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I rode my first 50 mile ride yesterday after riding a road bike for about 5 weeks. I averaged 15 mph on a route with about 700 m of climbing.im aiming to do some sportives in a couple of months and am wondering if im on track not to finish dead last?
Sportive so aren't a race, take your time and enjoy no cares who comes first or last, we often stop for lunch or coffee on the way
Sounds ok to me. If that's solo then its a very good starting marker. Get out as much as possible and before you know it you'll be hovering around the 18's without killing yourself.
you wont be last and it is not a race
Good effort. You'll be fine. Enjoy the sportive and tuck in at the food stop
Dont listen.. everyone will pretend its not a race and sprint off at the start. Its like everyone telling you the party is fancy dress and you turn up dressed as a panda. 700m in 50 miles sounds pretty flat.. Whats the course like for the big race?
Depends on how long you stop for tea and cakes.I usually aim for 40 minutes but frequently end up closer to an hour.
Ok cheers lads.i apreciate its not a race but i do want to put in the best time i can whilst still having fun.
Did one sportive, 90km with lots of climbing stopped for a couple of mins for the food stop and that was it. It's not a race but you do get a time so it's nice to test yourself. 15mph comes out at 24kph over 80km of flat riding. It's not bad for a start. Just pace yourself and don't get suckered into the I'm not racing dawdling groups.
Get out as much as possible and before you know it you'll be hovering around the 18's without killing yourself.
And pretty soon you'll be riding in the TDF...it's that easy
http://www.strava.com/activities/96468072#2049362937
The last sportive I entered was a staggered start. So get there early rather than late and you'll have a headstart over some.
Your time would be fine by what I've seen. If you can ride with others that might speed you up a bit.
Averages aren't too helpful unless you are riding the same route. If that 700m came in one 12% hill at the start it would be a bit different to it being spread out over the distance. Also weather, especially wind, are big factors.
Go at your own pace if you can. If you are feeling good then hammer the last 5 miles. Don't hammer the first 5 and cramp up! Also eat cake and talk to people and enjoy it. If you just put your head down and don't stop you might as well go on your own.
Look at the route profile of the sportive(s) you are planning to ride and try to reproduce something close on your training rides. Time is irrelevant, there will always be people faster and slower than you.
Ride Mr steady eddy,keep a nice sustainable effort going and I guarantee you'll pass all 'cant keep it in the pants brigade' later on. And have something left for the return leg.
Don't worry about averages, mine have a 5 MPH variable. And I could take you on a killer hilly ride with less altitude gained than a flat route. From my hey limited experience sportives do like to gain height with proper hills.
Have fun, I like them now I know how they work.
Looks fine to me Son, some would be most proud to Ave out 15mph.
Cap on, clip in 8)
It's alright if you were just "pootling", but if you were going for it, it's not particularly fast.
700m is not much climbing in a 50 miler, so I'd expect to be getting "evens" (20mph) on that. For reference, I'm a mid-table Cat3.
People always tend to go faster in Sportives though - there's always a "rabbit" up the road for you to chase!
I'm strictly recreational and also tend to average 15mph-ish on solo road rides. That's on a steel bike with guards, 28mm gatorskins etc. I tried a hilly 200km Audax in godawful weather and this dropped to 13mph. Conversely, when doing an 81 mile sportive in fine weather, I got caught up in the chain gangs and averaged 19.5mph. Terrain, distance, weather and mood may affect your speed but 15mph over 50 solo miles suggests you'll be fine doing a sportive. Just find a group travelling at a comfortable pace and enjoy the scenery.
I average 15 over 40 miles at the moment, and would considder myself a brutally unfit fatty with the currently on-trend enduro specific BMI!
On a positive note, it takes less training than most guides would suggest to get upto long distances. I've done a very hilly 100miles in North Yorkshire after not riding for a couple of months, it was painfull, I got saddle sores, I started halucinating at 80 miles and I don't actualy remember much of the last 15, but it was do-able!
Just ride lots and be sociable on the day. If you want a good time then just tuck in behind some fast boys, I can easily maintian 20mph+ in a group.
Average speeds are really dependent on how much climbing there is and if there's a chain gang going
Where I live the fast clubbies manage 18+ mph but 50 miles would involve 2000m of climbing, my pootling mate would be around 12mph. This would be with no drafting action
Average speed for a 50 (to beat the current record?) 31.6mph 😯
Matt's been on fire this year 8)
If you start early, as someone posted, then you can tag on to a bunch if you are fading near the end. Especially if a head wind is blowing.
Have fun !