I have just began training, and havent been on a bike since I was a child. Currently I am riding a spinning bike and just wanted to see if I am on the right track or need to pick up my pace. How long should it take to ride 15 kms????
You will find some people on this ride that will do 15km in as little as 25, 30 minutes, and others that will take much longer. I rode last year and found people going at all levels.
Also, you should take into consideration how far your riding - are you doing the 200K or the 200M? You will want to pace yourself with either distance, so your not hurting yourself.
Most of my training for the 2009 ride was through spin classes - I was in the same boat as you, having not been on a bike since many years before. As the warmer weather catches up to us, try to spend time riding outdoors as well - spin classes are great fun, but it is nice to enjoy the weather and ride outdoors too.
Im doing the 200km. I did 15km in 34 minutes, so I just wanted to see if that was far to long, inbetween, or good timing!! I want to get outside as soon as the snow clears for sure. Thanks for the response =)
I did the math for you. 15 km in 34 minutes equates to about 26 km/hr. That's a pretty good clip. Keep in mind that on the road you have to deal with things like wind, hills (ugh), bio stops and eating, so you'll probably end up doing somewhat slower than that.
I know a lot of people figure on doing 20-25km/hr on average. That would take into account hills and anything else that might get in the way. That means the ride would be about 4-5 hours of riding time, which leaves you plenty of time for breaks to enjoy the ride. On day two there are a few places where you will want to stop just to enjoy the scenery.
