I bought a Trek Navigator 300 about this time last year and have 3,100 or so miles on it, including an unsupported century, scores of rides over 35 miles and tens of rides over 50 miles.
The bad news is that my computer-calculated average even on long rides with few stop signs and slowdowns is generally on the low side of 13.5 miles per hour. For example, my century was done at about 12.4 mph and I did 85 miles at about 12.8 mph.
Is that about all I can expect from that bike or is it the bike engine (me) that is the problem.
A wrench at the LBS said that 100 miles on my bike would be like 130 on a road bike. A relative newbie acquaintance who had been riding a mountain bike and struggling to do 12 to 13 mph bought a road bike and is in the 15 to 17s is there really that much difference in the bike types?
I ride for enjoyment, have no desire to race or ride in a paceline; in fact, most of my riding is solo and I like it that way.
My long term goal is to do some multi-day touring.
I don’t feel like I’m ready to retire the Navigator any time soon, but I want to think about what I want to do next year.
And, yep, slow DOES mean more saddle time and fewer miles covered per hour.