Cycling Feedback

 Hi All, 

I would love to get some feedback from experienced cyclists. I have been riding about 4 weeks now, and I am averaging about 60-80 miles a week. I finally purchased my clip-ins and road shoes today and took them for a spin. I rode 18.4 miles and averaged 16.2 mph, even with some considerable hills. It felt comfortable and if I were in a race i probably could have kicked up a notch on the straights, and attacked the hills a little harder, but was curious if this is decent, and what should I be shottong for if I wanted to join a club for riding, and to compete in my first cenury which is September 3-4 in Savanah, GA.

All comments critiques, and suggestions would be awesome.

Thank you,
Jay C.

Far better than what's I'm doing.  I ride a Trek 7200 Road Bike with flat bars and I am starting to hit 16mph averages on my longer rides (in fact just did today, 39.4mi w/16 avg).

I'm still a 250 lb man so I don't see me setting any land speed records anytime soon.  In fact on the way home I was thinking "You know, two hours on the bike is more than enough exercise in a day".  For me, it's becoming a balance between speed and distance.  

I would seriously start working on endurance right now.  Speed is not your issue, it's going to be getting through the miles.  I did a 52 a couple of weeks ago and the last ten were absolute misery.  It's getting the bike and you in the right fit for such a long ride. 

Right now I'm averaging 75mi/week and trying to crank it up to 100mi.  That would be at least one big ride on the weekends and 3-4 medium rides during the week.  

BTW, my fitness goals are NOT to be in the next Tour de France.  Mostly to be good enough to go on rides in the area with other cyclists and occasionally do some big rides in the area.  Enough to not embarass myself, but I know I'm not going to beat those 130lb guys with the Zip rims...

It sounds like you are on the right track. Where do you live? If you live close to Savannah there are quite a few cycling clubs. They won't let me in since I only have a tri bike. The clubs are here are for people of all levels, you don't have to meet any prerequisites. I live in Hinesville but do all my bike training in Savannah.

The only thing you should be shooting for is constant and continual improvement! You are at an excellent startingpoint!!!

 I live in Alpharetta, GA. North of Atlanta. Not many bike clubs near me for some strange reason or at least that I can find on internet. 

Lifetime fitness has a cycle club at Both locations close to you.  Most of the bike shops here do weekly rides.  There is Reality bikes up in ******* and Alpha Bikes in ALpharetta, check them out.

if it makes you feel better, I have been riding about a year, and in IM training for about 8 months now, and I average 15-16 mph on rides of 60-100 miles, with hills.  But hills are relative.. I am here in upny and a hilly 75 mile ride might have 3-4k in elevation with a couple of rated hills.  At 220, I still struggle a lot on those sustained climbs towards the end of the long rides.

On a completely flat 100k ride I did in the outer banks, I averaged 17.2 or so.  

In other words, I think you are doing awesome, for sure.

i live in ******* there are a ton of cycling groups in the alpharetta/roswell area.  MPH is extremely relative (i can say that 16 is pretty darn good in north georgia), the best thing you can do is track your progress against yourself.  I would check out reality bikes in ******* i think their wednesday afternoon/night rides has a "C" group, that is the group where you want to start.  they are mostly "no-drop" rides and will alway wait for everybody.  roswell bikes has a lot of group rides, but they are mostly hammerfests, i would start with a "C" group.  i think one of the other shops in alpharetta has a no-drop ride, i think it might be the one near old milton or maybe performance bikes.  and like paul said, some of the gyms like lifetime in alpharetta (where both he and i are members) have group rides as well.  best of luck!  cycling is great around here.