this post was submitted on 29 Jun 2025
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Why am I so slow at cycling? (discuss.online)
submitted 2 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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Today I did my first 20 mile (33km) ride on my hardtail XC bike. I learned how to ride a bike about 1.5 months ago, but I've been riding pretty consistently since I learned. I ride exclusively in the city, it's a very walkable city, but the paths aren't always the best. I did 33km in 2 hours 53 minutes, not including breaks for water or to eat.

I see people saying that 10MP/H (16KM/H) average is a good average to shoot for, but i can't even get my average above 7.1MPH (11.5KM/H), even on shorter rides. What am I doing wrong here? How are people going so freaking fast on bikes in cities?

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I agree on the saddle height. It's important to have it high enough so you can push efficiently.

About the tires, I don't agree 100%. Higher pressure might give you slightly better rolling resistance but will give you way more vibrations and shocks which makes you tired in the long run. I can poste a page of a book explaining this better if you like. In general it's important to have smooth tires (usually high thread cound and good quality rubber) for a low rolling resistance.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Hmm I hadn't thought about the shocks on hard tires bbeing so tiring though that does make sense. It does make a serious difference in resistance though, main downside for me of hard tires is less grip, both because of a smaller contact area with the ground and because an uneven roard makes you bounce more. I suppose it's a matter of adapting to circumstances. I do lower pressure for soft or smippery roads a tiny bit sometimes.