average speed

[rcr61255]

Will be entering some races in early spring. Being an old man of 52 whats a compettive avg speed for that age group.

[DarrenCT]

lotsa extraneous variables atmo

[e-RICHIE]

Will be entering some races in early spring. Being an old man of 52 whats a compettive avg speed for that age group.
the crits i do manage 28mph easily.
the 'cross races are slower by a bit
atmo. ps i'm 54.

[Dr. Doofus]

ps i'm 54.


don't look a day over 55

amazing, er

*ducking*

[e-RICHIE]

don't look a day over 55

amazing, er

*ducking*
http://www.vanwensveen.nl/rants/microsoft/MSimages/bluescreen.jpg

[Dr. Doofus]

does deb know you're growing those?

and what's with the blonde wig?

[Too Tall]

Will be entering some races in early spring. Being an old man of 52 whats a compettive avg speed for that age group.
Have you raced before? At some point not to dist. future there will be some training races well before the season starts, these will be invaluable.

[ergott]

http://www.allseasonmotorsports.ca/RentalAdventures/images/Humour/jLY1607/press-any-key.jpg

[stevep]

i suggest that this is a dangerous question.
because racing is racing and you will find yrself going a lot faster than you will either riding around or riding in most group rides... but if you are decent fit you can probably do it once you figure it out some.

you ride w/ guys who race? compare yrself to them rather than average speed... better comparison. then relax and jump in.
you might get dropped the first couple of times but dont give up...

[ergott]

Keep in mind you are faster in a pack. If the pack is going 28, most people average lower 20 on their own when not racing.

[swoop]

riding in the group is one thing.
riding in the break is another
as is bridging to the break or setting one up.
sprinting from the field yet another kind of speed.
sprinting from the break yet another other
and attacking the group yet another
and there's even the skill that is moving up in corners.

all of these happen at different speed and duration and can be as much about recovery at speed as actual speed.

you have to figure out what kind of speed you produce... and work from there.
there's so many kinds of speed.
atmo.


i find that the 30/35's/40's can be as fast as the p1/2's.. its just the duration at speed is different. i've done 35 plus races that averaged 31 when the *p's averaged 32. that's not to say that their equally hard.... its that numbers lie.
so.. its that it both is and isn't about speed. don't get too caught up in numbers. (not to be confused with nrc pro races... that's a different world)

some races are slow, some aren't.. and sometimes the fastest guy wins.. but sometimes not.

just race and work it out for yourself. you'll make it happen.

[rcr61255]

did some racing long ago.last 25+ years been into biatholons

[e-RICHIE]

did some racing long ago.last 25+ years been into biatholons
that's cool atmo.
most biathletes i know are deep thinkers and
have more than their fair share of ovum.

[SWorks4me]

your coffin will find you, before you find your coffin. atmo

[mike p]

Perhaps 10 mile TT times would be a better barometer for fittness than average speed.

Mike

[kerrycycle]

That is a dangerous question, not only does it depend on your age group and its depth, but also the type of race. In my experience, the 45+ Masters guys are FAST! You may want to ask around about the depth of the local field you will be entering. Crits are nearly always faster than a good road race.

You also need to honestly assess your bike handling skills & comfort in the pack. If your masters fields are like most I have seen, they are incredibly experienced and aggressive. Consider how you would slot into this scenario. You may want to consider entering the Cat 5 field to get the handling down (I can't believe I just recommended anyone enter Crash 5... errr, I mean Cat 5). For example, if you are comfortable enough putting your hand on another rider to move them out of the way, you are probably OK to enter the Masters cat.

I could talk for a while on this topic. PM me with any questions.

[A.L.Breguet]

Your best bet is to hook up with some local group training rides, to assess your fitness, and more importantly, your comfort level in a fast moving group. I'm sure there are some good rides in your area.

[EDS]

That is a dangerous question, not only does it depend on your age group and its depth, but also the type of race. In my experience, the 45+ Masters guys are FAST! You may want to ask around about the depth of the local field you will be entering. Crits are nearly always faster than a good road race.

You also need to honestly assess your bike handling skills & comfort in the pack. If your masters fields are like most I have seen, they are incredibly experienced and aggressive. Consider how you would slot into this scenario. You may want to consider entering the Cat 5 field to get the handling down (I can't believe I just recommended anyone enter Crash 5... errr, I mean Cat 5). For example, if you are comfortable enough putting your hand on another rider to move them out of the way, you are probably OK to enter the Masters cat.

I could talk for a while on this topic. PM me with any questions.

You can't race masters without first going through Cat 5 (assuming no existing Cat 4 or above license).

[Tom]

Just a little bit faster than everybody else's speed on that day.

To wit: Sunapee, I finish in top ten and think 'hey, I could be good at this!'

Jiminy Peak, I finish eight minutes back and realize I suck beyond words.

My average at Jiminy Peak was way faster than at Sunapee. Average isn't everything. Being able to hold wheels is way more important, and being able to pop up over what little hills they put in front of you just as quick as most everybody else.