What Is The Average Bike Speed? Effects And Guides
Jane Tu - December 12, 2022According to the data, the average cycling speed was 13.5 mph (21.72 km/h), which was derived from data collected from 287.5M rides, which included a variety of bikes and cycling disciplines. Continue reading, you will learn more about bike speed.
What’s the Average Bike Speed for Beginners?
Don’t worry if your speed is slower than the average road bike speed if you’re new to the sport; it takes time to develop cycling fitness.
The typical road bike speed is 12 mph or 20 km/h (or lower) on a flat road for beginner male or female cyclists who started less than 3 months ago without prior cardio training.
What’s the Average Cycling Speed by Age?
Older athletes typically move more slowly than younger ones in other sports like running. Cycling, on the other hand, frequently has the opposite effect because it is a low-impact activity and you can continue riding it for the rest of your life.
For cyclists who aren’t in a competitive environment, there is no such thing as an average cycling speed by age. The duration of your cycling history has a significant impact on your average speed. A senior who has been cycling for a while will therefore undoubtedly be faster than a youngster who is just starting out.
Therefore, don’t feel bad if you are slower than someone who is younger or older than you because it’s possible that they have been cycling their entire lives.
Cycling is a great form of exercise if you’re older because it’s one of the few endurance sports in which you can compete with athletes who are much younger.
The only exception is that children under the age of 16 tend to cycle more slowly than adults who have been cycling for longer because their muscles and lungs have not yet fully developed.
What Are the Average Bike Speeds for Different Bike Types?
As you are probably already aware, there are many different bike types that can be used for a variety of cycling disciplines.
Average Road Bike Speed
In general, the fastest type of conventional bike is the road bike. When compared to other bike types, they offer superior aerodynamics and are built for high speeds.
On roads with a flatter elevation profile, a road bike typically travels between 14 and 18 mph (23-29 km/h).
Or, most road cyclists can anticipate an average cycling speed of between 8 and 12 mph (13-19 km/h) when riding on inclines of 5%.
I received responses from 28 people in total, and when I averaged their speeds, I came up with a speed of 16.7 mph (27.5 km/h).
Although there were few respondents, the average speed they reported was consistent with the average speed of the road bike as depicted above.
Average Mountain Bike Speed
It’s challenging to provide an average mountain bike speed that has any significance given the wide variety of MTB disciplines.
A good average speed for mountain biking on a road with a flat elevation profile is between 10 and 14 mph (16 and 23 km/h).
You can typically average between 4 and 8 mph (6 and 13 km/h) when riding a mountain bike on extremely technical trails. For steep ascents with an incline of 5% or more, the same speed applies.
Competitive downhill mountain bikers frequently travel between 18 and 20 mph (29 and 32 km/h). However, they can travel at speeds of up to 50 mph (80 kph) on the steepest parts of the trail.
Average E-Bike Speed
If you’re curious about the typical speed of an e-bike, you probably also want to know the typical assisted speed.
There are three different kinds of e-bikes, as I discussed in my guide to electric bicycles.
- Class 1: Pedal-assisted electric bicycles with a top speed of 32 km/h (20 mph).
- Class 2 – Throttle assisted e-bikes with a maximum speed of 20mph (32km/h)
- With a top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h), Class 3 electric bicycles are throttle-assisted.
Every country has a different maximum speed limit for e-bikes. However, e-bike speed assistance is restricted to 15.5 mph (25 km/h) in the majority of European nations.
Maximum speed assistance for e-bikes in the majority of US states is 20 mph (32 km/h).
Average Hybrid Bike Speed
In keeping with their name, hybrid bikes combine elements of both road and mountain biking.
Most hybrid bicycles have larger tires than road bicycles (typically 700c x 35-45), which slows them down on the road. But unlike hardtail and full-suspension mountain bikes, most hybrid bikes have a rigid frame and fork, which improves pedaling efficiency.
The typical speed for a hybrid bike on flat roads is between 19 and 26 km/h (12 to 16 mph).
On uphill rides with 5% gradients, a hybrid bike can travel at an average speed of 6–10 mph (10–16 km/h).
What Effect Your Bike Speed?
There are lots of reasons why average speed can’t be used as a reliable measure of comparison, which mostly come down to the following:
Riding Conditions
Living in Norfolk, where there aren’t many hills, will be very different from a rider going to the Lake District every week, in terms of experience. The Scottish highlands are different from the undulating hills of the Cotswolds.
Therefore, if you don’t know where they are riding, hearing that someone else’s average speed is, let’s say, 20 miles per hour, is not very meaningful.
In some places, high winds are a regular and natural occurrence. Even a light breeze can significantly affect a cyclist’s speed. Another factor is temperature, which can both increase or decrease average speed depending on the season.
Distance Covered
With increasing distance traveled, average speed varies to some extent. The first part of a ride is slower as your legs warm up, so shorter rides tend to have a slightly lower average. The fastest rides generally last between one and two hours. As fatigue becomes more of a factor on longer rides, the average will then frequently start to decline slightly. For many of us riding over about three hours can become very tiring
Equipment
It isn’t about the bike, is it? Perhaps a little, especially in terms of weight. Cycling enthusiasts who switched to carbon fiber bicycles have reported an immediate 5–10% increase in speed. The improvement was greater than I had anticipated, and perhaps it would only make such a significant difference for cyclists in excellent physical condition.
Tires are an example of peripheral equipment that can slightly alter weight and speed.
I believe, but am unable to prove, that buying a lighter, more expensive bike also has an effect on your perception of how fast you will travel…you will go faster.
However, losing a kilo on the bike will have less of an impact if you are already overweight.
Cyclist Age
While a cyclist’s age is important, their years of experience are frequently more significant.
A greater percentage of “slow twitch” muscle fibers accumulated in the legs of cyclists over time. Usually, you’ll have a healthy heart and lungs. Age, however, works against us all!
Older cyclists are typically much better at maintaining steady speed over longer distances but less strong at quick sprints or bursts up small hills. There are many cyclists in their 40s and 50s who are capable of competing on rides with 25-year-olds.
Teamwork
There are many significant advantages to riding in a group (paceline). You will experience little to no wind resistance for the majority of the time if you are ‘drafting’ the person in front. Although the advantages this offers will vary depending on the circumstances and the number of people in the group, it is frequently claimed that cycling in a group will increase the average cyclist’s speed by 20–30%, if not even more.
How to Increase Your Average Cycling Speed?
If you’re serious about increasing your speed on two wheels, read this guide for a longer list of the essentials required to increase your cycling speed.
Experiment With Tire Pressure
For best performance, different surfaces necessitate different tire pressures.
While you won’t want to adjust your tire pressure while you’re riding, you should choose a pressure that works well with the surface you’ll be riding on the majority of the time.
Explore your options to see what works best.
Learn to track stand
You’ll know how frustrating clipless pedals can be when attempting to pull away from the lights if you use them.
Learn to track stand to avoid being in this pickle all the time. Your average speed will rise because you’ll be quicker out of the lights.
Listen to Music When Cycling
I personally don’t cycle with music because I like to be completely aware of everything around me when I’m on the road, but if you feel comfortable doing so, it might be worth a shot.
Numerous studies have been conducted over the years on the effects of music on exercise performance, and findings indicate that it can boost both enjoyment and effectiveness.
Improve Your Nutrition
Your physical capabilities are directly impacted by the fuel you put into your body.
Put trash in, get the trash out.
Slim Down & Build Muscle
Although muscle has a higher density than fat, fat won’t make you pedal more quickly.
Continue to work at it if you want to lose a few extra pounds, and you’ll see progress!
Use Clipless Pedals
Studies have shown that when compared to flat and toe strap pedals, clipless pedals can increase power output by up to 10%.
Additionally, many cyclists assert that clipless pedals improve bike handling, a claim that is more challenging to support with empirical data.
Clipless pedals are worth a try if you haven’t already.
How to Calculate Your Average Speed on a Bicycle?
The easiest and best way to calculate the average speed of your bicycle route is to divide your total ride distance by the total ride duration (Total Time divided by Total Distance.
For example:
Total trip distance = 13.56 miles
Total trip duration = 1 hr 30 mins
The calculation to find the average speed (Distance÷Time)
13.56(miles) ÷ 1.5 (hours) = 9.04mph (14.54km/h)
Is 20 Mph (32 Km/h) Fast on a Flat Road?
20 mph or 32 km/h is a very good road bike speed for one-hour rides even if you are an experienced cyclist.
You should be pleased with yourself for reaching that speed.
The typical target speed in most informal group rides is 20 mph or less on a flat road. Because it enables you to keep up with your friends, 20 mph is a good average speed to aim for.
However, even if you can’t quite reach 20 mph on a solo ride, you might still be able to join a 20 mph group ride without getting dropped due to the drafting effect. Because there is an air slipstream for them to use, cyclists riding closely behind one another can move faster than they normally could.
Conclusion
The average road bike speed on a flat road is 17-22 mph or 28-35 km/h for men and women who have been cycling regularly for at least a few months.
Utilizing a power meter is the best way to keep track of your performance. This gauges the amount of effort you put forth while cycling, and since it is independent of the surface of the road and the weather, it is a good sign of performance improvement.
Categories
Tag
10 speed bike 26 inch bike for what size person adjusting bike brakes average bike speed best mini bike bicycle Bike Bike Brakes Bike Chain Bike Cost Bike Frame Bike Pump Biker Shorts Bike Seat Bike Tire Bike Tire Pressure bike tire valves bike tricks Bike Wheel Camelbak cycling dirt bike dutch bikes how fast can a bike go how to ship a bike How To Take Off Bike Pedals how to tighten bike brakes how to use bike pump Kid Mountain Bike Paint A Bike Peloton Bike pit bike Pump A Bike Tire Remove Bike Pedals slope bike Sticky Piston tesla bike truing a bike wheel tubeless bike tires types of bike brakes walking bike what muscles does a bike work winter bike youth dirt bike helmets