# What's a good average ride speed for a 52 year old



## PLAYONIT

Been back riding now for a few weeks after a 20 year layoff. When I use to ride years ago I had no Idea what my average speed was due the lack of a cyclo-computer and the hilly region I lived in San Diego county.. 
I have a new bike and a Garmin Edge 500. Everyday I am getting more fit. I live in Western New York now and much more flat terrain wise... I have been averaging roughly 13-14 mph average over 15-20 miles with little elevation gain.. At 205 lbs. and 5'7' I am shooting on 165lb. body weight so as you can see not very fit yet and a ways to go until I hit my goal weight.... Since getting the Garmin I have mainly focused on spinning and maintaining a steady and high cadence. 2 weeks ago I found a small steep hill and have added twice a week uphill intervals spinning until I gas out (about 2 minutes per interval) recovering in between for 3 minutes and repeating this interval 4-5 times..... at which time I can barely make it the 7 miles home...
What kind of average ride speed should I be shooting for at my age???


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## nomit

> What kind of average ride speed should I be shooting for at my age???


faster than your current average speed....to keep you motivated to continue to ride and lose weight.

there's no right answer.

i'm sure there's 52 year olds cruising around at 23+mph like it's nothing because they've been cycling their whole lives. and there's one's that are so out of shape they couldn't dream of what you're currently doing.


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## Blue CheeseHead

Agree with Nomit. I did a 30 mile ride this morning with a couple 53 year olds and we averaged 22. When I started a few years ago at age 42, 15 mph was about it. I was carrying 225 in a 6'-3" frame. I am now down to 195. Give it time and the speed will come and the pounds will melt away.

If you did not get a heart rate strap with your Garmin, I would recommend getting one. Measuring your efforts by heart rate is a decent way to know that you are going hard enough, but not too hard.

Oh, be sure to talk to your doctor. Make sure he/she understands what your excercise program is and on board.


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## Gatorback

Just keep on riding. If you want to get fit and lose weight, don't worry about your speed. I used to hope I could keep up with the "A Group" on one of the weekly shop rides. Well I can keep up with that group just fine but have found a new A Group that has a whole different idea of a spirited ride. Their first 30 minutes is faster than the last 30 minutes of that other ride. I can't take my turn at the front of that group toward the end of that ride yet. Hopefully I'll get there some day. 

The point is that unless you are a tremendous athlete, truly gifted and have a lot of time and motivation to train, you are going to be humbled by some of the great riders out there. Don't worry about speed. Just focus on your own goals. Maybe you can pick a a goal such as averaging half a mile faster on a particular ride and then go from there. (Don't get frustrated because you may be much slower or much faster some days on a flat course due to wind conditions).


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## PLAYONIT

I have been riding with heart rate... and am learning it's nuances everyday.. here is some info from a recent ride.. to give you an Idea of my current type stats....



http://connect.garmin.com/activity/32958227


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## Ventruck

Performance is influenced by age, but still each to their own. There's slow and fast X year-olds.

I got walked on a hill by an older (looked like late 40's/early 50's) guy. Not my best day, but even then, this guy had legs. Hope I come of age like that


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## kmunny19

if going by age, I'd use a target heart rate acheived at the preferred cadence to judge the effectiveness of training. I might not even bother to extrapolate speed from that formula as a big motivating factor.


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## limba

5'7" and 165 pounds will still be fat. Don't worry about your average speed, worry about what you eat.

and lift weights. Start light, work on your form but lift weights.


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## CBar

Don't worry so much about speed, that will improve over time as your conditioning improves. I'm down here in hilly Westchester county and average about 15 mph for a 30 - 40 mile ride. On a good day I'll crack 16. I'm 52 but most importantly am having fun.


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## T-Doc

*Same speed you had 20 years ago.*

Age is not the issue so much. I know guys who win the 50 + masters then go race with the P1,2 open and finish in the pack. You limit is based on time to train, imo...


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## fasteddy

I'm 53, in Sunday's race I averaged 26 mph for 24 miles. This put me mid pack at the finish.


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## viciouscycle

Find your own goal and then ride for that and have fun, ditto on the heart strap and Dr's advice, I would even go as far as ask for a Dr who is active, a riding Dr will be a hell of a asset. I had one for several years and he REALLY helped me.

btw..I am 51, and I can do a 30 course TT style and avg 21 mph (weather permitting) Good Luck


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## saird

30mph would be good. :thumbsup:


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## bmxhacksaw

Last year I had a 63 year old drag me all over the county at 25+ mph so you know...


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## Hank Stamper

PLAYONIT said:


> Been back riding now for a few weeks after a 20 year layoff. When I use to ride years ago I had no Idea what my average speed was due the lack of a cyclo-computer and the hilly region I lived in San Diego county..
> I have a new bike and a Garmin Edge 500. Everyday I am getting more fit. I live in Western New York now and much more flat terrain wise... I have been averaging roughly 13-14 mph average over 15-20 miles with little elevation gain.. At 205 lbs. and 5'7' I am shooting on 165lb. body weight so as you can see not very fit yet and a ways to go until I hit my goal weight.... Since getting the Garmin I have mainly focused on spinning and maintaining a steady and high cadence. 2 weeks ago I found a small steep hill and have added twice a week uphill intervals spinning until I gas out (about 2 minutes per interval) recovering in between for 3 minutes and repeating this interval 4-5 times..... at which time I can barely make it the 7 miles home...
> What kind of average ride speed should I be shooting for at my age???



Regardless of what your speed is now. After 20 years off and only a couple weeks back you are very slow compared to your potential right now. We all suck if we look hard enough for fast people to compare too and by the same token are fast as heck if we look elsewhere for people to compare to so why even go there. Just do the best you can against yourself and the rest will take care of itself.

So then the question becomes: How much gain should someone who's doing 14mph to start with shoot for. 

If my experience can be of any guide: I just started last year and I'm generally doing the same routes roughly 7MPH faster then I was after just a couple weeks like you're at now. So getting up to 21mph might be a decent goal for you. I'm 10 years younger.....but I was not overweight when I started so you probably have more potential gain than I.


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## drdiaboloco

limba said:


> 5'7" and 165 pounds will still be fat.


Considering you don't know anything about the OP's build and body type, this comment ranges from uninformed to just flat out wrong.

I'm guessing the OP knows a thing or two about what a good body weight is for himself and if he considers 165lbs a "goal" then it's probably good for him. Saying that he will still be "fat" at that point is singularly unhelpful.


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## PLAYONIT

drdiaboloco said:


> Considering you don't know anything about the OP's build and body type, this comment ranges from uninformed to just flat out wrong.
> 
> I'm guessing the OP knows a thing or two about what a good body weight is for himself and if he considers 165lbs a "goal" then it's probably good for him. Saying that he will still be "fat" at that point is singularly unhelpful.


Yes.... 165 will be pretty trim for me... I just came down from 240 my weight on 12/26/09 to my current 203.. I think it will be almost impossible to get lower than 165lb.... I also lift weights focusing on squats,dead lifts and some light back and shoulder stuff... I had a good lunchtime ride into a good head wind today and averaged 13.8 mph... Without the wind I might have seen my best avg. speed so far.... I thank all for the comments and will take some advice to heart...

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/33737349


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## drdiaboloco

PLAYONIT said:


> Yes.... 165 will be pretty trim for me... I just came down from 240 my weight on 12/26/09 to my current 203.


Well you're definitely doing SOMETHING right then! Keep up the good work... Your present weight is MY goal, give or take a few pounds.


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## megmarc

*simply for comparison*

Like you, even though I know there are many factors that contribute, I also like to judge myself against others by my average mph. So strictly for comparison sake, here's my story. I'm 59 and started riding about 9 years ago. I too wanted to lose weight. I started at about 190 and am now in the 175 range with weight getting up to 180 over the winter and back down to low 170' by mid August. My goal is 165 also. I am also 5 7" and even at 175 dont consider myself fat. Big thighs and a big ass contribute to that.

In the beginning I usually averaged about 16 mph over a 15 mile course with about 500 feet of elevation change. I now average about 18 mph ( 700 feet of change) over a 26 mile course. I ride 100-150 miles per week. My best average (no wind) on the course is 20 mph. Only done it once. On light wind days I can do 19 fairly regularly. I ride by myself because I like to control my own time as to when and where I ride.

Have done a few road races. Got droppped very early on and never caught the pack. Started timetrialing about 5 years ago and love it. Financialy able to buy all the equipment and compete about twice a month. Goal is to do a 40K in under an hour but so far can't do better than 61 minutes. But even though I'm getting older I am getting faster. I still hope to break 1 hour this year.

In spite of the fact that average mph is not that meaningfull by itself, it keeps me riding and allows me to move towards that goal of 165 pounds. Keep it up and we will both get there.


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## Jim311

I would just focus on setting a specific course and consistently BEATING your time/average speed. Who cares what others think is fast, you are in it for personal gain, not bragging rights.


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## Dizzy812

Are you on a Trek? 

'cause I hear Treks are faster . . .


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## InfiniteLoop

I'm 51 and 5'10". Was a Cat 1 in 70's. About 4 years ago I was about 210, today I'm 155. 2 years ago I averaged 15mph for 10 miles. Last night I did a hilly (2000' ascent/descent) 40 mile ride with 5 other guys and averaged 19mph. One of the guys has a son my age.

Like others said. Don't worry about speed so much as simple week over week improvement. Get a HRM strap. Communicate with your doc. Talk to a nutritionist. Is there a good bike club (eg, not necessarily racing) you can ride with? My club has weekly rides that are 14mph for 10 miles up to 24mph for 50. Have fun. BTW, 165 was my goal.


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## crashtestdummy

52 mph


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## robbyracer

6'5" tall and 227lbs. My usual ride falls between 25 and 50 miles. I try to keep it between 15 and 17mph so I don't blowup on the way home.


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## Tsuggs

I'm 57 and started biking this spring. I'm 6ft and weigh 230 when I started. When in high school played variety basketball and baseball. When I started I only went about 7 miles and 14.5 mph. I was in bad shape. I'm down to 225 now and can do 20 miles and average 15 mph but this week has been so hot I could hardly make it home and averaged about 14.6 mph. It's 90+ here and boy does that hit you hard. I want to improve my speed and distance but it's more important to keep it fun so I will keep it up. I'm doing it to improve my quality of life as I get old. My 83 year old mom has been walking EVERY DAY for over 20 years and I see what it's done for her. I just need her determination and dedication. 

Keep at it and don't make it so hard you start dreading to ride.


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## Kai Winters

Just ride...
Worry about "average speed" when you get some months and miles in your legs and a few lbs off your body...


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## Creakyknees

Keep riding and doing hill repeats, eat healthy, the pounds will melt off and you'll get fit again. .. before long you'll be looking for bigger hills.


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## albert owen

These averages everyone is quoting are much too high. You need some 10 mile 10% climbs to slow you down. Riding on the flat and getting 15 to 20 mph average speeds is too easy.


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## rsosborn

limba said:


> 5'7" and 165 pounds will still be fat. Don't worry about your average speed, worry about what you eat.
> 
> and lift weights. Start light, work on your form but lift weights.



This is the truest part of this thread. The guys who are pulling 23 mph+ all day long don't
party all week then jump on the bike and pound out a kicking ride. It's their LIFESTYLE.

I'm 41 years old and kill most guys not only in their 30's but alot in their late 20's.
Yes, I've cycled pretty much since I was 14. But I carry a water bottle all day at work.
I eat like I'm on the Tour all year around. I am out on the bike 4-5 nights a week. 
I sleep on a foam bed in a dark room 8-10 hours a night.

I usually pull a century every weekend, on one of the days. I average 20-23 mph+ over
20-30 miles, depending on the day and terrain. 

My point is not age, or background or type of bike you have. It's how you live the rest of your week when not on the bike.


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## motox155

albert owen said:


> These averages everyone is quoting are much too high. You need some 10 mile 10% climbs to slow you down. Riding on the flat and getting 15 to 20 mph average speeds is too easy.


Yeah!!!  

haha. I was thinking the same. I have a couple loops we do where more times then not we average close to 20 depending on the wind. But most of my main loops have a lot more climbing...that leads to some un-impressive sounding average #'s.


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## Sonomasnap

Agree with most of the posts. First thing to focus on is diet, weight loss and structured training plan. Speed means nothing at this point. You are not racing so who cares. Also speed is a function of power to weight ratio. Given that you are overweight and have only just begun training your formula equates to SLOW. Losing the 30-40lbs while gaining strength will be definition increase your speed. As far as age goes at early 50's it is largely irrelevant. As many posters noted, there are many 50+ racers that can hammer with the best of them. I will turn 50 in 2 months. This is my second season of racing and I am a solid Cat4 who will likely upgrade to a 3 next spring. I race in the NYC area which is crazy competitive with fields of 80-100 racers in every weekend race. When I got on the bike a little over a year ago I was 30 lbs. heavier. The speed, endurance and raw power I can produce dwarfs what I could do a year ago. All depends on what you want. Bottom line lose the weight.

Good luck.


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## eddya

PLAYONIT said:


> What kind of average ride speed should I be shooting for at my age???


Depends what you want to aim for! Some people are happy to average 17-18 mph over 2-3 hour rides, some aim for 22 mph or beyond. It is possible to build this kind of endurance and muscle strength. Age cannot (and should not) be the main limiter in reaching these goals, unless you are talking about short sprint bursts.


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## 1centaur

Sounds like you'll get to over 17mph pretty easily based on where you're starting. Two tips for higher average speed: focus on a super smooth stroke, and do various kinds of intervals. Both are more effective at building average speed than trying to do TTs every time you ride. Whether you get to 18 or 22 will then depend on your desire and genetics. One wise piece of advice I read from a long time coach: everybody who just tries for max avg speed ends up stalling out under 21, but people who do a lot of intervals end up much faster.


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## lozroadie

I wouldn't take a lot of stock on average speeds people post on the internet, there is to many variables. Terrain, wind, traffic, are they riding solo or in a group, is the time they quote an honest average or their personal best, what kind of shape are they in, how do they train and how often and did they exaggerate. People on this board range from high level racers to over weight recreational riders that are trying to get in shape and lose a few pounds and maybe even a few that don't ride at all. I am a 46 yo recreational rider that lost 15 lbs could stand to lose another 10 -15 lbs, 20 if I wanted to ride competitively, I ride
1000-1500 miles per season the last 4 years, and run a little. I primarily ride solo in the rolling hills of central MIssouri and average 15-16 mph for almost all rides I started out about 12 mph average in 2006. I use average speed just as a measure of whether or not I am getting better. I log all rides and as long as I am seeing a little increase in average speed for the same rides each month during my riding season it makes me feel like I am getting fitter and I am happy with my rides which is my personal goal. I would recommend just ride and enjoy it build base miles and concentrate on skills and technique after you have a base read some training books, institute some intervals, ride with faster people and you will get fitter, you will get faster and you will have fun. But each person has to evaluate what they want, how to measure it and set their own goals.


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## Bill Bikie

Every time you slow down or come to a stop your average suffers. Average speed is not an good indicator of your fitness or what you put into a specific ride. I can do a spirited 20 mile ride with some grades and only average 15mph. But I know I can average 18-20 mph on the flat for a looooong time.
-Bill age 69 (Bianchi 1885 Alum/hydro/carbon and a Klein Quantum)


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## Chris Tsitlakidis

Jim311 said:


> I would just focus on setting a specific course and consistently BEATING your time/average speed. Who cares what others think is fast, you are in it for personal gain, not bragging rights.


absolutely agree. Intervals are great. Focusing on a specific course, let's say one mile, either way, can make huge progress, very fast, because it is easy and highly motivated. I went from my average 17 mph after 11 years of no riding, to 26mph for a mile, in just half a month, aiming at 30 mph for my.. years birthday


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## jkc

52, restarted cycling in 2014ish after basically quitting in 1992. Below is my stats from 2016 reflecting only outdoor road rides. 2021 outdoor rides were mostly recovery spins so far. I'm hoping to bring the mileage backup to 2016 levels without getting hurt (2017 ACL separation/surgery & 2018 bulldozed by a minivan). Need to drop some weight also. Gained back 15# since 2016.


Total Distance (mi)Distance, Outdoor Road Only (mi)Elevation Gain, Outdoor Road Only (ft)ft/miAvg. Speed2016​6195​4784​168479​35​16.8​2017​4483​1219​26038​21​16.7​2018​4517​2077​91203​44​14.8​2019​5354​1190​53860​45​15.6​2020​5799​1147​36861​32​17.9​2021​2303​303​2471​8​15.6​


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