How Long Does It Take To Bike A Mile?
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Our amazing readers often ask us many interesting questions, but one in particular, which comes up often, is, “How long does it take to bike a mile?” Although it sounds fairly simple to answer, it’s actually a little more complicated than you might think.
For some, it can be as fast as a few minutes, but for others, it will be much longer. It comes down to many factors, and in this article, we’re going to be telling you everything you need to know by discussing:
- What Is A Mile When It Comes To Cycling?
- What Factors Affect Cycling Speed?
- How Long Does It Take To Bike A Mile?
- How Can I Improve My Mile Time?
What Is A Mile When It Comes To Cycling?
Before we get into speaking about how quickly you should roughly be cycling a mile, it’s important to understand what a mile is. A mile is a measurement of distance. Sources say it originally came from ancient Rome. Mile stands for Mille, which means thousand in Latin. A thousand paces were how Romans measured a mile.
In modern day times, we don’t all use the term mile. It’s big in the US and the UK, but it is not so common elsewhere. Many Europeans tend to use the measurement of Kilometers which is 1.60934 per mile. This isn’t the only way we differ. Cyclists also go between meters and feet when it comes to climbing elevation too.
This question is asked a lot because many people use miles when it comes to estimating the speed they are cycling. For example, miles per hour, 10 and 25 mile TT time, and how many miles can you do in a certain amount of time. How quickly you can cycle a mile comes down to average bike speed and many factors affect that.
What Factors Affect Cycling Speed?
There are a lot of different factors that can affect cycling speed. We won’t delve as far as shaved or unshaved legs, but we will discuss the main factors when it comes to average speed.
Rider
The most important factor when it comes to cycling speed is you, the rider. Starting with weight, height, age, and how efficient you are when riding a bike. On top of all of that, you have fitness level and even muscle strength.
We also think experience plays a very big part. They say it takes years to grow cycling legs with proper technique, and we completely agree that it takes a long time for you as a rider to gain an excellent pedal stroke with great movement.
Also Read: How To Develop Proper Cycling Form
Bike
Next, we have the bike. You would be surprised at how much difference this actually makes. Bikes come in all shapes and sizes, and depending on the bike you’re using, it heavily affects the speed you can ride at.
A heavier bike, such as a mountain bike or a fat bike, will be much slower than a road or time trial bike. This doesn’t just come down to weight either. It’s aerodynamics, gearing, and even the tire’s width.
Terrain
Then we have terrain, which makes an incredible difference. If you are on tarmac, you will be riding much quicker than on a dusty trail. If you wanted to go really slow, you could even try riding on the sand.
Not only does the surface you ride on make a difference, but the elevation of the terrain matters a lot too. If it’s very hilly, then you are going much slower than if it is flat. Unfortunately, the downhill speed doesn’t compensate for the time getting up the hill.
Weather
Next, we have weather, and many aspects of the conditions outside will make a big difference to your riding. Firstly if it is very cold, your body has to spend more energy staying warm. If your body is too warm, it can’t work as optimally as it could at a cooler temperature.
You also have other factors, such as wind. Anyone with a bike can fully understand the difference between a tail and headwinds. On top of all that, humidity, rain, and snow can affect average biking speed.
How Long Does It Take To Bike A Mile?
To explain roughly how long it takes to bike a mile, we have made these handy charts. By looking at the kind of rider you are and the bike you are using, we roughly estimate how quickly you should be riding a mile.
We are going to explain flat and hilly riding. This is on the assumption that each bike is being ridden on the terrain it is intended for, and the weather does not affect this testing.
These are very rough estimates as so many factors need to be taken into account. This is only a general guide for the average person, not professional cyclists.
Flat Terrain
| Beginner | Amateur | Professional | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Road Bikes |
6 Minutes |
5 Minutes |
2.5 Minutes |
|
TT Bikes |
5 Minutes |
3 Minutes |
2 Minutes |
|
Mountain Bikes |
9 Minutes |
6 Minutes |
4 Minutes |
|
Fat Bikes |
10 Minutes |
8 Minutes |
5 Minutes |
|
Hybrid Bikes |
8 Minutes |
7 Minutes |
4 Minutes |
|
Gravel Bikes |
7 Minutes |
5 Minutes |
3 Minutes |
So as you can see from this chart, the road, and TT bikes are the quickest for riders. This is because they are designed for fast riding on tarmac and are incredibly lightweight and aerodynamic.
Then we have the fat bike and mountain bikes, which are slowed down being ridden on off-road terrain with larger gripper tires. Finally, the mixed terrain hybrid and gravel bikes which can do multi-terrain riding but are generally a little slower as far as average cycling speeds goes.
Hilly Terrain
| Beginner | Amateur | Professional | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Road Bikes |
7 Minutes |
5 Minutes |
3.5 Minutes |
|
TT Bikes |
7 Minutes |
5 Minutes |
3.5 Minutes |
|
Mountain Bikes |
10 Minutes |
7 Minutes |
5 Minutes |
|
Fat Bikes |
11 Minutes |
9 Minutes |
6 Minutes |
|
Hybrid Bikes |
10 Minutes |
8 Minutes |
5 Minutes |
|
Gravel Bikes |
8 Minutes |
6 Minutes |
4 Minutes |
When it comes to hilly riding, the bike’s weight makes a huge difference. That is why you can see the road bike and the TT bike have matching times, as the TT bike is not made for hilly rides.
The weight of the heavier mountain and fat bike slows it down on mountain bike trails, and with loose terrain makes it challenging to hold the grip on steep inclines. It’s a different story in a downhill race. Finally, although not by a huge amount, the hybrid and gravel bikes are slower in tackling inclines.
How Can I Improve My Mile Time?
So now you know roughly where you’re sitting as far as mile times go, what can you do to improve it? Here are my top tips when it comes to improving your bike speed:
Structured Training
The first thing you can do to get faster is to do some structured training. You might want to invest in a coach or a turbo trainer and a Zwift membership. You can hugely improve your power by focusing on interval sessions and pushing yourself outside that comfort zone. The key to getting fitter is adding more volume to your training if you need to do more or add more intensity to push yourself harder.
Also Read: Building a Peloton Workout
Get Lighter
If you want to cycle quicker, then getting lighter is a good place to start. Stripping everything off the bike you are not going to need will make a difference. The best riders are not just powerful, but they are light too. Professional riders don’t have much on them as it helps them ride faster and climb easier.
Improve Your Equipment
Although many people say there’s not much in it when it comes to the bike, there is. A budget road bike that weighs 12 kg with the aerodynamics of a brick isn’t going to compare to a high-end 6.8 kg aerodynamic road bike. The difference could be 10% to 20% extra average cycling speed.
Bike Fit
The next thing you can do is have a bike fit. A Bike fit is where a professional fitter will adjust your bike to suit you perfectly. This creates better pedaling efficiency, reduces injury, and improves aerodynamics. A bike fit is worth every cent for comfort if not for speed.
Strength Training
Another great way to improve your speed on the bike is to do some strength training. Exercises you could do could be lunges, squats, glute bridges, wall sits, and sit-ups to help add power to your cycling performance. The stronger your muscles get, the better you can propel the bike forward.
A Final Note
When it comes to cycling speed, there are so many factors that affect it. It’s challenging to give accurate estimates. Although in our opinion, cycling isn’t about how fast you go but how riding a bike makes you feel. There’s no feeling like going into nature and exploring places you might never have found in a car.
FAQs
How long does it take to bike a mile on a folding bike or a bmx bike?
Folding and BMX bikes are not designed as bikes for speed. Folding bikes are for commuting and the BMX bike for tricks. You can expect it to be a similar time to a fat bike when it comes to average bike speeds.
Do bike gears affect bike speed when biking a mile?
To a certain extent they will affect average time. Having more gears means you can climb and descend easier. Having them will help in our opinion, but it still comes down to rider fitness.
How much faster will I bike on a flat road compared to a hilly road?
The average cyclist will bike faster on a flat road than a hilly road. What a lot of people think is the downhills make up for the uphills when it doesn’t work like that. The consistent speed of a flat road will make you 10% to 20% faster.
Robbie Ferri
Robbie picked up a bike ten years ago at the age of 26. It started with a ride from London to Paris. Since then, he couldn’t get enough of big mile cycling and started bikepacking and eventually ended up racing ultra distance and even breaking world records.
Robbie has also worked in bike shops and closely with brands to design bikes and new products. Now he loves to share his knowledge and experience to add value to other people's cycling.
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