How do I compare?

David Martin ([email hidden]) wrote:
: B.G. Finlay IT Services" <[email hidden]> wrote:
:> I think I'd struggle to do 10 in 30 mins. I've been road cycling recently
:> with a friend - he's 54 and rides a light road bike, I'm 39 and ride a
:> rigid mtb with 1.5" road tyres. We're hoping to do our first century this
:> year and our best so far is 72 miles at 12.5mph. I was happy with the
:> distance but thought our average was a bit lame.

: Riding the same sort of bike (rigid MTB with slicks) over that distance, I'd
: average about the same, and I can do a ten in under 30 mins (just). And as
: we ride on the same roads, you would probably be able to as well. Oh, the
: ten is not done on the MTB. It is a struggle to do ten at evens.. that
: doesn't make it impossible.

I could only compare myself to what I'd read in the group and in mags
about folks average. Then there was that tv programme where the bloke
joined the RAF team training to cycling across America .. 20-25mph av.!
Blair.

On Thu, 10 Mar 2005 00:18:16 GMT, Dave Kahn wrote in
<[email hidden]>, seen in
uk.rec.cycling:

Quoted message said:

Ross Hamilton said:

Having finally forced myself to get off my [censored] and start using my
bike again, I find my average is about 11mph, which to me seems slow -
but it's amazing just how many other cyclists I leave trailing in the
distance...
I look forward to the fitness benefits which will no doubt accrue
slowly. 🙂

Actually you should start feeling, and seeing, the first benefits fairly
quickly. Concentrate on extending your distance little by little and
you'll find the speed increases seemingly by itself.

I made the mistake yesterday of heading off on the principle of "I
haven't been down here before, I wonder where it goes?"

17 miles later...
I was knackered. 😉

Fortunately Lincs is pretty much flat, although the wind can be a
bugger...

--
Ross, in Lincoln
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"Dave Kahn" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The wind is tough but it builds strength and endurance. Lance Armstrong,
for example, comes from a flat and windy state.

As did Greg LeMond come to think of it (Minnesota).

Pete.

Ross Hamilton said:

I made the mistake yesterday of heading off on the principle of "I
haven't been down here before, I wonder where it goes?"

In here we prefer to call that an adventure rather than a mistake. :-)

Quoted message said:

17 miles later...
I was knackered. 😉

That's good, for some value of knackered. Totally knackered and too weak
to do anything but climb into bed is too much. A feeling of "Cor, that
was tiring - I could murder a pint" followed by a tired but not
unpleasant reaction the next day is about right. Make your next couple
of rides a wee bit shorter and easier, then the ride after that see if
you can go about 3 miles longer still. Again the aim at this stage is
gradually to build endurance, not to set yourself speed targets.

Quoted message said:

Fortunately Lincs is pretty much flat, although the wind can be a
bugger...

The wind is tough but it builds strength and endurance. Lance Armstrong,
for example, comes from a flat and windy state.

--
Dave...

Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the
future of the human race. - H. G. Wells

On Thu, 10 Mar 2005 22:04:45 GMT, Dave Kahn wrote in
<[email hidden]>, seen in
uk.rec.cycling:

Quoted message said:

Ross Hamilton said:

I made the mistake yesterday of heading off on the principle of "I
haven't been down here before, I wonder where it goes?"

In here we prefer to call that an adventure rather than a mistake. :-)

An adventure it certainly was. 🙂

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

17 miles later...
I was knackered. 😉

That's good, for some value of knackered. Totally knackered and too weak
to do anything but climb into bed is too much. A feeling of "Cor, that
was tiring - I could murder a pint" followed by a tired but not
unpleasant reaction the next day is about right.

Well, I certainly got through a couple of pints of water when I got
back - I made the mistake of not putting a bottle (or two!) in my
panniers...

Quoted message said:

Make your next couple
of rides a wee bit shorter and easier, then the ride after that see if
you can go about 3 miles longer still.

I've decided to start shopping at ASDA instead of Tesco. Why? Because
ASDA is 4 miles away (Tesco is a five minute stroll), so I'll have to
use the bike *and* being restricted to what I can put in my panniers
means I'll have to make regular trips.

Which means I'll have to start using the bike more - and I have
alternative routes available so I can extend the distance too. 🙂

Quoted message said:

Again the aim at this stage is
gradually to build endurance, not to set yourself speed targets.

I don't worry about speed per se, unless I'm well below my normal for
no apparent reason. I know I'm unfit, so I'm not about to try anything
unrealistic...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Fortunately Lincs is pretty much flat, although the wind can be a
bugger...

The wind is tough but it builds strength and endurance. Lance Armstrong,
for example, comes from a flat and windy state.

Lucky him. I wasn't much impressed at a couple of miles into (what
felt like) a strong headwind. Mind you, I had the benefit of it behind
me on my return, which helped somewhat. 😉

Thanks for the advice, it's appreciated.

--
Ross, in Lincoln
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