How long does it take to bike a mile? I could say around 6 minutes, but there are so many variables that could affect the time. Almost anyone who can ride a bike and pedal can hit 10 mph.
With everything the way it should be, most people can hit 12 mph. But hey, let’s assume 10 mph is the average speed for a beginner level.
This means that one mile is travelled every six minutes (60 minutes/10 miles/hour).
An experienced and “healthy” cyclist can travel approximately twice the distance per unit time. After a long period of rest, in my opinion, it takes seven to ten days of cycling to return to normal.
The first few days will be struggling, but after a week or so, you should feel good when you start to increase your training load, and then you will recover well.
Professional cyclists typically ride 20-30 hours a week. Cyclists trained for ultra-marathon events can log even more.
Occasional racers (3rd, 4th, 5th, and Masters) typically spend about 10 hours a week, but if their running time is short, some people can put in 5-7 hours of quality time to get them up to the level of fitness required to make it happen.
There’s not much point in asking how long does it take to bike a mile if you’ve never ridden a bike before! While that can be true for some of us, if you’re reading this post it’s probably not you!
The difference how long you’ve been riding can make, is more about fitness and mental toughness than anything else.
Being mentally fit can be just as important as being physically fit if you’re wanting to ride longer distances.
The surface that you’re riding on is going to make a huge difference to how long does it take to bike a mile!
If you’re trekking through the mountain trails it might take you a bit longer to bike that mile than if you were just screaming down a nice smooth street.
This will change everything. One forum commentator said, “You can find interviews with pro riders where they boast about speeds up to about 140-150 km/h.” (86 – 93 mph).
How long does it take to bike a mile in a race?
It takes 3-4 minutes to race a mile on a flat road. On a flat surface, the ride is relatively smooth, with no obvious obstacles, hills, or tricky maneuvers. This will allow you to easily handle an average speed of 17-18 mph.
When calculating how long does it take to bike a mile, another factor to consider is the type of bike you are riding, especially tires.
Riding an electric bike will give you an obvious speed advantage over the pedaler!
In general, hybrid and road bikes are faster than mountain bikes.
On a flat road, a mountain biker (with knotty tires) can be approximately 3 mph slower than a hybrid biker.
This is mainly due to the thin, high-pressure tires, which are often used by hybrids and road bikes. Mountain bikes can be said to be heavier than road or hybrid bikes, but the extra weight only comes into play at the beginning.
This means that once you start, the extra weight won’t have as much of an effect on your speed.
I’m sure by now you can do the math depending on the speed you’re travelling at! To reach the 25 miles mark (a little over 40 kilometers) your level of fitness and all those questions we looked at before will come into play, big-time.
To appease the mathematically challenged, to bike 25 miles at an average pace of 10 mph, on a sealed, flat road will take you two – two and a half hours. Throw in some hills, a heavy-framed mountain bike and an unfit rider…. you could end up taking a couple of weeks to get there!
The best thing you can do is get out there and do it! Get out your Fitbit or Apple Watch or whatever piece of technology you have, get on your bike, and ride!
If nothing else, forget about the time and just enjoy the ride!
It’s about the journey, not the destination.
Ready for a ride? When you’re back, check out our newest article about bike tune up!
