Am I fast or am I slow?

This question puzzles me for a while now. It all began a few weeks ago when I did my typical route from my home to the city center, but at that time I was not alone. I was accompanied by a friend. 

He is a regular bicycle commuter too. We live on the same neighborhood and we both work in the city center. Usually our working hours are different, so it was the first time that we actually rode all the way together towards the downtown. 

I own an upright bicycle, he owns a mountain bike. 

The day was cloudy and the air was blowing softly. Perfect! 
I usually ride alone, so I started to ride with company on the same way I ride when I'm alone. He was a regular too, so I thought he wouldn't have any problem following my pace. But after 5 minutes into it, he politely asked me if I could slow down a bit. 

At first, I thought he was kidding so I continued to ride on the same speed. I looked at him and he looked okay as he followed along. 

A couple a of minutes later, he asked me again to slow down a bit. 

I looked him straight into the eyes and I saw that he was not kidding and that he actually wanted me to relax my pace. 

I asked: "Do you think that I'm going fast?"

He replied: "Yes! Why are you in such a hurry?"

I: "I'm not in a hurry... This is how I ride my bicycle. Everyday."

He: "Well, you surely are a fast cyclist. Slow down a bit!"

Until that moment I thought I was an average speed cyclist. Actually I still think I am!

But after what he said about my speed I began to puzzle.

I started to observe other cyclists in the street. The truth is that I overtake every single one that appears in the road ahead of me, and not on purpose, I ride on the same pace all the way on my route, it just "happens" and I find myself passing them. All those time I thought they were just riding slow, not that I was going fast. 

On the other hand, sometimes there will be a moment that an another cyclist overtakes me. When that is happening, I smile and think "wow, he is a fast cyclist and not slow as I am!".

I usually have the tendency to compare myself with this fast cyclist and think myself as a not exactly slow cyclist, but an average speed one. 

I don't understand how did I improve my speed that much, when for the last five months I always tried to "slow" myself down and just keep a momentum when I'm pedaling, because it was summer and now I'm just left with this habit. 

The question popped on my mind every time I rode my bicycle: 

Am I fast or am I slow?

I became obsessed of course and started to ask people what they were thinking of related to my speed. The replies were mixed. My most experienced cyclists friends said I was fast. The ones that were still beginners thought that I was just an average speed cyclist and the non cyclist friends said that I was being both fast and slow. They think I am fast when I am on my way to meet them, and always say "We thought you would be late because of your bicycle", but when they are driving behind me, they find me slow on the straight lines and fast on the turns. 

Still I do not know if I am fast or if I am slow, but I do continue to think of myself as an average speed cyclist, but now I think of me as a one who is leaning towards the "fast" side. 

What about you? Do you ever think of your speed when you are commuting by bicycle? 

What do you think characterises a fast cyclist or a slow one?

Are you fast or are you slow?