How Long Does It Take to Bike a Mile | Average Cycling Speed (2024)

Distance-wise, a mile may seem an insignificant distance. However, many cyclists often ask, “how long does it take to bike a mile”.

So, if you’ve been wondering how fast the average person can bike a mile, you’re not alone.

Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place. So keep reading, and I’ll teach you everything there is to know about average cycling speeds, the factors that affect your average time to cycle a mile and much more.

The average cycling speed ranges from 10 – 14 mph (16 – 22.5 km/h). This means it will take your average cyclist between 4.25 and 6 minutes to bike a mile.

Bear in mind that many factors will affect your time taken to cycle a mile. We’ll explore several vital speed-affecting factors below and determine what you can do to decrease their impact on your average cycling times.

Additionally, as you may have realised, the average cycling times above apply to your average cyclists.

Those who cycle frequently and train or cycle competitively will be able to cycle a mile much faster.

Just below, you’ll find a table displaying how long it takes cyclists of different abilities to cycle a mile.

As I’ve briefly touched on, many factors affect how long it takes you to bike a mile.

Below you’ll find several of the most significant factors impacting your cycling speed.

I’ve also put together a more detailed guide on average bike speeds; readit here and learn what you can do to improve your speed on two wheels.

Fitness is an obvious factor that will heavily affect how fast the average person can bike a mile.

People who don’t do much cardiovascular exercise will take longer to cycle a mile than those who exercise regularly.

So, if you want to increase your average cycling speed, work on improving your fitness by increasing the amount of cardiovascular exercise you do.

The average time taken to cycle a mile up a steep mountainside will be far longer than if you were cycling down a mile-long hill.

Similarly, if you’re cycling along a sandy beach for a mile, it’ll take more effort and time than if you had to cycle a mile through a flat grassy field.

I’m sure you can see where this is going by now!

Cycling into extreme headwinds will increase your average time to bike a mile, whereas riding a tailwind will increase your average cycling speed, decreasing how long it takes you to cycle a mile.

This is quite an interesting one. Differenttypes of bikes offer varying characteristics, making them suitable for various cycling disciplines.

Choosing the correct type of bike for your preferred route will decrease the time taken to cycle a mile.

Below we will explore the average speed of different bike types when used on the road.

As you’ve been wondering about how long it takes to bike a mile, it only makes sense that we look at the average cycling speed.

By understanding the different average bike speeds, you’ll develop a better understanding of how long it takes you to bike a mile!

As you can read about in the guide to average cycling speeds, Strava (the social media cycling app) logged data from over 5.2B miles worth of bike rides in 2018.

The average speed travelled by cyclists included in this data was 13.5 mph (21.72 km/h).

The difference between men’s and women’s cycling speeds was fascinating. Read about it here.

So there you have it!

After reading this guide, you should now understand a little more about how long it takes to ride a mile, along with several other tips that you can use to increase your cycling speed.

If you’re keen to learn more, check out my guide, covering the average cycling speed in depth.

Otherwise, when you’re out and about on your bike, don’t forget to use a good quality bike lock to secure it in place.

If you worry about the security of your bike and are on a tight budget, check out my review of the best cheap bike locks.

Or, if your bike is invaluable to you, get yourself an uncuttable lock, and send thieves away empty-handed!

Lock it or lose it.

Ciao for now!