Out of many things you should know as a rider is your average biking speed. This will improve your confidence when cycling and create a curiosity to enhance your experience compared to other riders.
As you can imagine, your level of experience determines your average speed most time. Though, there are various factors capable of influencing your speed on a ride, irrespective of your level of expertise. However, before mentioning them, let’s dive into average biking speed for different experience levels.
Table of Contents
Average Biking Speed
You can group cycling experience into beginner, intermediate, skilled, and professional. As you study the table below, you tend to know the average cycling speed for each experience level.
| Experience Level | Average Speed [MPH] |
| Beginner | 8 – 10 mph |
| Intermediate | 15 mph |
| Skilled | 20 mph |
| Professional | 25 mph |
From the table above, a beginner should be able to average a speed of 8 – 10 mph on a one-hour ride. But if proper training is embarked on, you should be able to move to the intermediate level by riding at an average speed of 15 mph. However, to be a skilled rider, you should be able to average 18 mph to 20 mph, even more, if you train regularly. A professional rider can easily average 25 mph and above with confidence. You need more training to move from beginner to professional level.
Now, after you have duly understood the range of average speed per level of experience. You need to know the factors that can affect your average biking speed.
Factors That Affect Your Average Cycling Speed
As mentioned earlier, several factors can affect your average biking speed, irrespective of your experience. These factors can be grouped into environmental factors, physical factors, psychological factors, and other factors.
Here, you will understand these factors according to their groups.
Environmental factors
Obstacles Along Route
This can be grouped into Natural obstacles and Man-made obstacles.
Natural Obstacles
These are obstacles caused by nature like trees, stones, and others. It’s easier and faster to ride on the smooth ground compared to a rough one. If you’re riding amongst trees, you might not be able to maintain your average speed compared to a land free from trees and stones.
Man-Made Obstacles
These are obstacles caused or made by human beings—for example, pedestrians, traffic lights, and others. You will find it challenging to maintain your average speed on the road compared to a path. If pedestrians can’t stop you, the traffic light will do. If you’re not an expert, you might even end up in an accident.
Typically, you have to respect the rules of the road when riding. Most times, the speed limit of a road might be 25 mph. If you’re a professional, you won’t be able to maintain your average speed on that road.
Ride Distance
Out of many factors that can affect your average speed is the distance to cover. You might not be able to sustain the same pace of distance as when you started. There is a possibility for you to get tired easily and your lactic acid to build up when you reach a point. The only means to maintain or achieve a higher average speed is to decrease the length of your journey.
Weather Conditions
This can either be in the winter or summer of the year.
Winter
During the season of ice, snow, wind, and rain, you won’t be able to maintain your average speed irrespective of your experience. Even if you want to try, you might not be able to withstand the forces of the wind or heavy rain when cycling.
Summer
In the summer, the heat might not be easy for you to withstand. You will be forcing your body to sustain the regular riding speed.
The Riding Surface
If you’re riding on plain ground, you will be able to sustain your average speed compared to rough, mountainous, and hilly areas. In the same way, if you’re ascending a hill or mountain, you will be slower than descending the same mountain.
Physical factors
These factors can be grouped into rider weight, age, and sex.
Rider Weight
Your weight plays a vital role in your average speed, it determines your fastness. If you’re lighter, you can easily ride through a hill compared to a weighty rider, whose weight will increase friction against the bike’s momentum.
Rider Age
Your age matters when it comes to average cycling speed. The older you’re, the slower your cycling speed.
| AGE | Average Speed [MP/H] | Average Speed [KM/H] |
| 18 – 23 | 22 | 35 |
| 24 – 39 | 20 | 32 |
| 40 – 54 | 18 | 29 |
| 55 – 64+ | 16 | 25 |
As you can see from the table above, aged 18 to 23 can average a speed of 22 MP/H and 35 KM/H while, 55 to 64 years old can average a speed of 16 MP/H / 25 KM/H. This shows that as you’re aging, you start losing muscles, and that will surely affect your ability to ride faster.
Rider Sex
Research has proven the gender difference in the cycling speed of men and women. One research proved that men cycle 9.6% faster than women in 12h and 4% faster in 24h race, while another proved that men achieved 14% faster time on average with an average power output that was 1.4 X higher than women.
Without argument, both theories are correct. Men riders are stronger compared to females. They have more fast-twitch fibers than females.
Psychological Factors
This has to do with the state of mind, skill, and ability of the rider. These factors can either be the rider’s experience or confidence.
Rider Experience
Your level of experience will determine how better you maximize your efficiency when riding in different environments. You can’t compare a beginner to a Pro. It will be easier for a Pro to master his movement even in a new environment than a beginner.
Rider Confidence
One of those things that makes a cyclist sustain an average speed is confidence, the ability to rest assured. The reason why the majority couldn’t sustain average speed is a lack of confidence. Assuming you’re navigating a challenging route that can cause anxiety, you’ll decrease your speed in some sections.
Other Factors:
Bike Condition
If you fail to lubricate your bike, it will increase friction and reduce the average speed. Also, if you don’t service your bike’s gear and break, you won’t be able to sustain your speed. Even by not doing that, rust can set in.
Bike Fit
You have to get a bike that fits you. This is necessary for comfort and Average speed. The first thing you have to consider when getting a new bike is if the bike supports your body shape. The fitted the bike, the higher your average speed.
How To Increase Your Average Biking Speed?
Human beings desire to leave the present level for a higher one. We all deserve change, but change comes without a price. Most times, the price might be some things you need to know.
However, I know you want to improve your average speed compared to your peers and become a champion. The truth is there are tips you can use to improve your average speed without stress.
Here, I’ll dive you into them one after another. What you have to do is to pen down every tip and keep on meditating over them till you master them and they become part of you.
Let’s get started.
Lose Weight
The first thing you have to do is to lose weight so you can ride faster and reduce drag. The appropriate body weight of an expert rider is 1.85 – 1.87 Ibs per inch for women and 2.15 – 2.19 Ibs per inch for men.
To do this, you have to reduce taking sugar in your tea per day to lose 0.5lb in a month and ride an extra 30 minutes at least three times per week to reduce 1lb a month.
Build Muscle
You can also increase your cycling fitness by building your muscles. This is important for power production with the pedal stroke and to keep balance on the bike. You can do some exercise by going to a gym or doing practice on the bike, depending on your choice.
Moreover, pedaling fast can get your muscles firing rapidly and create a connection between your brain, nervous system, and muscle fibers.
Break Less
You have to break less to accelerate your speed. Braking will slow you down, requiring a harder pedal to get you back to speed. You must be able to read the road ahead. However, you can practice breaking less by riding downhill with shorter breaks. This will increase your confidence and make you faster.
Pedal More
If you want to train your speed, you have to pedal more. This is very important because, the more you do this the more you sustain your average speed. The fact is, average experienced cyclists pedal more when riding.
This will also improve your ability to read the road ahead and increase your confidence as a cyclist. All the same, you have to know when to pedal so you won’t end up in an accident.
Train Indoors
One of the best ways to learn how to ride outdoors is to train indoors. This will improve your ability and give you less worry. You can easily control your environmental training indoors compared to outdoors. What you have to do is to be consistence with your training because that’s how you will build your fitness and speed.
Moreover, when training indoors, you can help yourself by playing cycling games like Zwift to hide your training in a virtual world. If you can perform well in a virtual world, you should be able to do better in real life.
Bend Your Back
One of the easiest ways to ride faster is to bend your back when riding. You can’t sit up straight and ride faster even if you want to; the wind won’t allow you. You must position your body in a way that will be too easy for you to control and press the pedal comfortably.
Maybe you have been standing upright when cycling before. From today, start bending your back and see how faster you will be.
Listen To Music
Another most effortless way to accelerate and concentrate when riding is listening to music. The beat and melody of the music will reduce your perception of the effort used. According to Dr. Costas Karageorghis, sports psychologist. ” Music blocks out fatigue-related symptoms such as burning lungs, the beating heart, and the lactic acid in the muscle. It can reduce our perception of effort by as much as 10 percent”.
However, it would be best if you were careful with plugging in earpieces when riding on the road to hear the traffic and prevent sudden accidents.
Get Snacks and Water
It would help if you had snacks and water to help your energy and fluid levels. This is so important so you won’t break down when traveling a long distance. It would be best to stay hydrated even after the hot sun and stress. If you run out of snacks and water, you can stop at the cafe and shop to refill yourself.
Maintain Your Bike
To keep your bike running, you need to maintain it. It would be best if you lubricated the chain to reduce the friction band and allow the smooth running of the bike. Also, you need to service your brake and pedal regularly. All these little activities will help you to sustain your average speed without stress.
Upgrade Your Tires
If you want to move faster, your focus should be on your tires. The stronger and more effective they are, the lesser your stress and faster your average speed. The fact is, most expensive tires are stronger than cheaper ones. Apart from increasing your average speed, they can last longer. Therefore, I’ll advise you to get effective and strong tires that will help your speed.
Don’t Ride Alone
One of the essential tips to increase your average biking speed is to ride with other people. You might not be able to perform better if you’re alone. The motivation you get from others can take you farther. Most times, when you ride alone, you get bored and tired easily compared to riding with a group. The enthusiasm of not being left out will make you improve unknowingly.
I believe after going through this article, you should be able to know your average speed, and the reasons why you couldn’t meet up with it.
Moreover, now that you know how to increase your average biking speed, don’t hesitate to put them into practice for you to have your desired results.
