Give me the truth!I can take it!

[Fujiman]

I ride by myself and have a couple different routes I ride and time myself on, last night I warmed up on my 4.5 mile route and rode it in about 14min 35sec.
I rested a little then rode my 3.5 mile route in 10min 30sec.

How slow is that for a 47 year old who has just been riding again for the last 4 months, I don't really train I just ride and try to push myself a little harder than I think I can go, I really don't want to spend the money on a power meter but I tought about a HRM, would that help to start training with one.

Am I slow? Or as I hope, average?

Thanks

 

[strader]

Speed is all relative.

 

[jsirabella]

Maybe you should simply think in terms of yourself...do you think it is fast? do you think it is the best you can do?

There will always be someone faster, fitter no matter how long and how good you get...the only thing that matters is "are you getting fitter, faster and better".

Now ofcourse how to measure and build a plan for improvement is what the powermeter is all about....

I would think if you are on this board and asking this question, you may want to consider it as most casual riders just out for a ride would not be here asking this question, just IMHO.

-Js

I ride by myself and have a couple different routes I ride and time myself on, last night I warmed up on my 4.5 mile route and rode it in about 14min 35sec.
I rested a little then rode my 3.5 mile route in 10min 30sec.

How slow is that for a 47 year old who has just been riding again for the last 4 months, I don't really train I just ride and try to push myself a little harder than I think I can go, I really don't want to spend the money on a power meter but I tought about a HRM, would that help to start training with one.

Am I slow? Or as I hope, average?

Thanks

 

[Sillyoldtwit]

I don't really train I just ride and try to push myself a little harder than I think I can go,
Thanks

Note the name of this forum. "Tyson Itrain". A little older than 47.

 

[slyjackson]

I ride by myself and have a couple different routes I ride and time myself on, last night I warmed up on my 4.5 mile route and rode it in about 14min 35sec.
I rested a little then rode my 3.5 mile route in 10min 30sec.

How slow is that for a 47 year old who has just been riding again for the last 4 months, I don't really train I just ride and try to push myself a little harder than I think I can go, I really don't want to spend the money on a power meter but I tought about a HRM, would that help to start training with one.

Am I slow? Or as I hope, average?

Thanks

Post some times where you ride 15-20 miles. 3-4 miles is just simply put, not enough miles to make a statement on how fast you are. 3.5 miles is not even far enough to get your heart rate to optimal...

 

[Fujiman]

Post some times where you ride 15-20 miles. 3-4 miles is just simply put, not enough miles to make a statement on how fast you are. 3.5 miles is not even far enough to get your heart rate to optimal...

2 weekends ago I rode 34 miles in 1 hour and somewhere like 52 or 53 min which if I remember right I averaged around 18.5 mph.

 

[slyjackson]

2 weekends ago I rode 34 miles in 1 hour and somewhere like 52 or 53 min which if I remember right I averaged around 18.5 mph.

If you averaged 18.5 MPH in 34 miles I will say that you are a fast rider as well as strong even if the route was flat. It takes a certain level of physical and mental shape to get those numbers at that distance and most people who do are fast...

 

[Ade Merckx]

2 weekends ago I rode 34 miles in 1 hour and somewhere like 52 or 53 min which if I remember right I averaged around 18.5 mph.

Wow that sentence was hard work. I thought you had your maths all wrong

 

[slyjackson]

Wow that sentence was hard work. I thought you had your maths all wrong

I'm not sure about his time,but I do ride a lot of 35 and 42 milers. If Fujiman can do 34 miles and average 18.5mph, he's a lot faster and stronger than me. My best was 17.6 on the 35 miler and 16.8 on the 42 miler, but I have a few good hills to climb.Three to be exact on each route....

 

[Mr. Bill]

The terrain you're riding over is a large factor in determining what those numbers mean. Myself, a non-racing (as of yet, anyway) 51 year old guy, having been a rider for some twenty years but now on my first real road bike, can average 18 to 19 mph, riding solo, over 30 to 40 mile routes. But that's in very hilly New England terrain - if I can manage to stay on the flats, which is very hard to do around here, I can average 23 mph. To put this in better perspective: a guy I know who races Cat 2 did a 100 mile charity ride this summer, along some of the same routes that I regularly ride, and he averaged 25 mph. He was riding in a pace-line, though, which makes a difference. But still, compared to either of us, a Cat 2 racer is pretty near a god - comparing ourselves to riders like that is pointless. My honest assessment: neither of us is currently race material, but relative to the average recreational cyclist, and adjusting for our ages, we don't suck.

 

[slyjackson]

The terrain you're riding over is a large factor in determining what those numbers mean. Myself, a non-racing (as of yet, anyway) 51 year old guy, having been a rider for some twenty years but now on my first real road bike, can average 18 to 19 mph, riding solo, over 30 to 40 mile routes. But that's in very hilly New England terrain - if I can manage to stay on the flats, which is very hard to do around here, I can average 23 mph. To put this in better perspective: a guy I know who races Cat 2 did a 100 mile charity ride this summer, along some of the same routes that I regularly ride, and he averaged 25 mph. He was riding in a pace-line, though, which makes a difference. But still, compared to either of us, a Cat 2 racer is pretty near a god - comparing ourselves to riders like that is pointless. My honest assessment: neither of us is currently race material, but relative to the average recreational cyclist, and adjusting for our ages, we don't suck.

I agree ... I'm in my 50's as well and I'm determined to get faster . I know that at present I'm not the fastest guy out there in my bike club, but I'm working on it !!

There is a guy in my club that rides "A/AA" and he's in his sixties. This guy rides all day at 22-24 + mph. He will finish a 45 mile ride with 20-21 mph average on his computer. I've seen it displayed on his computer too many times. I don't think hills slow him down one bit. He just zooms up a hill and disapears into the sunset. I don't think he even shifts a gear to climb. I can't tell since I can't keep up with him to see. This guy is truly Unbelievable .....

 

[Alex Simmons]

Post some times where you ride 15-20 miles. 3-4 miles is just simply put, not enough miles to make a statement on how fast you are. 3.5 miles is not even far enough to get your heart rate to optimal...

Wanna bet (on the distance to determine how fast you are)? You've obviously never ridden an individual pursuit.

 

[slyjackson]

Wanna bet (on the distance to determine how fast you are)? You've obviously never ridden an individual pursuit.

True because most are trying to catch me....