How fast do you ride?

Not very. I'm 55 and recognize the point where keeping on is more important than passing up. 20 +
years ago I would have felt differently.

I dumped the computer. I get to work as slowly as possible. I stop on the estuary and watch birds
while I drink coffee from my dandy stainless steel vacuum bottle that fits in a bicycle bottle cage.
I circle blocks in China-town listening to boom boxes playing Chinese music while folks do tai chi.
I arrive at work without a lot of sweat. Going home I'm willing to sweat. I'm able to add hills or
coffee stops or shopping or a chat at my favorite LBS on the way home. I feel really good twice a
day in spite of a job I dislike.

"...how others have progressed...." I've progressed to fun.

"Prometheus7" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

17 over 35 miles; it was around 14 when I started. I know it is different for each individual, but
it would be interesting to know how others have progressed in there cycling???

Wed, 27 Aug 2003 22:02:18 -0400, <[email hidden]>, "Prometheus7"

Quoted message said:

I know it is different for each individual, but it would be interesting to know how others have
progressed in there cycling???

I've begun exploring the extra routing options available to bicycles. Like, now there's a park I
regularly cut diagonally as long as I won't be interupting any baseball, rugby, soccer or cricket
games. I used to just go around it like a car. In the rainy season I will refrain from riding on the
grass but before I'd never have even considered riding across a park.

It's not any faster. It's the basic idea, of going where cars can't thereby more fully benefitting
from the bicycle's superiority, that took me a while to grasp.
--
zk

In article <[email hidden]>, "Prometheus7"

Quoted message said:

I hit a milestone, one year of having started riding at age 41. I'm, no doubt, a recreational
cyclist, but I did squeeze in 3000 miles between family and other responsibilities. I'm curious as
to how I'm progressing in my ability. I know average speed depends upon a lot of factors (e.g.,
terrain), but it is relatively flat here with some rollers. I can average 17 over 35 miles; it was
around 14 when I started. I know it is different for each individual, but it would be interesting
to know how others have progressed in there cycling???

I have to agree with "bb" but I do try to keep tabs on my performance just because I like to see
progress. When I started, my average was 15 miles per hour on ten-mile trips. Now I regularly hit
18-20 mph average on my 27-mile round-trip commute. I also find my experience leads me to knowing
what I should do maintenance wise, as well as upgrades. This all makes me a better rider.

I am 52 and have been riding about 4 years. I remember my early rides of about 15 miles averaging
about 14 mph.

Now, in races in the fairly hilly south, I can average about 20.0. In training rides of 20 - 30
miles I usually average around 18.5.

I seem to have hit a plateau though. I am not getting any faster.

"Prometheus7" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I hit a milestone, one year of having started riding at age 41. I'm, no doubt, a recreational
cyclist, but I did squeeze in 3000 miles between family and other responsibilities. I'm curious as
to how I'm progressing

in

Quoted message said:

my ability. I know average speed depends upon a lot of factors (e.g., terrain), but it is
relatively flat here with some rollers. I can average 17 over 35 miles; it was around 14 when I
started. I know it is different for each individual, but it would be interesting to know how
others have progressed in there cycling???

Prometheus7 said:

I hit a milestone, one year of having started riding at age 41. I'm, no doubt, a recreational
cyclist, but I did squeeze in 3000 miles between family and other responsibilities. I'm curious as
to how I'm progressing in my ability. I know average speed depends upon a lot of factors (e.g.,
terrain), but it is relatively flat here with some rollers. I can average 17 over 35 miles; it was
around 14 when I started. I know it is different for each individual, but it would be interesting
to know how others have progressed in there cycling???

Congrats on your 3000 mile year! Just turned 39 and also have a lot of family committments which
affect my cycling schedule. Just this month, started to "get back" to riding 3 days per week. I
don't think I will top 1,500 for the year, but trying.

Ride 3 to 5 days per week based on schedule. Weekday rides average 10 to 15 miles per day with AVS
of 16.5-17.5 MPH depending on traffic. Weekends do 50+ with flat to gently rolling hills with AVS of
17.5 to 18 MPH.

BTW, I will never get back to the days where I was easily 18+ MPH because its all about time
on the bike.

Kerry

"Prometheus7" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I hit a milestone, one year of having started riding at age 41. I'm, no doubt, a recreational
cyclist, but I did squeeze in 3000 miles between family and other responsibilities. I'm curious as
to how I'm progressing

in

Quoted message said:

my ability. I know average speed depends upon a lot of factors (e.g., terrain), but it is
relatively flat here with some rollers. I can average 17 over 35 miles; it was around 14 when I
started. I know it is different for each individual, but it would be interesting to know how
others have progressed in there cycling???

I'm 64. My 100 mile record is 17.5 mph done a few months ago. That was under ideal conditions: few
hills, no wind and with a group of 4 riders who could take turns in front and urged me on. Age,
terrain, temperature, conditioning, nutrition, camaraderie and wind make all the difference.

david said:

I hit a milestone, one year of having started riding at age 41.

Quoted message said:

I can average 17 over 35 miles; it was around 14 when I started.

Quoted message said:

it would be interesting to know how others have progressed in there cycling???

Sounds like you're making good progress. In most athletic endeavors, progress is most rapid in the
first several months. As we become more fit, the rate of progress tends to slow down, and we may
hit plateaus.

I find that my average speed varies considerably from ride to ride based on traffic, terrain, and
whether I'm riding solo or in a group.

Probably the best way to measure your progress is to do a monthly time trial on some particualr
traffic-free loop.

FWIW, I'm a 53 year old recreational rider (been riding for about 25 years). I can average 20-21 mph
in a 25 mile TT, but usually, I'd rather not suffer that much. On normal rides of 35-100 miles, my
"meter average" is usually in the range of 16-19 mph.

Art Harris

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

Quoted message said:

"david" wrote:

Quoted message said:

Sounds like you're making good progress. In most athletic endeavors, progress is most rapid in the
first several months. As we become more fit, the rate of progress tends to slow down, and we may
hit plateaus.

This is a good point, and cyclists face a double whammy here. Not only will their progress slow down
in an absolute sense, but the nature of wind resistance tends to magnify the slowdown. The
difference between 20-25 mph is alot more than the difference between 15-20 mph. So your improvement
gets less over time, and the difference in speed that that improvement will make also gets less.

Duffy

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

Quoted message said:

"Prometheus7" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

it would be interesting to know how others have progressed in there cycling???

I'm 64. My 100 mile record is 17.5 mph done a few months ago. That was under ideal conditions: few
hills, no wind and with a group of 4 riders who could take turns in front and urged me on. Age,
terrain, temperature, conditioning, nutrition, camaraderie and wind make all the difference.

I'm in my late 50's. Started riding 5 years ago, commuting to work. About 3 years ago averaged
25kph(15.5mph) over 100 miles. The year after, I broke my collarbone on a 200k ride. I learned not
to let anyone push me too far or accidents happen. Unless folks are about my speed or willing to
slow down I just ride at my own pace on long rides, I tell them to ride on. Club rides are often
faster than advertised.

I have 3 computers but use none right now. I'm still getting back in shape after the long work
hours and little riding of last fall and winter (busted bikes). I'm starting to get there and
beginning to work into quasi intervals (as much as you can in a commute in traffic - thank gosh for
the light traffic from school & summer vacations & power failures - many people were out of work
for a week here.)

Personal improvements are part of the mix but plain enjoyment is paramount for my continued riding.
Just commuting, over time I feel LOTS BETTER. That's ***DAMN BETTER***. That's a big pull but it's
hard to believe that riding caused all that benefit and I tend to backslide when I have to work
10-14 hour days in the never-ending dark & ice & slush of winter.

Dragging my butt back into riding in the spring, I find other perks help a lot like interesting or
enjoyable routes, new bikes, or great bike gear. It's not as if it's even possible to spend as much
as an SUV commuter even if you go a bit bananas. So, don't feel guilty, don't let your spouse stop
you while they blow a wad on their ugly polluting car, blow a bundle on your beautiful biking and
brag about your frugality!

There you have it. Add some exercises on home equipment and at a gym and you have my training plan.
Watch out, I'm on your wheel next summer! 😉

Doug Toronto

Last year when I first started riding, I climbed a 1.5 mile, 7-8 % hill at 8 mph with a steep grade
beginning. Now I can climb a 2 mile hill at around the same gradient averaging 12 mph if I'm willing
to pedal as hard as I can. On the flats I average anywhere from 19-20 mph for a 30 mile ride.

Jiyang

How fast do I ride? Do you mean in reality, or in my imagination?

In my imagination is much more fun, so I'd rather just keep it right there.

Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky ([email hidden]) Home of the meditative cyclist:
home.earthlink.netWelcome.htmOpen ↗

Books just wanna be FREE! See what I mean at: bookcrossing.comCpeterskyOpen ↗

In article <[email hidden]>, david@nospammers-
honeyhousedesigns.com says...

Quoted message said:

I hit a milestone, one year of having started riding at age 41. I'm, no doubt, a recreational
cyclist, but I did squeeze in 3000 miles between family and other responsibilities. I'm curious as
to how I'm progressing in my ability. I know average speed depends upon a lot of factors (e.g.,
terrain), but it is relatively flat here with some rollers. I can average 17 over 35 miles; it was
around 14 when I started. I know it is different for each individual, but it would be interesting
to know how others have progressed in there cycling???

I'm 43, and I've gone from 14 to 16.x on my normal route, from the beginning of this year's riding
(April or so) through last week. That's about a 15% increase in average speed, so I think that's a
pretty good improvement.

--

"Where was the ka-boom? There was supposed to be an Earth-shattering ka- boom!"
- Marvin The Martian

I'm 55 with a 30 pound bike and average on the rolling 17.5 mph but my daily morning ride though is
a tough 22.5 miles at 12.0 mph. What kind of improvement can I expect when I get my 18 pound bike?

"David Kerber" <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, david@nospammers-
honeyhousedesigns.com says...

Quoted message said:

I hit a milestone, one year of having started riding at age 41. I'm, no doubt, a recreational
cyclist, but I did squeeze in 3000 miles between family and other responsibilities. I'm curious
as to how I'm

progressing in

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

my ability. I know average speed depends upon a lot of factors (e.g., terrain), but it is
relatively flat here with some rollers. I can

average

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

17 over 35 miles; it was around 14 when I started. I know it is

different

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

for each individual, but it would be interesting to know how others have progressed in there
cycling???

I'm 43, and I've gone from 14 to 16.x on my normal route, from the beginning of this year's riding
(April or so) through last week. That's about a 15% increase in average speed, so I think that's a
pretty good improvement.

--

"Where was the ka-boom? There was supposed to be an Earth-shattering ka- boom!"
- Marvin The Martian

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I'm 55 with a 30 pound bike and average on the rolling 17.5 mph but my daily morning ride
though is a tough 22.5 miles at 12.0 mph. What kind of improvement can I expect when I get my
18 pound bike?

Depends on the route. If it's mostly flat, you won't see much difference. If it's hilly, you might
see a lot. Does the new one have the same gears as the old one? If your are moving to a 9- or
10-speed cluster from (for example) a 6-speed, that will make more difference than the weight
because you will be able to stay closer to your ideal cadence.

Quoted message said:

"David Kerber" <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, david@nospammers- honeyhousedesigns.com
says...

Quoted message said:

I hit a milestone, one year of having started riding at age 41. I'm, no doubt, a recreational
cyclist, but I did squeeze in 3000 miles between family and other responsibilities. I'm
curious as to how I'm

progressing in

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

my ability. I know average speed depends upon a lot of factors (e.g., terrain), but it is
relatively flat here with some rollers. I can

average

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

17 over 35 miles; it was around 14 when I started. I know it is

different

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

for each individual, but it would be interesting to know how others have progressed in there
cycling???

I'm 43, and I've gone from 14 to 16.x on my normal route, from the beginning of this year's
riding (April or so) through last week. That's about a 15% increase in average speed, so I think
that's a pretty good improvement.

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

It sounds like you have slowed to smell the roses. I wish I would do it more often. I sometimes
wonder if I will ever be privileged enough to do that on a regular basis...

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

Quoted message said:

Not very. I'm 55 and recognize the point where keeping on is more

important

Quoted message said:

than passing up. 20 + years ago I would have felt differently.

I dumped the computer. I get to work as slowly as possible. I stop on

the

Quoted message said:

estuary and watch birds while I drink coffee from my dandy stainless steel vacuum bottle that fits
in a bicycle bottle cage. I circle blocks in China-town listening to boom boxes playing Chinese
music while folks do

tai

Quoted message said:

chi. I arrive at work without a lot of sweat. Going home I'm willing to sweat. I'm able to add
hills or coffee stops or shopping or a chat at my favorite LBS on the way home. I feel really good
twice a day in spite of

a

Quoted message said:

job I dislike.

"...how others have progressed...." I've progressed to fun.

"Prometheus7" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

17 over 35 miles; it was around 14 when I started. I know it is

different

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

for each individual, but it would be interesting to know how others have progressed in there
cycling???

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

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

"david" wrote:

Quoted message said:

Sounds like you're making good progress. In most athletic endeavors, progress is most rapid in
the first several months. As we become more fit, the rate of progress tends to slow down, and we
may hit plateaus.

This is a good point, and cyclists face a double whammy here. Not only

will

Quoted message said:

their progress slow down in an absolute sense, but the nature of wind resistance tends to magnify
the slowdown. The difference between 20-25

mph

Quoted message said:

is alot more than the difference between 15-20 mph. So your improvement gets less over time, and
the difference in speed that that improvement

will

Quoted message said:

make also gets less.

Duffy

Without a doubt, the equation is exponential. To go from 20-25 is at least 3 times harder than
going from 15-20, all thing being equal (age, schedule, equipment, training, etc.) so definitely
keep that in mind.

"Prometheus7" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I hit a milestone, one year of having started riding at age 41. I'm, no doubt, a recreational
cyclist, but I did squeeze in 3000 miles between family and other responsibilities. I'm curious as
to how I'm progressing

in

Quoted message said:

my ability. I know average speed depends upon a lot of factors (e.g., terrain), but it is
relatively flat here with some rollers. I can average 17 over 35 miles; it was around 14 when I
started. I know it is different for each individual, but it would be interesting to know how
others have progressed in there cycling???

I just started riding seriously in May, and since then I've put on over 1000 miles, and gone from an
average of 14-17 mph to a 17-20 mph, depending on wind and my energy level. The the very first ride
I nearly lost it not even a mile from the house. I couldn't believe how bad of shape I was in. But
the improvement in speed was not neary as big as the improvement in endurance. I would do 5-10 mile
rides at first, and now I routinely do 30-35 mile rides with only a short break or food/water
slowdown during the ride. I will say this: good equipment and pumping up the tires will do quite a
bit for your overall speed! One day I thought I was not very energetic, until I realized my rear
tire was only about 65 psi! After I fixed that, my speed went from about 16-17 mph to 19-20 mph!
It's not a linear equation; without a doubt, it is exponential. To go from 20-25 is at least 3 times
harder than going from 15-20, all things being equal (age, schedule, equipment, training, etc.) so
definitely keep that in mind.

In article <[email hidden]>, "Pat Fleming"

Quoted message said:

I'm 55 with a 30 pound bike and average on the rolling 17.5 mph but my daily morning ride
though is a tough 22.5 miles at 12.0 mph. What kind of improvement can I expect when I get my
18 pound bike?

snip

According to Greg Lemond, TdF winner, ³It doesn¹t get any easier, you just go faster.²

I¹ve got 5 years on ya and went from a 40lbs Schwinn Varsity to a 16lbs Lemond. I don¹t ride
noticeably faster, I just can ride for longer distances at my high end speed of 18 - 20.

HAND

--
³Freedom Is a Light for Which Many Have Died in Darkness³

- Tomb of the unknown - American Revolution

Prometheus7 said:

I hit a milestone, one year of having started riding at age 41. I'm, no doubt, a recreational
cyclist, but I did squeeze in 3000 miles between family and other responsibilities. I'm curious as
to how I'm progressing in my ability. I know average speed depends upon a lot of factors (e.g.,
terrain), but it is relatively flat here with some rollers. I can average 17 over 35 miles; it was
around 14 when I started. I know it is different for each individual, but it would be interesting
to know how others have progressed in there cycling???

I don't have my old bicycle to make comparisons on. With that, I could get up to 30kph (about 18mph)
and generally found it terrifyingly fast.

My new bike is perfectly happy to hit 30kph and stay there as long as my endurance and the traffic
agree - which is to say not very long.

As for distance, today I did just shy of 30 kilometers. I could have done more but I'd gotten home
and just couldn't justify going around the block three times to get those last few kilometers in.

I live downtown, and my morning work commute is only 30 meters and most of that distance is
vertical. Finding enough places to bicycle for my 10 kilometer a day minimum is difficult.

As for improvements ... when I was in the US last month my surgeon commented favorably on the
condition of my bad leg. I like making my surgeons happy.

-M