RideLoop
How long does it take to bike 10, 20 or 50 miles?
Riding time is distance divided by speed, but hills, wind and coffee stops all add to it. Use the calculator for your own ride, or find your distance in the table below.
Short answer: at a steady 15 mph, a mile takes 4 minutes, 10 miles take 40 minutes, 20 miles take 1 h 20 and 50 miles take 3 h 20. The formula is minutes = miles ÷ mph × 60. Then add about a minute for every 100 ft of climbing, and your stops.
Riding time calculator
Riding time by distance and speed
Moving time on mostly flat roads, without stops. Find your distance, then your usual speed.
| Distance | 10 mph | 12 mph | 14 mph | 16 mph | 18 mph | 20 mph |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mile | 6 min | 5 min | 4 min | 4 min | 3 min | 3 min |
| 5 miles | 30 min | 25 min | 21 min | 19 min | 17 min | 15 min |
| 10 miles | 1 h | 50 min | 43 min | 38 min | 33 min | 30 min |
| 15 miles | 1 h 30 | 1 h 15 | 1 h 04 | 56 min | 50 min | 45 min |
| 20 miles | 2 h | 1 h 40 | 1 h 26 | 1 h 15 | 1 h 07 | 1 h |
| 25 miles | 2 h 30 | 2 h 05 | 1 h 47 | 1 h 34 | 1 h 23 | 1 h 15 |
| 30 miles | 3 h | 2 h 30 | 2 h 09 | 1 h 53 | 1 h 40 | 1 h 30 |
| 40 miles | 4 h | 3 h 20 | 2 h 51 | 2 h 30 | 2 h 13 | 2 h |
| 50 miles | 5 h | 4 h 10 | 3 h 34 | 3 h 08 | 2 h 47 | 2 h 30 |
| 62 miles (100 km) | 6 h 12 | 5 h 10 | 4 h 26 | 3 h 53 | 3 h 27 | 3 h 06 |
| 100 miles (century) | 10 h | 8 h 20 | 7 h 09 | 6 h 15 | 5 h 33 | 5 h |
What's your average speed?
If you ride with a Garmin or Strava, use your moving average from a ride like the one you're planning: it leaves out the time you were stopped. If you don't, these are typical for one rider on rolling roads:
| Rider | Average speed | 10 miles takes |
|---|---|---|
| Relaxed, or new to road riding | 10–12 mph (16–19 km/h) | 50–60 min |
| Regular rider | 12–15 mph (19–24 km/h) | 40–50 min |
| Fit, rides most weeks | 15–18 mph (24–29 km/h) | 33–40 min |
| Fast club rider | 18–21 mph (29–34 km/h) | 29–33 min |
A group goes faster than the same riders alone, because riders take turns sheltering each other from the wind. If you're planning a solo version of a club ride, expect to be 1 to 3 mph slower.
What makes a ride take longer
- Climbing. About a minute per 100 ft for most riders (about 3 minutes per 100 m). A 20-mile ride with 1,500 ft of climbing takes roughly 15 minutes longer than a flat one. How much climbing is a lot?
- Wind. A 15 mph headwind can cut a 15 mph rider's speed by a third or more. On an out-and-back, the tailwind home never gives all of it back. Plan around the wind.
- Stops. Traffic lights, a bottle refill (5 minutes), a coffee stop (15 to 30 minutes), a flat tire (10 to 15 minutes).
- New roads. Checking turns slows you down. A route on your bike computer, with turn alerts, takes most of that away.
- Rough pavement. Broken roads cost speed and attention. Smooth roads are faster and kinder to your hands.
Planning a long ride
For rides over two hours, plan a stop at about the halfway mark, carry two bottles, and eat a little every 30 to 45 minutes from the first hour, before you feel hungry. A first century usually takes 7 to 9 hours door to door with stops. Ride at a pace where you could still talk: going out too fast is how long rides go wrong.
Ride the distance that fits
Once you know how far you can go in the time you have, RideLoop builds a loop of that distance from your door or anywhere on the map, on roads riders have graded for pavement, shoulder and traffic, and sends it to your Garmin.
Questions
How long does it take to bike a mile?
About 4 minutes at a steady 15 mph, 5 minutes at an easy 12 mph, and 3 minutes at 20 mph.
How long does it take to bike 10 miles?
40 minutes at 15 mph, 50 minutes at 12 mph, and an hour at 10 mph, before stops and hills.
How long does it take to bike 20 miles?
1 hour 20 minutes at 15 mph, or 1 hour 40 minutes at 12 mph. Add about a minute for every 100 feet of climbing, plus your stops.
How long does it take to bike 50 miles?
3 hours 20 minutes of riding at 15 mph, or 4 hours 10 minutes at 12 mph. With a stop or two, plan on 4 to 5 hours.
How long does a 100 mile bike ride take?
6 hours 40 minutes of riding at 15 mph, and 8 hours 20 minutes at 12 mph. Most riders finish a century in 7 to 9 hours with stops.
What is a good average speed on a bike?
Riding alone on rolling roads, 10 to 12 mph is a relaxed pace, 12 to 15 mph is typical for regular riders, 15 to 18 mph is fit, and over 18 mph is fast. Groups ride faster because riders draft each other.
Got an hour? Get a loop that fits it.
Pick a start and a distance. RideLoop builds the loop on graded roads and sends it to your Garmin.
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