Everyone asks themselves at some point how long it will take them to bike a mile.
While the answer depends on a multitude of individual factors such as fitness level, willpower, and determination, being aware of general estimates can help you gauge how long it would take you to bike one mile.
According to fitness experts, with moderate effort someone in good physical condition should take 5 to 6 minutes to cover 1 mile or around ten minutes to bike two miles.
If you go out for a leisurely ride or are just getting into cycling, three miles should take you around 15 minutes.
Biking five miles might take you between 20-25 minutes depending on speed and terrain. Once those five miles are consistent it shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes for ten miles and 40-45 minutes for thirty miles.
So the next time you’re trying to plan out your biking schedule keep this estimation in mind!
The average bike speed for most cyclist range somewhere between 10 to 18 mph. It determines how fast does a bicycle can go for a rider and how far will he or she can go.
From my own experience I can certainly say your average bike speeds depends more on yourself ( Your health, stamina, fitness, experience cycling etc ) than your bike ( type, gears ).
Professional bikers are capable of riding a mile in as little as three or four minutes, while an average cycler may take six minutes or more.
However, data from Strava suggests that the Global Average cycling speed is actually 13.5 mph with men averaging 13.7 mph and women 12.1 mph among the 5.2 billion miles of bike rides recorded in 2018.
Ultimately, this information provides further evidence that the answer varies for every individual depending on their physical capabilities.
Bear in mind that there are billions of cyclists worldwide that don’t use this app. However riders that do use it are highly cautious about their health and speed- making them faster than average on the roads.
How Long Does It Take To Bike 2 Miles?
If you apply the above average for a mile it will take about 12 minutes to cover 2 miles. For most beginners it will not take more than 15 minutes and 10 minutes at minimum.
Experienced riders who maintains a speed above 20 mph will cover twice the distance in the same time. They usually cover 2 miles in the time of one and 4 miles in that of two.
How Long It Takes To Bike 3, 5, And 10 Miles?
A distance of 3, 5 and 10 miles is considered easy so most cyclist perform the same as they do for one mile. If we apply the above average of 10 mph for one mile, a cyclist should take 18 minutes to cover 3 miles.
At the same speed he or she will took 30 minutes for 5 and an hour for 10 mile ride. Remember 10 mph is the lowest average speed of all cyclist but most averages about 12 to 14 mph.
This means if you are not in the slowest 40% you will take 12 minutes to bike 3 miles. Similarly biking 5 miles will take you 20-22 minutes and 40 to 45 minutes for a 10 mile ride.
If the odds are in favor like the wind direction, terrain, route and traffic you can easily narrow it down to 10, 18 and 30 minutes respectively. But since not all are made the same a few riders may find it hard to cover 10 miles, I would suggest them to take small breaks, slow down for a while but never give up.
Even with these conditions I expect you to cover 10 miles in 1 hr 30 minutes.
How Much Time For A 15 Mile Bike Ride?
For 15 miles or more it start to become hard to continue cycling for most beginners. So the above average for one mile won’t apply and need to go for a revised speed.
While it may be still doable you will struggle to maintain speed. The longer the distance the greater will be fatigue and if you are not into regular cycling, riding a bike this long will take you an hour or more than expected.
Unlike before when beginners and regular cyclist have different average speed the average speed for all cyclist range between 10 to 12 mph. This leads us to an average time of 1hr 30 minutes.
But personally, the average time for me to cover 15 miles is 1 hr 18 minutes and for my brother is 1 hr 23 minutes. So it’s never a fixed value but lies within a defined value.
How Much Time For A 30 Mile Bike Ride?
A distance of 30 miles is considered challenging for even regular cyclist with moderate experience. Biking 30 miles or more needs stamina, endurance and fitness both mentally and physically.
Cycling this long will require a few stops with at least one refreshment break. You won’t be able to maintain speed this far and thus even your own personal average will vary each time.
From my own experience cycling and what I see and learn, it can take between 3 to 4 hours to ride 30 miles with one small refreshment break in between.
I would advise a beginner to not try going that far on your first try. Only try if you are a regular cyclist or at least did a few training or test rides for a week on shorter rides.
Factors That Affect Your Average Biking Speed
There are many things that impact your biking speed and distance, too many to cover in full detail in any single article. However, the key factors include bike type, terrain, Familiarity with route, fitness and skill.
Type of Bike
While deciding how fast you can bike a mile, the type of bike you are riding must be taken into consideration.
Mountain bikes have wider tires and feature strong frames which have superior power handling capabilities, making them suitable for rough terrain but slow on speed. ( just 10 to 12 mph )
Road bikes are built with lightweight frames, thinner tires and aerodynamic features which make them ideal for speed when biking on flat surfaces.
Road bikes are generally the fastest, reaching an average of 17 to 18 miles per hour.
Other types such as cruisers and touring bikes come with specialized features that make each type unique. Touring bikes tend to be a bit slower, averaging around 13 to 14 mph.
While Cruisers offer casual riding speeds at 12-15 mph!
Cruisers usually come with wide handlebars made for leisurely rides while touring bikes tend to be heavier models that are specifically designed to transport your travel kit across long distances.
Each bike type has its own advantages no matter how far or fast you ride – it is essential to do your research before investing in one to ensure that it meets your particular needs.
Terrain
Bicycle speeds are directly impacted by the terrain on which you choose to ride. Flat roads, for example, provide the least resistance and therefore allow for the fastest possible speeds.
Downhill riding is quite similar as gravity helps increase a rider’s speed without requiring much effort.
Dedicated bike lanes or tracks also offer relatively fast speeds as they tend to have few obstacles and feature smooth paths. Hills pose a significant challenge with respect to speed as they require increased energy expenditure in order to successfully climb them.
Finally, gravel creates greater levels of friction due to its rough surface area, resulting in slower biking times than when riding on smoother surfaces.
In order to maximize your average biking speed, it’s important that you pick terrain wisely based upon the conditions and difficulty level of your ride.
Familiarity With Route
Biking with a route that you are familiar with can have a positive effect on your average biking speed.
Knowing exactly where you are going and what each corner looks like can make even the toughest turns feel smoother as you transition from one point to the next.
Familiarity also reduces the time spent spotting landmarks, slowing down for direction checks, and ensures you know exactly how strong each hill will be.
It is reassuring when we recognize our environment and it often allows us to travel better and faster.
Therefore, it can be said that having a familiar route makes bikers more comfortable which in turn increases their average speed.
The Biker’s Fitness
Staying in shape is an essential factor to consider when it comes to biking. While a beginner may be unable to ride more than 10 miles at first, he can do so much easily and fast with consistency and a little bit of exercise.
Your average biking speed will be much faster if you maintain a regular exercise routine that focuses on improving strength, as well as cardio-respiratory endurance.
Additionally, having adequate muscular and cardiovascular fitness will help you push yourself further and go faster without getting exhausted before the end of your ride.
Furthermore, it will also prevent any unnecessary injuries due to exhaustion or lack of muscle control while preventing excessive fatigue afterwards that could hinder any future rides.
All in all, keeping fit plays a immensely vital role in determining your average biking speed so make sure to stay active and mindful about your overall health!
Average Time Taken To Bike 2 Miles
Beginner Cyclists
15 minutes
Intermediate Cyclists
12 minutes
Professional Cyclists
7 minutes
Skill of The Rider
A cyclist’s skills can make a huge difference in their average biking speed. Experienced cyclists will be more adept than new riders when it comes to terrain and long distances, and are more able to navigate around bumps and surface changes. When a beginner would simply try their best to get going.
Furthermore, an expert biker has the strength and endurance necessary to be able to maintain a steady top speed whilst pedaling.
Professional road bikers usually take about 2.14 minutes for them to cover 1 mile, which is quite impressive.
It is hard to say what the maximal speeds that pro road bikers might achieve, but there is no doubt that their experience helps them tremendously on such journeys.
Fastest Bike Time
You might be surprised to know but a few professionals really made us mope with their speed. In September 2018 Denise Mueller sets the record for fastest biking speed.
Clipping her bike to the back of a dragster driven by a racing driver she manege to get as fast as 184 mph as per the Guinness Book of World Records. In the same year, a man named Michael Broadwith set out the record for the fastest biker to ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
At an average speed of 21.1 miles an hour, he covered 507.511 miles in just 43 hours 25 minutes, and 13 seconds. The last record was of 44 hours 4 minutes and 19 seconds that stood for 17 years. You can read in detail about this in this article from Road.cc.
Kaye is a mother of two boys who is on a mission to improve her physical and mental well-being. With a passion for trying new beauty products and stacking her supplement intake, Kaye is always eager to discover new ways to enhance her lifestyle.
Thank you for sharing