Cycling UK Forum

Distance isn't everything, enjoying your riding is the main thing

My philosophy , too. At my age and my recent medical history, every mile us a bonus. Although I still have targets, albeit modest ones, I do support those who strive for greater things. Good luck to them.

I record rides in hours rather than miles to take account of offroad mileage ,then use 14mph as an average multiplier.275hrs so far,so 3850mls give or take.Unfortunately off the bike for an indeterminant period due to compressed femoral nerve so that will be it for this year.

November has been largely windy and wet here so a couple of rides abandoned and a few shortened. Still managed 909 for the month giving a total of 9839 for the year so far.

cyclop wrote:I record rides in hours rather than miles to take account of offroad mileage ,then use 14mph as an average multiplier.275hrs so far,so 3850mls give or take.Unfortunately off the bike for an indeterminant period due to compressed femoral nerve so that will be it for this year.

That's a good average speed if offroad cycling is included. My average speed is about 10.7mph on/off road, but I'm not the fastest of cyclists. I haven't been far this year - almost 2,500miles this year, which is lower than my target of 3000miles/year. However not all my cycling is just for cycling's sake.

cyclop wrote:I record rides in hours rather than miles to take account of offroad mileage ,then use 14mph as an average multiplier.275hrs so far,so 3850mls give or take.Unfortunately off the bike for an indeterminant period due to compressed femoral nerve so that will be it for this year.

Not doubting you but curious where the 14mph came from?

My target is 100 miles every month, managed it so far but have December's to fit in, kids are in school for three more weeks so hoping to get it done by then as there'll be no room to take my bike back to my parents for Christmas and don't think anyone is getting me one. Tomorrow looks like the weather will be ok so will try to get half or more done then keep an eye on the weather and do the other half as soon as possible. I play rugby on weekends so have a bit of a sore knee from that and am now worried I'll get a proper injury to prevent me finishing the last few miles.

I try to fit in with the rest of my life 70 miles per week, some weeks its 40 miles and other weeks 90 miles all done at a average speed of just over 10 mph, no matter where I go up the hills, mountains to the moors or down to the flat lands my average speed stays the same!
I am a full time care giver and cycling is the only thing I have found that busts the stress and blows the cobwebs, worries away.
I cant remember where i heard it but someone once said ' its the smiles not the miles that count'
Pat

foxyrider wrote:

cyclop wrote:I record rides in hours rather than miles to take account of offroad mileage ,then use 14mph as an average multiplier.275hrs so far,so 3850mls give or take.Unfortunately off the bike for an indeterminant period due to compressed femoral nerve so that will be it for this year.

Not doubting you but curious where the 14mph came from?

"Funny" thing averages.
If I travel a distance of 2 miles with the first mile at 10mph and the second at 20mph the average won't be 15mph.
I cover the first mile in 6 minutes and the second in 3 minutes giving a total time of 9 minutes.
Travelling 2 miles in 9 minutes gives a speed of 13.3mph. Travelling at 15mph would take 8 minutes.

In other words if you want a higher average speed, you need to travel faster on the slower bits rather than travel faster on the faster bits!

MikeF wrote:

foxyrider wrote:

cyclop wrote:I record rides in hours rather than miles to take account of offroad mileage ,then use 14mph as an average multiplier.275hrs so far,so 3850mls give or take.Unfortunately off the bike for an indeterminant period due to compressed femoral nerve so that will be it for this year.

Not doubting you but curious where the 14mph came from?

"Funny" thing averages.
If I travel a distance of 2 miles with the first mile at 10mph and the second at 20mph the average won't be 15mph.
I cover the first mile in 6 minutes and the second in 3 minutes giving a total time of 9 minutes.
Travelling 2 miles in 9 minutes gives a speed of 13.3mph. Travelling at 15mph would take 8 minutes.

In other words if you want a higher average speed, you need to travel faster on the slower bits rather than travel faster on the faster bits!

Or a lot faster on the fast bits! My 128km of on road today averaged at 22kph, but ranged from under 10kph uphill to @45 on the flat. Ride time was @ five and a half hours so I wasn't exactly hanging about for most of the ride so 14mph just seems very fast for offroad riding.

MikeF wrote:

foxyrider wrote:

cyclop wrote:I record rides in hours rather than miles to take account of offroad mileage ,then use 14mph as an average multiplier.275hrs so far,so 3850mls give or take.Unfortunately off the bike for an indeterminant period due to compressed femoral nerve so that will be it for this year.

Not doubting you but curious where the 14mph came from?

"Funny" thing averages.
If I travel a distance of 2 miles with the first mile at 10mph and the second at 20mph the average won't be 15mph.
I cover the first mile in 6 minutes and the second in 3 minutes giving a total time of 9 minutes.
Travelling 2 miles in 9 minutes gives a speed of 13.3mph. Travelling at 15mph would take 8 minutes.

In other words if you want a higher average speed, you need to travel faster on the slower bits rather than travel faster on the faster bits!

Average speed is actually very simple. If you have three people who are 18, 22 and 35 their average age is (18+22+35)/3 = 25. This is obvious as it's clear what the 'unit' you need to divide by is, the number of people.
If you ride for 5 miles at a constant 20 mph into a headwind and then turn and ride 5 miles back at 30 mph hour then it would appear to be an average of (20+30)/2 = 25 mph, but it isn't. That's because the 'unit' is not the distance but the time you spent doing each speed.
5 miles @ 20 mph takes 15 minutes so 5 mins @ 20 mph then 5 mins at 20 mph and another 5 mins @ 20 mph. 5 miles @ 30 mph takes 10 minutes. The total time is 25 minutes or five units of 5.
Taking the unit to be 5 minutes then the average is (20+20+20+30+30)/5= 24 mph.
10 miles at a constant 24mph is (10/24) = 0.4166 hours or 25 minutes.

foxyrider wrote:

MikeF wrote:

foxyrider wrote:
Not doubting you but curious where the 14mph came from?

"Funny" thing averages.
If I travel a distance of 2 miles with the first mile at 10mph and the second at 20mph the average won't be 15mph.
I cover the first mile in 6 minutes and the second in 3 minutes giving a total time of 9 minutes.
Travelling 2 miles in 9 minutes gives a speed of 13.3mph. Travelling at 15mph would take 8 minutes.

In other words if you want a higher average speed, you need to travel faster on the slower bits rather than travel faster on the faster bits!

Or a lot faster on the fast bits! My 128km of on road today averaged at 22kph, but ranged from under 10kph uphill to @45 on the flat. Ride time was @ five and a half hours so I wasn't exactly hanging about for most of the ride so 14mph just seems very fast for offroad riding.

Indeed. There is a point at which infinite speed on the the faster bits will not raise your average speed above a certain figure eg if you travel 2 miles with the first mile at 10mph which will take 6 minutes, then to travel 2 miles has to take at least 6 minutes. 2 miles in 6 minutes is 20 mph. That is the maximum the average speed can be even travelling the last mile faster than the speed of light. To increase the average the speed of the first mile must be increased. It's how fast the slow bits are travelled that has by far the greatest impact on average speed.

whoof wrote:

MikeF wrote:

foxyrider wrote:
Not doubting you but curious where the 14mph came from?

"Funny" thing averages.
If I travel a distance of 2 miles with the first mile at 10mph and the second at 20mph the average won't be 15mph.
I cover the first mile in 6 minutes and the second in 3 minutes giving a total time of 9 minutes.
Travelling 2 miles in 9 minutes gives a speed of 13.3mph. Travelling at 15mph would take 8 minutes.

In other words if you want a higher average speed, you need to travel faster on the slower bits rather than travel faster on the faster bits!

Average speed is actually very simple. If you have three people who are 18, 22 and 35 their average age is (18+22+35)/3 = 25. This is obvious as it's clear what the 'unit' you need to divide by is, the number of people.
If you ride for 5 miles at a constant 20 mph into a headwind and then turn and ride 5 miles back at 30 mph hour then it would appear to be an average of (20+30)/2 = 25 mph, but it isn't. That's because the 'unit' is not the distance but the time you spent doing each speed.
5 miles @ 20 mph takes 15 minutes so 5 mins @ 20 mph then 5 mins at 20 mph and another 5 mins @ 20 mph. 5 miles @ 30 mph takes 10 minutes. The total time is 25 minutes or five units of 5.
Taking the unit to be 5 minutes then the average is (20+20+20+30+30)/5= 24 mph.
10 miles at a constant 24mph is (10/24) = 0.4166 hours or 25 minutes.

Indeed. My example showed that.

MikeF wrote:

whoof wrote:

MikeF wrote:"Funny" thing averages.
If I travel a distance of 2 miles with the first mile at 10mph and the second at 20mph the average won't be 15mph.
I cover the first mile in 6 minutes and the second in 3 minutes giving a total time of 9 minutes.
Travelling 2 miles in 9 minutes gives a speed of 13.3mph. Travelling at 15mph would take 8 minutes.

In other words if you want a higher average speed, you need to travel faster on the slower bits rather than travel faster on the faster bits!

Average speed is actually very simple. If you have three people who are 18, 22 and 35 their average age is (18+22+35)/3 = 25. This is obvious as it's clear what the 'unit' you need to divide by is, the number of people.
If you ride for 5 miles at a constant 20 mph into a headwind and then turn and ride 5 miles back at 30 mph hour then it would appear to be an average of (20+30)/2 = 25 mph, but it isn't. That's because the 'unit' is not the distance but the time you spent doing each speed.
5 miles @ 20 mph takes 15 minutes so 5 mins @ 20 mph then 5 mins at 20 mph and another 5 mins @ 20 mph. 5 miles @ 30 mph takes 10 minutes. The total time is 25 minutes or five units of 5.
Taking the unit to be 5 minutes then the average is (20+20+20+30+30)/5= 24 mph.
10 miles at a constant 24mph is (10/24) = 0.4166 hours or 25 minutes.

Indeed. My example showed that.

Yes,but failed to explain why

It took me a while to work out too. I could not understand how I could chug up hills at 4 mph and go down the other side at 40 and not get a higher average speed than the average tour de France rider.

Seems a convoluted way of calculating speed. Speed is simply distance/time. 10/25 = 0.4mpm = 24mph.

Unless in my advancing years I have missed something else you were demonstrating. If so, my apologies.