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What are your average speeds

5K views 78 replies 40 participants last post by  croswell1 
#1 ·
Describe yourself, your riding style, your bike and your average speed.

I'm a club rider on a standard Trek 5200 (no aerobars), 6'6" 195 lbs.
Most of my riding is solo.

0>50 miles = 20-22 mph average
50>100 miles = 18-20 mph average

My best average was on my usual route of 15 miles. I held 23.6 mph average over 40 minutes 04 seconds.

My worst is not recorded but was probably 16 or 17 mph on a long ride in which I bonk.
 
#5 ·
Who cares?

It's impossible to compare average speeds across different areas with different elevations, wind, etc. Yesterday, I did a 23.7 mile loop in 1 hour 12 minutes with a 20+ mph headwind for eight miles, the same cross wind for over 7 miles, and three hills over 5% grade.....so what?......It's a meaningless measurement. NOW, if you have a powertap or SRM and you want to compare wattages.....THAT I can go along with.
 
#6 ·
Ahhh... The Beloved Average Speed Thread!

I average 20.? on most of my 26 mile rides. I am changing my routine after feedback from several people on this forum in hopes of getting to a 21 mph avg on my 26 mile loop. I hope to improve my performance to consistently ride it at 22-23 mph under similar conditions.( It sure is hard to do those recovery rides! )
 
#7 ·
Is that in Rochester?

physasst said:
It's impossible to compare average speeds across different areas with different elevations, wind, etc. Yesterday, I did a 23.7 mile loop in 1 hour 12 minutes with a 20+ mph headwind for eight miles, the same cross wind for over 7 miles, and three hills over 5% grade.....so what?......It's a meaningless measurement. NOW, if you have a powertap or SRM and you want to compare wattages.....THAT I can go along with.
I rode here in the cities yesterday it was perfect!
 
#8 ·
I care

physasst said:
It's impossible to compare average speeds across different areas with different elevations, wind, etc. Yesterday, I did a 23.7 mile loop in 1 hour 12 minutes with a 20+ mph headwind for eight miles, the same cross wind for over 7 miles, and three hills over 5% grade.....so what?......It's a meaningless measurement. NOW, if you have a powertap or SRM and you want to compare wattages.....THAT I can go along with.
I think it is interesting to know about. Even if it isn't scientific measurement, how else can someone have any measure (scientific or not) to judge their own performance?

For me I usually ride at about 15-25 MPH when I ride. Big average? Yes. I live in NOLA below sea level, have A LOT of lights/ stop signs, and only ride a few miles to school in the morning.
 
#9 ·
hmmmmmmm

well I did an 8.2 mile race on sand with one section so soft you had to run and flatted in the final 3/4 mile and still averaged 20 mph. have never turned a sub 5 hr century but it's hilly where I ride. When some folks came out here from the east and saw what I called false flats and slight hills it showed the difference of perspective where you ride creates.
 
#10 ·
Some people just need to throw away the Speedo if you ask me. I have one hill that I keep a time on, and it is used by everyone in my county to test their fitness and we compare times up it. It is 3.3 miles and 1500 feet with average grade of about 8 percent (never calculated). I think it would get old watching my speedo on every regular ride always trying to beat my best time and then feeling disapointed when I fell short. Talk about burn out. My time up my hill is somewhere in the 19:00 to 20:00 minute range at this point. Record is 18:24, not by me.
 
#11 ·
I have 1400 rides in my database and my lifetime average is 16.75 MPH. It's been the same for 3 or 4 years.

That database includes MTB rides, road bike rides, windy rides, snowy rides, rainy rides, humid rides, dry rides, 100F rides, 20F rides, 70F rides, sub 5 hour centuries, >7 hour centuries, ~6 hour centuries, city rides, country rides, neighborhood rides, MUT rides, 5'11 185 lbs. rides, 5'11" 148 lbs. rides, 5'11" 154 lbs. rides, morning/afternoon/evening rides, Arizona rides, New Mexico rides, Sonora rides, distances varying from 1.5 to 115 miles.

That's my average speed, averaged over all the conditions I've ridden in. Which should give everyone a grand perspective on what a useless statistic average MPH really is.

You want to compare? Let's all get together somewhere on the same day and ride the same 40k ITT and then we can talk about averages. Well, at least for those conditions on that particular day and depending on how everyone is feeling.

If you're satisfied with how you're going, that's wonderful. When it comes to individual performance, the only absolute is that there are many people who are faster than you, slower than you and the same speed as you.
 
#14 ·
What's your point?

Timmons said:
Describe yourself, your riding style, your bike and your average speed.

I'm a club rider on a standard Trek 5200 (no aerobars), 6'6" 195 lbs.
Most of my riding is solo.

0>50 miles = 20-22 mph average
50>100 miles = 18-20 mph average

My best average was on my usual route of 15 miles. I held 23.6 mph average over 40 minutes 04 seconds.

My worst is not recorded but was probably 16 or 17 mph on a long ride in which I bonk.

HEADLINE: "Three year old drowns in pool that only averaged six inches deep"
 
#16 ·
Timmons said:
Describe yourself, your riding style, your bike and your average speed.

I'm a club rider on a standard Trek 5200 (no aerobars), 6'6" 195 lbs.
Most of my riding is solo.

0>50 miles = 20-22 mph average
50>100 miles = 18-20 mph average

My best average was on my usual route of 15 miles. I held 23.6 mph average over 40 minutes 04 seconds.

My worst is not recorded but was probably 16 or 17 mph on a long ride in which I bonk.
Don't mean to be a downer but average speed means nothing. If you think your fast, race. Everyone on the same course at the same time, it will humble you, even in the lower categories. That being said, most of the guys that post these ridiculous "average speed" threads are the same ones who think "racing's stupid" and yet they time themsleves over the same course day after day, weeeeee.
 
#18 ·
I am proud to announce I have been training and recently broke the RBR Time Trial effort posted by AaronToy. I used the same Martec frame and trained using the little known big/big chainring/cog combination. I expect someone to post a picture of the now second place holder of the RBR time trial record.
 
#20 ·
Yeah...

CarbonFrame said:
I rode here in the cities yesterday it was perfect!

it's always windy here...never stops. We average winds around 17-20 most days, but winds above 30 are not uncommon. Rode into a 37mph headwind a few weeks ago with a good friend.....it was like trying to ride into a brick wall. Do you race in the cities?.....I plan on doing some of the cyclocross races up there this fall.
 
#24 ·
physasst said:
it's always windy here...never stops. We average winds around 17-20 most days, but winds above 30 are not uncommon. Rode into a 37mph headwind a few weeks ago with a good friend.....it was like trying to ride into a brick wall. Do you race in the cities?.....I plan on doing some of the cyclocross races up there this fall.
I don't race, I just ride to stay fit.I thought about trying a crit but the thought of crashing and damaging my bike stops me.(Things are too expensive) Did you make it up for any of the Nature Valley series?The Stillwater crit was great. Chillkoot hill is really something else. I rode the Mn. Ironman a few years back with sustained 40 mph headwinds...it was unbelieveable having to pedal going DOWN hill.
 
#25 ·
You

thpeyton said:
I think it is interesting to know about. Even if it isn't scientific measurement, how else can someone have any measure (scientific or not) to judge their own performance?

For me I usually ride at about 15-25 MPH when I ride. Big average? Yes. I live in NOLA below sea level, have A LOT of lights/ stop signs, and only ride a few miles to school in the morning.

can measure power output. Power output should take into account all of the variables such as wind, hills, sprints, etc. If you tell me that you can average 320-350 watts over a 20 mile ride...then I am TRULY impressed. As far as for me, my watt meter is unfortunately only on my trainer...as the other ones are too pricey, But I use the average watt ouput to tell me how I am doing....my best is 260 watts sustained over about 45 minutes. I couldn't keep it up after that. I am 6'0" and 208 pounds.
 
#26 ·
Anti -average Speed Posters

It is unbelieveable how people get worked up when someone wants to use average speed as a reference. Average speed is a perfectly good measure if the person who is comparing average speeds knows how to use the information. I don't think I am fast and I use average speed as a reference point to my own performance. It is just as useful as a power meter is. Using a power meter will tell me how much power I make and it will be more reliable because there MAY be less variables. Using a power meter on a course I will be able to see how much power I make, Using speed as a reference I will also be able to see my improvements provided I am taking the variables into consideration,it may not be exact but it will still work. I know when I am pushing hard on the pedals and when I am not I don't need a $1500.00 piece of equipment to tell me that.
 
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