Slow riders?

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
Vorpal
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Re: Slow riders?

Post by Vorpal »

I go at a pace that allows me to enjoy myself, as much as my other duties and responsibilities allow. On my way to work, that's not much, though I do stop and take pictures from time to time.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, when I've got time to myself? I might take 100 photos and stop for cake & coffee in a 20 mile ride. On the other hand, I might go 20 miles before I stop. It depends on my mood and inclination.

Cycling with kids and camping gear, between the extra weight, Mini V crashing into nettles and Littlest saying he wants something to eat every half hour, I feel lucky if we manage 5 mph. :mrgreen:

Commuting on slicks, it takes me an hour or so to get the 10 miles to work, but it's 1000 feet or so of climbing. Home is about 45 minutes. 35 if I try. It's about 20% more time if I'm on studded tyres in good conditions. Friday afternoon, it took me an hour and a half in lashing wind and sleet, on icy, slushy paths.

Slow? Well, I don't ride to race. I do it for my physical and mental health, I do it to get places, and I do it because I like it. Like Si said, if that's slow, well, it's still much better than sitting on the sofa.
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Flinders
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Re: Slow riders?

Post by Flinders »

661-Pete wrote:I have had the mortifying experience of being overtaken by a jogger, going uphill.... :oops:

Wouldn't worry me, that, as I'd expect to leave them standing on the next downhill even freewheeling. :twisted:
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Vantage
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Re: Slow riders?

Post by Vantage »

My average is around 10 - 12 mph and pretty much everything overtakes me. Even slower when with my daughters or fiancee.
I'm perfectly content with that :)
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karlt
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Re: Slow riders?

Post by karlt »

Flinders wrote:
661-Pete wrote:I have had the mortifying experience of being overtaken by a jogger, going uphill.... :oops:

Wouldn't worry me, that, as I'd expect to leave them standing on the next downhill even freewheeling. :twisted:


I've had that, and I was going up a right sod (Curbar Gap from the Curbar side) at a not totally unreasonable ~5mph at the time. Bikes are just terribly inefficient methods of getting up hills. There are plenty of slopes I can walk up that I'd never be able to cycle up at any speed - Tryfan west face? Even were it not rocky?
tatanab
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Re: Slow riders?

Post by tatanab »

Annoying Twit wrote:Is there anyone else who enjoys long distances at slow commuting speeds?
You have to define slow. In the past I've had people say they would not be happy riding as slowly as me, and on the same day other people have asked how I can see anything when riding so quickly.
Annoying Twit
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Re: Slow riders?

Post by Annoying Twit »

tatanab wrote:
Annoying Twit wrote:Is there anyone else who enjoys long distances at slow commuting speeds?
You have to define slow. In the past I've had people say they would not be happy riding as slowly as me, and on the same day other people have asked how I can see anything when riding so quickly.


I'll answer threads in more detail after working hours.

I think I'm similar in speed to many of the people here who have given speeds and self-identified as slow. If I say that my average speed on a reasonably flattish course is about 14km/hr then that might be in the ballpark. Could easily be quite a few km/or out, I don't know.

Even though I might be slower or faster or others, I think it's more a matter of which groups we put ourselves in psychologically. Do we have people whizzing past us, or not? :)

I found that perceptions of distance differ a lot. One woman I asked directions of was gobsmacked that I was riding to Lincoln. I was already over halfway there, maybe only 40km to go. Though, I remember the first time I cycled to Loughborough and back, a distance of about 32K. I was very pleased with myself. Now, that's a short afternoon ride :)
Grandad
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Re: Slow riders?

Post by Grandad »

Can I be nosey and ask how big the upper cut-offs are for the audaxes/rides that you go on? For my upcoming ride the cutoff is 8hrs30mins, which does seem reasonably generous.


Most audaxes have time limits based on a maximum speed of 18mph and minimum 9.6 mph (expressed in kilometres in deference to the French connection). The very long ones have lower speeds to allow for some sleeping time.
beardy
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Re: Slow riders?

Post by beardy »

The hilly 100ks can also have extended time limits to allow for the climbing.
That is why somebody mentioned 8h 30m somewhere up thread, that is for a Grimpeur 100k Audax (ie hilly) instead of the normal 6h 40m which you would get for a 9.6mph min speed.
So around 7.5mph for a Grimpeur 100k.
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gaz
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Re: Slow riders?

Post by gaz »

There is a reason why Grimpeur is an anagram of Grumpier :wink: .
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Merry_Wanderer
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Re: Slow riders?

Post by Merry_Wanderer »

I average 10mph (including stops) or 12mph rolling speed on Audaxes. Longest one I have done so far was 131km (including unscheduled diversions aka wrong turns - official distance was 123km). I am usually last or just before last but as there are no records kept of places or speeds on Audax, who cares! I am getting value for money :-)
groberts
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Re: Slow riders?

Post by groberts »

Vorpal wrote:I go at a pace that allows me to enjoy myself, as much as my other duties and responsibilities allow. On my way to work, that's not much, though I do stop and take pictures from time to time.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, when I've got time to myself? I might take 100 photos and stop for cake & coffee in a 20 mile ride. On the other hand, I might go 20 miles before I stop. It depends on my mood and inclination.

Cycling with kids and camping gear, between the extra weight, Mini V crashing into nettles and Littlest saying he wants something to eat every half hour, I feel lucky if we manage 5 mph. :mrgreen:

Commuting on slicks, it takes me an hour or so to get the 10 miles to work, but it's 1000 feet or so of climbing. Home is about 45 minutes. 35 if I try. It's about 20% more time if I'm on studded tyres in good conditions. Friday afternoon, it took me an hour and a half in lashing wind and sleet, on icy, slushy paths.

Slow? Well, I don't ride to race. I do it for my physical and mental health, I do it to get places, and I do it because I like it. Like Si said, if that's slow, well, it's still much better than sitting on the sofa.


Pretty much my sentiments too. Unfortunately since having a knee replacement last year I have had to lower my cycling ambitions but in some ways it has been a case of less is more - shorter and slower rides make me more appreciative: https://roundthebendpart1.wordpress.com ... to-sanity/
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mjr
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Re: Slow riders?

Post by mjr »

beardy wrote:
The whole point is to enjoy the ride


Not for all of us. I also want to get from A-B, I also want to go further and increase my range, I want to complete an Audax within the time limits and even be able to keep up with the others on it. I want to lose a bit more weight. I dont find that doing 15mph instead of 10mph greatly detracts from the view.

Are you looking where you're going? You should be having to check 50% more road for defects at 15mph than 10mph average, which I do find detracts from the view. However, when riding across the fens, the view isn't exactly changing very quickly :lol:

The other drawback is that you burn a lot more energy at higher speeds because wind resistance starts to dominate and increases on a square curve IIRC. 10mph to 15mph is about 50% more energy for the same distance in the drops IIRC.

Nothing wrong with doing a pootle, especially with friends and family but I also enjoy a challenge of speed and distance. Not in competition with others but in competition with your own previous rides.

Yebbut eventually you hit your limits and then what?

661-Pete wrote:I have had the mortifying experience of being overtaken by a jogger, going uphill.... :oops:

One of our day trips across the fens played "leapfrog" with a jogger for a few miles on the flat :oops: but to be fair it was because one of the group was suffering mechanical problems (seatpost slipping down IIRC) so we stopped I think three times to patch them up before we got it right. :)
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mercalia
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Re: Slow riders?

Post by mercalia »

I am also one of them. maybe 9mph but then I dont see any point in just cycling and cycling all a bit boring really? :lol:
Annoying Twit
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Re: Slow riders?

Post by Annoying Twit »

mercalia wrote:I am also one of them. maybe 9mph but then I dont see any point in just cycling and cycling all a bit boring really? :lol:


I find that provided I have a list of subgoals (usually villages), then I don't find it boring at all. Usually I end up chatting to people at various points on the way.
beardy
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Re: Slow riders?

Post by beardy »

The other drawback is that you burn a lot more energy at higher speeds because wind resistance starts to dominate and increases on a square curve IIRC. 10mph to 15mph is about 50% more energy for the same distance in the drops IIRC.


If you look through a lot of the health and fitness threads you will see that this is not a drawback but a big plus for a large part of the population.
That part, unfortunately, includes me.
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