Originally Posted by
runnergoneridin
For the most part I was between 16 and 19.5 mph where I was riding.
What was your average speed over the entire ride, including any climbs and descents, and how long did you ride? You do not need to answer - but this is a starting point if you're interested in getting faster, overall.
If you want to get faster on solo efforts, there is not a good substitute for training. Putting in a lot of hours and miles will raise your speed, to a point. After that, structured training is beneficial.
Riding with a group will also generally result in faster average speeds. I've had some crazy fast (for me) runs with strong groups as small as three, and with a larger group with strong riders at the front, you'll literally get sucked in and pulled along. Learn to draft and ride safely in a paceline (if you do not already), join a group, and try not to get dropped.
If you just want max speed, go bomb down some hills
Some of the 5'2" wonder women I ride with have hit 50 MPH this way...