AdelaaR

I have exactly the same problem
I sometimes tell myself before I go ride: "relax this time", but even then I end up averaging at least 27km/h.
I don't have a HR monitor, but somehow I cannot ride slower than 80% of my maximum without feeling extremely slow and even getting bored and having a negative feeling about the whole biking thing.
It is only when trying my best and riding at maximum that I feel great on my bike

Fredster

So many of you are in such fantastic shape. I try to get in a 10 mile fitness run once a week. My best average speed, so far, is around 15mph. I'm pretty worn out after one of these runs. Also I'm an older guy (61).

AdelaaR

That is a good speed for your age, you know, depending on bike and course it might even be very good.
Consider that speed to power output is a rather complicated function with cubes and squares and other parameters.
For a rider to maintain about 10mph (16km/h) ... an aerobic power output of about 60 watts is required.
To maintain 15mph (24km/h) ... you need about 130 watts.
To maintain 20mph (32km/h) ... you need about 255 watts.
To maintain 25mph (40km/h) ... you need about 450 watts.

All of these numbers are for people weighing about 80 kilos (175lbs) riding in normal position (not in the drops or on special TT-bikes). If one is considerably heavier or rides completely upright ... the needed wattages will be higher.

alexaschwanden

good job. it is not easy to maintain the maximum for long. wow 53.4 on downhill.

Dbl E GT

Keep at it... before you know it, you'll do it twice a week, then 15 miles, then 20 miles. Thats how you get stronger....keep riding and you'll be amazed when you look back to say "I used to get so tired after only 10 miles". Again, good job, keep riding, and stay strong !

acidrock23

A 10 mile run is nothing to sneeze at...My Garmin thing says it's good for about 1490 calories? I'd much rather bike 35 miles (like 2500 calories?) than run 10. I did 2x 1/2 marathons in 2 weeks last spring and, while it was an interesting challenge, when it was over, I was a little sprung?

Fredster

I do take longer rides (20-30 miles but not at 15mph yet). The 10 mile rides are strictly for speed and to replace a jogging day in my exercise routine. Thank you and others for the kind words of encouragement.

acidrock23

oops, by 'run' you meant 'ride'? LOL. That's a good combo. I like to mix running and biking as they seem to help each other?

qmsdc15

I hate it when a jogger passes me.

common man

Fredster

I guess I should have phrased that differently, "fitness ride" rather than "fitness run".

AdelaaR

If Fredster would have gone running for 10 miles and averaged 15mph ... now THAT would have been something!

AdelaaR

As I said a few posts earlier, the needed power depends on the speed, so that goes for calories aswell.
This means you can't just say that 35 miles equals 2500 calories ... if you do those 35 miles at an average of 10mph it might be 2500 calories, but if you do those same 35 miles at an average of 20mph it might be 10000 calories.
I just made those numbers up, but you get the point

Talldog

Elapsed time is of the utmost importance when calculating calories burned, not distance per se.

acidrock23

Re the calories, I have a Garmin 405 (I think that's the model?) that keeps track of speed, distance, heart rate and a bunch of other stuff I am too lazy to research so the 2500 calories @ 16.8 mph is taken from that. I live in Illinois, outside of Chicago, so it's pretty flat, although I live pretty close to the mighty DuPage River which puts about 500' of elevation change in the mix depending on where I go. Most of the interesting trails seem to run along the river so going down the hill to the trail and then back up to ride along to the next one is part of the deal. I have had a couple of times where I've ridden faster one day for the same distance I rode slower at the next day and burnt more calories the slower ride b/c of the longer duration. Which is a pleasant reward and sort of food for thought? Or thought for the food to eat to replace the calories? "If I ride slower, I can SuperSize it!" I usually ride as fast as I can. Longer distance is sort of dependant on energy level and plans and stuff.

AdelaaR

That's weird though.
If you go slower you should have burned less calories, even though you may have ridden for a longer time.
If you have a look at the numbers I posted at the top of this page ... they say that to go twice as fast you need about 4 times more energy, but you will only be driving 2 times longer if you go 2 times slower, right?
So that doesn't make any sense.
Or maybe calories burned does not equal wattage produced ... I'm not an expert on calories and the human energy production, so I don' t know for sure.
But one would think that calories burned and wattage produced would be linear as it seems logical.

xoxoxoxoLive

But one keep up with me for like 2 miles going up hill... Richard

acidrock23

It was very close! Day one was 10.29 miles in 36:37, averaging 16.9 mph and burning 696 cal. The next day, I went the same route and went 10.34 miles in 37:13 @ 16.7 mph burning 718 cal, so very close but more calories in slower time so longer duration coupled with a whiff more distance= a shade more calories? Really 20 calories isn't a whole lot but I always show AVG/ Dist/ Elapsed time on my 3 fields on the Garmin so calories is a mystery until I get home. I was trying to keep the pace up but faded to the 16.7 on day #2 (plus I'd jogged 5.26 miles in 52.22, burning 799 calories the day before this set of bike rides...) and was sort of bummed going 'oh well, I won't burn as many calories either, although I knew I was close so I figured the difference would be minimal'. I probably can dig a few other data sets out of the Garmin but that's probably about the closest? I don't recall if there were other variables like wind, blood sugar, etc. going on either but I think my conclusion was that you will burn more calories if you ride longer duration slower? This is also sort of in line w/ the fat burning @ 60% max HR but I have not tested that accurately, despite this amazing technology!

Suburban Grind

This morning I rode Jacksonville - Baldwin rails-to-trails, paved, mostly very smooth, almost no elevation change, only a few intersections to slow down at.

15.1 miles [24.3 km] each way, 30.2 miles [ 48.6 km] total, stopped at the turn-around point for 5 minutes to yammer about cyclo computers.

This time I made a concerted effort to find my best pace, and almost all the way I ended up solo 50 - 300 m in advance showing the pace for two other riders with me (who started at the halfway point and only did half the trail)...

Did the course in 1:48:36...

Average Speed 16.7 mph [26.88 km/h]

Max Speed 22.9 mph [36.85 km/h]

Did several long stints at 19 - 21 mph.

Maybe the better temperature - about 78 - 81 deg F [26 - 27 deg C] - helped this time. I think I had enough energy at the end to go another 10 or 15 miles. And I was not passed at all, massive surprise after seeing lots of fine new machinery like road racers from Cervelo, Cannondale, Scott, Specialized, Trek, Fuji and Motobecane in the parking lot at the start and return, and so many riders sporting team jerseys. Good feeling for a 47 year old office slouch on a 15 year old flat bar hybrid clunker.

nutcase

I gave up riding fast. I'm into the slow movement and love it. My computer hovers between 8-10 mph.

dahut

My average speed today was 13.7 mph. Highest speed was 33 mph.
Yeah, I tangle with alot of hills.

Dodgensince74

I keep trying to do that but always end up in the 15-19 range, I know that if I would slow it down I would be able to go much further and not be as worn out at the end of a ride

kimber_94806

I average around 12 mph on a 14 mile roundtrip commute. On good days I am closer to 14 and I've been biking for only over a month now. Fastest I've gone is maybe around 29 mph on a downhill and 23 mph on a flat road 30 sec sprint. I just try to enjoy my ride and not get bothered by how effortlessly the roadies get by me when I though I was pedalling hard enough LOL.

xoxoxoxoLive

Mine has picked up some, started the thread below 10 MPH, counting all the pushing up hills, trail riding,
etc..now I am up to around 12 MPH doing the same thing, just doing roads with not to many hills can
manage 14 MPH, I seem to excel on long rides, like for hours or more, butt does not hurt, do not go to fast so
have plenty of energy, push those monster hills rather than burn out climbing them, I love long rides.
But lately due to work have had to settle for fast short rides, 10 miles and under. Richard

Christobevii3

Got some crank bros pedals and pearl izumi shoes to clip in with. The cadence computer helped a little but the pedals, shoes, computer all have added up to an instant 1.5mph higher speed over 18 miles.