What would you say if I told you there was an easy way to increase the average speed of your bike rides? No, I'm not peddling performance enhancing drugs or trying to sell the latest "stiffer and more aero" bike. And if you're thinking that this will involve suffering on the scale of a flagellant, I've got some great news: it's achieved by suffering less. Let me explain...
Increasing your average speed usually involves trying to improve your top speed or the speed you can maintain over various shorter distances. However, if you use a bike computer and look at a graph of average speed most people will find that their speed drops off towards the end (even over a flat route). Nothing suprising here. You're getting tired, you can't face another energy gel, and your undercarriage is never going to forgive you for this. Of course you'll ride slower. In other words, you're fatigued. And not only fatigued by the actually pedalling but all the other things that require energy expenditure, like concentrating on traffic, steering and braking, and absorbing the shocks of Britain's legendary potholes.
Even if you are lucky or skilled enough to avoid direct impact with a pothole, rough road surfaces have a measurable impact on fatigue. If you can reduce that impact, then you can reduce the rate that you get tired. That's how we're looking to increase the average speed on your next challenge ride: by reducing the rate that you fatigue at.
One way to reduce the fatiguing effects of road vibration is by using lower tyre pressures. However, this increases your chance of a puncture, since it will be easier for glass, thorns and other nasties to penetrate the tyre. Tannus Armour is a foam insert that wraps around your inner tube. It provides an additional 15mm of puncture protection beneath the tread of your tyre. It also provides support to the sidewall of the tyre, so you enjoy the extra comfort of lower tyre pressures without the squirming and extra drag that you would feel without an Armour insert. You'll still get tired, but at a slower rate, so you can maintain a higher average speed. That's smarter riding, not harder riding.
