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?
That’s just always going to be a slow bike in the road. A big shock in the front is heavy, and very parasitic to your pedaling stroke. It will also lack the lower “speed” gears. It’s fine if it gives you more confidence but if you are going to commute seriously then I’d suggest getting a gravel bike, or at least a hybrid commuter at some point. Not now, but when you feel held back by that bike eventually.
I actually don’t commute at all, I just ride for fun, so going faster isn’t really a necessity, it’s just that I’d like to cover more distance in less time in order to save time on long rides.
Well the good news is that if you ride this guy for a while, and then do decide it is overly limiting for you, getting on a road or gravel bike will be a big instant speed boost.
Definitely get in good with a local bike shop now, and have them do maintenance on this bike. They might end up giving you a good deal on a trade if you do decide you want something else, but they will usually only do that for established customers.