My average speed

"lenny" aksed about average speed.

Quoted message said:

I am goiing on rides of say around 50 to 80 km.
They are fairly flat with just a few rolling hills thrown in.
When I get back, my trusty speedo spits out my stats.
Most of the time I am doing 25kmh by my speedo, thats overall average after
the ride.

Is this moderate average speed, or do granny's go this fast.
I know in a group ride you get pushed up a bit with slipstream and stuff,
but on my own is the question I ask.
I feel at 25kmh overall average, I am going for it, sometimes hitting 40k's
an hour for short bursts.

Is this ok, or should I crank it up a bit.

Len

If you feel like you're going for it it's probably fast enough. If you want to keep up with Lance you'll need to come close to
doubling your speed.

Parbs - who averaged 20.7km/hr for 46km today (SS Mt Bike with very easy gear)

lenny said:

I have embarked on a fittnes program to lose some weight.
I have a good road bike, and also I am on a diet.
My question is about average speed.
I am goiing on rides of say around 50 to 80 km.
They are fairly flat with just a few rolling hills thrown in.
When I get back, my trusty speedo spits out my stats.
Most of the time I am doing 25kmh by my speedo, thats overall average after
the ride.

Is this moderate average speed, or do granny's go this fast.
I know in a group ride you get pushed up a bit with slipstream and stuff,
but on my own is the question I ask.
I feel at 25kmh overall average, I am going for it, sometimes hitting 40k's
an hour for short bursts.

Is this ok, or should I crank it up a bit.

Len

For what you are doing, its really about how you are working your body. You might like to get yourself a Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) then you will know what your body is doing (you will 'know' anyway by feel, but an HRM gives you some numbers to play with and will let you chart heartrate against av speed etc over time so you will see yourself getting fitter)

Generally, to lose weight you set lower target heart rate zones, while to gain cardio fitness you set higher target heart rate zones. Most HRMs will let you know when you are under, over, or right on your target zone.

And keep riding

SteveA

lenny said:

I have embarked on a fittnes program to lose some weight.
I have a good road bike, and also I am on a diet.
My question is about average speed.
I am goiing on rides of say around 50 to 80 km.
They are fairly flat with just a few rolling hills thrown in.
When I get back, my trusty speedo spits out my stats.
Most of the time I am doing 25kmh by my speedo, thats overall average after
the ride.

Is this moderate average speed, or do granny's go this fast.
I know in a group ride you get pushed up a bit with slipstream and stuff,
but on my own is the question I ask.
I feel at 25kmh overall average, I am going for it, sometimes hitting 40k's
an hour for short bursts.

Is this ok, or should I crank it up a bit.

Len

Len,

If you feel like you are going for it, then 25km/h average speed is
fine, especially over 50-80km. You will probably find, like I did, that
if you keep up with the riding, as the weight comes off, and your
fitness and strength goes up, your speed will increase.

It's probably best not to overdo it, especially when you are starting
out. Maybe try keeping track of your distances, speeds, etc to see how
you are progressing. I did this when I started commuting and my first
month I averaged <25km/h, but after 3 months my average speed for the
month went up to over 31km/h.

Your body will tell you if you are going too hard. You are better off
building slowly at a level you can sustain than going too hard and
giving up.

Well done and keep it up.

--
Brett

lenny said:

I have embarked on a fittnes program to lose some weight.
I have a good road bike, and also I am on a diet.
My question is about average speed.
I am goiing on rides of say around 50 to 80 km.
They are fairly flat with just a few rolling hills thrown in.
When I get back, my trusty speedo spits out my stats.
Most of the time I am doing 25kmh by my speedo, thats overall average after
the ride.

Is this moderate average speed, or do granny's go this fast.
I know in a group ride you get pushed up a bit with slipstream and stuff,
but on my own is the question I ask.
I feel at 25kmh overall average, I am going for it, sometimes hitting 40k's
an hour for short bursts.

Is this ok, or should I crank it up a bit.

Len

Your body is the best judge. If you simply crank up the speed a bit and
your body's not ready for it you'll most likely "bonk" or "hit the wall"
.. If you can handle a faster speed, then by all means go for it. Keep a
record of times taken for each circuit you do, and after a few months
you'll notice your speed creeping up. Another good incentive is to
promise yourself some sort of component upgrade when you reach a
particular target. That way you get faster from being fitter and faster
by having lighter/aero parts.

Marty

"lenny" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have embarked on a fittnes program to lose some weight.
I have a good road bike, and also I am on a diet.
My question is about average speed.
I am goiing on rides of say around 50 to 80 km.
They are fairly flat with just a few rolling hills thrown in.
When I get back, my trusty speedo spits out my stats.
Most of the time I am doing 25kmh by my speedo, thats overall average after
the ride.

Is this moderate average speed, or do granny's go this fast.
I know in a group ride you get pushed up a bit with slipstream and stuff,
but on my own is the question I ask.
I feel at 25kmh overall average, I am going for it, sometimes hitting 40k's
an hour for short bursts.

Is this ok, or should I crank it up a bit.

Len

First of all goodonya for doing the bike thing.

I agree about the heart rate monitor. I find that at times I feel like
I pushing myself but the HRM tells me different. It motivates me to
crank it up a bit.

Another factor that can affect your average speed is the number of
"fiddly bits" on your ride. By this I mean things like starting and
stopping at lights, dodging traffic, riding on congested bike paths
etc which can reduce your average speed much more than bursts of
40km/h can raise it. (Well that's my excuse anyway!!)

lenny said:

I have embarked on a fittnes program to lose some weight.
I have a good road bike, and also I am on a diet.
My question is about average speed.
I am goiing on rides of say around 50 to 80 km.
They are fairly flat with just a few rolling hills thrown in.
When I get back, my trusty speedo spits out my stats.
Most of the time I am doing 25kmh by my speedo, thats overall average after
the ride.

Is this moderate average speed, or do granny's go this fast.
I know in a group ride you get pushed up a bit with slipstream and stuff,
but on my own is the question I ask.
I feel at 25kmh overall average, I am going for it, sometimes hitting 40k's
an hour for short bursts.

Is this ok, or should I crank it up a bit.

Len

I reckon it's pretty fast considering u've just started.
But then, speed is relative or so they say....

Like the others here say, it's not the speed but the
effort u put in.