Average Speed - how to improve it?

Hmmzis

Hi everybody,

Just got from my Saturday morning spin and when working out the avg. speed (distance/time spent on the distance) I was a bit disappointed. On a 37.6km route (Edmonstown rd, Kilakee rd., first left to Enniskery, then left to Glencullen and back to Rathfarnham) I only managed to average 24.8km/h
In the last 2+ months I've done about 1100k (commuting + weekend spins + trails) and every time I try do something longer than 10-15k in the Wicklow mountains I'm hovering in the 24-28km/h average speed zone. I'd like to hit at least the 30km/h zone for rides that are less than 100k.

How have you managed to improve your average speeds on longer distances? What are the places on a road where time gets lost the most and what would be the places to try and save the most time?
Or is it just a matter of clocking up the kilometers and the speed will come? If so then after how many k's clocked I should be expecting to hit the 30km/h average zone? Or are there other factors like diet, special training exercises that would increase endurance or something else that play a major role.

Maybe I'm just a bit impatient but any advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
V.

Lumen

Good luck doing 30kph for 100km around the Wicklow mountains.

macnab

as Lumen said 30kmph in the mountains is a tough ask, I am happy with my 24kmph average up to Sally gap and back. I am only hitting 30kmph average on my local roads around Meath now. I have been cycling since last October and have just over 2500km in my legs. To improve your speed you will have to push yourself a little bit more each cycle, get out of your comfort zone. I have started to attack the hills instead of cruising up them which seems to work well.

kennyb3

Intervals, hill intervals and more km's. Ride more and lose more weight.

Also join a club and race

Hmmzis

Thanks guys for the replies. I'll try out some interval training and see how that goes. I'm not quite sure how that works against a hill but will have to just give it a go.

Regarding weight, I'm about 180cm tall and my current weight is about 80-81kg (depending on the time of day). For this kind of speed/endurance cycling what would be the target weight that I should be aiming for? (btw. loosing weight with cycling seems to be quite easy, have lost about 6kg since I started in early May)

Cheers,
V.

Lumen

If you've only been cycling for two months don't go getting fancy about training.

Endurance, and particularly speed endurance, takes a long time to build up - years. The greatest threat to the progression of a new cyclist is getting over-enthusiatic and losing the love for it (I think Joe Friel wrote that so it must be true).

Focus on what's enjoyable, and don't neglect the broader aspects of your fitness, e.g. core strength and flexibility. If you try and build speed on a shaky structural foundation you'll just get injured, and that's miserable.

Just ride your bike.

Leroy42

Cycle faster over the same course you did last time!!!!

(there's always one smartarse!)

kennyb3

Agree with Lumen learn to love your bike for the first year. dont over complicate it until next year.