Average Speed

[Boeing]

Am I the only one who thinks its The most useless function for training.

All the starting and stopping and warm up recovery I spend a lot of slow time on the bike. It still frustrates me to read AvgSpd down in the mid 15's when downloaded after a hammer fest. Average anything for that matter. I just dont have the thumbs to adjust on the fly etc....I guess

Laps, circuits or crits sure.

 

[usedtobefast]

could be worse

 

[ElChingon]

If you're having so much slow time that's when you can get those thumbs to poke the button to change what you view on the computer.

Average speed is as useful or useless as any other piece of data IF you never look at it again after logging said data.

You're supposed to log your data and use it as a guideline/marker/baseline/indicator for your training/fitness/etc. if you don't log it and use it later its all pointless, so just go ride and turn the computer off if you don't use it again, you could of saved some dough if you never bought it in the first place.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Am I the only one who thinks its The most useless function for training.

All the starting and stopping and warm up recovery I spend a lot of slow time on the bike. It still frustrates me to read AvgSpd down in the mid 15's when downloaded after a hammer fest. Average anything for that matter. I just dont have the thumbs to adjust on the fly etc....I guess

Laps, circuits or crits sure.

I don't know why you guys have a bicycle mounted computer when the GPS radio in a mobile phone is about the same without the stuff hanging off the bike. GPSLogger has a feature where you can set the minimum speed the application calculates average speed. Dust off that old crackberry and turn off the mobile phone radio for fantastic battery life.

http://www.emacberry.com/gpslogger.html

 

[Boeing]

If you're having so much slow time that's when you can get those thumbs to poke the button to change what you view on the computer.

Average speed is as useful or useless as any other piece of data IF you never look at it again after logging said data.

You're supposed to log your data and use it as a guideline/marker/baseline/indicator for your training/fitness/etc. if you don't log it and use it later its all pointless, so just go ride and turn the computer off if you don't use it again, you could of saved some dough if you never bought it in the first place.

I just think there are too many variables in any session outside a velodrome for Average Speed to truly tell you anything about your fitness at all.

 

[ElChingon]

So you're saying if you actually log your average and if you do a routine workout and the average speed is much higher or much lower than normal its meaningless?

Better double check what you qualify as meaningful.

 

[Fatclimber]

So you're saying if you actually log your average and if you do a routine workout and the average speed is much higher or much lower than normal its meaningless?

Better double check what you qualify as meaningful.

As per the original post, there's far too many variables for average speed to be very meaningful. If he stopped at stoplights & signs for the exact amount of time every time it would mean something. And performed his warmup and cooldown exactly the same every time. And the conditions are the same every time, etc.

A computer with a lap function is a good thing. Powermeter is king IMO.

 

[TigerFish]

I thought the Avg Spd compensated for down time

I thought the Avg Spd calculation left out time when you were not moving. I will be checking this out. I still think it is a broadly effective measurement if you are riding a number of common loops. The down time caused by external conditions should start to equalize the more frequently you ride a given route. Although I might not be as adamant as ElChingon, his point about your use of the information for comparative evaluation is spot on.

 

[BroDeal]

If you didn't have average speed then how could you tell people on the interwebs how fast you are?

You need to do what my old roommate used to do. He would pop his computer out of its mount when he was riding in traffic, resting, or just plain slow. He had great average speeds.

And don't get me started on auto-stop computers. That feature was made specifically to increase average speeds. If you stop then that time should count.

 

[Parera]

I only care about average speed for ascents/descents since I typically won't stop for anything. Otherwise, it's sort of just a data field that is there...

 

[rgmerk]

I use a separate cycling computer because a) GPS flattens a phone battery too quickly, b) Garmins are waterproof while phones aren't without some kind of bulky holder, c) they don't support ANT+ without an additional interface.

As for average speed, it's not particularly useful for training purposes, but it's collected using the same data as times up known climbs, which is useful as an indication what kind of form you're in if you don't have a power meter.

 

[doolols]

I use my (moving) average speed value a lot. Perhaps that just goes to show how shallow and meaningless my life is

 

[usedtobefast]

I use my (moving) average speed value a lot. Perhaps that just goes to show how shallow and meaningless my life is

me too. time over the same route varies so i like to know that info.
"team shallow" rules

 

[STODRR]

.

And don't get me started on auto-stop computers. That feature was made specifically to increase average speeds. If you stop then that time should count.

You say auto stop is to inflate the average speed. I say not using it is to inflate your total riding time on the bike.

 

[BroDeal]

You say auto stop is to inflate the average speed. I say not using it is to inflate your total riding time on the bike.

Time spent riding is not deducted from your lifespan. Words to live by.

 

[42x16ss]

I frequently use average speed, but only on long rides outside of the city where there is nothing to influence it - ie traffic lights.

 

[TigerFish]

Checked it out and Avg Spd does not include stop time

I did check it out. I am sure all three of the calculators I used, Bell, CatEye and Vetta only calculated Avg. Spd. based on travel time not total time out with the bike.

It is nice to know ride time is not deducted from my lifespan. I am considering living on my bike.

I too am shallow and much happier since I realized it.

 

[daveinzambia]

I use Average speed to get a rough idea of improvement but think this may be of more use to newbie / rubbish riders like me that people that are training more seriously.

Also use it for motivation, pushing for the last few miles of a ride to push the average up slightly.

 

[Captain Serious]

could be worse

Ha! That's part of the argument I use against bicycle registration. I lie by saying that if bike registration came in, me and my 50 mates (50? Yeah, right ) would start driving to the gym in peak hour, which would add to the traffic congestion.

 

[veganrob]

me too. time over the same route varies so i like to know that info.
"team shallow" rules

Team Shallow is awesome. But we all have to take our pulls

 

[usedtobefast]

Team Shallow is awesome. But we all have to take our pulls

no worries on that.

 

[durianrider]

Average speed means squat. You could be on the front, at the back, tail wind, head wind...

Once I averaged 13.3km for 4:58 into a gail force headwind whilst riding solo across the Nullabor plain.

Yesterday I did 200km with Team Garmin and my TSS score was 431 and IF was .742. Thats more of a predictor of effort.

Average speed in 2012 is like using toe straps.

 

[Boeing]

Average speed in 2012 is like using toe straps.

Don't change man. not a thing lmfao

and eating meat is like friction downtube shifting I suppose? hahahaha no wonder I am so slow

good on ya

 

[doolols]

and eating meat is like friction downtube shifting I suppose? hahahaha no wonder I am so slow

ROFL! Like DaveInZambia, I will push on a bit to get the average up towards the end of a ride.

Yay for Team Shallow. Now, what colour kit shall we have? I suggest a nice, pale beige.

 

[BroDeal]

Average speed means squat. You could be on the front, at the back, tail wind, head wind...

Once I averaged 13.3km for 4:58 into a gail force headwind whilst riding solo across the Nullabor plain.

Yesterday I did 200km with Team Garmin and my TSS score was 431 and IF was .742. Thats more of a predictor of effort.

Average speed in 2012 is like using toe straps.

And thus begins the annual tradition of Durian using replies to any and every subject to tell us which pro team allowed him to tag along. I am suprised this one did not come with a picture.

EDIT: I did notice that he posted the same info to two threads. I have this suspicion that after pro teams leave Australia, the riders regale each other with tales of a vegan stalker.