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Cycling Average Speed

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  • October 20, 2016 at 4:19 pm #26420
    Jayden

    Only wondering what people’s average was when they first started compared with now.
    My first average was between a distance of seven and eight miles at a speed of eight miles an hour.
    My own average now after 3 months is a distance of 20-25 kilometers at an average rate of 15/16 MPH with a top speed of 30 MPH.

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  • October 22, 2016 at 2:49 pm #880715
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    Danno

    OP that’s good progress. I

    OP that’s good progress. I started in the spring and first ride was 14.5 mph over 12 miles on a flat course. Now regularly ride over 20mph when in a group over 30 miles rolling course and can average 19 over a century on similar terrain solo.

    Think the level of improvement depends on your starting base and the frequency/determination with which you ride. Having a goal certainly helps. Mine was to be able to ride a century by the end of the summer. My first was a flat course at steady 15mph to make sure I made it. Once you know the endurance is there you feel more able to press on.

    My plan for winter motivation is riding Velothon Wales next year. I want to climb the tumble in around 23 minutes.

    October 22, 2016 at 1:20 pm #880713
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    Griff500

    As others have said, speed

    As others have said, speed comparison alone doesn’t meam much. Those living in a hilly and/or windy area will generally have a lower average. As you are asking about improvement over time however, I guess the question is still valid.

    I am 58, and have been cycling on a “proper” road bike for about 2 years now.  My first rides were 12 miles at an average of about 12mph. 3 months in I was doing 20 miles at 15mph. At the end of year one, a typical ride was 30 miles with 1500ft total climb at 16mph average. Now I’ll do that sort of ride at around 17.5mph, and at my age I don’t expect to get much faster. Endurance has improved a lot, and 80 miles with 4500ft of climb is doable at somewhere between 16 and 17mph.

    Despite the python’s “strava w…” comment, if you are on Strava, it does form a good way of comparing your speed with others on the same routes you ride, and measuring your own improvement. Just don’t get too hung up on the KoM thing – on one local 1.4 mile segment, the guy who holds KoM did it on a 4 mile total ride, with a tailwind, so it means SFA. But if you are cycling to improve or maintain your fitness, it useful to have some way to measure progress.

    Incidentally, I noticed my times dropping over the past couple of weeks, which just happens to coincide with ambient temperatures falling by about 10degC, so I did a bit of research. Increased air density, increased tyre rolling resistance, and the impact of wind chill on the body all conspire to slow us down at this time of year.

    October 21, 2016 at 7:15 pm #880711
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    willythepimp

    I try not to get bogged down

    I try not to get bogged down in averages, everywhere I point my bike is a hill in Cornwall. Having said that, 50 miles 4000ft climbing on my own I can knock out at 19-20mph. Our local tt is a sporting 10 I have only done it once and that was 24.24 on a road bike. I have raced one 25 TTT that averaged over 27mph, again on a road bike but I was mostly making up the numbers in that one!

    October 21, 2016 at 2:17 pm #880709
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    le Bidon

    2.5 years ago I was doing

    2.5 years ago I was doing maybe 15/16mph on a 30mile ride. Now I can do a 2,000m century in under 4 hours 50 minutes (solo), which is pushing 21mph. Once I get my deep carbon wheels on, that’ll increase to over 21mph I’d imagine.

    If I’m TTing I can push 25mph on a, relatively hilly, 25 mile (not a TT bike, mind you).

    That’s a good gain in 3 months though – just keep pushing yourself harder.

    October 21, 2016 at 1:04 pm #880707
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    kil0ran

    Starting off; about 8-9mph.

    Starting off; about 8-9mph. On my commute usually around 15mph, depending on how much stop/start there is. In a group fairly comfortable bimbling along at around 16-17mph.

    October 21, 2016 at 9:06 am #880705
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    CXR94Di2

    Really depends on terrain and

    Really depends on terrain and type of bike you were riding,  My early speeds if I remember were 13/14mph on a mtb bike, 16/17mph once on a road bike.  I can ride at 20+mph on the flat in a group.  Dont get hung up on averages, train hard and ride as often as you can and speed will rise.  I tend to think  of it differently, like how easy was it to stay in the pack on a club ride.  These days its a little easier, than for the first year or so.

    October 21, 2016 at 6:58 am #880703
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    StraelGuy

    Think I was the same when I

    Think I was the same when I started 3 and a bit years ago. Now when I’m on my own I tend to average between 16.5 and 17 mph over 20 to 30 miles and 18+ mph over 50+ miles when I am motivated by being in a huge group on a charity ride.

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