Curious About Individual Road Averages? Where We 'Stand'...
 

Slow, long/short distance, riding in groups...

Ooops... tried to post a poll but missed checking a box--

It was to be query as to whether rides are in groups (which changes everything) or, for those who ride alone, whether weekly total distance is more or less than 25 miles and whether average mph is under or over 12 mph.

These seem like awfully low bars to set.

No kidding. If OP made a poll asking those specific questions, it'd be about 95% above, 5% below those numbers, maybe even less.

I'm at 12mph right now on this one route I do around San Francisco. Lots of Hills though which I really struggle on which also saps my energy when I hit the flats. I'm a good 60 pounds overweight which isn't helping the cause, and just started cycling again like 3 weeks ago after not having a road bike for a few years. Been crazy windy around here too in my last few rides which isn't helping me either. On flats no head wind I'm seeing like 18-22 though but after all is said and done, computer shows that magical 12mph. 250 pounds is too much weight to carry up these hills.

It's actually 2 lbs of feces. Don't make us yell at you.

And we're all doing at least ten hours a week, right? So 270mpw should be the baseline.

I'm 63 yo and back to riding my '84 Peugeot PH10 that I bought new. I've only been back in the saddle for a year after a 20 year-plus or minus-hiatus. I'm averaging around 12-13 mph for the most part. Did a personal best 2 weeks ago on a 25 miler at 13.9 mph. My top speed was 29 mph with slight downhill and a tailwind but not for long. The machine is in tip-top shape but the motor is old and worn. I'm just glad to be riding again and still looking at the green side of the grass.
Jon

Both, depending on how you look at it. Most of my rides are closer to 10 mph than 12, and account for about 15 miles/week. And unless I get out in the early morning before work, that's all I get "during the week." Weekends, however, individual rides are 2-7 times as long as the previous week's total. Sadly, average speed, even on weekend rides, is closer to 15 mph than 20 since I don't race these days and haven't been riding with fast groups much.

Your poll is whether or not cyclists on a road forum ride more than 25 miles a week and average more than 12 mph?

Where did you come up with those two numbers?

100-150 miles per week.

solos rides: 15.5-17mph average (each ride has at least one 20min climb).

group rides: 17-20mph

For any given distance and terrain I am significantly faster riding solo than riding in a group. Riding solo I can ride to my strengths and at my pace.

On a typical 6.4 mi.TT (230 ft of elevation) I'm at 18.4 mph. Doing my .8 mi. flat sprint I have a PB of 24.4 mph. On a 30 mi. solo ride with 1800 ft of elevation I'm usually around 15 mph. That's kind of typical. On a typical B level group ride we are around 14+ mph.

More is my answer to both your questions as stated in post #2 and I typically ride alone.

No no no, you misread, that was 10 hours straight per day!

Should be fairly up-to-date.

https://i.imgur.com/3EePHhc.png?1

But only if I don't overheat on my black bicycle.

Fwiw if I only ride 25 miles in a week i consider that to be a week in which I didn't ride.

I'm as slow as molasses on a cold winter's day, and can manage 12 mph.

And 25 miles/week (40 km/week)? Really?

I've walked 736.97 km (457.9 miles) in the past 27.5 weeks. That's 26.8 km/week (16.65 miles/week) ... with arthritis in both feet!

If I don't cycle more than 40 km/week, there's a very good reason. Like a significant health issue or something.

Interesting how consistent your average elevations and average times are there, and speeds and distance averages fall within a fairly limited range. Because I record everything, my chart is all over the place. I was kind of embarrassed about my low average speeds, but I noticed that on the Casati, Helium and TCX, while my rides are significantly shorter distances than yours on average, I have very similar average elevations, hence more climbing, so in the end it's not so discouraging.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2be3d180a5.jpg
The one called n/a is actually the Felt AR4 - all the rides I'd recorded on Strava before I got a second bike, the Casati, which is the one I've taken on cycling tours and long event rides, hence the higher average elevation. I replaced the Felt shortly after moving from Manhattan to New Jersey, which explains why average elevation for that bike is so much lower than for the Propel, which replaced it. The low numbers for Citibike, and perhaps to some extent the Vigorelli, speak for themselves (only 1 ride as SS because I hated that)

16 to 18 solo. Generally I ride between 18 and 30 3 days a week after work, then anything from 40 to 60 one day over the weekend. I never group ride outside of 2 or 3 organized rides a year because I live an hour plus away from the nearest group that actually gets together and rides.

Just out of curiosity...are people and/or strava calculating average mph using speed over total time on the clock, or is this average moving speed? Many of my miles are commutes. I'm looking at my commutes through the city and most are 13-14 mph with red lights, speed bumps and what not.

Strava calculates overall mph based on moving time.

You're not supposed to use the "avg speed" feature for this. You're supposed to assume that whatever the biggest number you've ever seen is your regular cruising speed. From what you've told us, right now you're averaging about 22 mph. Go ride up and down Twin Peaks, it'll put your average speed in the 40s.

I rode 1.75 miles to work this morning. I think I have earned a free Slurpee.

Add 3-4 mph to compensate for GPS lag.