr
Average speed: 29.8 km/hr (18.5 mph)

Overall Averages:
Time: 46.1 minutes
Distance: 22.55 km
Total elevation gain: 153 metres
Average speed: 29.3 km/hr (18.2 mph)
Max speed: 47.9 km/hr

Over my data sample, I can see that switching to a new bike has increased my average speed by 2.2 km/hr, or 7.9%. I'm surprised by that.

Also, the rides around here tend to be very flat, but they can be extremely windy. For instance, today I was pushing 58kph at one point on a flat with a tailwind, and going the other direction was struggling to keep up with 22kph.

Additionally, these are autumn rides here in Canada with temperatures in the 5-15 C range. Often it's raining. The one ride I did with someone else isn't counted in these stats, but it was a very windy and slightly rainy ride and we averaged 29.3 kph over 33.07 km. There were just two of us.

Oh yeah. My average speeds include warmup and warm-down time. They don't include sitting at lights, but I do almost none of that as my rides are in the country.

- Andrew.


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## teapotter (Feb 1, 2007)

Andrew:

When you are looking at any particular activity, towards the top, it will say Title, date, etc., followed by "By ___", with the ___ being your username, which is a link. If you click that, it shows your ride, similar to what I posted. In the URL I posted, you can see my username in it. You could probably also swap out your username in that URL to see yours...

T


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

I used to only average 10mph.

Then I switched to carbon fiber, campagnolo components, and I started shaving my legs and being really mean to people who were new to the sport.

My average speed immediately increased to 254.7 kph and I discovered that I suddenly knew how to speak Italian as well.

I gained an extra 15 kph by switching to 11 speed, by the way.


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## Fltplan (Feb 27, 2009)

Probably need elevation gain if you were to get a fair idea of average speeds, considering terrain differences around the world/country. On an agressive group ride yesterday, we averaged 18mph with 4439 of climbing, total 60 miles. It says I burned 4068 calories, which I know is bunk, but it's a good way to compare exertion levels from ride to ride. Living in San Diego, you don't find too many flat roads with rolling hills. I have never seen an average speed above 20 on rides local to SD.


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## Comer (Jan 13, 2009)

I average 28 mph on every ride. 

I have a really big one.

I make millions.

Just ask me, I'll tell ya.


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## ptfmb71 (May 16, 2007)

I'm new to Road cycling being a long time MTB race/rider. According to my Garmin on a 26mi ride with 2900ft of climbing (ave of 7% grade) I average 16.8mph


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## cpark (Oct 13, 2004)

Here is the data from last year.
By myself - 13 to 21 depends on the grade, distance and wind but the mean is around 17.3 (according to my accumulated data on my computer). My guess is the medan is around 16.8 and the mode is around 16.6. 
The midrange is 17.5 (13.5 - lowest avg + 21.5 - highest avg/2) and this is accurate.
Some of the high avg were recorded while riding TT rig. The low ones were on my road bike and they were typically recovery, hilly and/or long distance rides.

Didn't have time to calculate variance or standard deviation.

Group ride - 18 to 25


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## Christoph (Jul 10, 2009)

I did a 100 miles for the first time on Friday. That was double what I'd done before (yeah, yeah, I know...I probably should have done 75 instead). As a result, I was really hurting by the end. Rolling hills for the first 1/3 of the hundred, pretty flat for the last 2/3rds (a few small hills at the end). My average was 16 mph. I'm 40, 5'9'' and 161 pounds. Started riding the bike again in June after about 15 years off.


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## Rob2500 (Oct 4, 2009)

*Speed or enjoyment ?*

Hi im 220 and average 20mph when racing.That is on rolling and hilly terrain.When im out the rest of the time i rate how much i enjoyed the ride over the speed.I might go mtb in the forest or ride river trails instead.Variety and not taking myself to seriously are the keys to keeping up cycling.A lot of people reach a speed goal then lose interest.I think a lot of more expensive bikes gather cobwebs and dust while everyone else is cruising around on their other bikes.


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## VBKLINGEN (Jun 2, 2006)

Here in Denmark its somewhat flatter, and I got to 18 mph average on 40 miles with 700 meters of altitude climbing(competition). But then again I'm at 250 pounds, so I'm thinking not so bad  and only 6,6 mph of the pace of the first rider


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## RkFast (Dec 11, 2004)

WadePatton said:


> i can introduce you to "my boys". couple of jr. racers i coach. they spend a lot of time averaging 22, sometimes better _and they also_ spend a lot of time standing around on podiums.
> 
> i'll try to remember to report back here with their avg for the 108-mile group ride this weekend.


Wow....youre just AWESOME!


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## suprcivic (Apr 10, 2009)

I feel slow. Maybe its the altitude.

I'm 5'6", 135lbs. 

My rides never start below 5400' altitude and can go up over 10,000'

At a distance 50 miles or less, I usually average 16mph and peak at 18mph if I'm really pushing. When I go over 50 miles, usually I'm on such rediculous hills and altitude (up to 14,000 feet) in the rockies that my average could be all over the place.


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## CalypsoArt (Dec 28, 2007)

Also, there is the weather to be considered. I'd think that could really affects averages.

I did a metric century a couple weeks ago. Record setting heat in the 90's with humidity. I sweat in a blizzard so need to hydrate a lot. On this ride I was carrying 3 liters of water. 1 in a bottle and 2 in a camelbak. I was pretty proud that I stayed with the front pack rocket boys for the first 11 miles at over 20. And just like them I blew by the first support station. I should have smiled at my accomplishment to that point and stopped and refilled--the stoopid noob that I am. 

At any rate, over 67 miles(a little extra due to poor marking), 90+ degrees, rolling hills, lots of flats, and carrying 3 liters of water at a time, my speeds(s) could be divided as: 19-22 first 11 miles,(woohoo) 16-20 next 13 miles, 14-16 after that--till my "break" when 6 miles out I ran out of water and had to cool off under a tree for 15 minutes. My average went down to 0 at this point.(you would think not carrying the weight of all that water would speed me up. LOL) By this time the rocket boys were long long gone and I had I consumed 9 liters of water. 

I'm 49, 5'10, 220, and riding a Cannondale Road Warrior w/700c/23 semi-hybrid. Several of the rocketeers said to me "you need to get a real road bike boy". I was told "you're working twice as hard as everyone else." 

"Yeah, but on the hill I passed that guy on the Pinnerello and I looked like a monster." 

"And when that pace line blew by you?"

"Well it's only because I have a slower bike" 

See my rationale?

Question. Would a shift to a dedicated road bike really make a marked difference? 

Mine is aluminum, carbon fork, ultegra 700c/23, compact 36/50, 12/26, with flat bars.


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## dochoot (Oct 27, 2009)

This is my first year riding. 44 yo, 6'2" 210 lbs. I now have a 2010 Roubaix comp. Riding by myself in gentle rolling hills, I do a 20 mile course at 15 mph and it takes a lot of work for me. I am hoping to get faster next year but I admit I am stunned at how fast others ride.


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## darklyte27 (Sep 2, 2008)

right on dochoot, better now than never. I wish I continued cycling when I was younger. GL with the sport


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

Monday through Friday I bike my sons to preschool on my heavy 29er with a Burley D'Lite trailer in tow. It's a five point nine mile round-trip, so it's a great warmup routine if I decide to do a real ride afterward. Anyway, on Tuesday (the other day) morning on the way back, there were three radar-toting motorcycle policemen on the side of the road, I waved just before approaching them, and one of them yelled to me "24 miles per hour!" (it was a 40MPH zone), and of course there were no cars around. So, 24MPH on level ground riding a heavy-ass 29er (two 14.8V Li-Ion batteries, two car horns, spare tire, spare tube, pump, house keys, etc.) with a not-so-light trailer in tow (which acts like a large parachute, since it has a wall-like aerodynamic profile). Well, this doesn’t mean that my normal average cycling speed is 24MPH, surely it must be higher since I don’t always ride with a Burley trailer in tow (my road bike is the one that I do all the high speed riding on).


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## bobthib (May 28, 2009)

I'm 61, 6', 185. Started riding in Feb. 

My best ride was a Metric (62.5mi) at 18.4 mhp ave. Did it twice before, once at 18.1 and again at 17.9.

I've managed to ride with the A group (22-25) for 20 miles several times, but that's max at that speed. Usually I ride with the B group at 18 - 22. Solos range from 17 - 23, but average 16 - 18.

Max spd flat no wind is 31.4. Can't sustain that for more than a few seconds once I get there. Looking to do 35 someday.


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## ryan111 (Oct 31, 2009)

I'm 5'5" 150lb
My max average was 18mph on a 15mile ride when I was 19y old on my rockhopper, I was sucking wind hard.

I'm a fair bit older and usualy do 20-40mile rides on my road bike, average speed usualy ends up in the 14-16mph range.

Top speed on the flat is low 30s, Top speed down hill is 43mph, on a 52 chain ring and # 12 on the casset. Just switched to 53 with 11, hoping to hit 45-50mph some day.


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## Doug B (Sep 11, 2009)

Twenty years ago, I was 18 years old, and riding about 30 miles five days a week, and a semi hard core 40 mile group ride on the weekends.

My average then, riding solo, was 18 to 19 mph With paceline with the group, a solid 21 mph.

Flash forward, 20 years...

I got back on the bike this year. I'm riding five days a week, between 15 and 20 miles each day. On the weekends, I'll sometimes sneak in a 30 miles ride. My normal routes are good 50%-50% mix of flats and quick rolling hills. There is always wind. When I started out this spring, I was riding 14mph average. Now I'm up to about 17.5 mph.

The first 30 minutes of every ride, my legs are screaming at me... then, I get loose, almost like flipping a switch, and my legs stop screaming.

I've only done two group rides this year, but both were "fun" rides with my wife (she doesn't ride a bike hardly at all). I rode my "chase the kids around the neighborhood bike", and we covered the 25 mile courses at 9mph average speed.

My normal routes are a near constant (very shallow) climb on the way out because I live in somewhat of a valley. So, turning around and coming home, I'm riding (a very shallow) down hill. I try to ride into the wind on the way out, but can't always do that. I figure wind in the face on the way out is balanced by wind at my back on the way home. There's been days when I'll average about 14mph on the way out, and then over 21 mph all the way home. I have several "waypoints" along the way, and I set personal goals to be at a certain waypoint in a certain amount of time, to try and push myself.


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## livin4lax09 (Mar 15, 2008)

a billion.


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## bobthib (May 28, 2009)

Did my first Century 2 weeks ago today. Reported on it in a different post, and got a lot of flack from some people for claiming 19.0 avg spd. Let me be clear here.

Avg. Spd. Elapsed time 16.67 mph (6:01:00)
Avg. Spd. Ride Time: 19.04 mph (5:15:50)

Not that would have made a real difference, but I entered the parking lot with the finishline at 99.7 mi on the ODO. Decided to do a couple of laps before the finish to "make it official" Crossed the finish line at 100.0

Most of the ride was with club members and others we picked up in a pace line of 8 or so. We make 3 stops: 35 mi, 54 mi, and 70 mi. 

The event was held in So Fla, running from Ft Lauderdale to Palm Beach and back along the Ocean on A1A. It's pretty flat, but we did start with going over a big bridge twice in the first 6 miles. We had a "Florida Hill" in that we had a 6 - 10 mph head wind all the way up. Unfortunatly by the time we turned to come back the winds had shifted to a strong cross wind, not the nice "push" I was hoping for.

About mi 80 I "bonked" and couldn't hold on at 22+ I dropped and rode solo at about 19 until mi 92. A "wheel sucker" I picked up at about mi 85 noted that I was fading a bit, and he started pulling. We pick up about 4 others, and about mi 99 our puller said "bye" and he sprinted home.

All in all, I was very happy with my performance in my first century. Since I started biking in Feb at age 61, and considering that 8 years ago when I was battling cancer I couldn't take a [email protected] with out taking a nap, yeah, I'm happy. Danm happy.

nuff said.


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## aengbretson (Sep 17, 2009)

To preface things, I live in a relatively flat area, and any climbs are rarely longer than 400 meters. There also happen to be a few good cyclists in my area so I had some people to chase.

Our morning rides were short and sweet, paceline style, averaging 40 km/h for about 40 km. Tuesday night workout "crits" have race sections at 45+ km/h and recovery closer to 33-35 km/h. Riding solo I usually try to maintain an average of 37-38 km/h and I did one century ride that averaged 33 km/h. I am 25 years old, 5'11" and weigh 170 lbs (could lose another 10), and I'm more of a time trialist than a climber or sprinter. I don't race (yet) but I know that I need to increase my output before I can throw down with the big boys. Some junior elites rode with us in a few workouts and I could hold their wheel until they decided to launch an attack - really shows me what kind of efforts are needed to win races!


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## karlmichael (Sep 17, 2009)

*average speed*

after about 1000 miles on my new madone 4.7 and 3 months of physical therpy i can now again average 19.2-19.5 mph on my night rides in Dana Point, Ca to pulgas road and back about 36 -40 miles depending on the route i take. this is an balls to the wall ride i do about 3 times a week and i have to listen to some heavy rock.  my distance rides and off day rides i average about high 17 to high 18. im 30 195lb and been riding since i was 14. ill try to get into some group rides here now that my college semester is finished and see what i can do in a pace line 

karl

keep on riding


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## Dajianshan (Jul 15, 2007)

Let me go through my records.
My average for the hill on the Wu Chuan West Rd. hill to Tung Hai University is 16mph. My average for the descent is 45 mph. My average through evening traffic on Xi tun road is 19-22mph. My average on my 2 mile sprint home on Wen xin rd. is 28 mph though I have three sections I boot up to 32-34 mph. My average has risen 5mph since I first did it. My average for my last solo century from Taichung to Tainan was 21mph mostly flat in 95 degree heat. My mountain solo century average six weeks ago was 16mph. My average speed from my last chatty ride with the guys to Lugu was probably 12mph. My average speed on the Ba Gua Mountain loop in a heavy wind was embarrassingly slow. My average speed over Hsin She on Sunday was 18mph with three good climbs. I could continue all day.


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## meeshu (Jan 31, 2008)

I'm mostly a recreational rider.

The roads here are mainly flat(ish) but include some grades up to 10% or so.

I'm not particularly fit.

I weigh over 200 lbs.

My average speed includes warm up cycling at or below 10 mph for 20~30 minutes before increasing pace.

So. Overall average speed for cycling between 15 ~ 30 miles on the above roads is 13 mph.


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## muscleendurance (Jan 11, 2009)

The race of truth.....(TT) is the real race of truth.
25mph with a normal setup bike with clip on aerobars. Out and back course rolling with headwind of 20-25mph, and tail of the same way back..ran out of gear  lost a minute or so.

you asked so.

Edit: ahhhh! another old thread!


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## Haridic (Jun 9, 2008)

Average speed is very difficult to find accurately. For example i live somewhere where there is generally a constant (i use the metric system but will convert to imperial for the sake of you Americans  ) 16mph wind, sometimes more, sometimes less. So in one direction i might be doing 25mph (bearing in mind ive only been doing endurance rides lately) and the other direction its a slog at 15mph

But, without winds i try to maintain a constant 17-20mph speed for as long as i can (i usually suffer from going too fast too soon so i like to limit myself) 

If your new dont try to ride too fast otherwise you'll find yourself exhausted and 20 miles away from your house, instead pace yourself aim for a constant 15mph speed for a ride then just gradually push it up more, so next time do 16mph and add another 5 miles.

The key thing is to be wary of burning out and paying attention to how you feel so you can ration your efforts


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## xxl (Mar 19, 2002)

My speed is anything but average.


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## Mel Erickson (Feb 3, 2004)

DrRoebuck said:


> Depends. Are you on carbon fiber, aluminum, steel or magnesium? The material alone will determine your average speed.
> 
> Except on Thursdays.


No, it depends on whether Treks are good bikes or not.


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## mondayC (May 22, 2008)

9.8m/s^2, but I tend to ride down really steep hills.


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## Chainstay (Mar 13, 2004)

SystemShock said:


> LOL! Very true... any 'what's your average speed' topic is good for a lot of lies and a lot of laughs.
> 
> It's third only to penis size and "how much money do you make" in terms of pp's propensity to exaggerate. :lol:
> .


In the interest in putting it all in one exageration. My avg cycling speed is 28 mph, my penis is nine inches and I make $250K per year


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## roadfix (Jun 20, 2006)

My average speed generally drops when I stop and pose at coffee shops.


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## Fltplan (Feb 27, 2009)

If you put your average with a total elevation gain, it should be fairly legit. 

For instance, a ride from last week....51 miles, total time 2:56, ave speed 17.5 mph with 4239 feet of ascent, 4191 of descent. This was a solo ride with 158 ave hr, my max is 192. This was a 90% effort.


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## albert owen (Jul 7, 2008)

Since I got my Garmin 705, I have ridden nearly 5000 miles, climbed just over 200,000 feet and my overall average is 13.6 mph.
My highest top speed is 46.6 mph.

I am 61 yrs old and weigh 73kilos give or take, have had a heart attack and got home 3 days ago after a bout of pneumonia, so it'll be a while before I'm up to speed again.

My best ever 10 mile tt was in September on a dead flat out and back course with no wind, on my Pinarello road bike and a great road surface - 24.49.15......24.2mph.......87 rpm.....average geart rate 116. I doubt I'll *ever* get near this time again.


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## bobthib (May 28, 2009)

muscleendurance said:


> Edit: ahhhh! another old thread!


Is there something wrong with old?


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## CActuskid (Sep 3, 2008)

rode with 6 others today , my weekday gang , we did 58.6 miles 

computer average was 18.4....but that includes slowing for lights etc.

we pace at 19-22


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## j-dogg (Feb 19, 2009)

I'm 210 and 6' 1"

Average around 18-22, try to maintain 20+ usually I'm pretty good about it, sometimes I'll dip below the magic 20mph mark. If I'm in a paceline moving a little faster I can hang.

On a good night with no wind I can average 23 or 24mph, there is a stretch of road here with a lot of traffic and a bike lane you can get pushed by all the cars moving by up to almost 26mph and maintain it for a few hundred yards.

Average max speeds are in the 30 to 34 range, I strive that every sprint I max no less than 30mph and try to actually maintain it for a bit.....used to be I'd just slam gears until the magic 30 and backoff.

Absolute Max level is 37.3, 46.0 with gravity assist. The irony of the situation is that 46mph was achieved with old Shimano 600 gearing, cheap 700c wheels and downtube shifters, on a 7 speed drivetrain. My Ultegra / Dura-ace 9-speed STI setup I have now has only allowed me to match that and not only is it lighter but shifting is instantaneous. For some reason I get to 40mph and start running out of gear, I ride a 53-11 final I wonder if I could squeeze a couple more MPH with a 56t. Maybe I should just learn to turn cranks faster.

edit: I ride steel, in particular Columbus SL, although this new SLX frame should be interesting.


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## benvoncamp (Dec 10, 2009)

Hi all, interested in this myself. 31yo. 5f 10in. 160. ride about 5000 km a year. I will hold 30 kph over 100 when alone with around 1500 m climbing. Group rides can get as long as 150 km twice a week average 90 km. we have had speeds just under 35 kph but usually average 31. We did a ride to end the season this fall. Basically a take no prisioners but, hey, were all friends type. We did 35 over 160 with lots (2500) of climbing. 

I saw a video online a few months back where G. Hincapie talks about traing ride speeds. If I remeber correctly he claims basically the same speeds for the same distances. Maybe he was just trying to encourage all us mortals. 

In the citizen races here in Germany I finish in the top 90 . . . .ok 80%. The most important thing I have learned along the way is to EAT! It is sometimes not so obvious when you need food. Just keep eating, It always makes the difference for me from 80 km onwards.

ps. i always though of my fellow Yankee riders as being upper crust. Still with the m and mph people? What is this? NASCAR?? Are we on the 10 yard line? How many cups in a gallon? inches in a mile? I digress . . .


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## pgk (Jun 30, 2008)

I'm 52 and weigh 170lbs, what little riding I was able to do this year was by my self when the weather and time permited. My routes are from 20 to 30 miles during the week and depending on what route and how winding it was my average was 16 to 18mph.


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## bobthib (May 28, 2009)

CActuskid said:


> rode with 6 others today , my weekday gang , we did 58.6 miles
> 
> computer average was 18.4....but that includes slowing for lights etc.
> 
> we pace at 19-22


+1 Sounds like my kinda group!


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## bobthib (May 28, 2009)

Haridic said:


> *Average speed is very difficult to find accurately*. For example i live somewhere where there is generally a constant (i use the metric system but will convert to imperial for the sake of you Americans  ) 16mph wind, sometimes more, sometimes less. So in one direction i might be doing 25mph (bearing in mind ive only been doing endurance rides lately) and the other direction its a slog at 15mph
> 
> But, without winds i try to maintain a constant 17-20mph speed for as long as i can (i usually suffer from going too fast too soon so i like to limit myself)
> 
> ...


Yes,... and no. With meticulous record keeping over a long enough period you could establish a valid average. But as you noted on a day to day basis, terrain and conditions can have a huge impact on a given ride. 

Sounds like you live in a relatively windy, and likely flat, area. I'm in So Fla, and it's pretty darn flat and can be pretty darn windy. Think of the wind like hills. Some times you are "climbing" and sometimes you are "descending."

Your other observations on "pacing yourself" are right on. I recently saw a presentation that claimed that runners and cyclists that start slower and work up to speed on a long effort finish with better times than those that start out fast. Makes sense to me.

Two things that I found to be true in cycling. 1. Ride with others, esp those that make you struggle a bit to keep up. It's OK to get dropped now and again. 2. Do some interval training at least weekly. On my Tuesday solo (my only planned solo) I do 6 reps of an 8 min HR interval, that is I ride at 90% max heart rate for 6 min and take a 2 min rest, and repeat that 6 times. It has really helped my speed and endurance.


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## BikeFixer (May 19, 2009)

I would like to nominate this for funniest thread of the year :thumbsup:


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## bobthib (May 28, 2009)

BikeFixer said:


> I would like to nominate this for funniest thread of the year :thumbsup:


Go ahead, but I've seen far, far funnier ones. 

Don't know if it was here or BF, but some one asked "I just got a new Cervelo (some model), how much faster will I be?"

I don't know if the guy was really serious, of just braggin' bout his new Cervelo, but that thread was hilarious! LMAO! I've tried in vain to find it, but I can't. 

I think the OP paid a moderator dearly to get it pulled!


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## Haridic (Jun 9, 2008)

bobthib said:


> Yes,... and no. With meticulous record keeping over a long enough period you could establish a valid average. But as you noted on a day to day basis, terrain and conditions can have a huge impact on a given ride.
> 
> Sounds like you live in a relatively windy, and likely flat, area. I'm in So Fla, and it's pretty darn flat and can be pretty darn windy. Think of the wind like hills. Some times you are "climbing" and sometimes you are "descending."
> 
> ...


Haha, yeah atm i live a good 600km inland (Australia) and the biggest hill is fairly steep (10% grad) but lasts all of 300m. I wish there were hills as id prefer climbing higher and higher, to facing a headwind and crawling along but you get what you're given in Australia. 

I've learnt that pacing yourself is definitely important, but its hard for me to do since i come from a traditionally sprinting background (i was quick up until 200m in running  ) so limiting myself is tough but absolutely necessary, especially for a beginner new to endurance sports.

Thanks for the tips of intervals, ill give them a go as ive heard many good things about them


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

Fltplan said:


> Probably need elevation gain if you were to get a fair idea of average speeds, considering terrain differences around the world/country. On an agressive group ride yesterday, we averaged 18mph with 4439 of climbing, total 60 miles. It says I burned 4068 calories, which I know is bunk, but it's a good way to compare exertion levels from ride to ride. Living in San Diego, you don't find too many flat roads with rolling hills. I have never seen an average speed above 20 on rides local to SD.


Very similar stats to a ride our club does here in NJ each year. Our ride is 51 mi., 4060 ft. climbing, and last year my avg. speed was 18.3mph. Next year I want to do this ride in 2.5 hrs. :thumbsup: BTW, I'm getting close to 60, and one of our guys (who's faster than me) is 64.

Even if we all post vertical gain, there are significant differences in what you're climbing. My route above doesn't have anything really steep. Very little of this route is >10%, with a few spots as much as 13%.

Lots of interesting posts here. I enjoy seeing what other people do with their riding. It's all good.


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

Stuttering again...


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## nomit (Jul 13, 2009)

1/2 of these posts are irrelevant because distance is totally ignored...like it has no effect on average speed.

even if you take your garmin date from the past 12 months and calculate the overall average...it's not that meaningful without knowing what types of rides you're doing. is it a variation of anything from 5 miles to 150? are there any biases towards a certain type of ride? is every ride a 25 mile flat loop where you're going all out? do you only get a chance to go out on weekends, so you make the best of it...and just do 70+ mile hilly rides? are most of your rides with a group or solo? etc


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

nomit said:


> 1/2 of these posts are irrelevant ...


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## joker (Jul 22, 2007)

2008 when i was at my fittest i managed 35mph average for 1 hour exactly on my turbo trainer, i'm gona try and get fit again this coming year and try to beat it :yikes:


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## nomit (Jul 13, 2009)

DrRoebuck said:


>


touche.


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## livin4lax09 (Mar 15, 2008)

joker said:


> 2008 when i was at my fittest i managed 35mph average for 1 hour exactly on my turbo trainer, i'm gona try and get fit again this coming year and try to beat it :yikes:


I didn't know Cancellara visited the forums!


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## poff (Jul 21, 2007)

Today's ride: 30mi/3,900 ft of climbing, 13.3 mi/h average speed, 48.2 mi/h max speed, 22% max gradient. I am slow uphill.


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## Fltplan (Feb 27, 2009)

poff said:


> Today's ride: 30mi/3,900 ft of climbing, 13.3 mi/h average speed, 48.2 mi/h max speed, 22% max gradient. I am slow uphill.


I wouldn't worry about being slow on a 22% climb. Everyone is unless it's a mountain bike. How long was 22% stretch? That's painful on a 25 tooth rear.


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## poff (Jul 21, 2007)

Well, I do not know the length since that particular stretch of a longer climb (1,800 of total elevation) covers last 350ft of elevation and it is mostly 17% but it has 3 longish patches of 20% on two and 22% on one. I was pushing 39x27.


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## HIMEHEEM (Sep 25, 2009)

I average 33mph for precisely 300yds.

My weiner is 10.5".....Oh wait...I'm holding this ruler backward.


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## JoelS (Aug 25, 2008)

Stats for YTD: 6510.48 mi, 230,130 feet climbed, 15.653 avg speed, 415:55:55 for time.


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## dhfreak (Sep 12, 2009)

I live in the north Ga mountains and typically ride solo. I tend to ride anywhere between 25 to 50 miles at a time and average around 17 or 18 mph depending on the amount of beat ingested the night before.


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

poff said:


> Well, I do not know the length since that particular stretch of a longer climb (1,800 of total elevation) covers last 350ft of elevation and it is mostly 17% but it has 3 longish patches of 20% on two and 22% on one. I was pushing 39x27.


Yep - that'll slow you right down. Nothing with 1800' of elevation around here. Some nice climbs with about 1,000' of gain, but I've got to drive to get there.


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## tampafw (Jul 25, 2009)

darklyte27 said:


> Was wondering what everyones avg speed is, top speed? your weight?
> 
> Im still a newer rider and of course can lose 10-15 lbs or even more, so i know 16-18mph is slower than most more efficient riders who do 20+mph constantly
> 
> thanks for your info.


I actually stopped looking at speed maybe 4 years ago.....to that end I took the computer off. I ride for time now and know the distance of all my routes. I rode 14 hours last week.....rather than x miles. However, I just bought a Power Tap wheel set and it will be here in about 10 days so I will have all kinds of data to puke over now!


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## bobthib (May 28, 2009)

nomit said:


> *1/2 of these posts are irrelevant because distance is totally ignored*...like it has no effect on average speed.
> 
> even if you take your garmin date from the past 12 months and calculate the overall average...it's not that meaningful without knowing what types of rides you're doing. is it a variation of anything from 5 miles to 150? are there any biases towards a certain type of ride? is every ride a 25 mile flat loop where you're going all out? do you only get a chance to go out on weekends, so you make the best of it...and just do 70+ mile hilly rides? are most of your rides with a group or solo? etc


Excellent point. I never thought about that factor, and it is clearly an important variable. There are statistical ways of expressing the distance (as in the avg ride distance) and its variation (std deviation, etc.), but it gets kinda ugly and can be a bit hard to grasp.

I tend to think about climb statistics since I live in FLAT Florida, and I know it skews by avg spd up. As with most flat terrains, we tend to get strong steady winds, which we call Florida "Hills" since it's like going up (or down  ) a very long hill.

Intersections, traffic, and group rides also impact avg spd. None the less, we have to have something to lie about!


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## george kraushaar (Jan 15, 2007)

I live in extremely mountainous terrain with a lot a steep climbs where I do good to average 6-8 MPH for several miles at a time. On my usual solo training route I do really well to average 15 MPH over the 20 miles route. If the conditions are bad I might average only 13.5MPH. Some of the more fit racers types in our club can average 17 MPH on this route. Every couple of months or so I travel down to the flatlands and ride in flat to gently rolling terrain where my average is closer to 19.


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## muscleendurance (Jan 11, 2009)

*..........*


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## poff (Jul 21, 2007)

Not typical, but it exists here.


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## FTR (Sep 20, 2006)

Ha!!
Posts like this remind me of the section in the Aussie Ride magazine where they interview riders from a particular bunch that month.
One of the questions they ask is how far do you ride per week and often there are answers above 300km. Often these answers come from 5'6" tall riders who weigh 200lb+.

Yeah right!!


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## waldo425 (Sep 22, 2008)

For all intensive purposes and this being the internetz --- 30 MPH

There are way too many hills in my area to have an actual average speed. Whenever I'm on the flats I am probably pulling about 20-25 average.


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## Slim Chance (Feb 8, 2005)

My average everyday speed is white cross. If I need something special I’ll use crank or blue belly. Mileage is irrelevant.


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## johnrturner (Oct 15, 2008)

*Avg. speed at centuries*

I have been averaging around 17.8 mph on my rides this fall, rides averaging between 20 and 45 miles. I am returning back to cycling after a long time off due to work, etc...

One of my goals for this year, 2010, is to first complete a 6 hour century. In order to complete a century in 6 hours you will have to average 16.67 mph. A 6 hour century is a common goal and is achievable. Others attempt to complete a century in 5 hours, which would require an average speed of 20 mph. This gives you a general idea of what milestones people are striving for, and, the average speed that is required to complete these milestones (5 hour or 6 hour century).

Averaging anywhere around 17 to 20 mph is a brisk pace for anyone, especially when riding solo. If you want to go faster you will have to begin training to go faster which involves setting up your training plans to do such. Unless you are looking at racing, anywhere between the 17 and 20 mph average speed will allow you to meet your goals and increase your fitness and cardio system.


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

I increased my average speed by installing two additional magnets on my wheel. I would go faster but the local shop is out of magnets.


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## GerryR (Sep 3, 2008)

poff said:


> Not typical, but it exists here.


Which pass in the Sierras is that? I remember seeing a sign exactly like that on Sonora Pass last summer while driving back from California to Montana. Made my eyes bug right out because even the car, 2009 Subaru Outback, complained about it.


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## poff (Jul 21, 2007)

GerryR said:


> Which pass in the Sierras is that? I remember seeing a sign exactly like that on Sonora Pass last summer while driving back from California to Montana. Made my eyes bug right out because even the car, 2009 Subaru Outback, complained about it.


 It is Sonora pass. Very fun climb.


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## CActuskid (Sep 3, 2008)

did a 105 miles sponsored ride yesterday...my avg was 17.3 mph

was my FIRST century ever, not bad for a 53 yr old chubby guy


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

6 mph

on a good day.


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## PTV (Nov 16, 2008)

Totally agree - a lot of people here are full of ^%$#^% !!! You slow down just a little bit to go up hill or in a head wind or for traffic and your average speed plummets.


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## JoelS (Aug 25, 2008)

Eh, I'm just a recreational rider. 16-18 on flats. Hills, well, it depends on length and grade. I typically ride fairly easy on flats so I can save energy for the hills. I climb tolerably well.

I can ride faster. I've been able to maintain 22 on flats for 10 miles or more. 

So really, it depends on the ride. The longer the ride, the slower I go. Short rides usually see a higher pace. I like to adjust my effort so that I am shot when I get home, but still able to finish.


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## nOOky (Mar 20, 2009)

Just over 60 miles today with slightly over 3,000 feet of climbing and an average speed of 17.6 mph. Winds out of the s s/w at 12-20 mph. Cramps at 52 miles, which reduced the average. Semi trailer at 31 miles gave me a slight boost with his draft. Lost .01 off my average oogling a cute young thing. Some sand at... ugh it don't matter, it's all good.
As long as your out riding, have fun and try to hurt yourself every so often and the rest will come.


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## thess1 (Dec 1, 2009)

Im 21 years old 6'4 155lbs and I usually average between 18-19mph on rides of 20-40miles... the roads here in NC are pretty rolling... theres virtually no roads that are just flat... I'm always either going up a hill or down a hill  .My average also depends on the wind, weather, and what I ate the night before. On a really windy day my average will come down to around 17mph. I don't really worry much about my average on a windy day, riding on the windy days just makes you that much stronger when the weather breaks. Here lately Ive started focusing less on my average and more on riding at a steady pace, Ive noticed some guys will go to hard for the first 30-45min and bomb the rest of their ride.


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## GerryR (Sep 3, 2008)

I did a familiar 20+ mile route on Monday at lunch. Rode west for about 11 miles into a stiff wind, around 15mph gusting to 22(according to NOAA). The Garmin says I averaged 11.7mph for the first "lap." On the return I averaged 19.2mph. The return route is pretty flat with only a couple of very short hills, 3 stop signs and one stop light where I did have to stop. The average for the whole ride was 14.5mph.


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## dwgranda (Sep 8, 2009)

15.5-17 mph on my morning ride of 30 miles including stoplights. We have a lot of wind here especially in the exposed areas. Under perfect conditions and flat I've done 20mph solo. I get suspicious of people that claim 18+ unless you race or are out in the country where many of them ride  On Garmin connect I see people doing 16.5+ for 50+ miles on roads I've ridden so I know they have a lot of climbing these guys are Gods in my eye.


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## Window Frame (Feb 15, 2010)

I'd say about 15 mph.


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## karlmichael (Sep 17, 2009)

*my average*

i have been working for 6 months on my average. i have a 30 mile route which i ride solo on my trek 4.7. i am only using a 35 mm aero rim. i end up having to run all the stop signs and lights but my average is 21.1 mph. ( most of my rides are at night due to college/wife/homework) . i live in Capo Beach and ride out south twords the pulgas road. also did the canyon tour of South orange county with some friends the other day. we did 80 miles, laguna canyon, santiago canyon, cook corner canyon and averaged with city traffic 18.5 mph. 

karl

keep on riding


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Oct 13, 2009)

18-20mph on the flats. 8mph up hills. 35mph down hills.

If I'm riding in a paceline or even with just one other rider, avg speed on flats goes up to 20-22mph.


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## biketyke (Sep 4, 2008)

*Depends on the day...*

If the MUT is full of traffic, (kids dogs walkers teens roller blades) then 14-15 MPH. If fairly empty, 17-18 mph when I am moving. There are so many stops for automobile traffic regardless of the pedestrian traffic, it really affects what my avg is at the end of the day. 

On a really good day with a deserted MUT and able to clear traffic by just slowing down at crossings I can get 19 MPH. on most of the course. There is always a segment that has some reason to come to a crawl in the city.


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## 8toes (Feb 28, 2010)

Well I always find that I am not going as fast as I think I am, and I am not at all fast to begin with. I find that, when looking at my computer at the ends of my rides I am at the 14-16mph range. Now that I live in Canada and change my mph over to kph maybe the higher number will make me FEEL faster .

Truth be told, I don't really CARE how fast I am going, but sometimes it is nice to know. At 49 yrs old, I am certainly not going to challenge any of you young (or old) racers or racer types...nor do I want to...and just enjoy toddling around at my pace being a fred. And of course I realize that "blanket" stats like average speed means little or nothing.

Cheers,

Brian J.


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## SEABASS66 (Jan 13, 2009)

Anywhere from 12mph to 25mph. Depends what bike I am on, hills or flats and if in a group or working with someone. My best 100 mile average was 23mph. Out of shape 100 mile average was still 20mph. Doing races on my tri bike I run about 25mph for 25 miles. Doing typical hill intervals I run about 17mph to 18mph for 60 mile loops.

I am 5'8" at 170. Penis size is too large to list on this site. Income is well over 500K but Obama is taking care of that for me so I can support those who don't want to work for a living.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)




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## WaynefromOrlando (Mar 3, 2010)

I returned to riding last January, so I am still building up to speed by training and improving my endurance slowly as I am rapidly approaching my 50th birthday. I am about 6' tall, started at 197 lbs and ride a Motobecane Immortal Pro weighing about 17 lbs.

Riding with my bike club, I average around 20-22 mph for 20 miles, riding in an aero line and stopping about every 5 miles or so for feedback from the team leader. Riding alone I average about 17-20 mph for 10-20 miles, discounting any stops for red lights or traffic. All of the milage has been on flat terrain, finding hills here in central Florida is problematic. I will be driving to find some hilly terrain in the next month or so, mountains will have to wait until I decide to take a vacation somewhere out of state.

I am about to increase my milage up to 40-60 mile rides as the weather gets better and my endurance improves and I expect those speeds to remain relatively unchanged with the exception of any hills I find. Those are what they are, so long as you make it up and over without walking you're a winner in my book.


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## jarbiker (Sep 29, 2009)

DrRoebuck said:


> Depends. Are you on carbon fiber, aluminum, steel or magnesium? The material alone will determine your average speed.
> 
> Except on Thursdays.


Of course that there carbon fiber frame will probably explode!!!!


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

biketyke said:


> *If the MUT is full of traffic*, (kids dogs walkers teens roller blades) then *14-15 MPH*. If fairly empty, 17-18 mph when I am moving. There are so many stops for automobile traffic regardless of the pedestrian traffic, it really affects what my avg is at the end of the day.
> 
> On a really good day with a deserted MUT and able to clear traffic* by just slowing down at crossings I can get 19 MPH.* on most of the course. There is always a segment that has some reason to come to a crawl in the city.


Really?

Does it make you feel like a stud to be the King of the MUT? Did you win the MUT World Championships?

And "we" wonder why walkers, runners, and motorists hate us....


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## HIMEHEEM (Sep 25, 2009)

PlatyPius said:


> Really?
> 
> Does it make you feel like a stud to be the King of the MUT? Did you win the MUT World Championships?
> 
> And "we" wonder why walkers, runners, and motorists hate us....


It's OK cause he always yells "on your left"....pedestrians love that kind of courtesy


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

PlatyPius said:


> And "we" wonder why walkers, runners, and motorists hate us....


It's okay. We hate them back, for all the same reasons.


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## Charlie2Ba (May 28, 2009)

14 mph avg on my computer today for a 30 mile ride. I went 15 miles south on an MUT in flatland America into a pretty good headwind and turned around and came back with the wind at my back .

I consider myself to be a pretty slooooow rider, 51 yrs old, 210lbs and it ain't all muscle.


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## Charlie2Ba (May 28, 2009)

HIMEHEEM said:


> It's OK cause he always yells "on your left"....pedestrians love that kind of courtesy


I always yell "ON YOUR LEFT...A**HOLE!"....it gets their attention better:yikes: 

Joking of course.


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## imhockey (Mar 4, 2007)

*funniest thing i have read in some time...thanks*



nOOky said:


> I went 22 miles in an hour on the stationary bike at the gym today. I also burned over 1,000 calories. I know it's accurate because the guy who hands out towels said so.
> So I would recommend you hold 22 mph for rides of about an hour if you want to be as awesome as me



=======
old post but i came across it while searching for something unrelated...you owe me a new keyboard b/c there is orange juice all over mine! this was the best part "I know it's accurate because the guy who hands out towels said so." hahahahah


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## bobthib (May 28, 2009)

where G is the universal gravitational constant (G=6.67×10−11 m3 kg−1 s−2), M the mass of the bike and the rider's body, and r the distance from the seat to the center of the bottom bracket.


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## jspharmd (May 24, 2006)

bobthib said:


> where G is the universal gravitational constant (G=6.67×10−11 m3 kg−1 s−2), M the mass of the bike and the rider's body, and r the distance from the seat to the center of the bottom bracket.


^^My favorite so far.

I average 45 mph on a 12% grade...going down of course.


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## kraegar (Sep 5, 2012)

I ride 12.5 miles every weekday, and 20 - 36 on the weekends. Just started riding again in June, on a Trek FX 7.2. My total average on my bike computer & map my ride was around 12mph when I started, and is up to 15 - 16mph now. 16.7 is my best from mapmyride. In one mile segments my best moving average has been 20mph, though more typically it's in the 15 - 17 on the flatter parts. My ride is on mostly flat or slightly sloped pavement, with a 1.5 mile stretch on crushed hard-packed limestone. (Easy to ride on, but definitely takes more energy than the paved portions). Only the first/last 1/4 mile of my ride is "in town", with 3 stop signs to stop at, and then 3 road crossings when I get out on the trail.


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## Joehs (Dec 1, 2011)

Been riding a lot with my Dad lately. When I'm with him, we average around 13 or 14 mph over 20-25 miles. 

When riding alone I can bump that up to the 16-16.5 mph range on average over that distance. 

Been cycling for the season only, but I've been working hard. I hope next season I can make it up into the 18/19 mph average over a bit longer of a distance.


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## Montyaloofah (Mar 14, 2012)

5'9 178lbs. 39 yrs old. Have not ridden pure flat terrain so can't comment on that. I'm mostly in rolling terrain with mixed short but steep climbs. 2 recent rides; 61 miles 4200ft climbing/descending, 17.7mph, 28 miles with 1800ft of climbing, 18.8mph. I've been as high as 22mph for 25 miles but that was in my youth


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## Jetmugg (Sep 22, 2010)

I'm a 44 year old, 155#, middle-to-back of the pack Cat4. On the local 15K time trial series, I can average over 23.5 mph, close to 24 mph. That is not a particularly strong TT, but not entirely shabby, either.

During the local criterium series, it's not uncommon for me to see average speeds above 26 mph for the 35-40 minute race. This is the power of the pack.

If you want to get faster, just grinding out more miles at a slightly higher pace isn't the best recipe. You need to put in some very high intensity work to increase your threshold power.


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## scorchedearth (Mar 22, 2012)

My usual average speed is about 25-27km/h (~14-16mph). This is on routes that I know well and have done many times. In the year that I've been riding these routes, my average has risen about 6-7km/h so I can see progress.

Although, on a flat road on the Jersey Shore with a nice tailwind and no stop signs, I managed an average of 30km/h (19mph). I was pretty happy with myself that day.


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## greg12666 (Mar 29, 2012)

I am 45 years old 5'8" 163 lbs. I ride flats mostly in wind. Ride 60 mins avg 18.6 MPH. I ride a Cervelo s2 with upgrades.


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## octobahn (May 30, 2012)

On the local river trail with about 40 miles total (there and back). I average about 21 mph near max effort.


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

darklyte27 said:


> What is your average riding speed?


About 3mph faster than yours, whatever it is.
.


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

greg12666 said:


> I am 45 years old 5'8" 163 lbs. I ride flats mostly in wind. Ride 60 mins avg 18.6 MPH. I ride a Cervelo s2 with upgrades.


I love this post.


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## mtor (Mar 1, 2007)

Terrapin said:


> On this forum? Everyone averages 28mph, into the wind, up 12% inclines. At least that's what they write.


naw 35 mph on 15% incline lol. Your #'s are a little off


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## carlislegeorge (Mar 28, 2004)

I don't know what my average speed is. Don't want to know. I usually ride with my eyes closed, just have a little bit of a challenge.


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## wagg (Aug 11, 2012)

I'm faster with my plastic wheel protector.

On my own I do 35-40 kph(sorry, I'm Canadian and I don't feel like doing the conversion)on the flats which there aren't very many of where I live and average 15-20 kph on hills on which there is a huge amount!


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## tnvol123 (Sep 11, 2012)

My average speed is slower than most, but I ride a lot and I always have a blast.


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## octobahn (May 30, 2012)

Wtf? When did this thread go south?


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## imhockey (Mar 4, 2007)

lol +1


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