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Anybody else start out as a slow biker???
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 2009-09-16 9:12 AM |
Regular  73 |  Subject: Anybody else start out as a slow biker???I did a one sprint this summer on a mountain bike and loved it. Looking forward to working on swimming, biking, and running this winter and building a good base so that I can do several triathlons next year. Bought a road bike from my LBS and took it on my first "real ride." - Went 7.49 miles in 34 minutes (13.19 MPH). Does everyone start out this slow and build up?? IS it normal to start out this slow?? Thanks :-) |
| 2009-09-16 9:16 AM in reply to: #2409301 |
| Member 20 | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? I am pretty new to tris as well and am still pretty slow on the bike, but it seems like everyday is a new breakthrough in everything for me. I am now around 16 or 17mph average on a 20 mile ride and am steadily improving. It seems like i get faster every day. I am nowheres near an expert but thats just my .02 |
| 2009-09-16 9:16 AM in reply to: #2409301 |
Champion 14571    the alamo city, Texas | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? i was a 12-14 mph biker when i first bought my road bike last summer. i'm not much faster now, but i manage a 40k at 16.5 mph. i know i don't put in the time i need on the bike. it will come - your first ride ever being slow does not mean you are doomed to be slow forever!! |
| 2009-09-16 9:18 AM in reply to: #2409301 |
309 | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? LOL! I'm slow at everything!!! 12 miles takes me about 40 minutes. A 400 meter swim 15 min. and a 5k about 35 minutes! I used to be an overweight, couch potato, mom of 2. Now I am just a mom of 2! So I don't sweat it too much! |
| 2009-09-16 9:21 AM in reply to: #2409301 |
Veteran 318 Indianapolis | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? Oh yeah, I'm slow. Started slow and still am slow. This winter it's me and the trainer, lots. Keep riding, you will get faster! |
| 2009-09-16 9:24 AM in reply to: #2409301 |
Veteran 126 | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? Me! I'm feeling a little frustrated because I've been at this riding thing for 4 or 5 months now and while I saw improvements over the first few months, I now feel like I'm hitting a wall even though my cardio and strength in the other sports are good. Because of this, I don't ride as much as I should and because I don't ride as much as I should I stay slow. Viscous cycle. Part of my problem is that I'm terrified of cars still. I don't freak out on the road while I'm getting passed but I definitely stress about it. I live in the Blue Ridge so a lot of the roads around here are hilly, twisty, lacking shoulders. Great for advanced cyclists but not great for me. I'm hoping that getting a trainer will help. I figure I'll be a lot more likely to crank out the miles sitting in the safety of my living room and should build enough leg strength to have more confidence on the roads in the early spring. Edited by happyshoes 2009-09-16 9:27 AM |
| 2009-09-16 9:26 AM in reply to: #2409301 |
Expert 1007 Hattiesburg, Mississippi | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? I'm slow at everything, but the more I do it the faster I get... If I really want to! Last year I started on my bike with a 14 mph avg, can maintain 17 for shorter races and 15 - 16 for long rides. But I still do the 14 sometimes when riding with friends of just enjoying the country side. |
| 2009-09-16 9:36 AM in reply to: #2409301 |
Champion 10471 Dallas, TX | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? Dozier - 2009-09-16 9:12 AM I did a one sprint this summer on a mountain bike and loved it. Looking forward to working on swimming, biking, and running this winter and building a good base so that I can do several triathlons next year. Bought a road bike from my LBS and took it on my first "real ride." - Went 7.49 miles in 34 minutes (13.19 MPH). Does everyone start out this slow and build up?? IS it normal to start out this slow?? Thanks :-) Oh heck yeah... I was that pace when I started. In face, I recall a 12 mph average from my bike computer. Last night, I did a 30 mile ride with a 19.7 mph average.  You will get better with more riding. Getting comfortable on your bike helps as well. Just keep riding and it will all come together! Have fun on that new bike! |
| 2009-09-16 9:38 AM in reply to: #2409301 |
Resident Curmudgeon 25290 The Road Back Gold member | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? Maybe not that slow, but when I first started road cycling (2002) I was at 17mph or so, would routinely get dropped in group rides averaging well under 20mph. Really, it took me two years, 3-4K miles per year including maybe 8 or so centuries to get some strength and resulting speed. That's why I'm a huge proponent of "Ride Lots!" |
| 2009-09-16 9:39 AM in reply to: #2409301 |
Pro 6767 the Alabama part of Pennsylvania | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? "Slow" is in the eye of the beholder. When I was racing and training more consistently, I would hold an 20 mph pace for hours. Now in the hills of Pennsylvania, I am closer to 15 mph for most rides. When I ride with mrs gearboy, we are more likely to end up 10-12 mph. And when I rode with some friends who hadn't been on their bikes in years untill I fixed them up, we did around 7-8 mph on the flat neighborhood. For racing, obviously, 13-15 mph is relatively BOP. But T.I.T.S. will help. |
| 2009-09-16 9:44 AM in reply to: #2409301 |
Champion 5376 PA | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? You did mention mountain bike too. My first rides were on my mountain bike and were down in the 11-12 mph range. I switched to a road bike and that jumped to 14 mph. Riding that same course 3 months later I can hit 17mph. Still, most of my hilly routes still keep me under 16mph so where you ride and what you ride is definitely relevant. I got a trainer for the winter though. Hopefully I can pick up a few mph avg over the off season. |
| 2009-09-16 9:46 AM in reply to: #2409301 |
Expert 716 | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? My first tri, my avg was 14.8, later this season on my third tri, it was 17.8. So its improving, I agree with Dozier, is the biggest reason for it. |
| 2009-09-16 9:47 AM in reply to: #2409387 |
Regular 73 | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? Pector55 - 2009-09-16 10:44 AM You did mention mountain bike too. My first rides were on my mountain bike and were down in the 11-12 mph range. I switched to a road bike and that jumped to 14 mph. Riding that same course 3 months later I can hit 17mph. Still, most of my hilly routes still keep me under 16mph so where you ride and what you ride is definitely relevant. I got a trainer for the winter though. Hopefully I can pick up a few mph avg over the off season. Yeah, my mountain bike on the road average was usually 10-12. My road bike on the road average seems to be 13-14. Would really like to get up around 16 or 17 at least. Hopefully time in the trainer this winter will get me there. |
| 2009-09-16 9:54 AM in reply to: #2409301 |
Champion 19812 MA | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? My first tri I averaged 12.4 mph in a sprint. Now some 5 years later and over 14K miles I have averaged 19-20 mph in sprints and Olys. Ride lots and you will be faster! |
| 2009-09-16 10:05 AM in reply to: #2409301 |
Master 1927 Guilford, CT | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? I remember being in the 17-18 range for my first ride. It was cold in January and I only did 10-11 miles. FWIW, I used to play soccer years ago and had been lifting alot since college doing deadlifts/squats on occasion/leg presses and started doing spin classes for a couple months before I ever even road a bike. That probably helped a little. |
| 2009-09-16 10:14 AM in reply to: #2409301 |
Expert 1158 Chicagoland | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? I am in the 17 mph range, maybe slower. I think the advice, Ride Lots, is dead on as I have noticed when I hit the bike/trainer more often, the my speed definitely goes up and vice versa. |
| 2009-09-16 10:20 AM in reply to: #2409301 |
Elite 3315 Miami | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? Yup I did..... |
| 2009-09-16 10:27 AM in reply to: #2409301 |
Elite 5316 Alturas, California | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? My first 2800 ish miles on the bike = 16.2 mph average, my 2nd 2800 ish miles on the bike averaged 17.4 mph. That includes around an entire year of misc. trainer, outdoor short and long rides. For shorter rides I am just starting to pick up some speed, but I can not hold it for more than 30 miles. My first IM bike was 17.1 mph, my second HIM was 19 ish mph. I am hoping to make some decent gains this next year now that I have a bit of base built up. Edited by Baowolf 2009-09-16 10:28 AM |
| 2009-09-16 10:47 AM in reply to: #2409301 |
Master 1651 Breckenridge, CO | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? Dozier - 2009-09-16 8:12 AM Does everyone start out this slow and build up?? IS it normal to start out this slow?? Thanks :-) Not everyone but it is perfectly normal. The cycling ability of someone who hasn't trained on a bike is dependent on genes and how past activity has developed their leg muscles. |
| 2009-09-16 11:01 AM in reply to: #2409301 |
Expert 721 Chenequa WI | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? Dozier - 2009-09-16 9:12 AM Does everyone start out this slow and build up?? IS it normal to start out this slow?? Thanks :-) Perfectly normal to start relatively slow and, in fact, its to be expected. Join the club. Performance in cycling is driven by efficiency and that can only be learned by time in the saddle, good technique and conditioning. My advice is be patient, work hard, edcuate yourself or get a coach and go on group rides.
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| 2009-09-16 11:10 AM in reply to: #2409301 |
Expert 1118 , North Carolina | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? Oh, this thread is so encouranging! I'm still on my hybrid averaging 12.5 mph most of the time; although I can average up to 16.5 if it's real flat (and thankfully my last Tri was real flat!) Road bike shopping this weekend! I am SO hoping that a road bike will make at least a little difference. But ya'll are going to tell me it's the motor not the bike, right? At least I know there's hope... |
| 2009-09-16 12:01 PM in reply to: #2409593 |
Master 2638 | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? Absolutely! I started out on a mountain bike and was THRILLED to reach double digits (10 mph) for my average speed on a 10 mile course. Once DH bought me a tri-bike, I was dismayed to find that I wasn't much faster (13 mph) until a race. Race day had me at 15mph. Fast forward to the following year and I was holding 17mph in races. This year (year 3), I'm pushing 20 mph in a sprint using the same bike I got in year 1. I think that the time in the saddle and getting used to longer rides will increase your speed. My first year, a long ride was 20-30 miles. Last year, I broke 50 miles in 3-4 rides but did a lot of 40 milers. This year, I aimed to go 50+ miles at least 3x per month so I think that the longer rides have really helped my bike fitness. |
| 2009-09-16 12:01 PM in reply to: #2409301 |
Master 1920 Ann Arbor, MI | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? Dozier - 2009-09-16 10:12 AM I did a one sprint this summer on a mountain bike and loved it. Looking forward to working on swimming, biking, and running this winter and building a good base so that I can do several triathlons next year. Bought a road bike from my LBS and took it on my first "real ride." - Went 7.49 miles in 34 minutes (13.19 MPH). Does everyone start out this slow and build up?? IS it normal to start out this slow?? Thanks :-) I started on a mountain bike for a few rides and averaged 13mph. Then, got my first road bike and averaged 14-16 (even for my first sprint). That was in 2006. I just checked my logs, and my total average speed for training rides this year is well over 20mph. When I started, I never thought that was possible- but with a lot of hard work, and a lot of time on your bike- it is! |
| 2009-09-16 12:11 PM in reply to: #2409710 |
Champion 5376 PA | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? jazz82482 - 2009-09-16 1:01 PM Dozier - 2009-09-16 10:12 AM I did a one sprint this summer on a mountain bike and loved it. Looking forward to working on swimming, biking, and running this winter and building a good base so that I can do several triathlons next year. Bought a road bike from my LBS and took it on my first "real ride." - Went 7.49 miles in 34 minutes (13.19 MPH). Does everyone start out this slow and build up?? IS it normal to start out this slow?? Thanks :-) I started on a mountain bike for a few rides and averaged 13mph. Then, got my first road bike and averaged 14-16 (even for my first sprint). That was in 2006. I just checked my logs, and my total average speed for training rides this year is well over 20mph. When I started, I never thought that was possible- but with a lot of hard work, and a lot of time on your bike- it is! Thanks for posting that jazz... I know that's what I want to hear. I think the OP will be happy to read that as well. |
| 2009-09-16 12:11 PM in reply to: #2409593 |
Regular 73 | Subject: RE: Anybody else start out as a slow biker??? Thanks guys. This has been encouraging ... now I feel like there is hope with hard work. Last night I was super discouraged and felt as if I was forever destined to be DFL at biking. |
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