Watchdog

I can average 20 mph on my commute ………………………. riding my ebike - when I'm on my Cervelo then it's more like 15 mph give or take 2 mph and depending on how I feel.

aplcr0331

I went back and the fastest I've ever done my short commute into work was an average of 19mph. That's close to my limit, I might be able to push it up to 19.5 if I was real rested and on pretty good form.

josephjhaney

So, since I finally did it, I thought I'd share here. Still trying to get over 20 on the way TO work, but there is a bit more climb that way, so best I've done is 19.5 so far.

noglider 

Very impressive, @josephjhaney. I don't think I could dream of going that fast for an hour.

josephjhaney

Thank you, I'm 205lbs and 46 years old, so I'm here to tell you if I can do it, a whole lot of you can. That being said, not every day is about speed, this morning my knee wasn't feeling great, so I just made circles and enjoyed the scenery. The ride is what we make it.

Joe

noglider 

Well, I ride a MUP which is narrow for the amount of traffic it gets. When I average 16 mph, I feel irresponsible for all the needles I have to thread. That includes a few short stretches of going about 19 or 20. Your route must be pretty empty.

RubeRad

Well I'm 48 and this morning weighed 228, so I guess I'm excused. Whew!

CliffordK

For my faster rides, it is generally rural roads with varying width shoulders, plus a few urban bike lanes. I try to choose a course with fewer traffic lights and stop signs, and perhaps timed lights.

I have hit an average of 18+ MPH with half the commute on the bike path. I probably could do better if all the planets and stars aligned right.

I think there may be major differences between small urban bike paths and large urban bike paths, although it would depend on the path. The Springwater path in Portland would probably support reasonably high speeds. Some river front paths, not so much.

noglider 

I've come to realize I don't push very hard on flat ground but I push harder on hills. I took a solo 20 mile ride today in the country where it is hilly. My commuting route is almost all flat. Today I got into a pace where in flat-ish places, I pushed harder. I see how it can be done. I'm not sure I want to on my commute, but I could do it. I'm lucky enough to have a MUP route to work in a city with horrific traffic. I can't complain about the bike and pedestrian traffic on my route, but I think the potential to go fast consistently is limited. Some do it, but they're either rattling people's nerves, or they're braking often. I don't like braking and then accelerating again.

SeanBikes

Traffic lights don't factor into your average speed on Strava since it has an auto-pause function. Still probably have to be doing some hard pedaling and breaking to get those numbers though.

noglider 

The time waiting doesn't factor in, but the deceleration and acceleration does, so you lose in the average measurement without getting credit for the effort it takes to get back up to speed.

CliffordK

Stopped time technically doesn't count, except in defined segments.

However, I'd much rather coast to a stop light than barrel up to the light at 20+ MPH, and then skid to a stop only to put my foot down for a minute (thus saving on average moving time).

Also, there are significant benefits of keeping moving, so one might time the light, and roll through at 10 MPH. Keeping the rider moving, but never stopped enough to shut down the clock.

Of course, watch passing on the right when timing lights.

CliffordK

Oh, we also have the National Forest Service and BLM that have turned a profit in the past, while competing with private businesses. But, through mismanagement, and greater demands on resources, the profits are drying up.

DrIsotope

It's not about stopped time. It's about the cycles of deceleration and acceleration. You simply cannot make up the difference in time. Every second you spend below 20mph is 2+ seconds you have to spend above 20mph. Most days, there just isn't enough time.

When the lights are in my favor:



...compared to when they aren't:



Taken from the same ride, on sections that basically butt up against one another. Having to stop and get going again every quarter mile annihilates average speed. Note that both sections have big speed dips where I have to slow to 12-15mph, then the light turns green. Compare that for instance, to a 5-mile section where I never have to slow or stop at all:

noglider 

Exactly. Stops have a severe effect on average time because of the deceleration and acceleration. So if I could stay in motion the whole way, maybe I would average much higher speeds. More importantly for me, since I have few stops, are the many reasons for slowing down. My speed graph is very noisy, and it's not because I need to slow to rest.

Darth Lefty 

@noglider back when I could try hard, what helped me was watching the average speed on the bike computer. It's a very steady number and takes a lot of steady effort to push it up even a point. Not that I ever got out of the high teens, though.

I also used music for a cadence - Podrunner, specifically. But that's probably a different (but also familiar) thread.

wphamilton

Absolutely, just slowing down to go around pedestrians or slow bikes (on the Greenway) is a bigger determinate for my overall speed than the amount of effort. Waiting for a clear pass, only 2 times, I cannot get 20 mph on that route. And that's not even stopping.

noglider 

@Darth Lefty, that didn't work for me, but what did work was pushing my current speed up. I needed to spend more time above 13 mph, as that seems to be the speed my body gravitates towards. I get graphs that show time spent at each speed, and there was too much time spent at 13 mph.

josephjhaney

Great discussion all, and yes, those days when the lights are all green really help the average speed, I do have some long straights without any lights and a decent shoulder, but I also have to go though downtown Harrisburg where I have the choice of the multi use path, which if it's clear of peds and other bikes I can go fairly fast on, or hit the main road and just stand on the pedals for all I'm worth and hope to hit the 3 lights green till I circle around to the same road the MUP comes out to. It's a day to day, and I can't ever imagine getting over 20 without at least hitting half the lights green. But, I couldn't have imagined averaging over 20 last year hitting every light green, so progress is progress.

Also, every day isn't a race, some days I hit the pedals with the legs feeling springy and ready to see how hard I can go, others I just pedal, and end up home.

Joe

noisebeam

In addition to the other points noted about accel/decel time Strava also takes 10sec of non movement before it pauses. That 10sec is included in moving time even though one is stopped.
When I switched from using a very accurately calibrated wheel revolution counter to Strava my average times went down for the exact same ride (I used both at same time) because the wheel based system stops counting time near immediately when stopped, Strava doesn't. Also occasionally when waiting at light if I shift my body Strava will start counting again thinking I started moving.

CliffordK

I have noticed that Strava speeds are frequently slower than RWGPS speeds. Also, Strava seems to correct a lot with their post processing, so stopping at a store will kill my averages on the phone, but it will be OK once it is post processed.

I have about a 10 block segment that I hit frequently with about 7 traffic lights. Fortunately timed. The trick is to hit them just late enough in the light cycle, but moving quickly enough that I can actually catch up on the lights throughout the segment to give pretty good overall speeds... if traffic doesn't get in the way too much.

https://www.strava.com/segments/3558571?filter=overall

I'm in there somewhere.
Actually, I think the city has changed the light timing so the lights are slower, and it may be more difficult to get a KOM without running reds.

I'm thinking that I need to do some early Sunday morning rides for urban KOM attempts.

Wolfhaven

I'll never make 20mph average despite my route to work being mostly downhill. With six+ miles of gravel with several creek bottoms to climb out of and a larger river bottom climb I don't get to really take advantage of overall decline. Once on black top it's not too bad with only a couple stop signs and a couple lights. Going home there's no chance with all the climbing on the gravel road. My speed can also be affected with the condition of the gravel. Last Friday the gravel was loose and dusty, today, after a long weekend rain, it was packed and fairly fast. Traffic can be a pain, especially in the spring when the deer are moving in small herds in the hay fields. I have had to stop to let them cross in front of me.

noglider 

@Wolfhaven, but it must be mighty scenic there.

CliffordK

Ouch...
It sounds like an interesting place, but I agree, tough to keep the speed up.

Is that a mandatory gravel road as part of the commute, or a secondary road you've chosen to take?

Wolfhaven

It is a beautiful ride. I'm on a high ridge by farms and woods and can catch glimpses of Lake Superior. The gravel is my favorite segment that takes me by horse farms, hay fields, wooded sections and plenty of water. I prefer riding gravel and back roads which i can take from my house and head out for miles and miles.