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How to increase Biking Speed?
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 2009-09-14 8:12 PM |
Veteran 142   South Jersey (Cherry Hill) |  Subject: How to increase Biking Speed?Is it the bike or the motor (i.e., the person riding the bike)? I have a cheap Wal-Mart Road bike and just 3 months of training on the bike. Could I pick up some speed with a more expensive road bike? |
| 2009-09-14 8:14 PM in reply to: #2406177 |
Champion 7233  | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? |
| 2009-09-14 8:15 PM in reply to: #2406177 |
Pro 5169 Burbs | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? Ride more. then, after that, ride some more ride flats, ride hills. keep riding oh, and then ride some more ! |
| 2009-09-14 8:35 PM in reply to: #2406177 |
Veteran 135 | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? I have a road bike from Wal-Mart as well. Saving to get a nicer Tri bike...someday. I ride with my running shoes since I don't have clipless but with the info on the fourms here and the research I have been gathering, I think I can gain some significant time with some decent clipless shoes...and oh, as was mentioned above...ride and ride and ride some more. Ultimately, it's the motor...not the ride as I am discovering as well. Edited by TexasHeatRunner 2009-09-14 8:37 PM |
| 2009-09-14 8:38 PM in reply to: #2406177 |
Pro 4828 The Land of Ice and Snow | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? Ride. Lots. |
| 2009-09-14 8:38 PM in reply to: #2406177 |
Master 1472 | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? Motor... I am not sure at what point riding lots starts to have some diminishing returns, but I am still riding my $700 Motobecane and still making gains, and really I am not putting in the mileage needed to get me to that point either. Ride the bike you have as long as it fits, and ride it lots! |
| 2009-09-14 8:39 PM in reply to: #2406177 |
| Master 2460 | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? 98%+ motor. You will likely gain no immediate speed benefit from a new road bike. (Although the effect of wanting to train more on a blingy bike is not to be underestimated.) |
| 2009-09-14 8:41 PM in reply to: #2406177 |
Champion 7136 Knoxville area | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? think of it like a car... yeah maybe a corvette's body is more aerodynamic than a suburbans, but most of the power is under the hood. Ride on, and enjoy the gains. |
| 2009-09-14 8:44 PM in reply to: #2406177 |
Champion 5376 PA | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? |
| 2009-09-14 8:45 PM in reply to: #2406177 |
Champion 7233 | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? SCD44 - 2009-09-14 7:12 PM Is it the bike or the motor (i.e., the person riding the bike)? I have a cheap Wal-Mart Road bike and just 3 months of training on the bike. Could I pick up some speed with a more expensive road bike? at this point what you need to do is look at how much time per week you realistically have to train the bike. that will give you a pretty good answer of where to focus your time. if we know that i am sure a few of us could point you in the right direction workout wise. |
 2009-09-14 8:55 PM in reply to: #2406177 |
| Subject: ... This user's post has been ignored. Edited by PennState 2009-09-14 8:56 PM |
| 2009-09-15 8:15 AM in reply to: #2406183 |
| Expert 716 | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? trishie - 2009-09-14 9:15 PM Ride more. then, after that, ride some more ride flats, ride hills. keep riding oh, and then ride some more ! And when you think you done, ride some more. |
| 2009-09-15 8:24 AM in reply to: #2406177 |
| Master 1402 Cumming, Georgia | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? Ride ride ride. Ride with people that are faster than you and try to keep up for as long as possible. When you ride alone remind yourself that you want to get faster and push a little longer when your legs start to burn. Set a reasonable goal and try to reach it. Oh yes, did I mention ride! |
| 2009-09-15 8:38 AM in reply to: #2406177 |
| Elite 3315 Miami | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? if you are riding 2 times a week ride 3, if 3 ride 4.... you get the idea....ride alot....try to ride little faster for shorter distances until you get little winded then slow down, ride in a big fast group....etc. |
| 2009-09-15 9:08 AM in reply to: #2406177 |
| Master 1572 PA | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? SCD44 - 2009-09-14 9:12 PM Is it the bike or the motor (i.e., the person riding the bike)? I have a cheap Wal-Mart Road bike and just 3 months of training on the bike. Could I pick up some speed with a more expensive road bike? I agree w/ everyone that it is indeed the engine. The missing piece for me was that i didn't like my road bike. Now I have a bike I like. I don't know if it's fit, if it's that it is a nicer bike, all I know is having a bike you hate vs. a bike you like made a big difference for me in my willingness to go ride. |
| 2009-09-15 9:16 AM in reply to: #2406946 |
Champion 10021 , Minnesota Bronze member | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? Riding more will make the biggest gain. However, a nicer bike will also help. But if you're looking to add some speed with a strategic purchase, buy clip-on aerobars. I swear I added 2 mph to my average on the day I installed my Profile Design Century bars. For $60 bucks it was a gain that would have taken me a long time to realize just through training. |
| 2009-09-15 9:28 AM in reply to: #2406177 |
| Master 1651 Breckenridge, CO | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? SCD44 - 2009-09-14 7:12 PM Is it the bike or the motor (i.e., the person riding the bike)? I have a cheap Wal-Mart Road bike and just 3 months of training on the bike. Could I pick up some speed with a more expensive road bike? I agree that it's by far mostly the engine. But, get yourself another bike... IMO, having a bike that you love is a big part of the motivation that you need to train the engine. I think you've done it just right. The "cheap Wal-Mart Road bike" is perfect for determining whether cycling is something you enjoy and want to pursue. IMO, once you've determined that, you should move to a better bike ASAP for lots of reasons beyond just getting some instant speed (which you *will* get). IMO, a lightly used aluminum frame with 105s is perfect for most beginning riders. If you shop around you can probably get one for around $500. (Make 100% sure that you know how many miles it has and especially that it's the right frame size for you.) The difference between that bike and your Walmart bike will be enormous. I bought my wife a Specialzed w/aluminum frame with some carbon, and an Ultegra/Dura Ace mix with only 150 miles on it for $900 on ebay. It made all the difference in the world in her enjoyment of riding and ability to improve her engine. |
| 2009-09-15 9:31 AM in reply to: #2406247 |
Champion 6540 South Jersey Gold member | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? Make sure you have a proper bike fit. Then, ride lots |
. Good luck!| 2009-09-15 9:39 AM in reply to: #2406995 |
| Expert 1099 Broadlands | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? breckview - 2009-09-15 3:28 PM SCD44 - 2009-09-14 7:12 PM Is it the bike or the motor (i.e., the person riding the bike)? I have a cheap Wal-Mart Road bike and just 3 months of training on the bike. Could I pick up some speed with a more expensive road bike? I agree that it's by far mostly the engine. But, get yourself another bike... IMO, having a bike that you love is a big part of the motivation that you need to train the engine. I think you've done it just right. The "cheap Wal-Mart Road bike" is perfect for determining whether cycling is something you enjoy and want to pursue. IMO, once you've determined that, you should move to a better bike ASAP for lots of reasons beyond just getting some instant speed (which you *will* get). IMO, a lightly used aluminum frame with 105s is perfect for most beginning riders. If you shop around you can probably get one for around $500. (Make 100% sure that you know how many miles it has and especially that it's the right frame size for you.) The difference between that bike and your Walmart bike will be enormous. I bought my wife a Specialzed w/aluminum frame with some carbon, and an Ultegra/Dura Ace mix with only 150 miles on it for $900 on ebay. It made all the difference in the world in her enjoyment of riding and ability to improve her engine.x2.. yeah, it's the engine that does the work and will provide the bigger gains from improving, but having a bike that you actually look at and feel the urge to jump on and ride makes a huge difference, everyone is telling you to ride, ride and ride again, well, having that bike you longed for certainly helps. at least, it did for me :-) |
| 2009-09-15 9:44 AM in reply to: #2406995 |
| Master 1927 Guilford, CT | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? breckview - 2009-09-15 9:28 AM SCD44 - 2009-09-14 7:12 PM Is it the bike or the motor (i.e., the person riding the bike)? I have a cheap Wal-Mart Road bike and just 3 months of training on the bike. Could I pick up some speed with a more expensive road bike? I agree that it's by far mostly the engine. But, get yourself another bike... IMO, having a bike that you love is a big part of the motivation that you need to train the engine. I think you've done it just right. The "cheap Wal-Mart Road bike" is perfect for determining whether cycling is something you enjoy and want to pursue. IMO, once you've determined that, you should move to a better bike ASAP for lots of reasons beyond just getting some instant speed (which you *will* get). IMO, a lightly used aluminum frame with 105s is perfect for most beginning riders. If you shop around you can probably get one for around $500. (Make 100% sure that you know how many miles it has and especially that it's the right frame size for you.) The difference between that bike and your Walmart bike will be enormous. I bought my wife a Specialzed w/aluminum frame with some carbon, and an Ultegra/Dura Ace mix with only 150 miles on it for $900 on ebay. It made all the difference in the world in her enjoyment of riding and ability to improve her engine.I agree. The engine part is obvious, but having a decent bike is important. No need to drop 2K+. Take breckview's advice to heart. Going from crap bike to decent bike will yield more noticable gains then going from a decent bike to a high end bike IMO. While agreeing that the engine is the most important, I would not have put as big of a discount on the proportion your bike contributes to your results in this equation (both in will to ride and practical performance) since you seemingly have a really low end bike. Get a decent bike and ride smart with the time you have and you'll most likely notice signifcant gains... |
| 2009-09-15 9:53 AM in reply to: #2406995 |
| Veteran 152 | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? breckview - 2009-09-15 10:28 AM SCD44 - 2009-09-14 7:12 PM Is it the bike or the motor (i.e., the person riding the bike)? I have a cheap Wal-Mart Road bike and just 3 months of training on the bike. Could I pick up some speed with a more expensive road bike? I agree that it's by far mostly the engine. But, get yourself another bike... IMO, having a bike that you love is a big part of the motivation that you need to train the engine. I think you've done it just right. The "cheap Wal-Mart Road bike" is perfect for determining whether cycling is something you enjoy and want to pursue. IMO, once you've determined that, you should move to a better bike ASAP for lots of reasons beyond just getting some instant speed (which you *will* get). IMO, a lightly used aluminum frame with 105s is perfect for most beginning riders. If you shop around you can probably get one for around $500. (Make 100% sure that you know how many miles it has and especially that it's the right frame size for you.) The difference between that bike and your Walmart bike will be enormous. I bought my wife a Specialzed w/aluminum frame with some carbon, and an Ultegra/Dura Ace mix with only 150 miles on it for $900 on ebay. It made all the difference in the world in her enjoyment of riding and ability to improve her engine.I totally agree with this, a better bike was my initial motivation, then I rode with people who were faster than me all the time. When they were no longer fast enough, I found a faster group. If you are not getting dropped sometimes on group rides, they are likely not fast enough. Lots of deals on great bikes btwn $500 and $1000 on ebay and craigs list. Just make sure you are in the ball park on frame size for the fit Oh yeah..... ride a lot, ride fast and ride hard  |
| 2009-09-15 10:24 AM in reply to: #2406177 |
| Extreme Veteran 451 Stoughton, WI | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? As someone who is also riding a walmart road bike (Denali), I have opinions too! First, I'm on a budget, so I can't afford a better bike right now. Whenever I go to the bike shop, I look at the entry level carbon fiber road bikes, which are 800-900 bucks. Second, my bike weights 29#, plus whatever I have in the bag, and the water bottles. A lighter bike will definitely help you. Third, if you can't afford a new bike, try some small improvements, like clipless peddles. I just installed mine, and haven't really been able to assess them yet, but people tell me I'll be more efficient and a little bit faster. We'll see. |
| 2009-09-15 10:30 AM in reply to: #2406177 |
| 286 | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? Just a word of caution on the riding more advice, make sure you don't do too much too fast, and I'd also recommend stretching the calves, quads, hips, and maybe some foam rolling for the IT band. I leaned this the hard way. |
| 2009-09-15 10:41 AM in reply to: #2407147 |
| Champion 5376 PA | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? rcav8r - 2009-09-15 11:24 AM As someone who is also riding a walmart road bike (Denali), I have opinions too! First, I'm on a budget, so I can't afford a better bike right now. Whenever I go to the bike shop, I look at the entry level carbon fiber road bikes, which are 800-900 bucks. Second, my bike weights 29#, plus whatever I have in the bag, and the water bottles. A lighter bike will definitely help you. Third, if you can't afford a new bike, try some small improvements, like clipless peddles. I just installed mine, and haven't really been able to assess them yet, but people tell me I'll be more efficient and a little bit faster. We'll see. How much difference in weight is there from an aluminum frame 700c and a carbon fiber road bike? I can afford a more expensive bike but I think I can lose more weight off my butt than I can buy buying a bike.  (I have no idea on the bike weights though)Instead, I'm like you and put my money into clipless peddles and shoes. I clipped on aerobars and conditioned myself to keep my big frame from being a parachute. I'm dropping some more cash on a trainer to get more training time in and hopefully continue to lighten things up over the winter. I'm a "bang for the buck" kinda guy. Edited by Pector55 2009-09-15 10:43 AM |
| 2009-09-15 10:42 AM in reply to: #2406177 |
| Veteran 178 | Subject: RE: How to increase Biking Speed? easiest way to get your average up would be to just ride downhill... |
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