Originally Posted by
Wildwood
It couldn’t have happened by ‘accident’!?!
Either you’ve been training, OR = you weren’t training very hard.
New bike syndrome?
Helium filled tires?
Weight loss over winter thru exercise?
There are some days when all the stars line up and one has a great ride.
Feeling good. Good wind. Late for an appointment. Whatnot.
I find the only way that I can keep my speed up is to keep a speedometer visible.
Perhaps I could do an all-out effort on 1 mile or less without the speedo. But any longer, I'd need goals and pacing myself.
So, for example, shooting for 20 MPH average.
I think of my rides as being highly variable in speed, but I have a few sprint segments that I have pretty tight clusters of ride times at the top of the list.
Anyway, if 20 MPH is pushing it for a cyclist. And, one sets one's goal for 20 MPH, it wouldn't be surprised to beat one's old time by a single second.
Of course, I have a local 11 mile RT out and back challenge ride. Pacing can be tough, with a small hill at about the 1/3 place (out and back), and a gentle climb approaching the turn-around. And, perhaps wind.