5 mph

I was hoping to get some feedback on my ride today. This is my Bianchi Pista at 4416 and I had 1000 feet of hills. I am hoping to be below average or average but just not slow.
I rode along some crowded roads with only one brake and 22 mm tires. So I was afraid to go full speed downhill to gain speed for the next hill. If I hit a branch or pothole, I am done. So I have to use my brake frequently going downhill.
Not making excuses, but that slowed me down. Also I wasn’t pushing it too hard because this is my daily ride.
Worse comes to worse, I will go back to walking for exercise.
What would an average rider do on a course like this?
Thank you.
This was my ride today.

veganbikes

What could help you go faster is wider tires (with good comfort and grip), proper brakes (front and rear and maybe some upgrading to pads and cables or potentially brakes themselves as well) Also it comes with riding more and getting more confident. Skinny tires, brakeless (or singly braked) running down a hill is just crazy to me there are those who can do it but I don't need to live my life close to the edge like that. Unless I can find roads that have zero cars, pedestrians, cyclists, and any other users or living beings than I need a reliable way to stop quickly and easily, I can only predict what I will do not anyone else and especially those I cannot even see.

The way I look at a ride is I am happy with the ride, did I finish at the level of wear I wanted to, did I feel I pushed myself as much as I wanted? If so I am happy, if not I get back on the saddle and go at it again another time. I don't worry about comparing to someone else unless I happen to be racing (which really doesn't happen for me). Just enjoy the ride.

This looks like a running app, you might consider Strava which works for both running but more importantly cycling and they don't have the far-right political tinge of UA (at least as far as I know).

Mikefule

It's not a competition. There will always be people faster than you, and people slower. Most people never ride 20 miles in one go on a bicycle in their whole lives. Some other people could do that in the hour before breakfast. The thing is to enjoy your ride.

22mm tyres are pretty narrow and they will give a harsh ride and no particular benefits on most road surfaces. 25mm or even 28mm tyres (if your frame has the clearance) would be more comfortable, probably a tad faster on average, and give you more confidence in your grip. However, these are marginal gains. I've ridden many miles on 23mm. Remember people used to ride penny farthing bikes on solid rubber tyres and they had fun.

Your front brake should do nearly all of the work of controlling your speed, especially downhill where your weight is more over the front and less over the back. The main advantage of a back brake is on a loose or slippery surface: locking up the back wheel is less of a problem than locking up the front wheel.

For general non-competitive riding on flat or rolling roads, an average speed in the region of 12mph to 15 mph is respectable over that sort of distance. You are comfortably in this bracket, despite having to cope with 1,000 ft of elevation gain.

Of course on a "training run" where you aim for higher speeds, much higher figures can be achieved. The skill then is to pace yourself rather than setting off too fast (and burning out) or setting off too slow (and being unable to make up time later).

General fitness will improve if you ride more.

The main thing is to relax and enjoy it. It's a hobby, not life or death.

5 mph

Thanks all for your advice.

jadocs

Is that a ride? ...because you have it set to "running/walking" which is why your app is giving an average pace instead of speed.

Rolla

My advice would be to just go ride your bike for an hour or two, and quit quantifying and comparing. Fitness comes from the riding, not the measuring. Unplug. Enjoy. It's a bike ride.

Gresp15C

Greetings from an average rider. Your speed is not very far from my typical cruising speed on a single speed bike. You might end up being a bit faster than me once you address issues such as braking.

I'm 58, and pushing myself for many years has not made me much faster, though it has improved my endurance, hill climbing ability, and general cycling skill. With a lack of speed gain has come an improvement in attitude, namely that I don't compare myself to other cyclists, and I don't keep track of my performance. I only know how fast I'm going because I can estimate it from my cadence.

Cycling gives me low impact exercise, fresh air, the ability to explore a fairly large region, get around town with minimal use of a car, and tinker with bikes. I also walk, but that's a different kind of recreation and exercise -- the two are not mutually exclusive. My spouse and I go on "bike and hike" rides, where we ride to a trail and walk the trail.

StephenH

Pace varies all over. Don't worry about it too much unless you're looking to race or something.
I know one guy that looks very buff, rides a fair bit, but is slower than me. And other people that don't look fast at all, but can outride me.
For me, I figure anything over 15 mph rolling average is "good". I'm 60, a bit over 200 lbs. and riding flat land and little hills on a geared bike in north Texas.
If you're out on the open road, as opposed to riding through red lights and stop signs, it'll boost your average.
Flat land will boost your average some.
I ride faster in summer than in winter. Less aero drag from winter clothing, less weight on the bike, thinner air.
The amount of crap you carry along will affect speed.
How hard you work at it affects speed, of course.
Flipping the stem and removing spacers will drop you down some and help speed a bit. The idea is, get the handlebars JUST high enough to be comfortable, and not any higher.
Some people figure speed as total distance divided by total time, I figure average speed is whatever my speedometer shows for the average (and there's some variation in how they work it as well.)
You should use brakes on a downhill exactly as much as you feel you need to do to ride safely. If you wreck, it'll be you getting busted up, not us.