Average cyclist speed depending on various factors

Recently, the concept of a healthy lifestyle has become quite relevant, in connection with which many people begin to actively engage in sports. A bicycle is one of the most accessible and effective ways to maintain a good physical condition, and therefore its popularity is steadily increasing.

Having started training, many novice cyclists become interested in the values ​​of the speed of the bike in certain conditions. Therefore, information on factors affecting the speed limit does not lose its relevance and may interest not only beginners, but also experienced athletes.

One of the determining factors that have the most direct impact on vehicle speed is the level of biker physical fitness and its endurance limit. So, while overcoming average distances not exceeding 10 km, an amateur cyclist with an average level of training is able to reach speeds of up to 18 km / h. At about the same speed, children aged 12 to 14 years can also move. However, it is very difficult to maintain this mode throughout the entire route.

Well-trained cyclists engaged in cycling for more than one year, are able to accelerate to 22-25 km / h and maintain this speed throughout the distance. As for the most experienced bikers, who have more than a thousand kilometers behind, they can reach speeds of up to 30 km / h. And moving in this mode, these people are able to cover distances of up to 100 km without stopping. However, only experienced cyclists can travel such distances, and the average cyclist traveling several times a week is limited to shorter distances and is unable to travel such a distance at high speed.

Professional athletes are able to develop much higher speed., striking the imagination of the layman and enthralling the fans. So, in 1984, a speed record of 51.151 km / h was set on a track in Mexico City. Its author was an athlete from Italy F. Moser, who later admitted to using doping drugs that were not prohibited at the time the record was set.

The maximum result of driving in a straight line is a speed of 41.654 km / h, developed by the American cyclist L. Armstrong in 2005 at the Tour de France international cycling race. The record was set on a highway bike, and on descents the speed exceeded 90 km / h.

The athlete was dressed in a special aerodynamic spacesuit and rode a bike with a reinforced structure. When descending on gravel, which was the slope of the Sierra Negro volcano Nicaraguan, the same athlete set another speed record, but for dry descents, which amounted to 210.4 km / h.

Unfortunately, this “trick” was not without injuries: literally 400 meters after the start, the bicycle frame was literally torn in half from extreme loads, while the athlete escaped with a hip fracture, neck dislocation and numerous bruises. The Baron was helped by a protective suit and helmet, which took the most dangerous blows.

Of the unusual records that have nothing to do with traditional cycling, it should be noted the achievement of the 26-year-old Dutchman S. Bowyer, who covered a 200-meter segment of the distance at a speed of 133.78 km / h. The experiment was conducted with the participation of students from Delft and Amsterdam universities who designed and installed a lightweight aerodynamic fairing made of carbon fibers on a bike.

The bike’s design was also unusual: the pedals were located in front, and the athlete almost lay on his back while moving. The record was set in 2013 and has not yet been broken.

However, the most unusual speed record is considered a record set in artificial conditions, namely in an air bag. The experiment was conducted on the site of a dried-up salt lake in American Utah in 1995, and Dutch cyclist F. Rompelberg participated in it. Ahead of the athlete a racing car was launched, which took on the resistance of oncoming flows.

The cyclist was in the so-called air bag, which helped him to disperse the bike to 268.83 km / h. The record is also valid and is still not broken.

In addition to the level of physical fitness of the cyclist, the appearance of the bike is greatly influenced by its appearance. Currently, there are 4 main types of bicycles, each of which has its own maximum speed.

Models of this type are designed for driving on city roads or suburban highways with even coverage. Switching speeds to them is not provided, because of which it is almost impossible to develop a decent speed on such a bike. Even under ideal external conditions and on an absolutely flat road, it is impossible to accelerate to them faster than 13-15 km / h.

Compared to road bikes, these bikes are more functional. They are often equipped with a gear shifting system and are capable of speeds up to 17 km / h in a city and up to 20 km / h on the highway. In addition to the option of switching speeds, urban models are lightweight and have good maneuverability. All this positively affects the convenience of managing the bike and allows you to quickly accelerate.

Such models are simply designed for high speeds and are designed with aerodynamics in mind. As the name of the vehicle, these sports bikes are designed exclusively for highways, at which they are able to develop a speed of about 33 km / h. However, on other surfaces, such as snow or fallen leaves, road bikes show the worst result compared to other types. On rough terrain or in moderate off-road conditions, their speed does not exceed 5-8 km / h, which is due to the peculiarities of their design and the too small thickness of the tires.

Moreover, on road models there is completely no depreciation, therefore when driving on dirt or gravel roads, all blows will go to the back and hands. The inability to develop decent speed in off-road conditions is also explained by poor visibility due to the low steering position. In addition, it is impossible to stop urgently without skidding on such a bicycle - its tires are too thin and the tread is too shallow on them.

This type of bike is considered more versatile in terms of speed. and under any conditions is able to move pretty fast. So, when driving on a flat highway, it can easily accelerate to 25 km / h, and when replacing tires with models designed for driving on asphalt, it can reach 28-29 km / h. When traveling over rough terrain, you can drive 10-15 km in an hour, moving at the same pace.

In general, mountain bicycles are great for city driving, due to good speed characteristics, excellent grip of thick tires with the road and excellent maneuverability. As for mountain bike riding along forest roads, it’s impossible to develop decent speed in such conditions, and the best you can count on is 15 km / h.

This hybrid is a cross between a highway and a mountain bike, capable of traveling at a speed of 25-28 km / h on the highway and up to 10 km / h in off-road conditions.

In addition to the reasons discussed, several important factors influence the speed of a bicycle, the knowledge of which will help to achieve the fastest possible ride.

The influence of the frame on the speed of the bike is determined for the most part by its weight. The lighter the design, the higher speed the bike shows. The lightest materials used to make bicycle frames are titanium and aluminum. Therefore, if you want to ride at high speeds, this factor must be taken into account.

You also need to pay attention to the number of attachments and its weight. If the goal is to maximize the speed of the bike, then accessories such as the footrest and wings are best removed.

The design of modern bicycles involves several types of landing cyclist, depending on the model of the bike and its specialization.A high walking ride is used on city bicycles, a tourist (medium) - on mountain bikes and a racing (low) - on road sports bikes.

The most successful, in terms of high speeds, is a low landingat which air resistance is greatly reduced, allowing the cyclist to move very fast. However, on rough terrain, you can’t sit low, otherwise, after such a ride, your back will hurt and your neck will become very tired.

Active use of the bike requires regular maintenance of its wheels. This is especially true for fans of aggressive driving style, jumping through city borders and overcoming long distances on the road. Such a ride is guaranteed to lead to the appearance of the "eight", which inevitably entails a loss of speed. This type of deformation is quite common and is easily corrected by the method of pulling up the spokes.

In addition to the “eights”, the diameter of the wheels also has a certain effect on the speed of the bicycle. So, bikes with big wheels have a much better roll-up, much less rolling resistance.

The quality and width of tires also affect the speed of the bike. The best results are achieved on the tread slick, while too deep and aggressive pattern slows down the bike. As for the width of the tires, the smaller it is, the higher the speed of the bike and vice versa.

It is also necessary to take into account the pressure in the tires: for example, for a faster passage of the route of the wheel, it is necessary to pump up to 6 atmospheres. However, such pressure is suitable only for smooth asphalt roads, and on the roads, on the contrary, you need to slightly bleed the air.

Side and headwind has a great influence on the speed of the bike. So, with strong winds it is unlikely that it will be possible to accelerate more than 15 km / h in the face, but with the tail wind it is easy to overcome up to 30 km in an hour. This, of course, is about a smooth asphalt road, since when driving on rough terrain the speed will be at least 5 km / h less than the highway. Bicycles with blades instead of spokes are especially affected by crosswinds.

Cadence is the number of revolutions of the pedals per minute. Ideally, it should be between 60 and 90 revolutions. This riding technique allows you to quickly disperse the bike and maintain high speed throughout the journey. A common mistake for beginners is jerking, in which pedaling alternates with coasting. As a result, the speed of the bike is noticeably reduced and the cyclist has to overcome the cadence threshold again and again in order to disperse the bike.

Very often it is not possible to achieve a high speed of movement due to excessive friction in the transmission units. It occurs due to severe contamination of the chain and bearings and does not allow the bike to move as quickly as possible. To remove contaminants, you need to use special detergents and do not forget about the lubrication of the cleaned nodes. By the way according to experts, with a lack of lubrication the bike can lose up to 15% of speed.

In addition to the reasons considered, the type of terrain on which it rides also affects the speed of the bike. Below are the average values ​​of speeds when driving on city, highway and dirt roads.

In most cities of our country with cycling infrastructure, things are going very badly (“bicycle paths” painted directly on the sidewalk do not count), which is why cyclists have to travel along highways in the general stream of cars. This significantly reduces the average speed of the cyclist, due to the presence of a large number of constraining factors - traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, intersections, curbs and vehicles. Given these points, the average city driving speed varies from 10 to 17 km / h, depending on the traffic situation.

In suburban conditions, the speed of the bike increases markedly and depends on objective factors, such as the quality of the highway cover and the type of bike. Road models can accelerate to 15 km / h, mountain models - up to 25 km / h, highway models - up to 33 km / h. However, not all cyclists manage to maintain this speed along the entire path, and most lovers even move along smooth and high-quality tracks at a much lower speed.

Dirt roads are understood as rough terrain, which can be characterized by the presence of ravines, impassability, steep descents and prolonged ascents, therefore it is impossible to give an unambiguous assessment of the speed of a bike in such conditions. The speed mode can change every 100 meters and cannot be predicted, so in this case only average data can be given.

So, when driving on a relatively even ground primer, the speed of a mountain bike can reach 15 km / h, while on a highway it will be at least 5 km / h lower. During the assault on mountain passes, both mountain and road bikes can overcome from 14 to 20 km in an hour.

Currently, to determine the speed of the bike using compact cycle computers replaced the large and stupid speedometers, which often lied and were very unreliable. Modern electronic models allow not only to clearly record the speed of movement, but also to remember its maximum values, as well as calculate the average figure.

More advanced models have a built-in clock with a stopwatch, an alarm clock, an electronic thermometer and are able to store information about past trips. If the bike computer is missing, then the average speed can be determined by the old proven method, dividing the distance by the travel time.

In the absence of good physical shape, chasing high speeds is not worth it. It is much more useful to stick to the average parameters and ride at a convenient speed, getting the most out of your trip.

About the fastest bikes, see below.