Average speed

Drafting is not true speed and speed is not true power and power is not a good weight loss plan. But for power "It's killing me but...." is a good start.🙂

Setting goals and sticking to the program was a real joy this season. I'm doing it again next year! But on advice I'm considering other goals besides speed.

If you can feel joy from increasing your speed then go for it! But you don't have to - your current speed is hardly slacking over hills. Any goal works as long as it works for you.

Roy Keane said:

Hi all -

I've been riding regularly for about two years....I'm sure I'd be considered a newbie by any standard here.

I rode about 800 miles last summer and I have a goal to ride 2000 this summer.

The furthest I've been able to ride at one time is about 35 miles. I'm 36, 5'10", 200 pounds...I've lost about 35 pounds over the last year (thanks, in part, to some great advice I've received here). I'm in an area that's hilly as all hell.

Okay....I read a lot on this board and in magazines....people talking about taking longish rides and averaging 17-20 mph. I only recently broke 15 mph on any ride of 20 miles or more.

I can't imagine averaging 17 mph on a 50 mile ride. Is it because I NEVER ride in a group (i.e., is riding in a group inherently faster)? Would I be better off training at lower distances but riding faster?

Or should I not worry about it and just keep doing what I'm doing?

Roy, even now at 5'10" and 200 lbs. you're considered heavy on the bike. Hey, I used to be there. I weighed 222 lbs. at 5'11" and now am down to 178 lbs..all lost in the last 3 yrs. My goal is 172 lbs. by July. Remember, your average speed takes into consideration the hills you climb which I'm guessing you're climbing at 8-9mph max at 200 lbs. To get an average of 17 mph you better be going down them at 30+ mph...if you're not, that's why your average is so low. Also, keep in mind that when some say they're averaging 17 mph..they're usually in a group ride paceline averaging 24 mph on the flats. I just got done a 76 mile ride last weekend where we averaged 17 mph on a hilly course (3500 ft.+ total climb). The reason it was 17 mph is because I was averaging 30+ mph going down the hills and averaging 24 mph on the flats in a paceline. Out of the paceline I was averaging 16-17 mph on the flats. The hills were steep and long..some I was only going 7 mph up.

Totally depends on what your goals are. If weight loss/ health is your goal then you are doing great!

Don't worry about speed or mileage.

One guy at work tells me all the time how many miles he rides and how fast he is, and it is usually more than what I am doing. But, he rides only flat roads, and only when the wind is not blowing. I am getting more work this year riding hills 60- 70% of the time, yeah my mileage and ave speed aren't great, but I am waaayyyy stronger than last year.

If racing is your goal, then here is something to consider. I did a flat 30 mile solo ride Tuesday. I was pushing pretty good, but not anaerobic. I averaged 22 mph for the 30 miles. Two days earlier I was in a Cat 4/5 race (first race ever) and placed 37/50!

BTW- the other guy at work rode the same course the same day and averaged 16.5 mph.😄

buckhorn said:

Totally depends on what your goals are. If weight loss/ health is your goal then you are doing great!

Don't worry about speed or mileage.

One guy at work tells me all the time how many miles he rides and how fast he is, and it is usually more than what I am doing. But, he rides only flat roads, and only when the wind is not blowing. I am getting more work this year riding hills 60- 70% of the time, yeah my mileage and ave speed aren't great, but I am waaayyyy stronger than last year.

If racing is your goal, then here is something to consider. I did a flat 30 mile solo ride Tuesday. I was pushing pretty good, but not anaerobic. I averaged 22 mph for the 30 miles. Two days earlier I was in a Cat 4/5 race (first race ever) and placed 37/50!

BTW- the other guy at work rode the same course the same day and averaged 16.5 mph.😄

Oh, I agree..but it didn't sound like his goal was weight loss/health. Sounded to me like he wants to go faster and average a higher speed now that he shed some weight. If weight loss/health is his ONLY goal..stick in the L2-L3 Zones and ride for hours burning fat...regardlesss of speed. If you want to average a higher speed shed some weight which will make you faster uphill and increase your overall average speed. Worked for me.🙂

I guess I don't know what my goal is...exactly. Weight loss for sure....but I wouldn't mind being a better, faster rider. Thanks for all of the great advice

Roy Keane said:

I guess I don't know what my goal is...exactly. Weight loss for sure....but I wouldn't mind being a better, faster rider. Thanks for all of the great advice

Roy..that's a good goal..and you're doing well...keep it going. That was my initial goal too when I was 200+ lbs. As you drop weight and your performance increases it's natural to want to go faster and be stronger..doesn't everyone?🙂

mullerrj said:

Roy..that's a good goal..and you're doing well...keep it going. That was my initial goal too when I was 200+ lbs. As you drop weight and your performance increases it's natural to want to go faster and be stronger..doesn't everyone?🙂

I'm too easily influenced/discouraged by what other people are doing....I used to be the same way at the gym - I was always looking at how much weight people were lifting, versus what I was lifting.

I need to shut all that off and pedal

Roy Keane said:

I'm too easily influenced/discouraged by what other people are doing....I used to be the same way at the gym - I was always looking at how much weight people were lifting, versus what I was lifting.

I need to shut all that off and pedal

Roy, we use other people as "measuring sticks" (for our own performance) which is only natural..and you're right..you can't get caught up in that because you don't know how these other people train, what they eat, how they rest, etc. Good luck and keep it going.

Roy - you didn't say whether you ride a road bike or mountain bike, because there's a big difference in their speed.

Then your ride might be hilly too making you slow.

mullerrj said:

Oh, I agree..but it didn't sound like his goal was weight loss/health. Sounded to me like he wants to go faster and average a higher speed now that he shed some weight. If weight loss/health is his ONLY goal..stick in the L2-L3 Zones and ride for hours burning fat...regardlesss of speed. If you want to average a higher speed shed some weight which will make you faster uphill and increase your overall average speed. Worked for me.🙂

Can someone tell me what the L1-L? are? Are these levels?, Speeds?
Thanks

L1= Recovery ride deliberately slow pace
L2= Endurance natural pace without thinking about it
L3= Tempo 3 hour pace always pushing requires concentration to stay above endurance pace
L4= Threshold From 91% to 105% of your one hour power/FTP (Functional Threshold Power)
L5= VO2 Max 5 to 8 minute pace (Barf pace)
L6= Anaerobic capacity about 1 minute pace
L7= Neuromuscular Power/sprint 5 seconds to about 15 seconds

You should buy the book amazon.com002 8928996 6296864Open ↗

9202 said:

Can someone tell me what the L1-L? are? Are these levels?, Speeds?
Thanks