Hot take: riding slow is overrated, my 9 mph average felt worse than hammering at 15 | Bike Commuter Hacks

Jesse Thompson · 2026-10-20T12:15:04.825921+00:00

I tried the whole ride slow and easy thing for 3 weeks to avoid sweat and I felt awful every morning. My avg speed dropped to 9 mph and my legs just felt stiff and tired all day. Switched back to pushing 15 mph on my 6 mile ride to the office and I show up loose and awake, plus the cool down at my desk takes 5 minutes with a towel and a small fan. The slow ride crowd says low effort means less sweat but for me it just drags out the time in the heat. Last Tuesday it was 78 degrees out and I barely broke a sweat at 15 mph, so the speed is not the issue. Anyone else find that going slower makes the whole commute worse?

The Community Guide

Loading…

Hot take: riding slow is overrated, my 9 mph average felt worse than hammering at 15 | Bike Commuter Hacks - The Community Guide