How to get faster on a bike

[xsquared]

The bike I normally use is a Halfords Carrera Luna bike from when my eldest outgrew it. I'm not a serious cyclist and only use it occasionally to get from A to B, whether that's just for nipping into town or cycling to the start of parkrun.

My problem is that it never feels very fast when I'm cycling and I struggle on the inclines. I don't think I have averaged any faster than 12mph for the 5 mile route I do, which doesn't involve much traffic.

I am by no means unfit, having just ran a marathon a couple of weeks ago and I normally run around 30 miles per week when I'm not training for an event.

However, I still want to get faster cycling but don't know where to start.

Any ideas, please?

Could be a number of things here.

is it a road bike? Apologies for asking but are you using your gears correctly on an incline?

to get faster you need to be putting in a lot more miles and variation and elevation as it builds up strength, especially in your legs.

Thanks for your reply @Mummyneedsacoffee .

It's not a road bike for sure. It's either a mountain bike or hybrid one as the wheels are thick and has a deep tread.

I know about lowering my gears for hills but I usually prefer to feel a little bit of resistance in the pedalling rather than for it to be loose. So the left is still on 2, and the right gear I go from 5 down to 2. I often stand up to pedal when going uphill.

You're probably right about cycling more though. I haven't really cycled more than maybe 6 miles at a time, and it is usually the same route. Elevation from todays 5 miles or 8.7km was 140.

12 miles an hour is not bad at all. Just don't give up, it's not a race just exercise and fun. I love my old grandma bike. It's not fast or good looking, but so what, it keeps me fit and also intouch with my childhood

Thank you @Zuve . For bringing me back down to earth.

I am stupidly competitive with things I don't need to be in. I won't ever enter a triathlon or duathlon, but for some reason, because I run a lot, in my head it translates as being I "should" find cycling a short distance easy as well!

You shouldn't be standing up to pedal other than on the very steepest hills - a higher cadence is much more efficient. It'll be a lot better for your knees too.
If you're a runner then you'll know the only way to run faster, is to run faster - same with cycling. You need to increase your power with interval training, the same as you would with running. Set yourself time- or distance-limited intervals to pedal at 80-90% of your power, ease off and repeat.

Was about the say the same thing as pp, seat down for hills. You can stand at times but best to sit, especially on a mountain bike/hybrid. Also agree, you want an easier gear and pedal faster.

If you want to use you bike for transport, leave it anywhere, be reasonably sure it won't get stolen, then it's fine. It's what's called a 'pub bike'.
But if you want to enjoy cycling, you need a new bike.
I can't imagine the frame fits you very well and that makes a big difference, then factor in the energy sapping forks, small wheels (26in or even 24?), inappropriate tyres and budget components and you're doing well going the speed you are.

Nothing wrong with a pub bike and I definitely be keeping hold of it but you're never going to cycle fast and it's never going to be particularly enjoyable.
No need to spend a fortune but a £500-ish urban bike would probably make the world of difference.

I think it entirely depends on the elevation as well. If you’re only doing 5 miles but the elevation is quite a lot then 12mph is pretty good going.

mountain bike and hybrid bikes are also a lot heavier and harder.

i never used to cycle and just before lockdown borrowed a hybrid. Like you I was always feeling down about my speed. In the end I bought a cheap road bike, had a lot of variation in my rides (sometimes short flat ones , sometimes super hilly and longer) and gradually my speed picked up. You’ll get there but it all takes time and it sounds like you’re already doing a good job 😊

it's probably a shite friction-full components heavy bike & you don't realise that you're probably much faster than most women would ever go on that same bike.

Tech matters a lot with bikes.

A team coach said to my daughter, 'don't push, spin'. That means using your gears skilfully and change down before you have to. Spinning, i.e. pedalling fast at a speed you can keep up beats pushing on the pedals which will tire you out.
You do have to have a reasonable bike with a good range of gears. You need to cycle regularly/daily for a while and perhaps go to the gym and use the bikes there to work up your stamina.
I've cycled most of my adult life but I've had a few set backs/illness/acccidents and have had to start over and fitness/speed does come but not immediately.
Well done for trying, if you can get fit you'll find it's a brilliant way to keep fit and it helps the planet and our crowded roads. 😄

Go to spinning classes 3xweek and you will see gains

Sounds like you are super fit, so probably a good first thing to look at is your tyre pressure. Pumping tyres up to the max is likely overkill, but really soft tyres will make you feel like you're cycling through treacle. So have a play with tyre pressure; look at the max and min on the tyre side wall, use a track pump with a gauge so that you can compare and contrast. A related cheap thing to change would be your tyres; sounds like you have fairly fat tyres but might be able to get away with something a bit narrower - check with someone local who can advise you based on the rim size. Super narrow doesn't necessarily mean faster, but again there's a sweet spot.

Position is another thing to look at; check your saddle height. Think about what you know from running; if your saddle is so high that you're riding on tippy toes, you won't be transferring so much power through to the pedals. There's varying schools of thought on saddle height. I'm currently experimenting with much lower saddle height than I used to in order to recruit my glutes - and I have to admit that, now I'm used to it, it is faster for me. So my knees are slightly bent when the pedal is at its lowest whereas I was riding with my knees straight but not quite locked out. Again, have a play with it and see what works for you and your strong running muscles.

Another quick thing to do is to make sure your chain is running smooth and free; if your cassette and chain are in good nick, give them a clean and re-lubricate the chain. I use WD40 rather than soapy water (it doesn't wash out all the grease between the links) let it dry off a bit, then re-lube.

I should add - I'm not especially fast, 12mph average is fine by me round town. I'm into long-distance cycling, so it's all about being a decent speed that I can sustain. But the above are things to try which might be easy wins! All best wishes.

It’s sounds like your bike might be holding you back as on a hybrid that is very good going! I bet if you were to go on a road bike with slick tyres, lighter weight you would be much faster. So think of what you are doing as stealth training. Or upgrade your bike. You will be able to get a very decent one for under £500 if you join some local cycling club Facebook pages and keep an eye out for bikes being sold. Evan’s cycles website can tell you what frame size you need.

Thank you @randonneuse for your informative post. I have definitely found it easier and faster when the tyres are not as soft.

Thank you @BTsrule. As a household, we do seem to own more bikes per person, so I'm reluctant to get another without getting rid of one first. 😅