dippitydoo

I know this is a stupid question but I assure you that I am being 100% serious.

When I take out my bike, I do it with the mentality of "I'm just going to do a snails pace of 10mph average."

Next thing I know, I'm on the bike and I keep telling myself to go faster and faster. That I feel lame that I'm going to slow. When I get home, I finish with an average of 14-15mph. Its not a barn burner or anything, I know, but to me, it exerts alot more effort than the 10mph I had in mind when I took out the bike in the first place.

I don't know, I was hoping if someone could share some insight why I have this weird innate desire to push myself to go faster when in reality I really don't.

Going at 10mph makes biking enjoyable to me, when I go 14-15 and I get home with my heart pounding, thats when I hate biking. It no longer becomes a de-stressing activity.

Weight lifting, basketball, soccer, those are activities that I do to get my heart pounding. I just don't want biking to end up being something I loathe b/c I keep wanting to push myself.

Whether its a mental thing or competitive nature of myself (or maybe even a pride thing), I just want to be satisfied just going a slow 10mph.

Actually now that I think about it, maybe its a self conscious thing as I don't want to be seen as the slow guy who is riding at a walking pace to others, even though thats the pace I most enjoy.

Lonesome rider

Same story here. My most hardcore rides start with "today I'm just gonna ride sloooowly" mantra.

Loveless4577

I can't relate. I often get on the bike wanting to go faster than before. It's more of an accomplishment thing for me.

BlazingPedals

That's how I ride, too. If I pick up some speed on a downhill, I feel as if I have to maintain that new higher speed or I'm a failure. And every time I get a new high speed on a new downhill, I have a new standard to maintain.So the further I ride the faster I go, at least until I implode.

bigredkevbot

It's the closest we'll ever get to flying...why not fly fast?!

My recommendation is work on controlling your cadence - this may require a cadence meter.

caloso

Some bike computers allow you to set an alarm for a certain parameters, including speed. Garmin 500 for example. If not, take a strip of tape and a Sharpie and write "10 MPH MAX!!!" on it. Stick it next to your computer.

zandoval 

Ha... This is so funny... Don't you know this will all take care of itself with age... (Or beta blockers)

Eventually you will find yourself only pedalling when your going up hill...

KenshiBiker

When my buddy and I would get together, we'd tell each other "Just a mellow spin". Before long, one of us or the other would begin upping the pace a bit. Before we knew it, we were going "****s to the walls". We're older now, and we knew better than to do that. But sometimes, it's still fun to "feel the burn" in the legs, and the wind in the (remaining) hair - through the helmet of course.

Jed19

Do whatever you like. Once you start thinking the way you do, then it might no longer be fun. Always think why you cycle, (fun, recreation, fitness, or the combo) then proceed accordingly.

For me, it is mostly about fitness when I ride my road bikes, but I take out my hardtail mountain bike for occasionally cruising the beach at less than 10 MPH.

CliffordK

The easiest way to cure you of the need for speed is to get a cargo trailer and load it down with about 300 pounds of stuff.

I do find that I ride faster around others than alone. I much prefer passing than getting passed on bike paths. So a quiet country road, with no "goals", and I find my speed dropping

What if you simply leave the cycle computer at home? Never look at it, never worry about it.

dippitydoo

Thanks for the answers you guys. I don't know, I think my mentality is slightly attibuted to being on this site, reading too many posts.

I read many people echo the statement of "why cycle when you're going 10mph. Thats like walking speed"

Once I pass 10mph, it no longer becomes a "reflective and relaxing" activity. It becomes a "heart racing, gotta be like other cyclist, geez, I really hate this, lets not ride for a couple weeks" activity.

You see a fellow cyclist pass, you can't help but to think, shoot, I'm going really slow. I probably look like a panzy right now. Let me put some effort in.

I just gotta stop worrying about others and just focus on what I'm doing. Its just harder to institute it rather than just saying it.

rumrunn6

it's human nature to reach a balance of performance and equilibrium, meaning to go as fast as we can without pushing too hard so as to injure oneself. but there are ppl who will push further or take the easy route, like for example in school, but for the most part humans will seek their optimum performance/productivity level that can be sustained over time

at the gym, I try to wear blinders so I am not distracted by others. this helps me find my personal best

WhyFi

I often have a hard time with this, too. If it's a beautiful day and a scenic area (bonus points if it's an area that I haven't ridden through a million times), it's a little easier to remember to slow down and smell the roses.

CliffordK

Do you ride in spandex on a $5000 bicycle?

Perhaps you just need a single-speed balloon tire beach cruiser.

Elvo

Power meter with HRM to make sure you never go out of Z2

RJM

Ride without a bike computer...you won't know if you went over 10 or not. Problem solved.

RISKDR1

I assume that you use some kind of cycling computer that tells you average speed. It is very easy to get into a mode of chasing your average all the time. eventually you will lose. If you want to relax get rid of the computer and ride by perceived effort or by heart rate. My computer stopped working recently and I only ride by heart rate. I select a zone that I will ride in and keep to it as much as possible. I don't look at the clock. I find I am very refreshed after a ride. Of course there are situations where you want to test yourself but maybe that should not be your priority. Training by the amount of TIME spent in your selected training heart rate zone rather than distance related to time may be a better way for the average guy to pursue fitness.

RoderWrench

Shift into a low gear and leave it there. You're unlikely going to try to ride 14-15mph if you have to spin 120rpm to do it. Or maybe consider a beach cruiser instead of a road bike. Just like Ferrari's are hard to drive slow, it's easy to cruise slow in a Coupe Deville!

practical

I have the same issue but I think I keep going faster because it's fun and because there's a little bit of a competitive spirit in me that says I CAN a little faster. The difference is that when I get home I feel great if I've gone fast. BTW, I too start at about 10-12 mph but soon move up to 15-17 mph.

Lazyass

10mph on a flat road? I would be doing more coasting than pedaling. It would be a struggle to try to go that slow. If 14-15mph has your heart pounding then you need to ride harder to get in shape.

dippitydoo

Nah, I don't have flat roads where I am.

Lazyass

Where do you live? You have your location hidden.

Fiery

This. Get a bike that's more comfortable to ride slowly. No bike computers either.

bt

I just do what I want to.

It's easy.

hueyhoolihan

apparently this more common of a problem than i had thought. it's nice to know i'm in good company!

i recently suffered an excrutiating cycling related injury from over doing it and lack of recovery time and had to lay off riding completely for over a month. i resolved to take it easy on my return to regular riding, only to find that i was doing it again as soon as i resumed riding . before i re-injured myself i simply decided, because i was obviously unable to ride at a pace that was less than strenuous, to ride only every other day. so far this has worked. we'll see...

BTW, i can enjoy myself when riding slower with a slower rider. that's not a problem.