Questions tagged [speed]

how to go faster or how to go faster safely. For questions about gears or derailleurs, use 'gears'

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12 votes
8 answers
16k views

Does a 700c wheel help you go faster?

Someone suggested going with a 700c wheel to go faster, and after thinking about it I am wondering if a larger wheel actually does go faster. I understand that your gears will cause a wheel to rotate ...
2 votes
3 answers
210 views

What can I expect within a year?

I've just started road cycling 1.5 months ago, I'm a 15 year old guy with no serious experience, my avg speed on a road bike is 16,8mph is that a good speed?, what can i expect in one year in terms of ...
16 votes
8 answers
6k views

Is cycling behind a truck a bad practice?

Sometimes on a highway outside my city, Nairobi, I have been passed by fellow cyclist cycling behind trucks. As much as it is similar to holding onto the back of the track this is different since you ...
0 votes
2 answers
1k views

What to upgrade to achieve a higher top speed?

I enjoy going fast and my current bicycle tops too early, what kind of upgrades would I need to make to achieve a taller final gear?
22 votes
12 answers
21k views

Why is a road bike faster than a city bike with the same effort? How much faster it can be?

Why is a road bike faster than a city bike with the same effort? And how much faster it is? (if someone have measured it) Motive of the question: My current bike is a city bike with front fork shock ...
13 votes
4 answers
5k views

Is it possible to accurately measure airspeed on a bike, and is it useful?

So riding into a 15mph headwind at 15mph, your airspeed would presumably show as 30mph. In no wind, airspeed of 15mph. What would the airspeed be if cycling at 15mph with a 15mph crosswind? And ...
1 vote
2 answers
479 views

8 speed shimano claris cassette on Campagnolo Calima C17

I'm looking to replace my two wheels and I've been recommended this Campagnolo Calima C17 Clincher Road Wheelset. I currently have a Shimano Claris 8 speed cassette. The wheels are described as 10/...
5 votes
4 answers
1k views

How do sidewinds affect forward speed?

If I'm riding at 20mph on the flat with no wind, and then a 10mph wind kicks up, if I'm heading directly into it I'll slow down by X mph, and if I'm heading directly with it (i.e. pure tailwind) I'll ...
1 vote
4 answers
3k views

Does changing gear relation produce different speed at same applied power?

When you are starting the ride, I potentially believe ("know?") that with a smaller plate(cog with fewer teeth in the rear cassette), you obtain more velocity than with a bigger plate(cog with more ...
5 votes
5 answers
45k views

Is 25 km/h average speed good? What speed should I aim for?

So, I recently got into road cycling and have been riding for a few weeks. My average speed for most of my rides is around 25 km/h for the first 40 km and drops to 15 or 20 km/h for the next 20 or 30 ...
3 votes
5 answers
2k views

Relationship between speed and cadence?

I am having a disagreement with a friend. It stems around the scenario of 2 identical bikes on the same gear ratio side by side. If the rate of pedaling is same for both do both bikes travel at the ...
1 vote
3 answers
38k views

Why is my new front wheel not spinning?

Today my front wheel got flat. I took it for repair and when I went back home cycling it was very hard. It felt so heavy and that was not normal for speed 4, when I changed down to speed 3, 2, 1 it ...
7 votes
1 answer
5k views

Is it worth upgrading to 28mm tyres from 25 for a 250 mile ride?

Next month I'm embarking on a 250 mile ride over one day - I've done plenty of training and I'm ready. Currently my bike has 25mm tyres and some of the 100 - 175mile training rides I've done have ...
4 votes
4 answers
4k views

Why is cycling on a road so much faster than cycling on a cycle path?

I normally cycle on a cycle path and I struggle to go over 10Mph on my bike for any distance. My Daily commute took me 58 to 42 minutes depending on how much I push myself. This morning and yesterday ...
1 vote
2 answers
363 views

How much can I expect to improve in 1 year?

I am 51 yo, started cycling 2 months ago. I do about 80 km per week (in weekends). Currently my average speed over large distances (max distance I've done so far is 90 km) is around 22 km/h. On flat ...
17 votes
10 answers
48k views

How do I make a mountain bike go faster (commuting)

I just began biking around 4 months ago, and due to lack of experience I bought a Diadora Orbita Mountain Bike. I've staring commuting to work recently (about 14 km daily) but I'm not exactly happy ...
1 vote
2 answers
252 views

Understanding science of speed difference between two bikes

I have two MTBs and one is slower than the other. Bike1 has Deore derailleurs and a double chainring with 10 sprockets and Shimano hubs. Which has a great speed irrespective of the gear combination. ...
11 votes
7 answers
3k views

What is the most efficient way to ride up or down hills, and into or away from wind?

I'm trying to work out how hard I should push myself when riding up or down a hill. Similarly, how hard should I push myself when riding into, or away from, or perpendicular to wind? My aim is to ...
3 votes
2 answers
11k views

Spinning bike speed vs outdoor ride speed

I have been riding indoor on spin bike and I average 40 km/h, would someone help me translate these speed to outdoor cycling?
1 vote
3 answers
2k views

How durable are road or hybrid tyre tubes compared to mountain bike tyre tubes?

The context here is that I'm using a mountain bike to commute and I'm considering buying a hybrid bicycle or road bicycle. I'm experiencing various issues that require repairs and maintenance. ...
4 votes
1 answer
307 views

Expected time in cycling race

I am about to participate in my first cycling race. The organizers ask me about my expected average speed, presumably for creating suitable groups of comparable speed. I just started cycling on a ...
2 votes
2 answers
341 views

Laws against electric assist bicycle with energy recovery? [closed]

Is an electric bike like this required any special license. The power applied comes from the collected kinetic inertia from going down hill or stored from the rider then the stored power can then be ...
0 votes
3 answers
862 views

What are all of the speed numbers for a bike?

If you are buying a bike, there are a lot of different speeds. Is there a complete list of speeds? I'm trying to create an array... var allSpeeds = ["single-speed","3-speed","12-speed"];
0 votes
2 answers
1k views

Rim brake on front and disk brake on rear

Good day guys. I would like to know... I've purchased a old fixed gear bike, and i converted it to a freewheel. I've managed to install a rim brake on front. I was going to install ine on the back ...
1 vote
1 answer
57 views

Difference between drivetrains

I have a 3x10 speed MTB. Will it be a upgrade or a downgrade to move towards a 1x10 and will I be able to easily ride above 60km per hour as I can with the 3rd gear in front?
59 votes
11 answers
410k views

What is a reasonable speed for long distances on a bike?

I am curious what a reasonable speed to travel on a bike is. Speed will obviously vary based on the conditions in which you are riding. I am planning on taking the GPS out with me this weekend to ...
72 votes
27 answers
62k views

Why aren't Tour de France riders going any faster?

I was having a look at the average speeds of the winner of the Tour de France over the years on this page. To help things along I put the data into LibreOffice and produced a plot: I put on the chart ...
1 vote
4 answers
980 views

Faster with lower center of gravity?

If I bend my torso toward the top bar, lowering my center of gravity, will that alone help my bike go faster?
1 vote
2 answers
1k views

Chainring sizes for 11 speed cassette

I have an 11 speed cassette 11-32 teeth. I am running a 52 teeth chainring on the front. What would be a good recommended smaller chainring for the front? It needs to be big enough to take up the ...
10 votes
5 answers
5k views

How does weight influence your speed when descending?

I have recently bought a road bike and went on a little trip with a friend who is also a novice. We have approximately the same height but he weighs a lot more (I weigh 67-68kg for 1m81 and he weighs ...
16 votes
9 answers
19k views

Fixie vs Road Bike - the right fixie bike for bunch rides

At our local bunch rides, we're seeing more and more guys out on fixies and they are going at a phenomenal pace. We have a local segment called the "Chicken Run" (and it's flat) and this one guy in an ...
12 votes
4 answers
17k views

Can you ride a bicycle at 90 km/h on a flat road?

This video was featured in a leading news website in my country. It's a cyclist riding on a highway with very high velocity - said to be 90 km/h - close behind a truck. The road is flat, so it keeps ...
14 votes
4 answers
10k views

For fitness's sake, is it better to ride with low cadence in high gear or higher cadence in medium gear?

I've started riding to get fit and lose weight. As part of that, I set little challenges for myself, eg: "I'm going to ride these next two blocks as quickly as possible in the highest gear". I'd be ...
4 votes
3 answers
609 views

Fastest way to get faster up hill

There's a 2.4km, fairly gentle hill near me which I want to get quite a bit faster on. The traditional answer to my question is likely to be 'Go up the hill more often', but I also have a turbo ...
0 votes
1 answer
392 views

Faster Wheels & Tyres for my Cyclocross bike

I ride a cyclocross bike for commuting but want it to go faster! Instead of buying a new road bike, I'm thinking about new wheels & tyres. My journey is pretty flat at the moment. The currents ...
4 votes
4 answers
1k views

Maximum Descending Speed

This is a hypothetical question but I'm curious. Assuming an endless, freshly paved road with no turns, what would be my maximum speed? EDIT My question is too general so to help I'm adding some ...
1 vote
2 answers
1k views

Top speed for Cannondale Bad Boy

I have a 2015 Cannondale Bad Boy 3. I'm planning on making a trip tomorrow that goes across a very long, fairly steep road (It's almost completely straight). I've had the bike for about six months, ...
1 vote
2 answers
4k views

Replacing thick tire with thin tire

I ride a Hero Sprint, with tire size 26 inch. The wheels are thick and become slow, given my cycle's weight. Is it possible for me to switch to thinner tires? If yes, what are the plus and minus ...
4 votes
3 answers
1k views

Speed and Cadence Bike Sensor Opinions

I'm looking to start tracking my speed and cadence for my iOS app, Cycle Meter. The app works great for distance, time, but is not accurate at all for measuring my speed. So I'm thinking of buying ...
6 votes
2 answers
1k views

How much does wind affect the speed of a professional cycling peloton?

It's a well known fact that due to air resistance increase of speed on a bike takes non linear increase of power, so the huge marginal increase of power needed to go faster while riding at around 40-...
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

How much better are aerodynamics between a vintage road bike and a top of the line aerobike?

(Just up front: (1) All comparisons made keeping all other factors equal! (2) I know this is a really hard comparison, but there seems to be virtually nothing canonical on here or the rest of google, ...
5 votes
4 answers
18k views

How fast can my bike go?

I have an old mountain bike and want to change to a Pashley style girlie bike. I use my bike to go to the shops, pop to places and go out and about with my dog running along side. I find the seating ...
5 votes
3 answers
7k views

Do I need a Road Bike to go fast?

Do I need a road bike to go fast, my average mph is normally around 11 - 12mph according to strava & fitbit The thing is I normally overtake most people, and some cars when I'm going downhill, ...
0 votes
2 answers
938 views

Increasing speed and reducing effort on steel MTB on the road [duplicate]

I have a low end steel MTB, which is heavy by itself, and I also a heavy man weighting in at 100kg, and on my MTB I have knobby dirt tires. As you can imagine, riding on the road any faster than 20km/...
2 votes
1 answer
272 views

Cassette compatability regarding Shimano 9 speed

I have a Ultegra CS6700 9 speed rear deraileur that came on my bike. Originally the gearing was 12-25, which I changed to 12-27. I was wanting to know of that deraileur would work without a problem ...
12 votes
5 answers
6k views

Legs are very weak

So, I've been riding at different levels of difficulty for years now, from a 33lb, one gear bmx to a 21 speed, 44lb mountain bike, and now to a 22lb, 21 speed road bike. Each bike had its own ...
8 votes
4 answers
4k views

Is there a limit to safe downhill speed on a bike

I have a very steep hill on my route which levels out after about 2 km. The first quarter is extremely steep and shortly after I enter it the bike skips around a little bit and by the time I'm at the ...
5 votes
1 answer
4k views

Newbie Question: What do speeds mean on chains?

I'm shopping for a new chain, and I noticed some inconsistencies when discussing speeds. Specifically, speeds applied to the cassette refer to how many layer of gears it has (I presume). Speeds, when ...
5 votes
3 answers
3k views

How much slower are big tires?

I've now got a bike with 2.35" (or 60mm) Schwalbe Big Apple and feel a bit slow. There's no testing to prove this claim, but riding my fixie (25mm) the last couple of years just felt quicker/easier. ...
8 votes
2 answers
19k views

What are typical max speeds for pro downhill races?

Looking videos like Red Bull Rampage or Mega Avalanche make me wonder about the speeds attained by those pro bikers. How fast they go in straight line sections?