How do you calculate your average speed?

[Tom]

Include stops or no?

Oh, include dc computers too on number three. I don't know how to edit the spelling on that, fat fingered the text. Sorry. Meant to say "I don't use a computer".

[dirtdigger88]

after always reading about these high average speeds (besides Roy's- I am sure his is true) I am interested to see the results of this one. I once rode with a guy who told me he could easily average 22 mph on a local loop. We went out together and he was dying (I am sure is was just a bad day) and our average was only around 18 mph. I can't speak for the other parts of the country, but here in St. Louis he have quite a lot of hills. Never any big ones like in the mountain states, but we just have constant rolling hills which kill an average speed.

Jason

[victoryfactory]

Tom;
I disagree with your suggestion that "honest" average speed on a ride should
include coffee stops, fixing flats, waiting for traffic etc.
That's why I use my computer which only calculates average speed when
actually rolling. (all computers do it this way, I think)
That's bad enough to keep my average down to around 13 or 14 mph in
the city where riding includes traffic, slowing for stopligts and then
re-accelerating and avoiding all sorts of other obstructions while trying to remain upright.
On the other hand, when I ride out on Long Island on the weekends, where
there is less stoping and traffic, my average speed is about 16.5 mph

VF -Old and slow enough already without counting coffee stops in his average speed!

[Dekonick]

Hmm - I never stop for coffee...
an expresso would be nice mid ride. :p

[Ozz]

Hmm - I never stop for coffee...
an expresso would be nice mid ride. :p
mmmmm....non-fat double espresso (latte) with almond fudge clif bar. Yummy!

I let my computer calculate it, and I feel guilty about it not including the stops.

[zap]

If we do a timed event such as our old guaranteed fast century rides, we do both. On the road time which would include red light stops, etc. and total time which includes rest stops. Our rest stop would be real short, say 5 minutes. We record both for grins.

Mates and I did a 100K TT with no stops, no lights, etc. some years back. A very nice friend drove behind us and handed out filled water bottles when needed. But thats another story.....

Otherwise, it's just to hard to get motorized support to eliminate stops :rolleyes:

All other averages on club rides dictated by whatever a reliable cyclo computer says.

Me on solo rides these days, don't have a clue what my average is.

[csb]

include the cars speed on route to ride

[RichMc]

I let the computer do the work and have it set to not factor in the stops. Riding is riding and stopped is stopped. Besides, if you're riding in traffic sometimes that alone slows you down quite a bit and the computer is tracking anytime you're moving, no matter how slow or fast. What, you think those long steep downhills are exactly honest too? :D

[jeffg]

On a "training ride" I am looking more at laps, intervals, etc. than overall speed, so I don't really care unless I am trying to ride part of a course at ride-day speed.

In evaluating the results of a cycling marathon, DC, etc. I look at both. One tells me how fast I am doing the actual riding. The other lets me know how efficient I am being at rest stops. It makes a difference to me if I take 30 minutes off my total time by riding faster or by stopping less. Both are good signs; however, I find it easier to be more disciplined at stops than to be faster! :banana: :banana:

[tch]

In my book, honest is as the computer shows it, total ROLLING time over miles. If you stop to bs or drink coffee, that doesn't count as riding. HOWEVER, I will say it should count all rolling time -- up, down, flat. I once rode with a couple of guys who would pump along at 22-24 on the flats and then say that they "averaged" that speed. Uh...what about that 9mph you were doing on the two mile hill back there?

[vaxn8r]

I thought you just divided your total miles by running clock---24/7. That's what I've always done. Damn sleeping just kills your average!

[shaq-d]

the problem with avg spds is warm down..if i'm warming down for 15 minutes at a noodling speed, the avg spd goes to hell. same thing with the warm-up. i took the computer off my commuter..just a bugger, and i know what approximate spd i'm going based on gear & cadence feel anyway.

sd

[george]

I let my Schimano cordless flight deck keep track of my averege speed, top speed and my "rolling" time. Then I have my Polar S-210 heart rate monitor keep track of my heart rate and my "total" time. :)

[flydhest]

I can average about 35 miles an hour. Of course, I sprint for about 200 meters, then stop and the computer stops, then I rest for a while, get back on and sprint 200 meters, then stop and the computer stops, I rest for a while, then do it again.

This does wonders for the average speed.

[Russ]

When I see the average speed at the end of my rides, that is the speed I go by.... the one calculated by my computer when I am moving. The Sigma 1600 I have, STOPS when I the wheel stops rolling...

However, I have found that I actually get faster average speeds when I actually don't stop at all! I guess because I am able to maintain a constant speed, rather than going fast/slow/fast... As when doing intervals, etc.

The other thing I have done is actually calibrate my computer using my car's odometer. I mean, I mark a mile on the road with my car. Then I change the wheel circunference numbers on the computer, little by little, until I get a number that is accurate to match the car's marked distance. I have found that many computers give you numbers for 700x23, 700x20, etc. But they do not tell you numbers for 700x22 (most of my tires are this size). When I have done the formula for the EXACT wheel measurement, as indicated in the manual, the numbers come too high or too low...

I do understand dirtdigger's point, however, when you have hills, there is no way you are going to keep high average speeds!!! The Pro rider from Fassa Bortolo (I forget his name) that recently won the Mt. Evans hill climb in Colorado, averaged 16 mph!!! And Scott Moninger, who is considered one of the best climbers currently racing in the US, was eight minutes behind....

[Serotta PETE]

for every ride after drinking "a little" Dry Creek Old Vine Zin

[Tom]

It's situational, sort of.

I rode a century this year where I managed to hang with a front group. 102 miles, 5 hours 10 minutes. I don't count that as a 20mph average even though we stopped for a total of about ten minutes refilling bottles.

In the morning, I often ride a 32 mile loop that has several traffic lights. That one, because I do it a lot, I meter by dropping out the time standing at the lights. That's how I know what's going on - steadily dropping speeds are an indication of problems and for that kind of stuff I want to be accurate.

And when I ride the hills west of town, all I care about is my maximum speed. Average can go right out the window. Every now and then I really nail an average over there but not often.

I did have fun this morning, though. The way home down Crawford I hit a good speed and thought about tucking it to see how fast I could get going. I leaned through the first turn, the road was a little damp, and I swear I felt the bike start to drift. I was going 48 at the time. I decided not to tuck.

[keno]

The interviewer says to each prospective accountant employee, "How much is one and one?"

The first answers "2", the second "11", and the third "How much do you want it to be?"

Power over time is the only truth. Wind may blow, terrain may vary, you may be on someone's wheel, but a watt is a watt and a minute is a minute, and there ain't no fudging it.

keno

[Dekonick]

Damn - that hurts!

Power over time.

Hey, how many of you use a computrainer? For those of you who do, what is your avg watts? (Just curious)

-do you race yourself (prev. performance?)
or
-do you race the pacer at a set watts setting? (think default is 160)

I (to show how average my riding is - at best) ride with the default pacer, and thats what I usually do when on the trainer (boy - I hate indoor riding, but the 3d software helps...)

Its hard to believe Lance can maintain 500 watts for an entire hour.

[Sandy]

I ask Flydhest what his average speed was for the ride. Then I add 2 miles per hour. I really get a remarkably high average that way, since the Flyman always adds 8 miles an hour to his real average.

I tried doubling Kevan's average speed, but that didn't work too well. I was still in the single digit arena.

Supersonic Speedy Sandy

[Serotta PETE]

Sandy.......you could use my average and triple it.......might even get to double digit.

Have a good weekend and tell Gloria hi>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Pete

[keno]

My go to device is he PowerTap. Personally, I don't buy into the notion of an average ride, whether for average speed or average watts. I use wattage for training and to determine the intensity of a ride so I don't cook myself or underutilize myself over time.

If you want to get a sense of where you stand in the scheme of things, take a look at http://www.cyclingpeakssoftware.com/profile.html and the power profiling spreadsheet part way through the article. BTW, FTM is 20 minutes. For me, I either have to double my power or halve my weight to gain respectability on that spreadsheet. They used to have it in terms of cat1-5 and untrained categories. I think I have it somehwere on my computer if you or anyone else really cares.

keno