Good ave speed for Mountainbike?

[DCTheron]

I am by no means a seasoned rider, very fit or ride a super expensive carbon-fibre bike.

My Specialized only cost like R15k about 6 years ago.

Where we live is not flat and I lately try for 3 or 4 x a good 30 min stint during the week followed by a 20 - 25km on Saturdays with a group of guys, all older than me.

So what is an acceptable ave speed? I am 55 and not nearly as strong as I’d like to remember.

Had my bike serviced, converted to tubeless and also converted from 2 x 10 to 1 x 10, but an oval gear in front. Lost a little bit of top speed, which don’t bother me, however it feels like I am now able to apply more leg power onto the drivetrain?

Hit my record ave speed of 23.9km/h today, previously 22.6. Is this any good?

[oradba69]

For me that is a very good average speed.
I am also 55 but severely obese and on my Specialized Fuse (close to a fatbike) I average about 18km/h over 30km.

[Sias]

There is a whole lot of factors to be considered with avg speed: total m ascent vs descent, technicality of route, wind, stop-start or long uninterrupted ride, group or solo etc etc.

[mudgrubber]

That is not bad but, in my view, it is all about metres climbed. 12km with 100m of ascent is very different to 12km with 300m of ascent; for me anyway.

[DCTheron]

There is a whole lot of factors to be considered with avg speed: total m ascent vs descent, technicality of route, wind, stop-start or long uninterrupted ride, group or solo etc etc.

Accept this yes. I have not yet explored the option of measuring the ascent and decent, only using a fitbit and smartfone. It is not technical, all tar although one has to slow down for all the corners and mind a little bit of traffic. I do this solo and push myself, I cannot just go for an easy ride, it invariably ends up in a lekke workout

[Jeanvn]

As a newbie with 3 months of martelpyp under the belt it looks pretty good to me
I have a specific route I do in the week of just over 17km with 250m of elevation gain and I have just started reaching 20km/h avg speed.

I reckon the main thing is to keep on pushing yourself, but looking at our age difference I will have to start speeding up

[lekhubu943]

Dirk, it is a good average. I know the area you ride and it is hilly. But what goes up must come down so what you lose on the uphill, you gain on the downhill

My average is between 20.8 and 21.4, but I ride minumum 18 km and normally 22 -25 km. Was hoping to get to 30 km before the end of the year, but I developed a bit of a spasm in my one calf muscle, so I am taking it fairly easy now. I also ride solo and push myself hard, especially uphills. I have a fascination about uphills and I suspect that is how I over-did my calf muscle.

Is yours 29 inch wheels?

[TOY4X4]

You should consider using the Strava APP, even the free version will give you more data.

[PieterOos]

I call that 'fyn brag'

(I did an ave ~17 Km/h on the Munga training rides, your ave is good!)

[DCTheron]

Dirk, it is a good average. I know the area you ride and it is hilly. But what goes up must come down so what you lose on the uphill, you gain on the downhill

My average is between 20.8 and 21.4, but I ride minumum 18 km and normally 22 -25 km. Was hoping to get to 30 km before the end of the year, but I developed a bit of a spasm in my one calf muscle, so I am taking it fairly easy now. I also ride solo and push myself hard, especially uphills. I have a fascination about uphills and I suspect that is how I over-did my calf muscle.

Is yours 29 inch wheels?

Hi Christa,

29'er yes. What I do is zig-zag up and then down which never feels like an extended downhill, but when going up it feels like a drawn-out uphill . I am still to attempt the Lois ave all the way up to Erasmuskloof, that'll be a monster. Maybe towards the end of next month

[DCTheron]

You should consider using the Strava APP, even the free version will give you more data.

Thanks for the tip, I'll explore this.

[stephenplumb]

I used to ride from Umhlanga to UKZN eng faculty every day and would try to keep an average of around 30-33. That was not too hard in those, far in the review mirror days. I was on a road bike and carrying clothes and my text books so still better than an MTB but not as easy as it could be. And UKZN is right at the top of Dbn.

Yesterday I went for a 40min gallop on the dbn beach front and I nearly died! In my youth I could ride with any of the strongest guys around KZN and would never allow a woman to pass me, and I used to ride with some female international triathletes. These days I am happy to let them pass and wonder how I used to manage.

I think your average is fine. During covid my chest seems to have dropped to my stomach, and I have become desperately unfit. So I think you should salute yourself being out there and focus on enjoying the ride. I don't have a computer on my bike and could care less what my average is now. I don't even try and keep up with my kids any more, but I am glad they enjoy riding.

If you really want to get depressed, have a look at the averages those Tour Riders put up while riding cat 5 mountain stages, or even worse, the individual or team time trials. When you realise that wind resistance increase as the square of velocity, you will see how far you are from that form, but who cares. You are getting fit and enjoying yourself. I salute you!

[DCTheron]

I call that 'fyn brag'

(I did an ave ~17 Km/h on the Munga training rides, your ave is good!)

As said, I'm a novice, only really started using the bike since June.

Why I ask about the ave speed - on Saturday I battled to keep up with one of the "Old-timers" , ok he has an exceptional lung capacity and I developed a flat in the rear tyre the last 4k's. He mentioned his son's don't like him around as they ave +25Km/h.

[lekhubu943]

....29'er yes. .......I am still to attempt the Lois ave all the way up to Erasmuskloof, that'll be a monster. Maybe towards the end of next month

Brave man.

Mine is 29 inch as well. But strange how bikes differ. I rode my son's Giant at first and it is just a fast bike, don't understand why, but it is fast. Hubby took it over when I got the Scott. I am slower (same routes in our estate) on the Scott but I can endure longer because the fit is perfect for me. When I finally had the right bike for me, I very quickly went from 12 km max to 18 to 25 km. Blerrie addictive these things!

@ Pieteroos, ja maar jy tel nie. Ons gewone mensies sou ons fietsies gestoot het op daai trail wat jy 17 gemiddeld gedoen het.

[PieterOos]

As said, I'm a novice, only really started using the bike since June.

Why I ask about the ave speed - on Saturday I battled to keep up with one of the "Old-timers" , ok he has an exceptional lung capacity and I developed a flat in the rear tyre the last 4k's. He mentioned his son's don't like him around as they ave +25Km/h.

Shout if you (or anyone else) want to do some 'gravel grinding'!

[DCTheron]

Shout if you (or anyone else) want to do some 'gravel grinding'!

Up for the challenge (and beating ).

We start around 6:30 Saturdays at the centre where Bruce Reyneke Cycles are, mainly gravel travel, past Cowhouse and loop back to the centre.

[lekhubu943]

Mmm, I have been thinking about doing some nice gravel, but don't want to go alone.

How far do you ride Dirk? And is it a formal group? I know Cycle lab has some groups, but I never joined them because they start at Cycle lab. Starting at Bruce's make more sense.

[DCTheron]

Mmm, I have been thinking about doing some nice gravel, but don't want to go alone.

How far do you ride Dirk? And is it a formal group? I know Cycle lab has some groups, but I never joined them because they start at Cycle lab. Starting at Bruce's make more sense.

Alone is a no-no, even at 5:40 in the morning I am jittery and very aware of my surroundings when training.

I have joined FIL as part of the group, not really formal I would say. There is one lady in the group and she does really well and beat most of the old toppies on a weekly basis

Edit: normally 20 - 25Km, however I'd like to work up past the 30k mark on Saturdays. They also stop halfway for a coffee

[MediumRoast]

Use Strava to record your rides and Fitbit just for your heart-rate data. You can then view Strava segment results to see how you compare to other riders including those in your weight or age categories. Average watts per kg are more important in cycling than the average speed

Most important thing to worry about in cycling is just ride your bike and enjoy it. If any of the things in my sentence above frustrate or upset you then stop recording your rides and just do it for fun. And lastly some notable cycling quotes for you (not sure the Desmond Tutu one is legit but all can be found here https://roadcyclinguk.com/sportive/t...-riding.html):
“Ride as much or as little, as long or as short as you feel. But ride” – Eddy Merckx

“Don’t buy upgrades, ride up grades” – Eddy Merckx

“When your legs scream stop and your lungs are bursting, that’s when it starts. That’s the hurt locker. Winners love it in there” – Chris McCormack

“When my legs hurt, I say: “Shut up legs! Do what I tell you to do!” – Jens Voigt

“It never gets easier, you just get faster” – Greg LeMond

“You can’t get good by staying home. If you want to get fast, you have to go where the fast guys are” – Steve Larsen

“Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike” – John F Kennedy

“Cyclists see considerably more of this beautiful world than any other class of citizens. A good bicycle, well applied, will cure most ills this flesh is heir to” – Dr K.K. Doty

“A bicycle ride around the world begins with a single pedal stroke” – Scott Stoll

“Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring” – Desmond Tutu

[MANDREAS]

Good speed ave for a mountainbike?

Probably depends upon the mountain I guess.