I've been sort of monitoring this phenomenon for a while now and I notice a 2-3 MPH drop when I'm on a path as compared to when I'm on the road. This seems odd because many of the paths around here are fairly flat and the roads have some hills. Disregarding the 15MPH speed limit and even on very sparsely populated days my average speed on a bikepath is somewhere around 18MPH whereas on the road it's somewhere between 20 and 22 or even higher if the roads are flat. And yes, there's the issue of peds and slow cyclists on paths but even on those days where I encounter absolutely no one, my average seems lower. I wonder if it has to do with the surface grade differences. Maybe paths use a softer surface thus there's more rolling resistance.
Hello Khuon, I think I know why.
When you are on the road, you are being pressured by cars to keep a faster pace...
If you think about it, it makes sense.
Cheers!
Posted by: Pedro on September 26, 2005 08:58 AMHi Khoun,
I agree with Pedro's idea, though I think it's also that paths remind one sub-consciously or perhaps directly of sidewalks, with bumps/transitions/hazards and so one
tends to slow up, adjusting for a possible mishap, even though the path may be smooth as slate. ? I get the same or greater reduction in avg. speed, sometimes 5mph less.
I city ride mostly, but my rig is a '89 Alien, a bit twitchy, but forgiving steel . :^) That's how I found your site, researching Cunningham designs. Love to hear there are fans of the elev. chainstay types. My Nishiki is only about half "vintage" - wheelsets are rather newer circa '94-'95 Matrix 'Mt. Titan' 36 spoke custom jobs my LBS cooked up for me. Shimano XT rear derllr. /600 headset/ "slr" canti brakes, seat and bars, shifters, etc. are "original equip" when new, presumably, though I'm not too sure about the seat - a Selle Italia "turbo" suede job. So eighties to call something 'turbo' though - gotta be circa the same few years. Lovely bike, I'd probably cry for a week if anything ever happened to her.
Yes, she's a girl, a riot grrrl at that! :)
Thanks for the neat articles,
Richard Jones,
Houston, Texas.
Posted by: Richard Jones on January 2, 2006 01:37 PM