How.To.Ride.Faster

[Vicegrip]

@lordofthemark 145134 wrote:

Let me just clarify that whatever advice I take, and however I react to particular ideas, I do appreciate the ideas and thoughts and effort everyone has put in to answering my questions. This is a great community, and ideas that do not work for me, may well work for someone else who reads this.

Now as for me, I really was hoping to find some ideas that involved not too major expenditures of money, and not really major changes to lifestyle (other than maybe riding more) My goal (as I said in response to RootChopper) is to get moderately faster, to keep up better with at least the slower folks in the community – it is not to start getting KOMs’ or to race or anything like that. I think I have gotten lots of good advice that will work for me. I doubt I will end up shaving my legs anytime soon, and I don’t even think I will get a road bike real soon. I think in equipment I need to focus on tires – and I have lots of good advice on improving my motor, which mostly amounts to riding more, to focusing in certain segments (I think for me that is probably going to mean hills at first), and to riding more with people somewhat faster than me.

I think at best moderate improvements are obtainable and speaking for myself what I was discussing with regards to my replies.
It almost sounds like you want something for near nothing. Yes, there are some low hanging fruit to be picked from a hybrid bike such as changing out watt eating tires for some better rolling skins but for the most part increasing wattage output (hard work, training and improved diet not just more miles) and decreasing wind drag (buy a true road bike and ride it well) are the two truly measurable things that can change average speed. Lets face it, Physics is a bitch. Tires help with Ground speed only. Aero helps with ground and air speed. Friction loss increase with speed but aero is the real soul sucker. Unless you can make lots more power you better reduce aero drag. Aero drag increases on the square. Reduction of drag via tires helps a bit but reduction of wind signature is potent even at lower speeds. Aero helps in the soul sucing headwinds we all encounter. Increased watts comes from dedication, training and improvement of body and form over time, aero comes from Visa or Mastercard and some sound investment in the proper ride. No need for pointy helmets and smooth short shorts ready legs.

I recommend a measured dose of both. You end up with a better body and bike.

[vvill]

@hozn 145131 wrote:

Oh, I thought you were asking about how to ride faster; you can ride slowly/casually on a bike without doing anything at all.

Yep. There’s a reason bicycles are such a popular method of transportation in big cities around the world. They’re just so darn efficient and convenient!

If you do want to easily ride faster than the casual utility rider/commuter, that is the 8-12mph? averages of those folks, you do need to become at least somewhat “athletic”. Although there are many folks here who ride much faster and further than the typical casual rider in a densely populated city, they don’t do it overnight and I wouldn’t say they are representative of typical bike commuters (at least not globally – a place like DC… maybe moreso).

[huskerdont]

Once you get some lighter tires with less rolling resistance, you are going to notice the difference and become a tire weenie. Okay, YMMV, but it’s easy to do. I notice such a difference between, say, the 25s I put on my SS in the winter and the 23s I ride in the summer. Not so much the width as the model; I sacrifice rolling resistance in the winter for flat resistance because, with my weenie hands, I just can’t change a flat very well at 6:30 in the morning when it’s 18 degrees outside.

Since you say you’re a bit afraid of fixing flats, when you get these tires, if you are up to it, maybe put them on yourself rather than having the shop do it. It’s not such a mystery once you’ve done it, and although you can botch it and puncture a tube or not get the tire seated properly on the rim, it’s really worth it to be comfortable changing tubes out. After a while, fixing a flat goes from something to be afraid of to something that’s just a damn inconvenience that makes you a couple of minutes late for work with dirt on your hands.

[DismalScientist]

Don’t let these shills from the bicycle industrial complex get you down. Just get some 28mm Panaracer Pasela with TourGuard (TG) for a lot less money than the GP4000s. The performance may not be the same, but certain folks don’t understand the concept of diminishing returns.

[GovernorSilver]

When I was mostly house-bound this past winter, I worked a bit on pistol squats (a type of one-legged squat).

When I finally got back on the saddle, I noticed my “cruising gear” rose from 6 to 7 on my 8-speed bike. This is the highest gear I can go on before I feel like I’m mashing, thus resulting in a higher average speed. By July I was regularly cruising on my highest gear – probably a combination of continuing to practice pistol squats (increased lower body strength) and more time in the saddle (relearning how to pedal more efficiently).

The funny thing is, my average speed was higher on the 35 lb. 8-speed than on the 21 lb. adventure road bike with the 50-34 chainring and 11-speed cassette. A lot of it was “knowing” the heavier bike better than the newer, lighter one – more familiarity that translates to shifting more efficiently. By the time we were competing in an inter-departmental fitness contest, I finally started logging higher average MPH on the road bike.

Honestly though I think the contest motivated me to ride faster more than anything else, because I was earning an extra 500 steps per 10 min. of activity for cycling at 13 MPH average vs. 10 MPH. Team pride/spirit can do that. I earned a lot of steps from just from the commute time alone (about 60 min. for 13 miles), but the bonus for riding just a couple of MPH faster on average was nice. If I overdid it though, like the one day I averaged over 14 MPH, I got less time credit, so I ended up taking longer routes to ensure I still got good saddle time. Being taught the Crystal City-LBJ Grove route by Crystal City Coffee Club really helped – that allowed me to eliminate a huge chunk of my trail riding in favor of street riding, for sustained riding at 14 MPH or faster over greater distances than possible on the likes of the MVT.

I expect my average MPH to drop quite a bit now that the contest is over.

[lordofthemark]

@Vicegrip 145150 wrote:

I think at best moderate improvements are obtainable and speaking for myself what I was discussing with regards to my replies.
It almost sounds like you want something for near nothing. Yes, there are some low hanging fruit to be picked from a hybrid bike such as changing out watt eating tires for some better rolling skins but for the most part increasing wattage output (hard work, training and improved diet not just more miles) and decreasing wind drag (buy a true road bike and ride it well) are the two truly measurable things that can change average speed. Lets face it, Physics is a bitch. Tires help with Ground speed only. Aero helps with ground and air speed. Friction loss increase with speed but aero is the real soul sucker. Unless you can make lots more power you better reduce aero drag. Aero drag increases on the square. Reduction of drag via tires helps a bit but reduction of wind signature is potent even at lower speeds. Aero helps in the soul sucing headwinds we all encounter. Increased watts comes from dedication, training and improvement of body and form over time, aero comes from Visa or Mastercard and some sound investment in the proper ride. No need for pointy helmets and smooth short shorts ready legs.

I recommend a measured dose of both. You end up with a better body and bike.

Basically I would like to find the low hanging fruit first, and see where that gets me. Sounds like for me that will be riding more, riding with more of a training approach, and getting more efficient tires. After I have done that I can see how fast I ride, and then determine the benefits and costs of doing more.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@lordofthemark 145202 wrote:

Basically I would like to find the low hanging fruit first, and see where that gets me. Sounds like for me that will be riding more, riding with more of a training approach, and getting more efficient tires. After I have done that I can see how fast I ride, and then determine the benefits and costs of doing more.

Or, only spend the dough on component/tire/bike upgrades towards increased efficiency if you meet certain fitness goals?

There’s good reason why my daily-driver commuter setup (bike plus bag) is ~32-34lbs and I race a 16.5lb road bike.

[scorchedearth]

@lordofthemark 145106 wrote:

So, do core exercises and weight lifting to be able to ride a road bike?

That’s not the only reason. The benefits of lifting weights and doing core exercises extend far beyond the ability to ride one’s bike faster. Lifting weights maintains muscle and considering that cycling doesn’t give you much of an upper body workout, it is useful for overall strength and better looks. Core exercises are useful for overall strength however I am also convinced that keeping a strong core will help mitigate any back issues that can arise from our desk jobs.

[DrP]

Some have mentioned clipping into the bike and seem to imply that you need a road bike to do that. There are pedals that have one side for flat and one for clipping in. I ride flat (sure, I would be more efficient otherwise, but allowing my feet to slip off in bad situations has saved me multiple times from increased injuries. And I can be a bit of a klutz at times). My biking buddy decided that clipping in might be better and purchased these for several bikes. I am not sure that my buddy ever uses the flats anymore (although I have on a couple of those bikes – before I acquired a second bike and needed to borrow one when mine was in the shop). This would require new pedals and shoes, so some cost, but not a new bike. And it would allow you a way to try out clipping in without making it difficult to go back to the other kind. Especially if it is your only bike and some times you don’t want to put on biking shoes to go to the store or whatever.

[hozn]

@DismalScientist 145171 wrote:

Don’t let these shills from the bicycle industrial complex get you down. Just get some 28mm Panaracer Pasela with TourGuard (TG) for a lot less money than the GP4000s. The performance may not be the same, but certain folks don’t understand the concept of diminishing returns.

Also, don’t pay retail for tires. I am not sure what the street price on the Panaracer is, but a GP4000S shouldn’t cost more than $40-45.

For tires I will pay an extra $10-20 for the few months a tire lasts, since it is something that I notice in different ways every time I ride.

In general for this discussion, I think @vvill hit it on the head: to move beyond a certain type of cycling you need to become “athletic” about it, though that can take many forms.

@Harry Meatmotor also offers a great suggestion: use the comparatively tiny marginal gains from equipment as treats for the huge gains you can achieve athletically. Take your current top speed and work to make that your average speed, for example. You probably won’t notice significant speed improvement switching tires (though you will notice big differences in handling, smoothness, etc.) Heck, I was surprised that my average only dropped by 1 or 2 mph when I switched to commute on my MTB for a week — with 2.3″ knobby tires and a 32×11 as my tallest gear. Maybe I was pushing harder.

[DismalScientist]

The Paselas are about $25 online.

[Sunyata]

I have been reading this thread and keeping quiet to see what others have to say. On my commutes, I am a pretty slow rider. I generally average between 12-14 mph. This to me is not a big deal, because commuting apparently (according to the National Bike Challenge) only accounts for 41% of my cycling.

The rest of my riding is pretty split between riding with friends on paths/roads and riding with friends on the MTB. I have noticed that when I ride with other people, I tend to step it up and ride faster. I have motivation to pedal at more than just a casual rate. So my suggestion is to ride with other people more often. If you can find a convoy in for work, that would be great. When you are out on your evening/weekend rides, see if you can find a group. Come out for a Bikenetic Sunday Shop Ride, while the pace is pretty casual, it is definitely faster than my normal commute speed and they will push you to keep trying harder and harder.

Sure, tires and lighter bikes, and more aero positioning will help. But in all honesty, I find that I can keep up with someone on a road bike going 22mph on my 40 pound commuter bike with flat bars and flat pedals with 38’s just as well as I can on my 18 pound gravel race bike, clipped in, with 35’s. Sure, the lighter bike makes it a bit easier to get up hills, but a bike is a bike is a bike. The motor is what really counts and will shave the seconds off your times.

The last little bit of advice I am going to give, you are not going to like. But on your days off of the bike, go for a run up some hills. Cross training really helps increase your overall fitness and will make you faster. Add in some core exercises and you will only get stronger and be able to transfer more power from your core to your legs (this helps considerably when climbing steep hills). I started running again to get ready for cyclocross season, and it has only made me stronger on the bike. Now I just have to practice running while carrying my bike and maybe I will end up somewhere better than mid-pack!

[huskerdont]

The cross-training suggestion from Sunyata is great if you can do it. Since I was forced to mostly stop running, my resting heart rate has risen and my cycling had noticeably worsened. I still can run a bit when the weather is warm enough, so have again this summer, and my cycling has improved.

Western Bike Works sometimes has some ridiculous sales on tires. I just picked up a pair of Tufo Calibras to replace my Pro4s on my road bike — for $22.40 each. I like supporting the LBS, but sometimes it just doesn’t make sense, price- and selection-wise.

Funny the different slants on advice. Everyone has to work out what works best for them. It’s been a fun thread.

[accordioneur]

I have been reading this thread with interest. I’m another slow rider, and like you I find that limiting in terms of riding with friend and groups. In the kayaking world, my friends are the people with whom I paddle. In the cycling world, my friends are the people with whom I have coffee. I’m not surprised that your question resulted in a shopping list (tires! helmet! have your dentist remove your molars to reduce weight!).

There has been some mention in general terms of building core strength. Do any of you do specific strengthening exercises targeted towards cycling? I stopped going to the gym about a year ago due to a change in commute and have found that without the leg presses and such, my riding strength has diminished.

Overall, though, I find my particular solution to the problem is that practice makes perfect: when I ride more, I ride better.

[vvill]

@Sunyata 145232 wrote:

The last little bit of advice I am going to give, you are not going to like. But on your days off of the bike, go for a run up some hills. Cross training really helps increase your overall fitness and will make you faster. Add in some core exercises and you will only get stronger and be able to transfer more power from your core to your legs (this helps considerably when climbing steep hills). I started running again to get ready for cyclocross season, and it has only made me stronger on the bike. Now I just have to practice running while carrying my bike and maybe I will end up somewhere better than mid-pack!

This is one of the reasons I like riding off-road and/or SS/fixed as well. There’s a lot more variety to the workout – standing out of the saddle, absorbing bumpy surfaces, angling your body, riding at more extreme cadences, etc. I do actually enjoy running somewhat, but nowhere near as much as riding, so mixing up the riding is a good excuse for not hitting all my cross-training/running goals. (Though I’ll admit to owing a chin-up bar at home. You just can’t get enough upper body stuff purely on a bike.)

[Author]

Posts