Average speed in central London

Shuggie

I got a little cateye computer a month or so ago. After 300km of
cycling entirely within W1 - EC3, it tells me my average speed is 18.1
kmh. It hasn't really shifted from 18.0 to 18.1 for the last 200km.
That is a mix of peak hour traffic in the evening, with early morning
runs with the roads clear. Top speed is about 45kmh down Fleet St when
the Ludgate Circus lights are green, lowest speed (registered) is 3
kmh, wheeling the bike to the bike garage in the office basement.

I'm just wondering how that compares to other cyclists in London, or
indeed elsewhere.

Happy Christmas!

James

Just zis Guy, you know?

On 24 Dec 2004 03:26:08 -0800, "Shuggie" <jshugg@westpac.com.au> wrote
in message <1103887568.444589.180640@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>:

>I got a little cateye computer a month or so ago. After 300km of
>cycling entirely within W1 - EC3, it tells me my average speed is 18.1
>kmh. It hasn't really shifted from 18.0 to 18.1 for the last 200km.
>I'm just wondering how that compares to other cyclists in London, or
>indeed elsewhere.

Dunno, but that's about average for all traffic in London (including
motor traffic) so I wouldn't be too concerned :-)

Guy
--
"then came ye chavves, theyre cartes girded wyth candels
blue, and theyre beastes wyth straynge horn-lyke thyngs
onn theyre arses that theyre fartes be herde from myles
around." Chaucer, the Sheppey Tales

Tony W

"Shuggie" <jshugg@westpac.com.au> wrote in message
news:1103887568.444589.180640@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> I got a little cateye computer a month or so ago. After 300km of
> cycling entirely within W1 - EC3, it tells me my average speed is 18.1
> kmh.

snip

> I'm just wondering how that compares to other cyclists in London, or
> indeed elsewhere.

No idea -- but it compares very favourably with the average speed of traffic
in general in central London which used to be about 12 mph (~19km/hr) but
has, I
believe, dropped to below 10 mph (16km/hr) in the last decade.

T

Richard Goodman

"Shuggie" <jshugg@westpac.com.au> wrote in message
news:1103887568.444589.180640@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>I got a little cateye computer a month or so ago. After 300km of
> cycling entirely within W1 - EC3, it tells me my average speed is 18.1
> kmh. It hasn't really shifted from 18.0 to 18.1 for the last 200km.
> That is a mix of peak hour traffic in the evening, with early morning
> runs with the roads clear. Top speed is about 45kmh down Fleet St when
> the Ludgate Circus lights are green, lowest speed (registered) is 3
> kmh, wheeling the bike to the bike garage in the office basement.
>
> I'm just wondering how that compares to other cyclists in London, or
> indeed elsewhere.

My average yesterday was 25kph, which is fairly typical - but it wasn't all
within central London although I cross it - N15 - W14.

Rich

Dave Larrington

Shuggie wrote:
> I got a little cateye computer a month or so ago. After 300km of
> cycling entirely within W1 - EC3, it tells me my average speed is 18.1
> kmh. It hasn't really shifted from 18.0 to 18.1 for the last 200km.
> That is a mix of peak hour traffic in the evening, with early morning
> runs with the roads clear. Top speed is about 45kmh down Fleet St when
> the Ludgate Circus lights are green, lowest speed (registered) is 3
> kmh, wheeling the bike to the bike garage in the office basement.
>
> I'm just wondering how that compares to other cyclists in London, or
> indeed elsewhere.

My commuting rolling average is hugely variable, depending on traffic, luck
with the lights and which bike I'm on. For the 13-odd km betwixt the 'stow
and London Bridge, the worst was about 18 km/h when:

o it was dark, and
o pissing it down, and
o towing a well-laden BoB, and
o the A10 was solid from Dalston to Tottenham due to an RTA

Best was 30 km/h during the England-Brazil match during the last World Cup.

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
World Domination?
Just find a world that's into that kind of thing, then chain to the
floor and walk up and down on it in high heels. (Mr. Sunshine)

LSMike

Shuggie wrote:
> I got a little cateye computer a month or so ago. After 300km of
> cycling entirely within W1 - EC3, it tells me my average speed is
18.1
> kmh. It hasn't really shifted from 18.0 to 18.1 for the last 200km.
> That is a mix of peak hour traffic in the evening, with early morning
> runs with the roads clear. Top speed is about 45kmh down Fleet St
when
> the Ludgate Circus lights are green, lowest speed (registered) is 3
> kmh, wheeling the bike to the bike garage in the office basement.
>
> I'm just wondering how that compares to other cyclists in London, or
> indeed elsewhere.
>
> Happy Christmas!
>
> James

About the same for me. I would have thought rather faster than most
motor vehicles though.

Tony Raven

Shuggie wrote:
> I got a little cateye computer a month or so ago. After 300km of
> cycling entirely within W1 - EC3, it tells me my average speed is 18.1
> kmh. It hasn't really shifted from 18.0 to 18.1 for the last 200km.
> That is a mix of peak hour traffic in the evening, with early morning
> runs with the roads clear. Top speed is about 45kmh down Fleet St when
> the Ludgate Circus lights are green, lowest speed (registered) is 3
> kmh, wheeling the bike to the bike garage in the office basement.
>
> I'm just wondering how that compares to other cyclists in London, or
> indeed elsewhere.
>

I don't bother with a speedo in London. Not much point and in any case
I'd rather watch the traffic than a speedo.

Tony

Pete Biggs

Shuggie wrote:
> I got a little cateye computer a month or so ago. After 300km of
> cycling entirely within W1 - EC3, it tells me my average speed is 18.1
> kmh.

What mode? I mean does your average include time spent stationary? (Some
Cateye computers give you the option, eg. Mity 3 & 8).

> It hasn't really shifted from 18.0 to 18.1 for the last 200km.
> That is a mix of peak hour traffic in the evening, with early morning
> runs with the roads clear. Top speed is about 45kmh down Fleet St when
> the Ludgate Circus lights are green, lowest speed (registered) is 3
> kmh, wheeling the bike to the bike garage in the office basement.
>
> I'm just wondering how that compares to other cyclists in London, or
> indeed elsewhere.

Excluding stops, I often used to do around 15 mph (24 kph) in central
London on my road bike at various times of day & night, +/- a bit
depending on wind and traffic conditions (wind makes more difference than
traffic when not counting stops). Only slightly faster outside of London.
I say "used to" because I'll be going slower when I return to cycling
after my crash (although the accident wasn't in central London).

What's it like today out there?

~PB

Dave Larrington

Pete Biggs wrote:

> What's it like today out there?

Hang on. I'll have a look.

(looks)

It's made of bricks. It was quite windy on the way in to the Nut Mines this
morning.

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
World Domination?
Just find a world that's into that kind of thing, then chain to the
floor and walk up and down on it in high heels. (Mr. Sunshine)

Shuggie

Pete Biggs wrote:

>
> What's it like today out there?
>
> ~PB

Cool. Bit of a head wind when heading west. Noticeably less traffic
than normal.

Mike Causer

On Fri, 24 Dec 2004 13:10:33 +0000, Dave Larrington wrote:

> It was quite windy on the way in to the Nut Mines this morning.

You know how the wind usually drops when the rain starts?

Yep, downwind out, no wind home. Wish I'd taken a waterproof hat. And
with brain cell still frozen, instead of tea with a drop of scotch in it,
I'm now drinking tea with a drop of red wine.... Which is suprisingly
drinkable, but almost entirely unlike tea.


Mike