Biking faster: help me win over my pussy side

[Spruit]

Hi All! I've been biking to and from work last two weeks and while my condition in long(ish) distance cycling is fine and I've not had any muscle aches or other bodily inconvenience, I find myself annoyed by the time it takes to cover the miles. How can I make myself go faster on bike? I am a lot slower than Google maps think I should be and it annoys me terribly that I spend so much time transporting myself for a few hours work.

It takes my approximately 45 minutes to cover 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), partly rural bikelanes (easy peasy biking), crossing a high bridge, and partly in the city with a number of traffic lights on my route. Google thinks it should be 32 min, but I'm still slower at this point. So it is 1.5 hours a day on the bike for a workday of 3-4 hours. It is is a fine aerobic exercise, that's a plus, but it eats a lot of my time this way.
I've already checked the pressure in my tires and pumped them up some more. That improved the speed somewhat, but my gut feeling is that it is just me being a non-athlete that causes the slowness. Should I start working out more, and if so: how? Anything I can tweak on the bike? The bike I ride on is like this one

[tofuchampion]

The more you bike, the easier it gets.  If you want supplemental stuff, things that strengthen your leg muscles will help - squats, etc.  IDK about tweaking the bike, but upright styles like that are going to be slower.  Maybe visit a bike shop, though, and get it measured/adjusted so that it fits you perfectly.  Bad fit will make you less efficient.

Really, though, just ride ride ride!

[frugaliknowit]

I suggest a couple of things:

1.  Even though you say you are not sore, take some days off.  This gives your muscles time to repair.
2.  Do some sprinting, where you go full throttle (near maximum heart rate) for a few minutes, then back down for maybe 10 minutes, then sprint again.  You might need to do this when not commuting.
3.  Weight training (quads and hamstrings) should help.  You need a day or two of muscle rest after this.  Once or twice per week is enough.

[lemanfan]

I'm no biking professional by any means, but my two cents would be:

1)  Consider getting narrower tires more like the racing tires on a road bike. (If your road allows it, not to mention your climate).  In my experience it makes a decent difference in how much or little rolling resistance you get.

2)  Its my understanding that most bikers have a certain "cadence", or cranks per minute, that they are most comfortable with.  To find out what your preferred cadence is, and optimizing your training and riding / gear selection to that could be a part of your training.

[k-vette]

Agree to two specific things above.

1.  Interval training is key to building speed.  Short bursts of near max intensity followed by a moderate pace will help strengthen muscles.

2.  Tires.  Im 45 minutes to work on a mountain bike.  30 mins on a road bike.  You can get good touring all weather tires that have a low rolling resistance for any bike.

3.  Have you considered clipless pedals and shoes?  They dont have to be high end,  some standard SPD style pedals and shoes will greatly increase your speed.   I feel slow if I ride without them.

4.  This goes along with the cadence and interval training.  Use a high rpm at near max intensity to help the speed.  (Dont go so fast that you bounce up and down in the seat) Also train yourself to have a smooth pedal rotation.  Its been scientifically proven that a higher cadence uses less energy with the same power output.  Clipless pedals and shoes can help increase cadence rpm.

[citycat]

Hi Suzie!  I understand your concern because I'm not a super fast cyclist, either.  You've been biking to work for only two weeks.  Just keep at it and let your body adjust naturally.  The more you do it, the better your body will be at it, the quicker you will become.  This is transportation cycling; no need for interval training, clipless pedals and whatnot.

Also, you are riding a city bike with an upright position, fenders, rack, skirt guard, internal lights, chain case, etc.  These all add up to a heavier, slower but also comfortable and useful bike.  This bike is not made to go fast.  If you still have the urge to go faster after a few more months, consider investing in a second bike.  I've been biking to work for 6 years.  I have two bikes: a Dutch bike like yours (but steel/heavier) and a lighter, zippier bike with 21 gears.  When I want to be faster, I ride the faster bike.

Good luck to you!

p.s. I do not consider my pussy side a bad thing.

[lemanfan]

3.  Have you considered clipless pedals and shoes?  They dont have to be high end,  some standard SPD style pedals and shoes will greatly increase your speed.   I feel slow if I ride without them.

In my understanding, parts of the secret here is that you don't just push the pedals, but apply force in all parts of the crank, pulling one pedal up while pushing the other down.  Is that hard to learn to do efficiently?

[TrulyStashin]

p.s. I do not consider my pussy side a bad thing.

"If you really want to get tough, grow a vagina.  Those things take a pounding." ~ Betty White

Want to be a stronger biker?  Embrace your pussy side, she's the real badass. 

[johnintaiwan]

I don't think clipless pedals would be a good idea for that bike.

The truth is that this style of bike is great for getting around, but will neven be that fast. You are already going about 20km/h if my math is correct. For that style of bike that is pretty fast.

 The main problem with biking in wind resistance which is why racing bikes are designed the way they are. I would imagine you would easily improve you speed by 5-10km/hr by making the switch. However, these bikes are not as comfortable for some, require special shorts to ride comfortably, and typically dont allow you to carry as much.

[Tai]

I understand there's a surgery now that will allow you to get rid of the part you don't like. It might make biking painful for a while though.

[NoraLenderbee]

Two weeks is not a lot. Speed and endurance take time to develop. You'll get stronger if you keep riding.
Some tips:

--Do a longer ride once a week to improve endurance.
--Push yourself to go faster for the whole 10K,  once a week.
--Push yourself to go faster for short periods. (intervals). For example, ride hard for three minutes, then easy for three minutes. Do this a few times each ride. This is the fastest way to get faster.

[Raay]

Adjust your body position if your bike allows it. Don't sit up straight. Try resting your elbows on the handlebars while you grip it in the middle with your thumbs touching each other (it will make the bike a little more difficult to control, but you get used to it, and it doesn't matter at higher speeds anyway). Then push your buttocks a little up. This will help reduce aerodynamic drag, which takes out more of your speed than you might think.

[Hannah]

Be sure your chain and gears are well lubricated, and that you know about proper gearing (I learned from my husband).

I was much slower than my husband despite being in excellent physical condition, and I learned it was because I was so resistant to changing gears. Now that I use my gears, I can usually beat him up an uphill. #FTW

[Spruit]

Thanks for your responses, will look into it. If it comes to simply biking for a longer period that would be nice because I'll do it in any case. But I will do some interval training on the way back when it's no problem I'll  sweaty on arrival. Getting another bike is one for the longer term, maybe.

[TrMama]

As others have stated, this is a comfort bike designed for city riding. However, to make it go faster there are a few things you can do.

1. Make sure you're riding at a high RPM. Most new riders pedal in the hardest gear then can manage. Although it feels like you're working really hard (because you are!) it's not the fastest way to travel. Ride in an easier gear and spin you legs faster. You're spinning too fast when your feet start to "float" at the top of the stroke and your body starts to bounce. Go down one gear from that point. Change gears as frequently as needed to stay at this high RPM. Concentrate on keeping your upper body still. No bouncing or swaying from side to side.

2. Get some clips or some other way to attach your feet to the pedals. This allows you to apply pressure to the pedals through all 360 degrees of the pedal stroke. It's not just pushing up and pulling down. It also helps to push forward at the top of the stroke and pull back at the bottom. Racers talk about making circles with their feet, because that's exactly what it feels like. To get the hang of it, pedal with just one foot. Hold the other foot out to the side. Then switch feet. Be careful not to fall off ;-) Concentrate on making the same movement when both feet are back on the pedals.

3. Swap the tires (or wheels) out for the narrowest ones you can safely put on the frame you have. Make sure the tires are inflated to the highest pressure they can safely take.

[JJ-]

It's probably the city part with the traffic lights that are slowing you down.  My commute to work is 7km and it usually takes 30-35 minutes.  I am typically riding much faster than the other bikers I see on the route.  But no matter how fast I go between lights, the timing of the lights invariably always slows me down.  And then there is a school I hit just before my office where the traffic is pretty much always messed up both morning and afternoon at the times I typically pass there.

Frequent stops/starts at lights or stop signs kill your time. If you're averaging 15 mph (25 kmh) on a road with no lights or stops, you're at 4 minutes a mile x 6 miles for 24 minutes. You will very unlikely hit that pace starting and stopping frequently in the city. 10-12 mph is more what I see in traffic light territory, which is 36 or 30 minutes for a 6 mile ride depending on which end of the scale you're at.

Find a more speed-friendly route, even if it might be a little longer.

Oh yeah, practice helps too. Bikes to a lesser extent.

[Spruit]

I think it's getting better :-) Yesterday I left a bit late, so I really focused on my position on the bike (crouching vs. upright) and kept pushing myself to keep up a good speed. Although there was a decent autumn breeze and I had to wait for an open bridge in the city, I arrived somewhat sweaty but before time. Took me 37 min. I'll keep at it and will have to look into a proper coat that isn't to warm or baggy.

[GuitarStv]

If you're recording speed to determine how you're doing, always take wind and temperature into account.  It is easier to bike when it's a warm summer day than a cold winter one (due to difference in air density), and it's much easier to bike with a 30 kph tailwind than a similar headwind.

[Raay]

I think it's getting better :-) Yesterday I left a bit late, so I really focused on my position on the bike (crouching vs. upright) and kept pushing myself to keep up a good speed. Although there was a decent autumn breeze and I had to wait for an open bridge in the city, I arrived somewhat sweaty but before time. Took me 37 min. I'll keep at it and will have to look into a proper coat that isn't to warm or baggy.

Another tip (since you mentioned breezes, sweating and coat): thermoactive full-body underwear made of polyethylene/polyester. It's super thin, soft, warm, easy to wash and keeps sweat away from your skin. You should be able to get it online for about $25.

[Spruit]

Thanks Raay! Maybe something to ask for Sinterklaas :)