Re: Average speeds

On 5/14/2025 5:48 PM, cyclintom posted yet another slew of horse shit:

I've been looking up average speeds in a process of trying to discover how fast of slow I am. Most of the articles show that as an 80 year old I am riding above my age by a bit.
 https://pedalstreet.com/average-cycling-speed-by-age/#Wind_and_Weather (suggests 11.5
https://ilovebicycling.com/average-bike-speed/ (note that Grand Tour riders average 25 mph for the Tour.)
https://www.cyclistshub.com/average-cycling-speed/
  It appears that good riders at 60 can average about 90 watts of full time power.

Not from these links.
-first off, it lists 'average', not 'good'.
-Second, absolute watts isn't useful except as an individual metric. The valuable comparison metric is power/weight ratio (generally measured in watts/Kg).
-3rd, every competitive rider I know in my age group is able to sustain significantly more than 90 watts.
Here's a link for actual trained cyclists, not people who ride rail trails every other weekend when the weather is good.
https://trainabsolute.com/training/cycling-ftp-by-age/
"While there isn’t an exact formula, rough cycling FTP by age expectations (in watts per kilogram, W/kg) based on different age groups look something like this:
50s-60s (Gradual Decline, But Not Drastic)
Elite: 3.5-5.0 W/kg
Well-Trained: 2.5-3.5 W/kg
Recreational: 1.5-2.5 W/kg
70s+ (Performance is All About Maintenance)
Elite: 3.0-4.0 W/kg
Well-Trained: 2.0-3.0 W/kg
Recreational: 1.0-2.0 W/kg"
Right now my FTP is about 3.25 W/Kg, which for my weight is about 220 watts. Trust me when I tell you that is _not_ impressive.

(That is as much power as you can generate for 20 minutes and is as meaningless a measurement as you can get)

FTP is the power you can generate for 60 minutes, not 20. It's usually measured over 20 minutes then an offset formula is applied. Try reading and learning for a change:
https://www.trainerroad.com/blog/is-my-ftp-too-low/
FTP isn't meaningless by any stretch of the imagination.

Power st this level dramatically slows you down in a headwind.

Thanks for displaying yet more of your misunderstanding of the laws of physics. The slower you go, less your speed is affected by head wind. It's the 'Square Law Effect' and it's exponential as a function of speed.

 But my average speed is 10 mph almost exactly and on some 25 mile rides it has been as high as almost 12 mph despite a headwind Yesterday wrecked me at 29 miles including 1,300 feet of climbing with several spot of 9% for over 100 yards.
 Garmin used to report maximum rate of climb but they don't do that anymore.

Yes, it does. You're just having more problems understanding how to use your computer.

And looking back to before my stroke, I was climbing more than twice as much per week and my average speed with the old software was often over 10 mph or 12-13 mph with this software. And that was on a climb that went over 12%
 So, as I say, I appear to be slightly better for my age group.
 And it should also give you insight into people saying that I'm so slow and telling you that they've put in 600 miles this year with an average speed of 20 mph. Especially after they've told us that they are over 60.

Not really, except that your slow compared to someone who actually trains. You don't train. You don't do structured intervals, you don't threshold workouts or cadence drills, you don't monitor time in power zones.
Lets look at some performance statics for older people who actually train.
https://usacycling.org/article/60-national-titles-awarded-in-albuquerque-for-masters-road-nationals Master Men 60-64 Time Trial National Champion:
Robert Fisher (Monument, Colo.; Tierra Plan Racing p/b IntraNerve) - 49:40.5 (over 40K/25 miles, that's 30.2 mph)
65 and over did a 20K course:
Master Men 70-74 Time Trial National Champion:
Jerry Rome (Denver, Colo.; Wholesome Masters Racing) - 28:12.7 = MPH
Master Men 80-84 Time Trial National Champion:
S Durward Higgins (Chattanooga, Tenn.; Hammer Super Masters) - 30:44.3 - 24.42 MPH
Master Men 85-89 Time Trial National Champion:
Leon Malmed (South Lake Tahoe, Calif.; Alta Alpina Cycling) - 36:45.0 = 20.40 MPH
Looking at the 85-89 rider and punching some numbers into http://bikecalculator.com/, you get about 1.7 W/Kg, or about 150 watts for a 200 pound rider.
For a comparison to your link, the 70+ national champion put out somewhere in the range of 3.3 W/Kg, which is about 300 watts for a 200 pound rider.
FWIW - I could never have matched what the 60-65 rider did, even at my most fit.

 Whatever they are using to report their speed is highly inaccurate.

Yeah, because GPS is so easy to fake out. Let me remind you your the one who claimed to hit 69 mph on a downhill recently.

 By the way, that third reference gives a chart of average speed with level of ability but that is at about age 35 where your athletic/cycling ability is at your peak.

Yup, 35 is generally a physiological peak, and yes, your VO2x max will decline with age.
So you ride about what your link says is 'normal'. Good for you.
You ride in the 'normal' range for someone your age after a (alleged) stroke. Good for you.
You're still riding regularly at your age and after a (alleged) stroke. Good for you.
Constantly claiming other people are somehow cheating because you could never  - in your entire life - ride at racing speeds - fuck off.