Ride non complicated routes without many junctions, sharp turns, steep climbs, bad or narrow roads, technical descents etc. You'll get great average speed without much effort and very boring ride as a bonus.
Speed is a function of terrain and stop signs. I am much faster on long straight roads without stop signs and lights than on my local neighborhood circuit.
Been road biking 3 months now after mountain biking for a few years (and still doing mtb btw!) Rode 100km today and averaged 19mph..Happy with that..I feel mtb and road compliment each other
This is a tip I found worked for me when I was starting. My first set of gears came with 50.34 at the front and 11-34 at the back. When I got the money, I upgraded to a 52.36 and 11-32. If you aim to match your initial average cadence, your new average speed will obviously go up. I then moved to an 11-28 cassette quite recently, and there was an even bigger jump in average speed. There is a bit of getting used to the new power requirement, but it passes after a two-three weeks. So at 60RPM my lowest gear at the start would produce 8km/h. and in the most recent setup, 60RPM in the lowest gear produces 10km/h. the difference amplifies up through the gears, it doesn't remain at 2km/h. This is obviously very specific to individual capability, but it is still something to consider.
Started cycling just about two months ago, found a friend to ride with. So far with 1-2 rides/week we managed to increase our route distance from about 45km to over 60km and our average speed from about 25 km/h to 27.5 km/h. Pretty proud of ourselves so far, and with those tips I hope we can manage to get closer to about 30km/h in the future.
I found my average speed increased significantly when I slowed down. Lowering my heart rate from peaking >180 to 165-175 increased my average speed significantly. Any info on heart rate and training would be awesome
Best way to add speed? Get an indoor trainer. I got a Wahoo Kickr Core 4 weeks ago and my cycling aerobic fitness and power has literally skyrocketed doing the Zwift 4 Week FTP Booster series. It's something I'd never be able to achieve riding outdoors where I'm constantly stopping for stop lights, stop signs, cars, etc. Indoor training is the only way to truly have a structured and 100% effective workout routine.
Started road cycling a year ago and I am absolutely loving it. Back then I averaged 27 km/h on a 30k ride. Currently I am averaging 31 km/h on a 50k ride. This increase came from plain old flattening it each ride. Partly thanks to your inspirational videos I have decided to dedicate myself completely to road cycling and I’ve set the bar to reach 38 km/h on average. For this I am going to invest in a power meter, perform fitness drills in the gym, commit to TrainingPeaks sessions, focus on healthy nutritions and most importantly quit smoking (I know a no-brainer).
I'm 63 years old, 240 pounds, at 6'-3". I've been road cycling for 6 me months. I do try to improve my avg speed. My best for 10 miles is 14 mph, over 25 miles I do 12.5 mph. As I loose weight and get fitter, I will use your tips to improve avg speed.
I generally enjoy the GCN videos but this one was rather information-free. Having said that, I'll throw in my two cents. As an large (76" (1.93m) and 220lb (100Kg)) ultra rider, my strategy is to go very easy on the climbs and make up on the downhills and flats. Yes, this means that many people will blow by me on the climbs but I frequently see them again later (often, much later when they bonk) on the ride. Historical data suggests that this is an better strategy for higher average speed than hitting the tops of the climbs hard. Over an ultra, my experience is that strategy "burns too many matches" and it catches up with me eventually. In the Total 200 this last weekend, several people passed me on the climbs for the first 50 miles but eventually I passed them on the flats and never saw them again, and I was the first 200 mile rider to finish. In this strategy, I try to maintain "constant effort" - or something relatively close to it, rather than "constant speed." That means if I average 180W overall, I don't want to ever exceed 220W-250W on the climbs. At any rate, it seems to work for me.
That makes total sense for an ultra. You risk cramping up too if you’re not prepared for that pace. Of course it probably depends on how much you’re drafting in that particular race. Losing a group will also slow you down overall if they regroup over the hill without you, but it sounds like you did well regardless! Also, I the tips on mixing it up still apply. If you train to go hard up and over the hill, it will be that much easier to take it easy and cautiously in the race. I know when I was running I would trade back and forth with the bigger runners - beating them uphill and vice versa on the down, but eventually my lighter weight would win out as I’d save more energy overall. Theoretically, the person going faster up hills will be faster overall because everyone spends more time on the uphill, however, the challenge for lighter people is staying with the group on the flats and downhill. Once you lose contact your done, you just don’t have the same momentum. But it’s not all about weight either. A good descender use’s good aerodynamics and curve skills to overcome their weight weakness.
Here is some advice to improve your average for free when commuting. Re-plan your route with less traffic lights and places your likely to stop and look when crossing, i did this with my commute to work and reduced the time it took to get there even tho the journey distance increased by 2 miles.
@@DancingDeity i think what he meant was for average leisure riders who’s goal is to increase a little bit of speed but not aiming for elite fitness like olympic riders
GCN has done several videos about getting faster. This is the video that talks to me. Great tips for the average rider. Far and away the best of this series of GCN videos.
*bike computer;* Normal ride: you are doing 30KM/H average! It's better than last time! Late to work: FUCKN STOP YOU ARE GOING TO BREAK YOUR CHAIN (sets a land speed record)
My ride to work was flagged in Strava, but it seemed as it was auto flagged every time I reached 33,5km/h - it pissed me off. So on a clear Saturday morning, with 4m/s tail wind, I went to WORK, managed 41km/h avg on a short 10km ride through traffic. And well I haven't participated in a single bicycle race ever, this was probably my race mode.
I am working on dropping weight to gain speed. My endurance is good, my last ride was. Weight 240 (109 Kg) Average Altitude 5120 ft (476 meters) Average Speed 15.8 mph (25.43 kph) Total Distance 40.03 Miles (64.42 km) My goal is to get down to 210-215 (95-98 kg), and get my average speed over 20 by May! Lots of endurance work, some strength training, but I think the weight loss will be the most helpful.
I’m not even into fitness. The gym, etc. I have a bike, and time after quitting alcohol (alcoholic for 10 years). I’m a 29 year old woman, and I want to bounce back into shape. So I found a good trail, where my 9 year old has to keep taking breaks the way up. But I’ll wait... my legs since yesterday are still sore! But biking is free, and enjoyable on trails!
I think you guys made some good points which i agree also.. Last week i hit 25km flat distance on 46 km/h average speed, that is my personal best record until now.. And hit 40 km in an hour, which made my average speed 40km/h during full ride.. I avoid climb track and hit on a long straight road almost all the run.. I rest 2-3 days before hit my personal best, it makes me fresher.. Find your right gear set up, that is also correct, since my legs are not so powerful, i choose using small gear at front and small gear at rear (switching between 1-2), which for me use less power and save my energy for long run.. Which i could cadence constantly in between 70-90 rpm during an hour without fatigue, after that always slowing down since i’m not pro cyclist.. My top speed may not be so high, but never get too slow either.. Ride at night is best, because no heat that absorbs your energy like morning or noon ride, and the wind is likely doesn’t appear at night ride.. I did only 4-5 times 30 second sprint during that ride.. I watch some of GCN videos in order to learn road biking, and i’m thankful for you guys, keep making videos guys..
Only just got into cycling myself and I am doing as a way of getting to and from work. First ride in November last year I averaged around 13km/hr and I was dead after it. Now I am averaging around 22km/hr and climbing :D average speed is always a benchmark for me and also heart rate (being unfit mine sits super high)
I liked it. Noticed a significant change by doing the following things. 0. Break from continuous riding and catching up with sleep. 1. Lighter meal before ride. 2. Aerobar and drop bar positions during headwinds. 3. Pacing/intervals wherever possible. 4. Electrolyte and hydration during regular intervals. My avg. went up from 23kmph for 65km ride to 23.4kmph over 71km range with an elevation at 1300ft and headwind at 30kmph!
I use average speed as a metric to compare rides I have done over the years to see my progression. If I’m really trying I’ll go for a TT position and go for a slightly slower cadence that really lets me get in the groove.
Maybe it was in the video and I missed it, but I would add that judicious use of the gears is very important as well. I have become more sensitive to when my legs are telling me it's time to gear down, and try not be a "hero" by holding the higher gears longer than I should on inclines. Great video!
Been trying to crack 20mph (32.18kph) on my local short course after work route for months now. Can't quite do it - its 23 miles, 1300 feet of climbing. The closest I've gotten is 19.8mph Usually, I have to fight a head wind on the return. When I made 19.8mph - it was a dead calm day with no traffic due to COVID lockdown.
My tip for average speed is to not try to maintain it throughout the ride, some sections that are slightly uphill will drain all your energy if you try and keep your speed at your target average, dropping it by 1mph along these sections and not worrying about it makes a big difference later on. That same watt increase will allow you to go 3mph faster on the flats so just save your energy.
ride to average power created good average speed. 1-2hrs@high tempo zone= fast. 2-3hrs@low tempo zone=fast. 4-6hrs@high endurance=fast. manage watts on climbs and keep pedalling on descents.
Aiming for 37-40km/h and is doing it pretty good. But I am also driving a Velomobile. Maybe you can do a show in one, I always wanted to see a fit cyclist try it out. And compare the data to their normal efforts on the road bike
From my experience, can tell that number of stops (heavy traffic, red lights, pedestrian crossings, some construction sites, etc) have HUGE negative impact on avg speeds. This season I got upgrade with wheelset and tires, and I can feel real benefit on flat (high speed with less rolling resistance) but in meantime my usual route got some new complicated traffic zones, where I need to slow/stop... In fact, that's probably refer to Strava algorithms- time when "auto-pause" option is activate after spot, and similar...
I try to average 15 mph if I can anything above is a bonus. I'm not racing so I don't worry too much about it. It's always too windy in the uk anyway. I dud manage 16.2 mph for the Velo Birmingham and midlands ride but that was on closed roads with nothing to hold you back except other cyclists plus the weather conditions were favourable on that day relatively warm and no head wind. I did hold back on the second half of the ride as I had to cycle 21 miles home after doing a 100 miles for the Velo. If I'd have had transport to get home I would have pushed harder.
we used to ave to ride over 70 miles of cobbles on wheels with solid tyres up a 21% gradient just to get to school. And the same on the way back. And you try telling that to the kids these days.
I’m on a Kona Rove St 35 mm tires 48 chainring and flat pedals. Bike weight is 26 pounds and I weigh 206 pounds. Solo rides I can average 27-28 kph. When in a group ride trying to stay with the roadies I can get up too 30-31 kph.
7 weeks into my way back to shape (after 20 yrs on my arse in a cab)... increased my average from 24.5 to 27 km/h by now ... doing intervals on 1 ride pr week and higher cadence throughout on 2nd ride of the week... running/jogging 3 times a week 5 km pr run and then doing some strenght workouts in the morning each day.. saturday/sunday off days... seems to work for me :) watching GCn and Triathlon Taren for train tips is always good :)
How I get out of a plateau of always averaging around 30 km/h : riding with a group. It forced me to push harder than what I thought was possible and showed me the pace I was supposed to have. Within the group I was able to average 40 km/h or close then by myself 35 km/h over ~70km.
Avoid places infested by traffic lights (because you do have to stop when you have red). Especially, avoid that crossroad around here where you can arrive, lock up your bike, have a coffee and still have time to get apocalyptically annoyed because it's still bloody red.
Good use of gearing has a huge impact on average speed. Once I get in mid-season fitness I go for it by pushing hard enough to keep my cadence and momentum up while in slightly larger gears and avoid going into the lowest gears on hills. On rides when I'm not interested in a fast average speed I just drop the gears on hills. It's easier but I'm going slower. It seems rather simple but to have a faster average speed just have more effort to prevent the need to drop down to lower gears. Oh yeah, also have routes that are more uphill and/or into the wind in the first half of the ride when you are fresh and more downhills and/or tailwinds on the second half when you are a bit tired. You will also be able to push the last 10 km because psychologically you know that you don't need to save anything anymore.
This video really helped me out! Hopefully I will get better soon and people won't bully me and criticize me anymore for being a 'horrible' biker. I had to put up with bullying everyday and it's making me depressed. btw I subscribed.
Thats true :) and also if you ride in a group, the best spot would be in the middle, not the furthest back nor the 2nd to 4th position, so you would face the least wind.
Another idea is fill an old water bottle in the 2nd cage with weight (sand / water / lead!) and get used to the extra weight - try and maintain your normal speed / training. It’s a stealth way of getting stronger.....
I can average 25kph on long 100km+ rides, including hills. It would be great to get that nearer 30kph. Thanks for the helpful advice. Am going to try more intervals.
Pushing it to 30kph is quite hard. That speed requires around 160-180W (depending on your size and gear) without taking wind into account. Not a power everyone can hold for so long. To motivate you, I pushed myself during last three months from 22kph on 100km ride to 25kph on 300km solo ride doing 4-5 1.5h long rides every week. And I slacked some weeks as well. But as they said in the video, I do variety of efforts, ranging from short KOM sprints (around 1 min) to hours long climbing rides. So their method really works!
I am at a quite similar stage :) Did a 27kph average on a 200km ride with ~1000m elevation... On short rides ~90min I can average 31.4kph but I always have power left.. Even after the 200km ride I had some left.... How do I manage to go faster without overdoing it and falling off the bike 40% into the planned ride 🤔
At 60+ old, I can do solo centuries at 23 kph, general solo rides are 27ish, and mass rides for a century I have done 32. So, get your average up by rising big events on closed roads 😊 Or just train harder!
I have been cycling for almost 6 months now, getting ready for triathlon, and I believe my average speed went from 23km/hr for a distance of 50km up to 32km/hr for the same distance, those 32km/hr do come from many factors, better bike (went from a regular commuting bike to a road bike) running in general has helped a lot, also strengthening sessions, and long rides, though I don’t do more than 2 cycling sessions per week.
I remember when i first started cycling i would always go down decents as fast as possible. I would always wind myself and burn too many matches. Now i just enjoy my decents to recover. And believe it or not, the decents last longer that way. 😅 On a solo ride i average around 20-20.5 In groups we get around 22.5
I remember when I was a runner, and obsessed with lowering the minute / miles. It became increasingly difficult to lose 5 seconds a mile. I'd love to reach better numbers on a bike, but I'm happy with Strava targets. I seem to get some PBs every ride. That's enough for me at the moment. Also I tend to average a greater speed when riding alone, but I'd much rather ride with my usual buddy than go that bit faster. Lastly, sticking to Strava segments means that I'm less likely to push it through the last bit home, when the traffic is not in my favour. I think riding from home can be a bit iffy if you're going for a PB.
While this comment is late to the discussion, I found that regularly riding in a (fast/er) group actually helped my individual average speeds quite a bit. I think it is a bit both psychological and physical. When you know how it feels to go faster, you have a better target to aim at when you are on your own.
On an urban commute, nothing comes quite close to timing the traffic lights (if that's even possible on your route). I did some math, and on a 2km strech with 3 lights, your could go 20km/h and still be faster than going 26km/h and having to wait 30s at each light.... (The break even is 26.7km/h in this example :) )
I'm new to cycling just couple years into it and quite heavy rider at 96kg last year I averaged 16mph over 40 mile ride now I'm doing 22mph. I'm trying to aim for 22mph over 112miles in july
I have several commute option: 7km routes uphill with lots of traffic lights, junction, etc. or 20km following the river without traffic lights less junctions and crossing. The 20km path is only 10 minutes longer than the 7 km options. Better average speed
When I started my avg speed was 16mph 30 miles, 600 miles after that I'm at 18mph 30 miles. I'm trying to get to 20mph in 30 miles. I ride every day on my road bike at least for 2 hours.
In the past I was totally focused on average speed and I hated anything that caused me to stop or even slow down. With the advent of Strava I just check my segments.
Average speed, as an indicator, is only good if you consistently ride the same route or two and view the results over time. Where I live, it's too hilly and windy (i.e. too many variables) to look at a single ride's speed alone. Most of the KOMs around here were set with a massive tailwind. However, there are a few routes that I consistently do, and it's fun to see the progress over the years since I got back into cycling. I did recently get a power meter. I think this will become my new gauge for measuring progress and for helping me pace certain climbs and rides. I just did a ride yesterday that was pretty slow, but it was because I was on my older, heavier bike and I had a headwind on the long uphill sections. However, from a power perspective (I have the power meter on my pedals), I actually was on the higher end of recent rides. So, in my mind, I was pretty "fast" on the day.
This is more accurate logic. Appreciate the comment. As an aside, check out stravawindanalysis (search for it if you haven't used it) if you want to attempt to decouple wind from your rides/segments
I averaged 19mph today on my commute to work. A new pb, and had to stop and reset my chain at a bottom of a hill. I recon I have more speed somewhere lol.
Always looking for that elusive 30km/h for an hour on this route with 400m climbing. So far can only hit it on group rides. Getting into the high 28s this year though. Need to stop slacking off and gaining 8 kgs every winter so I’m not starting from close to scratch every spring.
Started with about 23 km/h now can do 28.4 km/h. As I drive hybrid bike my tyres aren’t fast as my friends , so to improve my speed need to change tyres/bike and probably loose some weight as well. Anyway it’s a great activity and I really enjoy my rides :) thanks
Over/under threshold intervals have helped me. 1 min Zone 5 followed by 2 min zone 3 and repeat that 5x for a fifteen minute set. 2 or 3 of those sets with 3 minutes of zone in 1 between, will help push your threshold up while also working at forcing your body to recover at a higher output.....they hurt........
how fast i average is my main metric for knowing how good im going. I always ride in same place so its handy. When im unfit 26kph-by end of summer 32kph!
Average speed is something I look at but I don't work towards increasing. I usually concentrate on the effort during the ride. If I've got it I push, if I don't have it then it's maintenance.
40 km/h over one hour would be nice. Have done 37 km/h over a 27 km loop a few weeks back. The target is however to enjoy the cycling and feel that I'm improving my skills.
hi im new to cycling and got used to cycling with high cadence and light gears but it doesnt make me go faster than 20ish km/h would sometimes get 22~23km/h but not more than that. any tips for me?
@@6kmanu sounds like a problem shifting could solve. Just play around with your gears a bit. I feel like a higher cadence has helped me on light and medium ascents while I find it more comfortable to not pedal as fast on the flat
@@vyl4650 no actually i was talking about my average speed on strava. so weird that i couldnt go beyond 23km/h, even if i try super hard on a 20km ride. my longest ride at the moment is 102km and i was averaging 23km/h there.
@@6kmanu Ah I see. I`m relatively new to cycling as well so I`m averaging around 23km/h on longer rides as well. Obviously even lower if I include more climbs. I noticed differences up to 2km/h depending on where I was going as hard as I could on my reference ride (22km with a long and increasingly steep climb). Going all in on the the steep bit (~10% for 150m) will result in a much lower average than going harder on the gentle incline(1-3% for about 5km). The time of day I start my rides has quite a noticeable impact too. Im generally faster when I start early in the morning in contrast to lets say 2 or 3 in the afternoon. So, I guess just switch your routes up a bit and see if you can get faster on a entirely flat course?
I remember seeing 16 mph avg on someone's strava and thinking they were so fast as I was avg about 14mph. Now I can get up to 20 or over on shorter rides and it doesn't matter so much anymore.
Same here - starting out 5 years ago at 13mph, now 14kg lighter - I can push over 20mph for an hour, or 18mph for a 110km ride. This in the Shropshire Hills 😀
@@willaherne5468 ride in a club and try stay with riders stronger than you. Helps you go Further mentally. Also do interval training. 30 secs all out and then 30 second rest. And also strength training. 4 mins pushing a hard gear at 60rpm and then 2 - 3 mins rest and do it again. But just riding with stronger riders will improve your avg speed on your own too
@@chrisjenkins1 thanks so much for the reply! I've recently added commuting into my training which is helping, just seem to plateau at 15. Will give your plan a good go! Cheers
@@willaherne5468 thing is when you are on your own you will think your limit is lower than it is. And staying with strong riders means you have to go out of your comfort zone and you'll surprise yourself how long you can last.
I like doing hills and intervals. I never ever do a ride without a few all-out 40 second sprints in there. I rekon an Orbea with a sick paint job like James's would add at least another 2kph.
I average 27.2kph today on a 40km ride. This is with alot of barriers to keep cars out of the path, so natually that takes of alot of speed. They sit around every 2kilometers.. When i look down i hover about 30-35kph.
I only today realised that wind direction is the direction the wind is coming FROM, not going TO... Did my first 100km last weekend, planned it on Komoot. At the last minute I reversed it to accommodate for wind (I wanted to do the hard bit first). Well, given my noob wind knowledge I loved the first 40km... Next 60km were spent riding terrified on busy country roads, even holding my brakes on slightly while pedalling to feel like I had some control. Was a slog, but I got it done haha
I have started a month ago. My best is 15 mph on 14 miles cycle route (with 1250 feet climb) with less than average surface (lots hops and bumps which slows me down) and lots of slow downs due to road and barrier crossings, pedestrians, dog walkers and other cyclist. And I riding a 6 speed Brompton.
I do my favorite ride backwards every morning aka "morning commute'
Erik van Roode hahahaha brilliant
You sir, are a clever man
Very good one aha
Bike commmuting where I live is bliss. (Live in the California redwoods).
@@KillersFromTheWest That must be spectacular!
I think my average speed would be better if I actually cycled more not just watched gcn videos about cycling 🚴♀️
Tru dat
Nah.
lol
Haha :)
facts
I am experimenting with different sock colours to improve average speed.
Pray, tell us your findings!
Red works best followed by sky blue.
wear sponge Bob socks
Banana socks will boost your carbohydrate stocks
I'll go for lighter colours ..result
Ride non complicated routes without many junctions, sharp turns, steep climbs, bad or narrow roads, technical descents etc. You'll get great average speed without much effort and very boring ride as a bonus.
Speed is a function of terrain and stop signs. I am much faster on long straight roads without stop signs and lights than on my local neighborhood circuit.
🤣
@@gcn Why do they always put red lights at bottom of long hills.
Been road biking 3 months now after mountain biking for a few years (and still doing mtb btw!) Rode 100km today and averaged 19mph..Happy with that..I feel mtb and road compliment each other
This is a tip I found worked for me when I was starting. My first set of gears came with 50.34 at the front and 11-34 at the back. When I got the money, I upgraded to a 52.36 and 11-32. If you aim to match your initial average cadence, your new average speed will obviously go up. I then moved to an 11-28 cassette quite recently, and there was an even bigger jump in average speed. There is a bit of getting used to the new power requirement, but it passes after a two-three weeks.
So at 60RPM my lowest gear at the start would produce 8km/h. and in the most recent setup, 60RPM in the lowest gear produces 10km/h. the difference amplifies up through the gears, it doesn't remain at 2km/h.
This is obviously very specific to individual capability, but it is still something to consider.
I gained 10 mph by only cycling down hills!
Lol I average about 38mph downhill
@daAnder71 The more you know. Thank you!
;-)
daAnder71 m/h is meters per hour, mi/h is miles per hour
I did that too, but I bottomed out.
Started cycling just about two months ago, found a friend to ride with. So far with 1-2 rides/week we managed to increase our route distance from about 45km to over 60km and our average speed from about 25 km/h to 27.5 km/h. Pretty proud of ourselves so far, and with those tips I hope we can manage to get closer to about 30km/h in the future.
Update?
what kind of terrain are you riding in?
@@wood_barrelflats
My avg speed is 22-23km 🙃
@@Toontastic-e5osame bud
I found my average speed increased significantly when I slowed down. Lowering my heart rate from peaking >180 to 165-175 increased my average speed significantly. Any info on heart rate and training would be awesome
Check out this one James! gcn.eu/heartrate
Best way to add speed? Get an indoor trainer. I got a Wahoo Kickr Core 4 weeks ago and my cycling aerobic fitness and power has literally skyrocketed doing the Zwift 4 Week FTP Booster series. It's something I'd never be able to achieve riding outdoors where I'm constantly stopping for stop lights, stop signs, cars, etc. Indoor training is the only way to truly have a structured and 100% effective workout routine.
Shaved my legs, saw no gains.....but I definitely look faster.
try balls instead....
100th like
Go even further and just remove your legs entirely. The weight savings are phenomenal
Started road cycling a year ago and I am absolutely loving it. Back then I averaged 27 km/h on a 30k ride. Currently I am averaging 31 km/h on a 50k ride. This increase came from plain old flattening it each ride. Partly thanks to your inspirational videos I have decided to dedicate myself completely to road cycling and I’ve set the bar to reach 38 km/h on average. For this I am going to invest in a power meter, perform fitness drills in the gym, commit to TrainingPeaks sessions, focus on healthy nutritions and most importantly quit smoking (I know a no-brainer).
Sounds like a great goal, 38 kmp is alot solo riding, but i belive in you! Im doing around 30 myself aswell, and sure would like those 38/40 myself :P
I'm 63 years old, 240 pounds, at 6'-3".
I've been road cycling for 6 me months. I do try to improve my avg speed. My best for 10 miles is 14 mph, over 25 miles I do 12.5 mph.
As I loose weight and get fitter, I will use your tips to improve avg speed.
How it going ? Now
And all this time, all I thought I had to do was buy a new bike.
I generally enjoy the GCN videos but this one was rather information-free. Having said that, I'll throw in my two cents. As an large (76" (1.93m) and 220lb (100Kg)) ultra rider, my strategy is to go very easy on the climbs and make up on the downhills and flats. Yes, this means that many people will blow by me on the climbs but I frequently see them again later (often, much later when they bonk) on the ride. Historical data suggests that this is an better strategy for higher average speed than hitting the tops of the climbs hard. Over an ultra, my experience is that strategy "burns too many matches" and it catches up with me eventually. In the Total 200 this last weekend, several people passed me on the climbs for the first 50 miles but eventually I passed them on the flats and never saw them again, and I was the first 200 mile rider to finish. In this strategy, I try to maintain "constant effort" - or something relatively close to it, rather than "constant speed." That means if I average 180W overall, I don't want to ever exceed 220W-250W on the climbs. At any rate, it seems to work for me.
That makes total sense for an ultra. You risk cramping up too if you’re not prepared for that pace. Of course it probably depends on how much you’re drafting in that particular race. Losing a group will also slow you down overall if they regroup over the hill without you, but it sounds like you did well regardless!
Also, I the tips on mixing it up still apply. If you train to go hard up and over the hill, it will be that much easier to take it easy and cautiously in the race.
I know when I was running I would trade back and forth with the bigger runners - beating them uphill and vice versa on the down, but eventually my lighter weight would win out as I’d save more energy overall. Theoretically, the person going faster up hills will be faster overall because everyone spends more time on the uphill, however, the challenge for lighter people is staying with the group on the flats and downhill. Once you lose contact your done, you just don’t have the same momentum. But it’s not all about weight either. A good descender use’s good aerodynamics and curve skills to overcome their weight weakness.
Here is some advice to improve your average for free when commuting.
Re-plan your route with less traffic lights and places your likely to stop and look when crossing, i did this with my commute to work and reduced the time it took to get there even tho the journey distance increased by 2 miles.
I've found the best way to increase average speed is to not obsess about average speed. Have fun and results will come.
Doesn't work for everyone. Some of us start to get used to the pace and don't advance at all.
...right and that’s how Olympic athletes & pro racers get to where they are.
@@DancingDeity i think what he meant was for average leisure riders who’s goal is to increase a little bit of speed but not aiming for elite fitness like olympic riders
@@DancingDeity right, coz every cyclist is trying to compete
@@DancingDeity 98% of cyclists are not gonna be a pro
Avoiding plateau is a great reason to take up mountain biking as a supplement or additional discipline.
GCN has done several videos about getting faster. This is the video that talks to me. Great tips for the average rider. Far and away the best of this series of GCN videos.
Aww cheers Ron! We're always aiming to improve.
Average speed only counts if you are late for work.
*bike computer;*
Normal ride: you are doing 30KM/H average! It's better than last time!
Late to work: FUCKN STOP YOU ARE GOING TO BREAK YOUR CHAIN (sets a land speed record)
Always
And beating few reds haha.
My ride to work was flagged in Strava, but it seemed as it was auto flagged every time I reached 33,5km/h - it pissed me off.
So on a clear Saturday morning, with 4m/s tail wind, I went to WORK, managed 41km/h avg on a short 10km ride through traffic.
And well I haven't participated in a single bicycle race ever, this was probably my race mode.
@@pulafun e-bikes don't go over 25 kmh, so Strava is just wrong...
1. Find someone bigger than you
2. Draft
never be the big man on a group ride.
i'm 5'2 and this is always a tempting option
1. Find someone faster than you.
3. ???
4. Profit
Tim Roden At 6’3” 250, that’s nearly impossible.
Obsessively waiting for a new GCN video. That's how
Over the past few months I've went from 15.5mph to 17.2mph, small steps. But happy with the progress 💪🏻
I'm moving in this direction as well, small steps, and following these steps mentioned in the video
Need to find a ride that's all downhill going and returning.
Been searching endlessly.
Good luck with your search Bill! Let us know when you find one.
Try finding a paved Escher’s Penrose staircase ;-)
Ask the artist Escher, he knows
Move to a building taller than the elevation of your destination having a base lower than your destination. Bike off the roof.
“what goes up must come down”
lovely scenery where you filmed this video ... always amazed/envious that you're able to find traffic-free roads for filming
We know some lovely spots!
I am working on dropping weight to gain speed. My endurance is good, my last ride was. Weight 240 (109 Kg)
Average Altitude 5120 ft (476 meters)
Average Speed 15.8 mph (25.43 kph)
Total Distance 40.03 Miles (64.42 km)
My goal is to get down to 210-215 (95-98 kg), and get my average speed over 20 by May! Lots of endurance work, some strength training, but I think the weight loss will be the most helpful.
I’m not even into fitness. The gym, etc.
I have a bike, and time after quitting alcohol (alcoholic for 10 years).
I’m a 29 year old woman, and I want to bounce back into shape. So I found a good trail, where my 9 year old has to keep taking breaks the way up. But I’ll wait... my legs since yesterday are still sore! But biking is free, and enjoyable on trails!
That’s some amazing fresh tarmac you’re riding here!
proceleusmatyk it sure would up the average speed
I think you guys made some good points which i agree also..
Last week i hit 25km flat distance on 46 km/h average speed, that is my personal best record until now..
And hit 40 km in an hour, which made my average speed 40km/h during full ride..
I avoid climb track and hit on a long straight road almost all the run..
I rest 2-3 days before hit my personal best, it makes me fresher..
Find your right gear set up, that is also correct, since my legs are not so powerful, i choose using small gear at front and small gear at rear (switching between 1-2), which for me use less power and save my energy for long run..
Which i could cadence constantly in between 70-90 rpm during an hour without fatigue, after that always slowing down since i’m not pro cyclist..
My top speed may not be so high, but never get too slow either..
Ride at night is best, because no heat that absorbs your energy like morning or noon ride, and the wind is likely doesn’t appear at night ride..
I did only 4-5 times 30 second sprint during that ride..
I watch some of GCN videos in order to learn road biking, and i’m thankful for you guys, keep making videos guys..
Only just got into cycling myself and I am doing as a way of getting to and from work. First ride in November last year I averaged around 13km/hr and I was dead after it. Now I am averaging around 22km/hr and climbing :D average speed is always a benchmark for me and also heart rate (being unfit mine sits super high)
Dear, how are your results now?
Careful study of wind direction helped me drammarically.
Ive been having success with a stick mounted on my helmet with a beer tied to the end.
I liked it. Noticed a significant change by doing the following things.
0. Break from continuous riding and catching up with sleep.
1. Lighter meal before ride.
2. Aerobar and drop bar positions during headwinds.
3. Pacing/intervals wherever possible.
4. Electrolyte and hydration during regular intervals.
My avg. went up from 23kmph for 65km ride to 23.4kmph over 71km range with an elevation at 1300ft and headwind at 30kmph!
I use average speed as a metric to compare rides I have done over the years to see my progression. If I’m really trying I’ll go for a TT position and go for a slightly slower cadence that really lets me get in the groove.
I want to see some sort of challenges on this channel. Like the commuter challenge that was done a while back. This time something new and enticing.
Cheers, we've got some exciting things in the pipeline!
Really thought it was only me
place another magnet on your spoke.
Brilliant!
Don't forget to take off the reflectors!!!!!
Have to admit I’ve considered this option. If nothing else but to improve my opinion of my abilities
Focussing on keeping a good (better) cadence improved my speed, but what works best is cycling with someone who is faster.
You guys should do a behind the scenes episode and give a glimpse on how the channel is run.
Maybe it was in the video and I missed it, but I would add that judicious use of the gears is very important as well. I have become more sensitive to when my legs are telling me it's time to gear down, and try not be a "hero" by holding the higher gears longer than I should on inclines. Great video!
Just cancelled my Sky/Netflix sub as I'm always watching GCN 😂👌
haha!
Same! But keep Eurosport👍🏻
Good!
@@louis_sharp Eurosport player!
Aww it all helps in the n+1 fund too...
My average speed is irrelevant to me. I just enjoy cycling around the country side as a form of fitness.
That's great!
sounds weird
Had you ever thought of watching videos that ARE of interest to you, instead?,😜
@@gcn how fast can can a 20lb Carbon Hybrid go?
@@jeffreykaufmann2867 depends on your legs
Been trying to crack 20mph (32.18kph) on my local short course after work route for months now. Can't quite do it - its 23 miles, 1300 feet of climbing.
The closest I've gotten is 19.8mph
Usually, I have to fight a head wind on the return. When I made 19.8mph - it was a dead calm day with no traffic due to COVID lockdown.
Update. Cracked it. October 13th, 20.6 mph 23.73 miles, 1356 feet climbing.
My tip for average speed is to not try to maintain it throughout the ride, some sections that are slightly uphill will drain all your energy if you try and keep your speed at your target average, dropping it by 1mph along these sections and not worrying about it makes a big difference later on. That same watt increase will allow you to go 3mph faster on the flats so just save your energy.
My goal is 16 mph on rides over 20 miles, Im in the the 15's now. I try what I learned here as well thnx.
ride to average power created good average speed. 1-2hrs@high tempo zone= fast.
2-3hrs@low tempo zone=fast.
4-6hrs@high endurance=fast.
manage watts on climbs and keep pedalling on descents.
35 km/h ?!? I struggle to get past 26.... guess I need to train more
Bro, that grey-red Orbea fits with that grey helmet.... so dope. Another great episode btw.
Hank designed it too, don't you know 😉
Aiming for 37-40km/h and is doing it pretty good. But I am also driving a Velomobile. Maybe you can do a show in one, I always wanted to see a fit cyclist try it out. And compare the data to their normal efforts on the road bike
They did a video on recumbent and velomobile where does a lap in all 3.
From my experience, can tell that number of stops (heavy traffic, red lights, pedestrian crossings, some construction sites, etc) have HUGE negative impact on avg speeds. This season I got upgrade with wheelset and tires, and I can feel real benefit on flat (high speed with less rolling resistance) but in meantime my usual route got some new complicated traffic zones, where I need to slow/stop... In fact, that's probably refer to Strava algorithms- time when "auto-pause" option is activate after spot, and similar...
I try to average 15 mph if I can anything above is a bonus. I'm not racing so I don't worry too much about it. It's always too windy in the uk anyway. I dud manage 16.2 mph for the Velo Birmingham and midlands ride but that was on closed roads with nothing to hold you back except other cyclists plus the weather conditions were favourable on that day relatively warm and no head wind. I did hold back on the second half of the ride as I had to cycle 21 miles home after doing a 100 miles for the Velo. If I'd have had transport to get home I would have pushed harder.
Wow look at the smooth roads, when I were a lad I used to dream of roads like these
we used to ave to ride over 70 miles of cobbles on wheels with solid tyres up a 21% gradient just to get to school. And the same on the way back. And you try telling that to the kids these days.
I’m on a Kona Rove St 35 mm tires 48 chainring and flat pedals. Bike weight is 26 pounds and I weigh 206 pounds. Solo rides I can average 27-28 kph. When in a group ride trying to stay with the roadies I can get up too 30-31 kph.
An electric motor on the bike improved my average speed dramatically
Watt?
@@richardhutchings1980 several watts in fact...😆
Bob Woodward 😂😂that’s what my husband wants to do
I suggest petrol. Say, 750 cc displacement...
I did notice a big improvement by swapping out my pedelec for a second hand randonneur.
Great work and great attitude
Great way to go
Cheers from NYC
7 weeks into my way back to shape (after 20 yrs on my arse in a cab)... increased my average from 24.5 to 27 km/h by now ... doing intervals on 1 ride pr week and higher cadence throughout on 2nd ride of the week... running/jogging 3 times a week 5 km pr run and then doing some strenght workouts in the morning each day.. saturday/sunday off days... seems to work for me :) watching GCn and Triathlon Taren for train tips is always good :)
Since getting a power meter I've been targeting normalized power more than average speed. It means i can enjoy head wind without blubbing like a baby
Same here. I just have power zone, NP and gradient on my element. My avg speed has gone up with not having it on my screen
Great video. Thanks for the job you are doing. Iam 53 year just found out how nice cycling is and not to hard on my knees
My speed depends on the bpm of the techno I'm listening to.
Yeah, I prefer it to heavy metal. It adds more weight.
How I get out of a plateau of always averaging around 30 km/h : riding with a group. It forced me to push harder than what I thought was possible and showed me the pace I was supposed to have. Within the group I was able to average 40 km/h or close then by myself 35 km/h over ~70km.
Avoid places infested by traffic lights (because you do have to stop when you have red). Especially, avoid that crossroad around here where you can arrive, lock up your bike, have a coffee and still have time to get apocalyptically annoyed because it's still bloody red.
Great video guys! Every week I try to beat my PB on my commute. It's a 46 Km ride and rite now mi PB is 37.5 Km/h, my goal is to reach 40 km/h
Good use of gearing has a huge impact on average speed. Once I get in mid-season fitness I go for it by pushing hard enough to keep my cadence and momentum up while in slightly larger gears and avoid going into the lowest gears on hills. On rides when I'm not interested in a fast average speed I just drop the gears on hills. It's easier but I'm going slower. It seems rather simple but to have a faster average speed just have more effort to prevent the need to drop down to lower gears. Oh yeah, also have routes that are more uphill and/or into the wind in the first half of the ride when you are fresh and more downhills and/or tailwinds on the second half when you are a bit tired. You will also be able to push the last 10 km because psychologically you know that you don't need to save anything anymore.
This video really helped me out! Hopefully I will get better soon and people won't bully me and criticize me anymore for being a 'horrible' biker. I had to put up with bullying everyday and it's making me depressed. btw I subscribed.
Best way to increase average speed: don't turn strava on until after you've done your warm up, and turn it off again before your cooldown :d
Thats true :) and also if you ride in a group, the best spot would be in the middle, not the furthest back nor the 2nd to 4th position, so you would face the least wind.
Strava is a communist company and should be boycotted by people who believe in the constitution of the United States
@@davidfortier2720 >communist
>company
@@davidfortier2720 😂😂😂😂😂
As a veteran runner and fairly new cyclist I can say most of this advice also applies to running.
Another idea is fill an old water bottle in the 2nd cage with weight (sand / water / lead!) and get used to the extra weight - try and maintain your normal speed / training. It’s a stealth way of getting stronger.....
"Save energy equal speed"
I agree with you!!!!!
I can average 25kph on long 100km+ rides, including hills. It would be great to get that nearer 30kph. Thanks for the helpful advice. Am going to try more intervals.
Pushing it to 30kph is quite hard. That speed requires around 160-180W (depending on your size and gear) without taking wind into account. Not a power everyone can hold for so long. To motivate you, I pushed myself during last three months from 22kph on 100km ride to 25kph on 300km solo ride doing 4-5 1.5h long rides every week. And I slacked some weeks as well. But as they said in the video, I do variety of efforts, ranging from short KOM sprints (around 1 min) to hours long climbing rides. So their method really works!
I am at a quite similar stage :)
Did a 27kph average on a 200km ride with ~1000m elevation...
On short rides ~90min I can average 31.4kph but I always have power left.. Even after the 200km ride I had some left.... How do I manage to go faster without overdoing it and falling off the bike 40% into the planned ride 🤔
At 60+ old, I can do solo centuries at 23 kph, general solo rides are 27ish, and mass rides for a century I have done 32. So, get your average up by rising big events on closed roads 😊
Or just train harder!
Good video. Another good point to add is make sure tyres are pumped up fully as this can drastically lower your speed.
And lower them again when on poor tarmac coz you just bounce over the surface and actually slow down.
At my peak in 1987/averaged 32kph for 5 hrs. Now 59 reduced to 25kph for 2 hrs. Every dog has his day.
That stone at 5:42 was scaring the crap out of me.
I have been cycling for almost 6 months now, getting ready for triathlon, and I believe my average speed went from 23km/hr for a distance of 50km up to 32km/hr for the same distance, those 32km/hr do come from many factors, better bike (went from a regular commuting bike to a road bike) running in general has helped a lot, also strengthening sessions, and long rides, though I don’t do more than 2 cycling sessions per week.
I remember when i first started cycling i would always go down decents as fast as possible. I would always wind myself and burn too many matches. Now i just enjoy my decents to recover. And believe it or not, the decents last longer that way. 😅
On a solo ride i average around 20-20.5 In groups we get around 22.5
I’ve increased from 15.5 to 18.5 mph over 20 miles from 3 months of training this year already
My average speed will increase when that big dog on the trail trying to take a bite out of me
I remember when I was a runner, and obsessed with lowering the minute / miles. It became increasingly difficult to lose 5 seconds a mile. I'd love to reach better numbers on a bike, but I'm happy with Strava targets. I seem to get some PBs every ride. That's enough for me at the moment. Also I tend to average a greater speed when riding alone, but I'd much rather ride with my usual buddy than go that bit faster. Lastly, sticking to Strava segments means that I'm less likely to push it through the last bit home, when the traffic is not in my favour. I think riding from home can be a bit iffy if you're going for a PB.
Yeah it's always better to be safe than sorry!
Oh I only care about how many café stops I can average on my rides is there a metric for that 😂😂😂
Well you can either make it c/km (cafe per km) or c/r (cafe per ride). easy.
alfredo132220 I love it I’ll petition strava 🤙🏼😂
While this comment is late to the discussion, I found that regularly riding in a (fast/er) group actually helped my individual average speeds quite a bit. I think it is a bit both psychological and physical. When you know how it feels to go faster, you have a better target to aim at when you are on your own.
On an urban commute, nothing comes quite close to timing the traffic lights (if that's even possible on your route).
I did some math, and on a 2km strech with 3 lights, your could go 20km/h and still be faster than going 26km/h and having to wait 30s at each light.... (The break even is 26.7km/h in this example :) )
I'm new to cycling just couple years into it and quite heavy rider at 96kg last year I averaged 16mph over 40 mile ride now I'm doing 22mph. I'm trying to aim for 22mph over 112miles in july
Woohoo, nice one Mark, keep it up!
I have several commute option: 7km routes uphill with lots of traffic lights, junction, etc. or 20km following the river without traffic lights less junctions and crossing. The 20km path is only 10 minutes longer than the 7 km options. Better average speed
When I started my avg speed was 16mph 30 miles, 600 miles after that I'm at 18mph 30 miles. I'm trying to get to 20mph in 30 miles. I ride every day on my road bike at least for 2 hours.
Damn did you get it?
In the past I was totally focused on average speed and I hated anything that caused me to stop or even slow down.
With the advent of Strava I just check my segments.
Great video and yes I am focused on improving my average speed to hopefully get to a higher level of cycling.
I'm at about 27-28 for under 60km and a bit less for longer rides, I'd love to get it to(wards) 30
Average speed, as an indicator, is only good if you consistently ride the same route or two and view the results over time. Where I live, it's too hilly and windy (i.e. too many variables) to look at a single ride's speed alone. Most of the KOMs around here were set with a massive tailwind. However, there are a few routes that I consistently do, and it's fun to see the progress over the years since I got back into cycling.
I did recently get a power meter. I think this will become my new gauge for measuring progress and for helping me pace certain climbs and rides. I just did a ride yesterday that was pretty slow, but it was because I was on my older, heavier bike and I had a headwind on the long uphill sections. However, from a power perspective (I have the power meter on my pedals), I actually was on the higher end of recent rides. So, in my mind, I was pretty "fast" on the day.
This is more accurate logic. Appreciate the comment. As an aside, check out stravawindanalysis (search for it if you haven't used it) if you want to attempt to decouple wind from your rides/segments
I averaged 19mph today on my commute to work. A new pb, and had to stop and reset my chain at a bottom of a hill. I recon I have more speed somewhere lol.
Always looking for that elusive 30km/h for an hour on this route with 400m climbing. So far can only hit it on group rides. Getting into the high 28s this year though. Need to stop slacking off and gaining 8 kgs every winter so I’m not starting from close to scratch every spring.
Started with about 23 km/h now can do 28.4 km/h. As I drive hybrid bike my tyres aren’t fast as my friends , so to improve my speed need to change tyres/bike and probably loose some weight as well. Anyway it’s a great activity and I really enjoy my rides :) thanks
Over/under threshold intervals have helped me. 1 min Zone 5 followed by 2 min zone 3 and repeat that 5x for a fifteen minute set. 2 or 3 of those sets with 3 minutes of zone in 1 between, will help push your threshold up while also working at forcing your body to recover at a higher output.....they hurt........
how fast i average is my main metric for knowing how good im going. I always ride in same place so its handy. When im unfit 26kph-by end of summer 32kph!
Andrew Bedford and when the winds are stronger? That’s a kind of a bad tool
@@HeathyRoidz who rides in the wind????
Andrew Bedford 😂😂😂 ok then 😂😂
Emergency call from your family makes you faster than before.
Average speed is something I look at but I don't work towards increasing. I usually concentrate on the effort during the ride. If I've got it I push, if I don't have it then it's maintenance.
40 km/h over one hour would be nice. Have done 37 km/h over a 27 km loop a few weeks back. The target is however to enjoy the cycling and feel that I'm improving my skills.
hi im new to cycling and got used to cycling with high cadence and light gears but it doesnt make me go faster than 20ish km/h would sometimes get 22~23km/h but not more than that. any tips for me?
@@6kmanu sounds like a problem shifting could solve. Just play around with your gears a bit. I feel like a higher cadence has helped me on light and medium ascents while I find it more comfortable to not pedal as fast on the flat
@@vyl4650 no actually i was talking about my average speed on strava. so weird that i couldnt go beyond 23km/h, even if i try super hard on a 20km ride. my longest ride at the moment is 102km and i was averaging 23km/h there.
@@6kmanu Ah I see. I`m relatively new to cycling as well so I`m averaging around 23km/h on longer rides as well. Obviously even lower if I include more climbs. I noticed differences up to 2km/h depending on where I was going as hard as I could on my reference ride (22km with a long and increasingly steep climb). Going all in on the the steep bit (~10% for 150m) will result in a much lower average than going harder on the gentle incline(1-3% for about 5km).
The time of day I start my rides has quite a noticeable impact too. Im generally faster when I start early in the morning in contrast to lets say 2 or 3 in the afternoon.
So, I guess just switch your routes up a bit and see if you can get faster on a entirely flat course?
I remember seeing 16 mph avg on someone's strava and thinking they were so fast as I was avg about 14mph. Now I can get up to 20 or over on shorter rides and it doesn't matter so much anymore.
Same here - starting out 5 years ago at 13mph, now 14kg lighter - I can push over 20mph for an hour, or 18mph for a 110km ride. This in the Shropshire Hills 😀
What did you do to get from 14mph to 20mph? Currently stuck at 15mph!
@@willaherne5468 ride in a club and try stay with riders stronger than you. Helps you go Further mentally. Also do interval training. 30 secs all out and then 30 second rest. And also strength training. 4 mins pushing a hard gear at 60rpm and then 2 - 3 mins rest and do it again. But just riding with stronger riders will improve your avg speed on your own too
@@chrisjenkins1 thanks so much for the reply! I've recently added commuting into my training which is helping, just seem to plateau at 15. Will give your plan a good go! Cheers
@@willaherne5468 thing is when you are on your own you will think your limit is lower than it is. And staying with strong riders means you have to go out of your comfort zone and you'll surprise yourself how long you can last.
I like doing hills and intervals. I never ever do a ride without a few all-out 40 second sprints in there. I rekon an Orbea with a sick paint job like James's would add at least another 2kph.
I average 27.2kph today on a 40km ride. This is with alot of barriers to keep cars out of the path, so natually that takes of alot of speed. They sit around every 2kilometers.. When i look down i hover about 30-35kph.
I only today realised that wind direction is the direction the wind is coming FROM, not going TO... Did my first 100km last weekend, planned it on Komoot. At the last minute I reversed it to accommodate for wind (I wanted to do the hard bit first). Well, given my noob wind knowledge I loved the first 40km... Next 60km were spent riding terrified on busy country roads, even holding my brakes on slightly while pedalling to feel like I had some control. Was a slog, but I got it done haha
I have started a month ago. My best is 15 mph on 14 miles cycle route (with 1250 feet climb) with less than average surface (lots hops and bumps which slows me down) and lots of slow downs due to road and barrier crossings, pedestrians, dog walkers and other cyclist. And I riding a 6 speed Brompton.
I don't care much about average speed, my goal is to travel as far as possible while enjoying my time in the road