How hard is 16mph on a bike?

Dope Train wrote:

semi_pro wrote:

Moral of the story - biking fitness is WAY different than running fitness. Other moral - if they really are doing 16 mph and it's pretty flat, you'll probably be fine.

^ this

16min 5k isn't bad but not great either. Cycling is so much more of a grind than running so you'll find it tough to keep pushing the pedals between 40mins - 75mins. Last 15mins will be a psychological treat. Go for it - what's the worst that can happen...

Muscle failure and projectile diarrhea :)

I'm inclined to suggest that fitness wise you will be fine, your heart rate will likely be much below running HR, but its muscle fatigue and soreness, that will get you. I went from running 50 miles a week to biking 200 miles a week (and running 20 miles a week) for about 2 hours of biking per day (during the week), the first two weeks my glutes were sore from the saddle and my lower back hurt. Once I got over that, my quads were sore, because I could start pushing more on my rides. But the muscle sets are different, so you might make the ride with no problem, you will hurt the next few days. I'm a female, so not sure if the saddle effects men differently, but that was the worst effect from the run to bike transition.

Recently got hurt and been on the bike for a good month now. 16mph would be very much achievable for 90min in a group setting. Granted they will likely try to drop you if you walk around with your chest out about your 16 min 5k time.

Like someone else said the bike is more about power rather than endurance. I can ride 60 min at +16mph on a huffy bike in a neighborhood ( lots of stop signs and 90 degree turns). On an actual road bike you will likely be well over 16mph in a group for sure. Just make sure you have a decent seat so your ass isn't killing you 30 minutes into it or you're gonna feel it the next day.

Being a commuter with a mediocre Vo2MAX and with a history of riding crappy bicycles (3 speed roadster, very heavy 1980s road bike etc), I should say that 16 mph for 90 minutes shouldn't be an issue if you have even a mediocre road bike. The Internet calculators are always very rough estimates about the real energy demands, but if you do some math by using the following calculator and put the watt equilevant figures into bicycle speed calculator, 16 MPH on bike is significantly slower than 2 hour half marathon speed even without the draft effect which in itself saves a significant amount of energy.

https://alancouzens.com/blog/Run_Power.html

http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm

Before you start the ride, I heavily recommend listening to the expertise of the more experienced bicyclists of the group about what to take into account when riding in a group and adjusting saddle heights etc. From my own experience, the most difficult part of long rides is saddle too high plus grinding the pedals with a gear far too high and getting your lower back feel awful.

16 mph on a bicycle us a piece of cake. There was an untrained athlete who rode over 16 mph for hours on end. In fact, he did it on a daily basis all the way across the country. If I recall, his name was Darren Kavinoky.

Just in case your 28 mile ride proves to be too much, have your buddies follow you in a big RV. That way you can take a break and jump in the RV for part of the trip. However, so you look good for the cameras, get out and ride the last mile. Sure, you won't be all sweaty or anything, but no one will know. Just tell everyone you rode the whole way.

asdgasdfsadf wrote:

It's incredibly easy, especially in a group. Riding with other people is the harder part about it. Just tell them you're new to group rides and they'll understand.

Your response was the first and the best. Coasting along at only 16 mph, I doubt the group will even form a pace line, but the OP should ask the riders about group etiquette.

I did a couple group rides a few years ago. The worst experience was when one of the riders rotated into the "pull position," and immediately dropped the speed from a comfortable 22 mph to an agonizingly slow 18 mph. That would be fine, but instead of rotating off and to the back of the pace line after a couple miles, he stayed in the lead for 15 looooong miles. It was only a 50-mile ride.

I am not a cyclist, so wasn't sure what might be acceptable. Should I have just quietly taken the lead after 5 miles of that slowness? 18 mph is not an unreasonable effort for the guy pulling, but back in the pace line, it's like jogging at 12 minutes per mile.

Anyway, the OP shouldn't be shy about asking about basic group etiquette before the ride starts.

Whit or without EPO, mechanical doping or any other big cheat used in cycling?

1/10

Pity point

Obvious troll has to be obvious, but no this isn't hard. I did a 200 mile ride with my dad who *maybe* could have run 23 minutes at the time for 5k and we held 16.5mph; your ass might hurt though, bike shorts are a worthwhile investment

oh wow

Small world wrote:

Recently got hurt and been on the bike for a good month now. 16mph would be very much achievable for 90min in a group setting. Granted they will likely try to drop you if you walk around with your chest out about your 16 min 5k time.

Like someone else said the bike is more about power rather than endurance. I can ride 60 min at +16mph on a huffy bike in a neighborhood ( lots of stop signs and 90 degree turns). On an actual road bike you will likely be well over 16mph in a group for sure. Just make sure you have a decent seat so your ass isn't killing you 30 minutes into it or you're gonna feel it the next day.

Basically agree, but as others have noted, bike fitness and running fitness are very different animals. I'm now an old lady with little of either type of fitness, but I can still run away easily from people who drop me instantly on a bike. And I've been riding 100-250 mpw for a few months while injured.

Even for only 90 minutes, your crotch may be the limiting factor if you're not used to riding. Get good bike shorts and be prepared to be uncomfortable.

I was in about your boat 30 years ago. A few years out of college. Could also still run about a 16 minute 5k without running 60-80 mpw.

I too took up biking.

First off, riding 16mph is not difficult. Maintaining it over 28 miles can be depending on the course (lot of hills, lots of turns, good or bad roads), the wind, and your bike. It kind of depends on if 16mph is their average speed, or their typical cruising speed.

If they are averaging 16mph on a course with lots of sharp turns, then that can mean their causing speed is actually around 18-20mph, which could be more difficult the first time out.

Additionally, running and cycling use different muscle groups. You will hurt in places you are not used to hurting.

Finally, riding in a group could present issues. You'll need to learn riding etiquette. It's stricter than running. No one wants to crash because another rider did something bone headed.

I'd suggest some solo rides first.

Not. As in, not hard. If you can't maintain that speed, you're not ready for that group.

webby wrote:

biker

OP should try racing cyclocross.

My first ride i was feeling like this was cake 20 to 30 mins in until my quads caught up to my ego. I have more respect for those who pedal around for hours now. I still wouldn't be caught dead in any "kit" but some decent bike pants could go a long way. I've been riding around in my running shorts and the seat is killing me after my 60 min rides. I was hoping the bike was only temporary, but I may have to invest into some better gear or wait it out until my injury goes away.

It completely depends on the elevation gain over the course of the ride.

On flat road, 16mph should be a walk in the park for you with 16:00 fitness. But if they're riding up some mountains, it could be considerably harder.

16mph on a very hilly course (think 3k+ feet per 30 miles) is quite difficult.

yeah, 16:59 is what you mean by 16 min 5k

you troll

The hard part might be that his rear end will not be used to it.

He may not have a chamois or chamois cream

This could be interesting.