How Do Road Bicyclist Get So Much Speed?

Question

Ive been road biking for maybe a month now, have great respect for bikers in my area. My question is, how do they get to moving so fast, I just cant seem to get over 15mph, Ive tried gear moves, doesn't wanna work too well, any tips, suggestions?

Answer 1

momentum they dint stop and loose their speed,that's why they stay on major roads.

Answer 2

get legs, and keep your bike in good shape too. get a computer, and practice shifting as your cadence goes up or down from your comfort zone. push your comfort zone. finally, you have to be a s****t..

Answer 3

First question I have is what bike do you have? Are you riding on flat ground or hilly? If its hilly, 15 is not bad for a beginner. I ride 21-23 on flat ground, but when I started, my initial goal was 17-19 for a 30 mi ride. It might also help that I am 19 years old too. The other thing you can do is pedal at 80rpm, which basically means not to fast but not so hard you over-exert either. It should be comfortable enough for you to maintain cadence and therefore your speed.  If climbing hills, downshift enough so that you can maintain the 80rpm cadence, but don't worry about a loss in speed. A bike computer will go a long way in helping you achieve your goal. Keep trying and ride a 60-100 mi per week if you're able. If you want more specifics, tell me your crank size and cassette sizes, and maybe your shifters as well.  

Answer 4

How do they do it? They're in shape. Get a heart rate monitor and a training book, and use them.  

Answer 5

if you dont air up your tires to like 110 psi then you are going to go really slow, also road conditions play a huge part in how fast you can got. if you have a smooth roads its easy to go like 23 mph without straining, but if its bumpy or rough 15 is a solid number. there are just so many things thats go into affect during road bike riding. Also what is your cadence? if you are in to high of a gear your feet will be turning  alot and you wont go anywhere really, but if your in to low of a gear you wont be peddling enough to accelerate.

if you want to go fast, try standing up and riding for like 10 seconds then sit bback down and keep going strong

Answer 6

Dude, don't listen to the others... spin the pedals. The biggest problem for beginners is to determine which gear to use. I would say that whatever gear allows to maximize your pedaling rate without making you get out of breath is best.

Most beginners spin there pedals at walking pace - 60 rpm-80 rpm. That's way too low. But maybe 80 rpm is your limit right now. Count your pedaling rpm and if you are pedaling too slow move to an easier gear, if you're bouncing around in the saddle move to a harder gear. Gradually should should begin to increase your rpm to 100 or higher. This is how you maintain a high speed on the road, and soon you will be riding all day at 20-22mph.  

Answer 7

Tex T is the only one who has this right so far.

Here is the secret to going fast. Each and every one of us can only deliver a given amount of down force on each pedal stroke. Now how many pedal strokes per minute times the amount of force per stroke is how many watts you can deliver. If you pedal at 40rpm and increase it to 80rpm you have doubled your wattage and can go a lot faster. Too many riders think that to go fast you need a big gear, but if you can't get your rpm up in that gear downshift a gear or two and if you can increase your cadence 20rpm or more your speed will go up. A simple way to think of this is can you move a ton of dirt, Yes you can, one shovel full at a time, just shovel faster.  

Answer 8

Maybe you need to keep training.  Its not too hard to get above 15mph on level ground.    Also check your tire air pressure and get it up to around the max for less rolling resistance.

Answer 9

Shoe Clips, lightweight gear and aerodinamics

Answer 10

We pedal really, really hard.

Answer 11

Roadies are weight-weenies, too...they shave off every ounce they can think of. Plus, they ride...and ride...and ride...so that's what you need to do.