Average speed of a moderately heavy commuter bike on the LFP?
Just curious. My bike with fairly loaded panniers weighs in around 40+ pounds, maybe almost nearly 50 pounds. If the wind is fairly calm, I usually ride an average of about 15 mph. With a tailwind I can often go as fast, on average, as about 18 mph with jaunts up into the 23-27mph range. Days where the wind is right in my face kicking the crap out of me, I'm lucky to be doing 13 mph average, although that average is skewed by a couple occasions where I can get a higher speed in. Most of the time when I'm cruising along fighting a severe wind I can look down and see that I'm really only going from 10-12 mph at most. Just wondering what other folks on heavily-laden bikes are doing. I always mutter a curse under my breath when I get passed by someone who's just zipping by making it look all effortless. Usually that person zipping by and passing me is someone on a "race bike" (mine is a touring bike - fenders, racks, etc.), with a backpack and no racks or fenders or panniers that create all kinds of wind resistance. So, I mutter and grumble, but I figure I'm doin' pretty damn well considering the load I'm pushing along.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by millenial removing Bernie tattoo on
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Weight has damn near nothing to do with LFP speeds since its flat. Speed gains would come from aerodynamics. I also ride a touring bike that is maybe 35# loaded. I go around 18 mph with no wind. Severe wind (15+ mph) days will bring me down to 10-12 though.
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Chalk it up to being male, or that inner drive most humans have to keep up with those younger, fitter, or on fancier stuff... I puff along on LFP usually on a $35 beater kept 24/7 at my place of employ at those same speeds as you, BUT try to remember I'm OUTSIDE, not working, and seeing one of the most beautiful lakefronts in the world. I'm also 60, so remember trying to ride a bike, yes ride a bike BEFORE there was a bike path!
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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on
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IMHO weight has EVERYTHING to do with average speed on the LFP as riding the path with an eye on quickly eating miles around peds is all about hammering it to sprint back up to speed after passing someone on foot safely without buzzing by them.
Anyone can zip up or down the LFP at obnoxious speeds buzzing every ped unsafely. But if you have a heart and a soul you are slowing down to overtake peds safely. If you want to make decent speed you are going to have to be on the pedals each time you have a clear 1/4-mile ahead.
When it's even more crowded than that then any attempt to go faster than about 8-10MPH is just being a jackalopehole.
On the LFP those of us on bikes are the cars that are riding dangerously around the smaller and slower-moving trail users. If the path is clear and visibility is good ride as fast as you want. But going 20+ MPH and passing peds is just not cool.
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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+1
when I ride the LFP home from downtown to belmont harbor, I'm usually only going 10-15pmh, its pretty annoying to see riders weaving around pedestrians and nearly hitting oncoming riders so they can go 20+ mph. Its unsafe and inconsiderate.
When I used to ride it in the morning I would average a faster pace since there were very few riders, but I'm on my way to work, and I'd much rather spend an extra 5 minutes on the path than in the office. Also it means I arrive to work less sweaty.
James BlackHeron said:IMHO weight has EVERYTHING to do with average speed on the LFP as riding the path with an eye on quickly eating miles around peds is all about hammering it to sprint back up to speed after passing someone on foot safely without buzzing by them.
Anyone can zip up or down the LFP at obnoxious speeds buzzing every ped unsafely. But if you have a heart and a soul you are slowing down to overtake peds safely. If you want to make decent speed you are going to have to be on the pedals each time you have a clear 1/4-mile ahead.
When it's even more crowded than that then any attempt to go faster than about 8-10MPH is just being a jackalopehole.
On the LFP those of us on bikes are the cars that are riding dangerously around the smaller and slower-moving trail users. If the path is clear and visibility is good ride as fast as you want. But going 20+ MPH and passing peds is just not cool.
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Permalink Reply by Lizzy M. on
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I (a woman in my 40's) ride a 35-40 pound Cruiser, usually in my office clothes, and I rarely go above 10 mph on the LakeFrontTrail. It's a combination of not wanting to get too sweaty (esp. in the warmer months), wanting to enjoy the view, and worrying about joggers, dog-walkers and meandering teens. I swear, everyone on a bike passes me on the LFT, except Tuesday, when I actually passed someone else. It was very exciting. When the LFT is too crowded and I'm on the roads, I have no idea what my speed is.
Once or twice, in the fall, when it's not crowded or over this winter when it was not sloppy or icy, I got speeds closer to 15 mph, but not often.
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Permalink Reply by Lanterne Rouge on
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African, or European?
Jeff Schneider said:When I saw this question I immediately thought of a similar question: "What is the air speed of an unladen swallow?"
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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on
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+1
Jim S said:African, or European?
Jeff Schneider said:When I saw this question I immediately thought of a similar question: "What is the air speed of an unladen swallow?"
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ni
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James BlackHeron said:IMHO weight has EVERYTHING to do with average speed on the LFP as riding the path with an eye on quickly eating miles around peds is all about hammering it to sprint back up to speed after passing someone on foot safely without buzzing by them.
When the LFP gets that bad, I just ride on the streets.
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Pedestrians on the LFP have every bit as much of a right to "take the lane" on the path as a bicyclist does on the road. They are the ones being overtaken by a faster moving vehicle/pathuser and thus they have the right of way -NOT the overtaking vehicle. This is the same for a bicycle using the road when being overtaken by a car.
These are entirely analogous situations.
Ringing a bell at them does not in any way necessitate the pedestrian moving aside any more than a car beeping their horn at you when you are taking the lane on the road. They have the right of way -not the faster overtaking vehicle.
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Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on
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I am the slowest bike on the lakefront path. I ride a trike, 45 pounds of bike, 5 or so pounds of backpack, 1 pound of flamingo and 200 pounds of me. I average about 12 miles per hour. I can go faster, but I purposely stay slower, because I need to keep an eye out for: walkers, runners, rollerbladers, pets and cyclists who might do something stupid and interesting shots for photos. So, I choose to be slow, safe and observant. They go hand-in hand. I follow a simple rule; I am responsible for everything in front of me and if I hit it, it is my fault.
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IMHO the different in a few mph over my 6 mile commute is pretty negligible from a time is takes perspective. Theoretically, if I average 12 mph it takes me 30 min, if I average 15 mph - 24 min, 17 mph - 22 min. Since I'm not racing to work the different, 10 minute spread doesn't really matter to my job, as long as I get in before 8:30, it doesn't really matter was the exact time is. If I'm going more than 10 miles, speed starts to pay a bigger role in how fast I want to go. On a 25-50 mile ride it can make a 20 - 40 minute difference, and pushing can become more important if I have somewhere to be. For the most part waiting at a couple of stop lights, or taking 1-2 mph of a commute of less than 10 miles isn't really going to impact the total travel time by more than 5 minutes.
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