How fast do you ride?

[jordan5000]

Hi, I'm 18, skinny but in decent shape. I have a heavy mountain bike that I use (can't afford a new one) on the roads just for getting around and on some trails. I can go about 20km/h on the roads and 15km/h on a dirt trail with TONS of hills at my cottage and I once road behind my friends car with them watching the speedometer, they said I was going 30km/h for about 1-2 minutes (heck, if I had the room I could've passed them on one of the turns!) and 35km/h for about 30 seconds. So basically my question is how fast can you ride (mountains or road) and am I slow? I've also been curious if anybody knows the weight of the types of mountain bikes you get at wal-mart, Canadian tire, etc. because mine is MUCH heavier than my friend's. Also what do you prefer more, riding on the flats or going up some hills (I like hills since I can ride up them faster than most of my friends)? Thanks.

 

[Race Radio]

I seldom go slower then 50kph.

 

[pedaling squares]

RR, I like your posts so I would slow down and let you ride with me.

 

[elapid]

Loaded question. Trails are often about technique and not speed. Road depends on terrain and bike (road v TT). I would average 32-36 km/h over a lumpy course (depending on whether I am doing tempo riding or intervals), and 30 km/h over a hilly course (1000m climbing over 80km). I don't have a TT bike, but 37-40 km/h shouldn't be unreasonable to hold for an hour. As an example, I am 43 yo and would come in the bottom 25% in a 100km road race in my area. So I am not that competitive, but I continue to dream

 

[Anonymous]

I seldom go slower then 50kph.

I'm typically on RR's wheel. Which is great 'cause he never asks me to take a turn on the front.

 

[Anonymous]

i can go 30kp/h behind a car without even pedalling.

its not a speed game, all depends on road surface, gradient, gearing, bike, and of course what your aim is.

If you just want to go at speed start riding on velodromes.

as for me, i go whatever speed i need to go. Max i can get out of my cross bike is a 50kph at full sprint because of the gearing. my legs wont go no quicker.

 

[jordan5000]

I think for me, endurance is key, I'm 6ft and about 150lbs (about 68kg) so if I can actually improve my cardio I could go faster, I need to go back to running lol. Oh and btw 15km/h average on hills and dirt trails was a 1 hour effort.

 

[mewmewmew13]

well on a social day I might go slow...
after a double cap when I'm feeling strong I'll go fast!

 

[stefank]

Hi, I'm 58 years old, and I only go (moderately) fast downhill. My friends tell me I'm going downhill fast. I don't know whether that's meant to cheer me up or not.

 

[Race Radio]

I'm typically on RR's wheel. Which is great 'cause he never asks me to take a turn on the front.

That is because you fill your bottles with Leffe, not water

I occasionally let Scott pull on the climbs. I usually rest on the climbs, only about 40kph

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

Hi, I'm 18, skinny but in decent shape. I have a heavy mountain bike that I use (can't afford a new one) on the roads just for getting around and on some trails. I can go about 20km/h on the roads and 15km/h on a dirt trail with TONS of hills at my cottage and I once road behind my friends car with them watching the speedometer, they said I was going 30km/h for about 1-2 minutes (heck, if I had the room I could've passed them on one of the turns!) and 35km/h for about 30 seconds. So basically my question is how fast can you ride (mountains or road) and am I slow? I've also been curious if anybody knows the weight of the types of mountain bikes you get at wal-mart, Canadian tire, etc. because mine is MUCH heavier than my friend's. Also what do you prefer more, riding on the flats or going up some hills (I like hills since I can ride up them faster than most of my friends)? Thanks.

Those mountain bike at wal-mart weigh up to 40 pounds (or 18 kg for you metric types ). If you're riding one of those on the road, you're really not getting an accurate measure of how fast you really are. A lot of what you put into that bike just gets lost. You might be pretty quick on a bike weighing 20+ pounds less (about 9 kilos).

How fast I ride depends on who I'm with, terrain, wind, distance, etc. Same goes for the mountain bike, so it's hard to say if you're going fast or not. My advice if you haven't been riding long is not to worry about speed just yet, it will come. Just work on fitness, ultimately you'll notice yourself get much faster.

 

[JayKosta]

reply to jordan5000,

In general the thing that limits speed on a fairly smooth & flat road is wind resistance.
If the bike has low gearing, then sometimes you simply can't pedal beyond a certain rpm limit = regardless of your strength.

The things that increase wind resistance are:
1) fenders on the bike
2) large handlebar bag
3) an upright riding position with the wind hitting your chest and face

Also, restrictive clothing such as heavy pants can reduce your leg speed.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

 

[Race Radio]

Also, restrictive clothing such as heavy pants can reduce your leg speed.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

I think this is why I am so fast, I usually ride naked.

 

[ggusta]

I think this is why I am so fast, I usually ride naked.

When I ride naked people around me go really REALLY fast.

 

[jordan5000]

I think this is why I am so fast, I usually ride naked.

If i ever ride with you I'll make sure to be in front, or far enough behind you that I can't see anything

 

[Archibald]

Hi, I'm 18, skinny but in decent shape. I have a heavy mountain bike that I use (can't afford a new one) on the roads just for getting around and on some trails. I can go about 20km/h on the roads and 15km/h on a dirt trail with TONS of hills at my cottage and I once road behind my friends car with them watching the speedometer, they said I was going 30km/h for about 1-2 minutes (heck, if I had the room I could've passed them on one of the turns!) and 35km/h for about 30 seconds. So basically my question is how fast can you ride (mountains or road) and am I slow? I've also been curious if anybody knows the weight of the types of mountain bikes you get at wal-mart, Canadian tire, etc. because mine is MUCH heavier than my friend's. Also what do you prefer more, riding on the flats or going up some hills (I like hills since I can ride up them faster than most of my friends)? Thanks.

using my 'puter when I was commuting in london (flat roads)...

SS roadie - usual cruising speed of 32-35kmh with occasions going to just over 40kmh

MTB - usual cruising speed was 28-30kmh

 

[usedtobefast]

I'm typically on RR's wheel. Which is great 'cause he never asks me to take a turn on the front.

hanging on to the car has a lot of advantages. or have the race doctor mend your wounds...

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

RR, I like your posts so I would slow down and let you ride with me.

I go

(RR + Pedaling Squares), so I don't ride naked.

 

[Boeing]

It depends. I spend more time spinning at slower speeds these days

 

[daveinzambia]

i can go 30kp/h behind a car without even pedalling.

its not a speed game, all depends on road surface, gradient, gearing, bike, and of course what your aim is.

If you just want to go at speed start riding on velodromes.

as for me, i go whatever speed i need to go. Max i can get out of my cross bike is a 50kph at full sprint because of the gearing. my legs wont go no quicker.

obviously TSF is slowed slightly by the number of pedestrians he is bouncing off as he goes.

 

[leftover pie]

28.4-29.2km/h

no exceptions.

 

[nobilis]

like many have mentioned, it's not a matter of speed. Speed is very relative and is not really an indicator of performance and fitness. And it all depends on the surface (flat / hilly), the tarmac, the wind intensity and direction, alone or taking turns with a group, type of training, etc.
I prefer to look more at my cadence and HR when training because speed could be misleading, especially when doing specific training.
Of course if I'm doing loops on a circuit that I know and where i have references, I look at speed and the times that I do so that I can track my performance better.

 

[Parera]

On the road, a lumpy course in my area with short, steep hills I will average about ~29 kph during a 2 hour-ish ride. By myself, of course; group rides are always faster especially if you are with like minded people that want to roll fast. If long climbs are involved (and where I live that climbs ranging anywhere from shortish 8km slugfests @ 9% average to long 24km grinds @ 5%) my speed goes down; no talent for climbing but I enjoy it nonetheless.

Then again, it means nothing, really; if I mess around with my Garmin (shutting it off at traffic controls, mechanicals, etc) I can get a somewhat accurate measurement of my average speed. However, because I can also be absentminded I forget to restart the timer or shut it off when I have to take a leak. So there goes "average speed." Honestly, there are more important things...and it's just not a matter of improving your cardio.

The hard part for me when I got into cycling was "teaching" myself to suffer. By that, I mean riding just below your threshold and even past it for long periods with no wimping out" no pit stops to give my legs a break, no soft pedaling if I was being lazy. Just put the bit between your teeth and stay on top of the gear as long as you can. Love the pain!

Also, every now and again, I like to go on a ride where I know I will bonk; usually something longer, on a warm day, not enough food (but stay hydrated). You feel completely shattered by the end, but it toughens you up. This is key, at least for me; you can't really know what you have in your tank until you dig deep and hit the bottom.

There was a time when I thought 80-100km was a brutally long ride to endure. Now, that's a common length ride for myself on the weekend or free days I have.

 

[Winterfold]

OP

dont stress about how fast, especially not on an MTB

I average 12 kph on my MTB and on a DH trail might hit 40 (which feels like 120) but it doesnt matter MTB = fun, if you want to stress about how fast you're going get a road bike.

In which case 28.245kmh avg and my heart rate, cadence, yadda <yawn>

 

[ggusta]

seems the slower i go the more fun i have and the more i enjoy the ride, but it's fun to get with a group now and again and stay at the front and go so hard until I can see my mother's father who died when I was 4. I miss him so much.

i really have no idea how fast I go. I just look at how long I have been riding and what time it is and it's never long enough.