Got a question for people that cycle alot?

Question

ok everytime i ride i always go in the highest gear i have up and down hill up hill if possible some hill are not and always go as hard as i can for 30 miles to 40 miles a day which is what i ride mostly if weather is nice which it is most i would say 300 days out of the year its nice but i notice two things i look at other normal people (people who don't ride bikes) and me and i can't tell if my legs are getting stronger are not and 2 my speed is still 22mph no mattter how hard i push my self why

Answer 1

First, use an easier gear.  You want to be able to pedal 90-100rpm comfortable (this feels really fast and uncomfortable at first but you will get used to it over time and it has a lot of advantages over using a really big gear).

The best way to learn how to train on a bicycle is to ride with experienced riders, pick their brains and watch what they do.  Ask at your local bike shop about local teams and group rides.  Go on the group rides and learn as much as you can.  If you can average 22mph by yourself you're already very strong but you may get dropped by weaker riders just because of their experience... stick with it and you'll learn very fast in a group.

Answer 2

Wow.. if your average speed is 22mph that's great. I'm state champion for time-trial and my avg. is 21mph. So i guess if you want better results try squats. It helps 100%.

Answer 3

First don't look at an others legs, looks are deceiving and don't tell the whole story.

Next you didn't say what type of bike, this could be one of the limiting factors.

If your average speed after 30~40 miles is 22mph you are in the "way better than average" category.

Answer 4

GMC does not make a "top of the line" bike.  BMC does, but apparently your typing skills are rather lacking, as your "question" is nothing more than one run-on stream of mental diarrhea. It is difficult to take such a presentation seriously.

Perhaps your idea of "top of the line" isn't what you thought.  If you truly have a "GMC" bicycle, then you bought it at a ____-Mart store and it's not top of anything.

Answer 5

You should lighten up on your gears so you don't blow out your knees. Keep your cadence at about 80-90rpm.

The size of your legs is not a great enough indicator for strength. That is up to genetics. Look how thin Lance Armstrong is and, well, you know the rest.

Are you averaging 22mph? If so, you must be an elite rider and don't need anyone's advice. If you are just referring to your top speed, you should push and pull through the full rotation of your pedal stroke to optimize power and increase your speed.