70mi. Event Ride - Peleton Pace?

MaxPrime said:

Just as the title says - what would the average mph pace be in the large group in a 70mi. charity event ride? I was planning on finishing in under 5 hours - which pegs me at about 15 mph, is that realistic?

That depends on your own abilities, what you're riding, who you're riding with, the weather, and the terrain.

15mph is a very reasonable pace for a group of moderately fit riders riding 70 flat to rolling miles on road bikes. If you find yourselves riding into a stiff headwind, however, all bets are off.

Usually charity events draw riders of all abilities and many will be riding very slowly. Count on slowing to pass them, particularly if your group is large.

MaxPrime said:

Just as the title says - what would the average mph pace be in the large group in a 70mi. charity event ride? I was planning on finishing in under 5 hours - which pegs me at about 15 mph, is that realistic?

You wouldn't happen to be talking about the one in TN would you? From Franklin to Lynchburg then back the next day?

it's ABSOLUTELY a reasonable assumption. i'm a out of shape, slightly fat guy that only put on 300 miles before a tri-century and averaged almost 17mph because of hooking up w/good pacelines.

of course i damaged my miniscus but....🙄

How much will riding in a pack really help me? I always train by myself.

Mansmind said:

You wouldn't happen to be talking about the one in TN would you? From Franklin to Lynchburg then back the next day?

Nope - Ride for the Roses here in Austin.

i had never really rode in a pack before a couple months ago. the difference is amazing. what's really astounding is how hard it is to rejoin a group once you get dropped. i dropped a chain and had to stop for 5 seconds to throw it back on. the group was only a 150 feet in front of me but no matter how hard i sprinted they just kept walking away.

i'm not a fast rider yet. with the group i averaged 17-19mph. w/o the group i was lucky to average 15.

MaxPrime said:

How much will riding in a pack really help me? I always train by myself.

80% (+/-) of the force working against you on your bicycle is wind resistance. Riding behind another rider can reduce your required power output by 30% or more. Yes, it will really help you.

cheapie said:

i had never really rode in a pack before a couple months ago. the difference is amazing. what's really astounding is how hard it is to rejoin a group once you get dropped. i dropped a chain and had to stop for 5 seconds to throw it back on. the group was only a 150 feet in front of me but no matter how hard i sprinted they just kept walking away.

i'm not a fast rider yet. with the group i averaged 17-19mph. w/o the group i was lucky to average 15.

This is good news. Thanks. I just completed a solitary century Monday and averaged 15.9 MPH. It's interesting to see how much drafting can help.

Wow - good info. I'm excited to see how much it helps.

Doctor Morbius said:

This is good news. Thanks. I just completed a solitary century Monday and averaged 15.9 MPH. It's interesting to see how much drafting can help.

Hey, that's a good time for a solo century. I just did one Tues, averaged 16.0, including some time spend drafting a tandem. It did include 6100 total vertical feet, but that was mostly rolling hills....only one hard climb.

Agree a pack makes a big difference, like 2-3 mph. But of course pack riding has it's own set of hazards. In general, I find pack riding takes a lot more concentration, and your risk of hitting road junk, potholes or other bikes is higher. Great for doing a fast time, but long solo rides are more relaxing.

You seem to be making great progress this season. Try some shorter pack rides with an experienced group you can hang on....you'll love the speed.

dhk said:

Hey, that's a good time for a solo century. I just did one Tues, averaged 16.0, including some time spend drafting a tandem. It did include 6100 total vertical feet, but that was mostly rolling hills....only one hard climb.

Agree a pack makes a big difference, like 2-3 mph. But of course pack riding has it's own set of hazards. In general, I find pack riding takes a lot more concentration, and your risk of hitting road junk, potholes or other bikes is higher. Great for doing a fast time, but long solo rides are more relaxing.

You seem to be making great progress this season. Try some shorter pack rides with an experienced group you can hang on....you'll love the speed.

Thanks for the encouragement. I guess I am doing alright for someone who only has 12 months (out of the last 15) of training under their belt. Coming from a sedentary decade and being 44 sure isn't any help. I'm sure if I were a strapping young dude of 18 - 25ish everything would be much much easier.

My average speed for the first 5 hours was 16.1 but I made the typical first timer mistakes (dehydrated, not enough food, barely enough fitness) including my rear wheel went out of true during the ride and I didn't even notice it until I got the bike home. 🙁 That sucked. No telling how much energy was wasted because of that. It's amazing that my Alex ALX-290 wheels have been perfectly true for 1300 miles yet on that particular day they decided to go out of whack! The cycling gods must have been angry at me for something! 😄 I'll pay them more homage in the future.