Good average cycling speed at different skill levels

What is a good average speed on a road bike?

While it isn’t always the best thing to measure, speed is often the most obvious metric we use to compare ourselves to others when we ride. When you do that, it’s important to know what a good average is for your experience level. Here’s the data that I’ve been able to gather from my experience and other riders.

Experience LevelAverage Speed For One Hour Ride
Beginner10 mph
Average Rider15 mph
Regular Training20 mph
Professional25mph

The majority of riders can average a speed of about 15 mph on a one hour ride. A good speed for a beginner is 10 mph, but you should be able to get to 15 mph pretty quickly.  If you start training every once in a while, you could get your average up to 18 mph, but training on a regular basis could get you to 22 mph. Professional riders can easily average 25 mph during races like the Tour De France.

If that’s all you needed and now you want to know more about how to keep track of your speed on a ride, I have two articles you can check out! Here’s one about how bike computers work, and here’s another one on whether or not you really need a bike computer.

The rest of this article will be about factors that influence your speed on a ride, and how to measure your ride in more ways than just how fast you went.

Your Route Matters

country stop sign

Your route is one of the major factors that play into how fast you’ll be able to ride. However, it isn’t just the distance and the names of the streets or paths.

Stop Signs Slow You Down

There is one particular route that I enjoy that crosses a lot of roads. As a result, for the first 5 miles, I spend half of my time hitting my breaks!

Regardless of how fast I ride from one to the other, I can never seem to average more than 10 mph and still be safe. Whenever I take that route, I need to remember that the number that gets logged is going to be a lot lower than I was averaging while I was moving.

It is important to know that some trackers or computers have the option to stop tracking your speed if it gets below a speed that you pick. That will show you an average that is closer to what you were expecting, but it no longer represents your “true” average speed.

Hills and Plains Change Your Ride Metrics

I grew up riding my bike in Kentucky, which means that I had plenty of hills to ride up and down. I remember the thrill of hitting 40 mph for the first time when I was about 10 years old, but I also remember dreading going up that hill at 3 mph.

That means I averaged about 20 mph on the hill, but that doesn’t paint the whole picture. Using a tool like Strava, you can see how fast you went up and down individually. My favorite metric on those rides, though, was always my maximum speed.

Riding Further Takes More Effort

Not every average is the same. As a general rule: the longer the ride, the slower you’ll be. It’s easier to average 20 mph for one minute than it is to average 20 mph for one hour. So, even though you may have been a bit slower on that extra-long ride, you should be proud of the fact that you actually put in quite a bit more effort!

I am much more of a sprinter than an endurance rider. So, I pay much more attention to my short-distance averages than my long-distance averages.

Go Slow Around People

Riding on a popular path means that you need to be aware of walkers, pets, other cyclists, and incredibly unpredictable small children. Sometimes you can get around them pretty easily by ringing your bell or yelling to let them know which side you’ll be passing on. People are generally very nice and will help you keep going. Make sure to thank them as you ride by.

Other times you’ll need to nearly stop because there is a group that takes up the whole path or you have to wait for oncoming traffic before you can get around someone. When you pass around someone, you should always do so at a safe speed. I try to not go more than 10 mph faster than they are. That gives both of us plenty of time to react.

More Cars Slow You Down (sometimes)

Riding on a road is a much different story than riding on a path. Especially if there isn’t much of a bike lane. Call me competitive, but I always tend to go as fast as I can when a car is behind me. I guess I just really don’t want them to need to slow down or go around.

When this happens to me, I’m usually on a road where the speed limit is about 25 mph. So, it’s manageable for a little while, but I quickly run out of steam and just pull over to rest. At the very least, just make sure you keep your distance and respect the rules of the road.

Turns Can Slow You Down

As you get more experienced, you’ll learn how to really lean into a turn and take it quickly. That being said, even pros hit their brakes to safely take some turns. The more turns that your route has, and the tighter those turns are, the more you’ll have to slow down.

Weather Can Hurt Or Help

Picture of Clouds over city

Weather is a lot more than whether or not it’s storming or not, and the same factors can speed you up or slow you down depending on how they are combined.

Temperature Has A Sweet Spot

Unsurprisingly, you will always perform best when it isn’t too hot or too cold. It takes a lot of energy keeping yourself warm and cooling yourself off.

If it’s too cold, then I don’t want to go so fast my hands get too cold, though gloves do help quite a bit. If it’s too hot, I don’t want to go so fast I overheat, but I also can’t slow down too much or the wind won’t be able to cool me off.

My ideal temperature range for a ride is between about 70°F and 85°F, but there are still more factors that can change that around.

Humidity levels are important

In the mid-west and southern United States, 85°F and 95% relative humidity is a common experience when cycling outside. It isn’t really that hot, but you will spend a ton of energy sweating in an attempt to cool yourself off. Personally, I also just think the air feels thicker, but I don’t know if it truly slows you down.

If you travel west to the Rocky Mountains, the humidity is so much lower that your sweat will evaporate and cool you down before you even realize you were sweating. So, 100°F at 20% relative humidity doesn’t seem so bad. It’s really hot, but you’re able to cool yourself off much more efficiently.

Cloudy vs. Sunny: Hurt And Help

Clouds on a hot day or sun on a cold day can be a lifesaver. We perform at more optimal levels when we are warm, not hot or cold.

If it’s going to be a hot day but the forecast also has it being cloudy, you’ll probably be able to squeeze out a bit more speed. And if it’s a cold and cloudy day, just remember that speed isn’t everything.

Rain And Dust Makes a Difference

While a bit of rain on a long summer ride may feel amazing, it is more than likely to slow you down while it’s happening. Between reduced visibility and less traction on the road or path, you should always play it on the safe side and slow down some. Both are bad, but a dusty path is arguably worse than a wet one if there are lots of people. Glasses can only do so much to protect your eyes when there’s dust flying everywhere.

Wind At Your Back (Or In Your Face)

I’ve gone a few rides where it seemed like I had a headwind the whole time and my average speed agreed. Other rides, I look down and I’m clocking 20 mph without too much effort!

You can plan out your rides using some online tools like Windy.com, or just searching for a wind forecast. I don’t tend to go to that level of effort though. I like a bit of an unexpected challenge or assist. 

Equipment To Speed You Up

Bike With Dogs

The difference between a rusty old bike and a brand new carbon fiber superbike with all the bells and whistles is night and day, but there are some more subtle factors that can make a difference in between.

Posture = Speed

I guess this technically isn’t bike equipment, but it can seriously impact your speed. I’ve noticed that I slow down by about 3 mph when I ride sitting upright vs. when I ride leaning forward.

Not only are you much more aerodynamic leaning forward, but it’s a little easier to put more power into your pedals. I also feel more powerful when I do it, so I get a bit of a psychological boost as well!

Computers Can Influence You

This one may be a bit less intuitive, but, depending on your riding style, having a computer or not will either speed you up or slow you down. I’ve found that I tend to slow down if I’m not paying attention to my speed, but you might put more effort in than you are able to sustain. I use my computer as a way to keep my effort consistent, or at least as a way to catch myself slowing down. 

If you are debating on getting a bike computer, here’s a link to my post about whether you really need a bike computer.

Take Care Of Your Tires To Keep Your Speed Up

You need to make sure you check your tire pressure before you ride. If you aren’t too sure about how often or how much to pump up your tires, here are two posts that might help. How often to check your tire pressure and What should your road bike’s tire pressure be.

If your tires have low pressure, they absorb more of your energy and turn it into heat. That will just slow you down and wear out your tires prematurely.

Loud tires can also slow you down. They are sapping more of your energy from pedaling and turning it into noise instead of movement That isn’t as much of a concern with smooth tires, but you can get more hybrid or knobby tires that are great for traction, just not for speed.

Clothes Catch Wind

If you are out for a leisurely 30 minutes ride, then you really don’t need to worry about what you wear as long as you are comfortable and don’t start chafing. Once you start riding for much longer, then you’ll need to pay a bit more attention to what you wear.

For rides that are less than 45 minutes, I wear generic workout clothes. I’m not worried about them flapping in the wind or not being padded because I’m not riding for very long.

If you plan on riding for more than an hour, definitely make sure your clothes are tight and hug your skin. That way they don’t slow you down by catching the wind like a sail. Also, you should invest in riding shorts to make sure you have padding to protect your sit bone.

If you aren’t familiar with cycling shorts or jerseys, here is a link to Amazon that to show you. 

Lighter Bike (and Equipment) Weight Makes Things Easier

The lighter your bike, the less energy it takes to get up to speed and to go up hills. I talk a lot more about why bike weight does (and doesn’t) matter and what to do about it in my article about how much a road bike should weigh.

So, you’ll probably gain a bit of speed if you switch from a heavier bike to a lighter one. It’s important to note that your aerodynamics will always play a much larger role in your speed, though.

Thankfully, most road bikes across the price spectrum weigh between 17 lbs and 23 lbs. Very expensive bikes are pretty light by comparison, but none of them should be “heavy” by any means. An incredibly expensive bike can get down to about 15 lbs, but saving that much weight will really only help if you are a professional

For reference, a mountain bike can be closer to 30 lbs with nothing on it. My road bike, a Trek 1.2, is fairly in the middle of the pack when it comes to price and it weighs about 25 lbs when I load it up with all of my gear. If you are wondering what gear I have, you can visit the Recommended Gear page and check it out.

Bearings and Chain Maintenance Keeps You Fast

If any of the equipment that moves your bike isn’t clean or is starting to wear away, it can add resistance that will slow you down. You can have the most aerodynamic bike and outfit in the world, but a rusty chain will slow you down. Maintaining your equipment is key to ensuring the longevity of your bike, and making sure that you can keep enjoying your rides for years to come.

Cleaning your chain is very easy. You can just take an old rag to your chain and gears and then re-apply some WD-40 chain lube from Amazon. Or you can for the fancier option of a Park Tool chain cleaning unit.

Your Gearing Matters More Than You Think

We all have a tendency to pedal at a certain speed, called a cadence, regardless of what gear we are in. That means that you can speed yourself up with minimal effort just by shifting into a higher gear.

That makes a lot of sense, but it definitely has diminishing returns. If you go too high, your legs can’t put out enough power and you’ll slow back down. If you’d like to read a bit more about how to pick the optimal gear to be riding in, here is a post I wrote about When to shift gears while you ride your bike.

Fitness Makes A Difference (of course)

Small weights

It makes sense that it’s easier to average a higher speed if you are more fit, but the kind of fit that you are matters.

General Fitness Will Always Speed You Up

It should go without saying that, the more fit you are, the faster and longer you’ll be able to ride. So, one of the fastest and most permanent ways to improve your speed is to live a more active lifestyle and to ride more frequently.

It is important, however, to recognize the kind of fit that you are. I am a sprinter and I couldn’t keep a good pace to save my life. That means that I shouldn’t get too down on myself for having a low long-distance speed. I’ll focus more on how fast I went for a short distance sprint.

If you are an endurance rider, think about how far you ride along with how fast you went.

If you want to increase your cycling fitness, but don’t have a good place to ride outside, I’d suggest looking into getting a Bike Trainer from Amazon. Fluid trainers feel the best as you are riding, but magnetic trainers tend to be a lot more affordable.

Your Weight Can Make A Big Difference

This topic is very similar to bike weight, but it has a much bigger range of weights. The heavier you are, the more energy it takes to get you up to speed and get you to the top of a hill.

For example, if you go from 200 lbs to 150 lbs, you’ll find it significantly easier to ride than if you were to just switch to a lighter bike. So, keep your weight in mind when looking at how your average speed changes over time.

Gender Makes A Small Difference

Thanks to different hormones in males and females, we form muscles differently under the same conditions. Men tend to grow larger muscles than women. So, on average, they tend to be able to pedal with more power than women going through the same training.

On the flip side, though, women tend to be smaller. That makes them more lightweight and aerodynamic than men. So, they don’t need to pedal with as much power in order to achieve the same speed.

Generally speaking, a female of the same training as a male is only going to be 1-2 mph slower. So, it basically it’s about the same.

Experience Is Key

Experience on a bike isn’t just about how far you’ve ridden. There are plenty of technical skills and knowledge to be had as well.

Confidence Will Speed You Up (And Tell You To Slow Down)

Confidence on a bike is built by practicing getting in and out of more difficult riding situations. The more confidence you have on a bike, the faster you’ll be able to safely ride.

A big crack in the road could slow you down, but you can maintain your speed if you know how to hop over it. Slowing down for a tight turn will keep you from running off the road, but you can take it faster if you’ve practiced leaning hard into turns.

Familiarity Helps

If you have no clue what could be around the next turn, you should take it more slowly. So, stay safe and be ready to stop quickly. Remember to look well ahead of you and plan out how to get past it. 

Once you’ve learned a route, you’ll be able to recognize potential danger and address it appropriately. For example, there is a section of one of my routes that goes over a road with a rough patch. Once I had ridden it a few times, I found a path through it that let me speed along with only a few bumps.

Group Rides Are Great

While some people enjoy riding alone, there is plenty of evidence to show that riding in a group will result in a faster ride.

Drafting Makes Everything Easier

Drafting is when you get close behind another rider while riding quickly. The rider in the front will cut through the air and make it easier for you to follow. It’s the same reason that geese will fly in a “V” pattern.

When a team shares the front position over the course of the ride, everyone is able to go faster. That being said, make sure to help the group and do your fair share to leading. Don’t expect everyone else to do the hard work for you.

Motivation From Your Friends

When riding with a group, you also get the benefit of friendly competition, which is sure to come up at some point. Whether competing with others or with ourselves, we can use that sense of competition to drive everyone to perform better than last time.

Even if you aren’t very competitive, no one wants to slow down the group. So, we all do our best to speed up. It’s also easier to get out and ride when you know that there are other people counting on you to arrive and perform well.

I hope that this empowers you to know what your average speed is really saying about your ride, and to have other metrics to judge your ride by and be confident in.

Thanks for being here!

I make content that empowers people to enjoy riding their bikes.
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