My MTB Is Too Slow

[Hippy]

"Just Me" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:BC5FAFE7.B9E9%[email protected]...
> "Crusing speed" to me means a speed at which you can comfortably
travel for
> a reasonable distance, say 10km (to pluck a figure from the sky). My
riding
> is done around the city, so I have no idea what my cruising speed
would be
> if I was on a long-distance ride (e.g. 100km). No doubt it would be
lower
> than what I average on short hops around town.

How often can you sustain 40kph around the city though? Do you stop at lights, dodge cars, dodge
peds, stop for trams, etc? My commute is in traffic but the roads are straight and there are a few
hills, but my avg. speed never got anywhere near 40kph. Maybe if I took the fastest 10k section I
could get to a 40kph average speed, but that's almost half the ride so it's unlikely.

> You do realise that the "average" speed for the TdF includes a whole
load of
> hill climbing? If you want a better comparison of a pro rider's
cruising
> speed, then consider that David Millar's average speed in winning the
Stage
> 19 TT in last year's TdF was approx 54.4km/h over a route that was essentially flat.

Best riders in the world on totally aero TT bikes, with all manner of coaching, training, natural
ability and chemical enhancements behind them. That's a little bit different from your average
aus.bicycle poster (I'm guessing) who is riding around the city on an mtb. I don't claim to be
super fast, but I seem to pass an awful lot of people when I ride and you are putting my speeds to
shame! ;-)

hippy

 

[Just Me]

> From: "hippy" <[email protected]>
> Subject: Re: My MTB Is Too Slow
>
> "Just Me" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:BC5FAFE7.B9E9%[email protected]...
>> "Crusing speed" to me means a speed at which you can comfortably
> travel for
>> a reasonable distance, say 10km (to pluck a figure from the sky). My
> riding
>> is done around the city, so I have no idea what my cruising speed
> would be
>> if I was on a long-distance ride (e.g. 100km). No doubt it would be
> lower
>> than what I average on short hops around town.
>
> How often can you sustain 40kph around the city though? Do you stop at lights, dodge cars, dodge
> peds, stop for trams, etc? My commute is in traffic but the roads are straight and there are a few
> hills, but my avg. speed never got anywhere near 40kph. Maybe if I took the fastest 10k section I
> could get to a 40kph average speed, but that's almost half the ride so it's unlikely.

You're confusing average speed with cruising speed, when they are totally different things

Average speed = Distance/Time. Cruising speed = a rider's sustainable top speed.

BTW, if you read my post again, you'll see that I never claimed to cruise at 40km/h all the time...
the instance quoted with a 40km/h speed was with a tail wind, which I happily confessed in my post.
In the same post I said that normally I cruise at about 35km/h. I recently callibrated my computer
over a known distance of 5km, and it was only a hundred metres off (i.e. 2% margin of error).

>> You do realise that the "average" speed for the TdF includes a whole
> load of
>> hill climbing? If you want a better comparison of a pro rider's
> cruising
>> speed, then consider that David Millar's average speed in winning the
> Stage
>> 19 TT in last year's TdF was approx 54.4km/h over a route that was essentially flat.
>
> Best riders in the world on totally aero TT bikes, with all manner of coaching, training, natural
> ability and chemical enhancements behind them. That's a little bit different from your average
> aus.bicycle poster (I'm guessing) who is riding around the city on an mtb.

My cruising speed of 35km/h vs David Millar's at 54km/h seems like a pretty big differential to me.
To give another perspective, there was the time before Xmas last year when I was passed by Robbie
McEwen who was on a training ride in inner Melbourne (he was wearing his Aust champion/Lotto Domo
jersey, which is how I knew it was him). I kept up with him for less than 1km (with my speedo
reading... yes... 35km/h), before he obviously decided that he was going to get serious. When he put
the foot down he blew me off so quickly that it was laughable. In the space of 15 seconds or so he
put about 100m distance between us. It just shows how much better those guys (& their equipment) are
than mere mortals like us.

> I don't claim to be super fast, but I seem to pass an awful lot of people when I ride and you are
> putting my speeds to shame! ;-)
>
> hippy

Maybe I should take up racing then

 

[Hippy]

"Just Me" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:BC5FBBCB.B9ED%[email protected]...
> You're confusing average speed with cruising speed, when they are
totally
> different things

Ahh not this again... I did the same thing to amirm!

> Average speed = Distance/Time. Cruising speed = a rider's sustainable top speed.

Okay, even though I picture "cruising" as someone idling along, looking at the scenery.. nothing
near max It's still a vague definition - "sustainable over what distance?" makes it quite
variable.. i.e. your 100k reference

> BTW, if you read my post again, you'll see that I never claimed to
cruise at
> 40km/h all the time... the instance quoted with a 40km/h speed was
with a
> tail wind, which I happily confessed in my post. In the same post I
said
> that normally I cruise at about 35km/h. I recently callibrated my
computer
> over a known distance of 5km, and it was only a hundred metres off
(i.e. 2%
> margin of error).

I just don't see many oppurtunities for doing 40kph for more than a block in the city. I've got to
get back to work on the "Make Traffic Lights Go Green Now" machine for my commutes and see what
times I can get ;-)

> before Xmas last year when I was passed by Robbie McEwen who was on a training ride in inner
> Melbourne (he was wearing his Aust
champion/Lotto
> Domo jersey, which is how I knew it was him). I kept up with him for
less
> than 1km (with my speedo reading... yes... 35km/h), before he
obviously
> decided that he was going to get serious. When he put the foot down he
blew
> me off so quickly that it was laughable. In the space of 15 seconds or
so he
> put about 100m distance between us. It just shows how much better
those guys
> (& their equipment) are than mere mortals like us.

That's cool! I'd love to race Robbie! Even if it was for only 15secs!


> > I don't claim to be super fast, but I seem to pass an awful lot of people when I ride and you
> > are putting my speeds to shame! ;-)
>
> Maybe I should take up racing then

I think you should! Glenvale 9am Sundays, METEC 6pm Thurs, Sandown ?pm Tues, Yarra Boulevarde
?pm Wed and Fri?

hippy

 

[Hitchy]

G'day,

that's it MTB 'ers cruising at 40kph!....now i know what I've been doing wrong all these years...wasting my money on lightweight high end road components!!!!....thankfully you blokes have helped me see the error of my ways before I 'blew' anymore cash in the pursuit of speed. I'm going home & put the 'roadie' out for the hard rubish collection tomorrow....& getting me an MTB!......BTW, I've emailed this thread to Lance....looking forward to seeing his MTB rig at this years TDF,

cheers,

Hitchy

 

[cfsmtb]

Hey, don't let them get to you. There's help at hand for speed addicts, such as yourself. Buy a fully fared recumbent.

 

[Richard Sherrat]

On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 04:18:38 GMT, "hippy"
<[email protected]> wrote:

<snip>

>That's cool! I'd love to race Robbie! Even if it was for only 15secs!
>

Don't bother trying to draught behind him. He's not exactly a big guy


BTW, there are guys racing at Glenvale who have beaten him.

--
Regards. Richard.

 

[Stu]

>I'm going home & put the 'roadie' out for the hard rubish collection tomorrow
About time you saw the light. Dont let that slow old roadie stay in your house another day. Tell you
what, l'll come and pick it up, just so you arent tempted to ride it again. nice aren't I? stu

 

[Rocket Man]

Hey,

Why not try plastic surgery. Leg transplants do wonders ya know. Longer legs
= faster revolutions!!

If that doesn't work just buy a rocket pack!

By now!!

"Mark_Pringle" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> My MTB is too slow, on flat ground with no wind, in high gear, I can pedal like a madman, and all
> I can get is around 42 kmh.
>
> I know a road bike is the way to go if you want speed, however I love a
MTB
> for its many uses, and seating position. Is there anyway I can go faster without taking roids.
>
> Can I get a bigger crank, or should I just be happy with cruising at
around
> 35 kph ?

 

[NickZX6R]

Andrew Swan <[email protected]> wrote:
> NickZX6R wrote:
>> hippy <[email protected]> wrote: <SNIP>
>>
>>>On another note Mark.. where is it flat with no wind? Take me to this paradise, I beg of you!
>>
>>
>>>hippy
>>
>>
>>
>> Flat with no wind = paradise???
>>
>> What would be the point?

> Downhill + tailwind = paradise!

> &roo

But what a hollow unfulfilling exercise. Enjoying the spoils of descending without the pain
of climbing?

You're a very strange man.



--
Nick

 

[Drs]

hippy <[email protected]> wrote in message LGd_b.71919$Wa.26980@news-
server.bigpond.net.au
> "John Retchford" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news%[email protected]...
>> This sort of thread usually produces the "there I was cruising past Lance Armstrong, Stuart
>> O'Grady et al" response. The winner of the Tour de France usually averages about 41 km/h and
>> these people are physiological freaks. Just what is this "cruising"?
>
> hehe dudes cracking 70kph on hybrids (must be big hills) and "cruising" at 40kph... I wish it felt
> so easy when I ride at 40kph!

Check out this ****** over at aus.cars (my comments first, then his response):

> Road bikes are faster, and a fit rider could hit 50kph on the flat but only the very best could
> hope to stay at that level for any length of time. Look at the average speeds for most regular
> roadf bike training runs down Beach Rd (35-40kph), one of the flattest and most popular training
> roads in the country.

Get real. I was unfit at the time and managed 40 to 50 on the flat with a 12-speed Malvern Star
made from heavy steel, running shitty tyres, and carrying 20kg or books and paraphenalia. Hardly
breaking a sweat.

( Bernd Felsche <[email protected]> wrote in message
[email protected] )

--

"The central problem with the concept of the 'Axis of Evil' is that it involves an assumption that
the US is the 'fulcrum of virtue'." Bob Hawke

 

[John Retchford]

Originally posted by Drs
Get real. I was unfit at the time and managed 40 to 50 on the flat with a 12-speed Malvern Star
made from heavy steel, running ****ty tyres, and carrying 20kg or books and paraphenalia. Hardly
breaking a sweat.

I am very real and this does not always sit well on forums like this, where some contributors are prone to exaggeration.

The major retarding force on a bicyclist is due to aerodynamic drag. Aerodynamic drag increases as the square of the speed and hence the power requirement increases as the cube of speed, because power is the rate of doing work. So there is a big difference in power required to reach 50 km/h compared with 40 km/h.

I estimate that 400 watts is required in your case to reach 40 km/h and 700 for 50. Many good triathletes can produce 400 watts for a reasonable period of time, but they are fit, near to their limit, have good tyres, don't carry books (time trial instruction manuals perhaps?) and certainly sweat a lot. They are not "cruising". None of these people can produce 700 watts for more than a very short time.

Please buy some new tyres, leave your books at home and cruise some more. Let this group and the AIS know how you get on.

John Retchford

 

[Hippy]

"Hitchy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> that's it MTB 'ers cruising at 40kph!....now i know what I've been
doing
> wrong all these years...wasting my money on lightweight high end road components!!!!....thankfully
> you blokes have helped me see the error
of
> my ways before I 'blew' anymore cash in the pursuit of speed. I'm
going
> home & put the 'roadie' out for the hard rubish collection
tomorrow....&
> getting me an MTB!......BTW, I've emailed this thread to Lance....looking forward to seeing his
> MTB rig at this years TDF,

Where's you rubbish collection happening.. I want to help out the garbo's - lighten their load a
little bit ;-)

hippy

 

[Hippy]

"DRS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Check out this ****** over at aus.cars (my comments first, then his response):
>
> > Road bikes are faster, and a fit rider could hit 50kph on the flat but only the very best could
> > hope to stay at that level for any length of time. Look at the average speeds for most regular
> > roadf bike training runs down Beach Rd (35-40kph), one of the flattest and most popular training
> > roads in the country.
>
> Get real. I was unfit at the time and managed 40 to 50 on the flat with a 12-speed Malvern Star
> made from heavy steel, running shitty tyres, and carrying 20kg or books and paraphenalia. Hardly
> breaking a sweat.

He must be talking 40-50 metres an hour? How did this get to aus.cars anyway!?

hippy

 

[Hippy]

"Richard Sherratt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> Don't bother trying to draught behind him. He's not exactly a big guy

Yeah, I got nice and close with my camera after the final Bay Series crit this year.

> BTW, there are guys racing at Glenvale who have beaten him.

A-graders though, right? I'm only in C. Many conditions could work against him - he's not a jack-of-all-
trades. I could beat him too, perhaps, if he'd just finished a 250k late-stage of the tour, with a
sprint and I was fresh.. maybe.. ;-)

hippy

 

[Stu]

>>>
>>> hehe dudes cracking 70kph on hybrids (must be big hills) and "cruising" at 40kph... I wish it
>>> felt so easy when I ride at 40kph!

>>Check out this ****** over at aus.cars (my comments first, then his response

> He must be talking 40-50 metres an hour? How did this get to aus.cars anyway!?

I dont think this thread did. Maybe he is talking about the thread "Re: It was bound to happen"
starting on 9/02/2004, but be warned its longgggggg. I havent got down to DRS's posts yet and I cant
find a post by you, john retchford or Mark_Pringle So I am not sure which "******" he is talking
about lol stu
p.s. maybe if you got some more gears you could go faster hippy lol

 

[Richard Sherrat]

On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 01:36:34 GMT, "hippy"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>"Richard Sherratt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> Don't bother trying to draught behind him. He's not exactly a big guy
>
>Yeah, I got nice and close with my camera after the final Bay Series crit this year.

I didn't go this year. Injured and unable to stand up for extended periods. I went to Buninyong for
the mens' RR though. Well worth it. A great day out.

When you watch them on TV you don't really appreciate how skinny they are.

>> BTW, there are guys racing at Glenvale who have beaten him.
>
>A-graders though, right?

Yeah. Hilton Clarke and Robert Tighello for two.

>I'm only in C. Many conditions could work against him - he's not a jack-of-all-trades.

Hilton Clarke beat him (and all the other pros who were there) in a race he really wanted to win
(big prize money). The Launceston Crit in 2002. Will Walker beat him in one of the Bay Series crits
last year. It depends who's the best on the day (and a lot of other things).

>I could beat him too, perhaps, if he'd just finished a 250k late-stage of the tour, with a sprint
>and I was fresh.. maybe.. ;-)

Make sure it's a downhill finish. Gravity works

--
Regards. Richard.

 

[Drs]

John Retchford <[email protected]> wrote in message
%[email protected]
> Drs wrote:
> > Get real. I was unfit at the time and managed 40 to 50 on the
> flat with > a 12-speed Malvern Star made from heavy steel, running ****ty tyres, and > carrying
> 20kg or books and paraphenalia. Hardly breaking a sweat.
>
>
>
> I am very real and this does not always sit well on forums like this, where some contributors are
> prone to exaggeration.
>
> The major retarding force on a bicyclist is due to aerodynamic drag. Aerodynamic drag increases as
> the square of the speed and hence the power requirement increases as the cube of speed, because
> power is the rate of doing work. So there is a big difference in power required to reach 50 km/h
> compared with 40 km/h.
>
> I estimate that 400 watts is required in your case to reach 40 km/h and 700 for 50. Many good
> triathletes can produce 400 watts for a reasonable period of time, but they are fit, near to their
> limit, have good tyres, don't carry books (time trial instruction manuals perhaps?) and certainly
> sweat a lot. They are not "cruising". None of these people can produce 700 watts for more than a
> very short time.
>
> Please buy some new tyres, leave your books at home and cruise some more. Let this group and the
> AIS know how you get on.

First, how about you getting the attributions correct. I never made any such claim, I was quoting
someone else's response to what I wrote and you've removed the context I provided. He's the ******
in need of a reality check, not me, and as far as I know he's not even reading this group. And
there's no need for you to edit "shitty".

--

"The central problem with the concept of the 'Axis of Evil' is that it involves an assumption that
the US is the 'fulcrum of virtue'." Bob Hawke

 

[Drs]

stu <[email protected]> wrote in message [email protected]
>>>> hehe dudes cracking 70kph on hybrids (must be big hills) and "cruising" at 40kph... I wish it
>>>> felt so easy when I ride at 40kph!
>
>>> Check out this ****** over at aus.cars (my comments first, then his response
>
>> He must be talking 40-50 metres an hour? How did this get to aus.cars anyway!?

The "It was bound to happen" thread actually started in aus.cars and part of it got cross-posted
here but that sub-thread died a natural death. It's still going strong in aus.cars, even though I've
conclusively proved that there is no direct link between rego and road funding, that road funding
comes from consolidated revenue and that therefore cyclists do contribute to roads by virtue of
paying the same taxes as everybody else. A couple of diehard wankers, including the idiot I quoted
to show you lot what a joke he is, are now trying to claim the cyclists are freeloaders because
twelve year olds aren't made to get licences to ride their unregistered bikes on the road.

> I dont think this thread did. Maybe he is talking about the thread "Re: It was bound to happen"
> starting on 9/02/2004, but be warned its longgggggg. I havent got down to DRS's posts yet and I
> cant find a post by you, john retchford or Mark_Pringle So I am not sure which "******" he is
> talking about lol

I gave his nic and the message-id. What else do you need? Here it is again:

( Bernd Felsche <[email protected]> wrote in message
[email protected] )

--

"The central problem with the concept of the 'Axis of Evil' is that it involves an assumption that
the US is the 'fulcrum of virtue'." Bob Hawke

 

[John Retchford]

Originally posted by Drs

First, how about you getting the attributions correct. I never made any such claim, I was quoting
someone else's response to what I wrote and you've removed the context I provided. He's the ******
in need of a reality check, not me, and as far as I know he's not even reading this group. And
there's no need for you to edit "****ty".

1. If you did not write the quoted material, I apologise. My news reader attributes it to you. Perhaps your quoting of others was too subtle for me!

2. I did not edit your good Saxon word. That was done by Cycling Forums, through which I posted. When I look at your post with Google Groups your word is intact, but not when I look with Cycling Forums, who must feel that such basic functions are not fit for my eyes and my unedited reply not fit for yours. You will probably find it altered again in this reply.

I gather now that we were both mocking the same original exaggerator.

Cheers,

John Retchford

 

[Stu]

ohhhhhhhhhh I see now. Some more >>>>> would have made it clear what you were saying and what you
were quoting. Hands up who else got it ass about and backwards??? lol Still its sorted now, I will
go back to reading "It was bound to happen". Makes for "interesting" reading. stu