this post was submitted on 29 Jun 2025
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Why am I so slow at cycling? (discuss.online)
submitted 5 days 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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[–] Opinionhaver@feddit.uk 4 points 5 days ago (3 children)

Who cares. Are you having fun? Because that's all that matters.

[–] ThePiedPooper@discuss.online 2 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Fair enough. Maybe I'm just too competitive for my own good. But to be honest, it takes up a lot of time, and I'd like to get that sort of distance done in less time :D

[–] Opinionhaver@feddit.uk 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Well, what kind of bikes are the people you're comparing yourself to riding? Because a cross-country hardtail - while versatile - is still fundamentally a mountain bike, and it’s never going to reach the same average speeds as a fixie or a gravel bike, for example.

[–] ThePiedPooper@discuss.online 1 points 5 days ago

Probably road bikes, I don't see many people doing fast or long distance around me on MTBs