Do you enjoy going flat out?

What cyclist doesn\’t occasionally get caught up in pedaling as fast and hard as possible, just for the fun of it? Who doesn\’t sometimes think, I wonder how fast I can get? LET\’S SEE!! and take off?

But what about technique? Good pedaling technique, it seems to me, will help make pedaling more efficient, thus helping with the speed aspect of riding.

Another thing that helps make pedaling more efficient is clip-ins, or at least toe clips. I now find it very awkward to ride on platform pedals.

Some things might be slowing us down, only we aren\’t aware of it. Lack of variation, for instance. I have a good riding path a stone\’s throw away, so naturally I gravitate to it. Easier access to other routes would be helpful, I think. Doing the same route over and over and over (and over and OVER) does for a fact get rather tedious.

Want a book all about improving your speed? Get Fast! might fit the bill. The trouble with me is that I\’m too lazy to really apply the information and advice provided to my riding. Having a sleep disorder, and being tired all the time as a result, doesn\’t help.

Have I gotten faster? My average speed on my weekly long ride doesn\’t seem to have improved much. On the other hand, it used to be hard to touch 15 mph even with a good tailwind. Now sometimes I can average 15 mph for as much as six miles or more. I\’m hitting higher max speeds, too. Once I touched 23+ mph! At least I seem to have gotten stronger. And will I one day be able to ride flat out for hours?