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Why am I so slow at cycling? (discuss.online)
submitted 1 month ago by ThePiedPooper@discuss.online to c/bicycles@lemmy.ca
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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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[-] Squirrelsdrivemenuts@lemmy.world 28 points 1 month ago

It's awesome that you are cycling! If you learned only 1.5 months ago and are already doing 20 mile rides you are doing great. Your body probably needs to adapt to the movement a bit, so I wouldn't worry too much about speed just yet.

[-] ThePiedPooper@discuss.online 10 points 1 month ago

Thanks! I'll just keep doing what I'm doing then. I love cycling, it allows me to explore - used to walk around 10-13 miles a day a few times a week, but now I can explore more of the city in half the time!

this post was submitted on 29 Jun 2025
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