Average Speed

[DirtyWorks]

...
So what are they good for like dude check my strava and beat that bro? really ok I'm gone log on and compare and contrast myself to everyone. really? for what exactly? I dont set the car gps to bread crumb either. What for again?

I assure you there will be a large (for cycling) group of double-secret strava competitors if there aren't already. Just as there are people that count their $[social_website] friends and comparing them to others. It's a part of many people's persona. Another thing people like is quantifying things. Strava does that too.

I agree with what you are saying to some degree. For me, It's a nice way to test/compare one's power output over time over a set course. I am probably not alone in this way.

 

[Boeing]

I assure you there will be a large (for cycling) group of double-secret strava competitors if there aren't already. Just as there are people that count their $[social_website] friends and comparing them to others. It's a part of many people's persona. Another thing people like is quantifying things. Strava does that too.

I agree with what you are saying to some degree. For me, It's a nice way to test/compare one's power output over time over a set course. I am probably not alone in this way.

right on dirt

and another thing. its full for tri guys comparing route times with and with out aero helmet

 

[Parrot23]

Slightly OT but I find the most useful metric, not having a powermeter, is realtime (in the moment) cadence up hills I often do. After a winter on a indoor trainer, this lets me know exactly where my form (and weight, LOL) is.

If you know the gearing you typically use per hill, the cadence is a very accurate measure of your form. I find it picks up minute differences in performance--much more so than variations in km/hr on that hill. 2-4 rpm difference in cadence on same hill in same gear means a lot to me at least.

Cadence meter = "poor" man's power meter for hills. And its tailored per all your favorite hills. It works for me. Ockham's razor. Simple, parsimonious.

 

[Bike Boy]

I think the best I've averaged is 50+ km/h over 13.8 km.

 

[rickshaw]

sorry

I don't log data or up / download anything. But I do remember. Like, right now, this month I am averaging about 1.5 mph slower than I did in 1989.... over similar terrain, etc . So its useful, I can make changes, adapt.

Switched to kilometers per hour... looks much better.

 

[Strathlubnaig]

the average speed I think needs to be looked at for long term trends, in that a particular route could vary in ave speed from day to day depending on the weather, traffic and other factors, so cannot be compared directly, however when I look at long term stats over say 6 months or so, I can definitely see my ave speed has crept up over the period. Only the individual will know for sure if they are riding similar routes over time, rather than flat stuff which has bumped up the mean. It's a tool like anything else if looked at correctly.

 

[Parrot23]

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.

Boeing, just the book for you. Have bought it, but not read it yet.

http://www.amazon.com/Flaw-Averages-Underestimate-Risk-Uncertainty/dp/1118073754

The problem to me with average speed is that cycling is essentially "stochastic", to use Coggan's comment in his book. Watts up and down all the time. See the power meter graphs. Crazy, jagged. Explains why pros spend a good percentage of a race not even pedaling, with avg. heart rates and power readings at the end of a six hour day in the saddle that sometimes seem pretty modest compared to the peak levels on the climbs etc.

Paradox is that it's far more intermittent/stochastic than running in speed and load levels. Running is far more serial, even though it looks the reverse, that cycling is serial and smooth like a wheel rotating, and running stochastic.