What Is a Good Average Speed for Cycling
One of the main data output after a bike ride is the average speed, a lot of cyclists care about it, especially those who're looking to improve their abilities on the bike.
Average speed can be affected by a lot of factors and variables which can make not the perfect data to rely on to measure your fitness and physical abilities.
But it's still a good idea to know your appropriate average speed related to your age, so you can tell approximately whether you're in good shape or there is any room for improvement.
Before using the average speed as a reference to determine your physical ability and fitness level, you need to know all the factors that can affect it, and what's considered a good average speed for your age.
So in this article, we will discuss the external factors that can affect your average speed and what is the optimal average speed for your age.
Average Speed For Senoir Cyclist's
In General, the average speed for a senior cyclist with average physical abilities ranges from 8 to 14 miles per hour by isolating all the external factors, age can affect average speed but is not necessarily the main factor.
There is no clear data released by tracking applications that we can rely on it to determine the average speed via age.
There are no significant studies done specifically on that subject, But there is a study conducted on a group of cyclists between the age of 40 to 64 years old, and the results were as follows:
| Age | Average Speed (mph) |
| 40 to 41 years | 11.8 to 13.8 mph |
| 41 to 64 years | 10.6 to 11.8 mph |
| Over 64 years | 8.1 to 8.7 mph |
The result that can be concluded from this study is that: as the cyclist gets older, his average speed decreases.
This is at least what we can come up with.
The real world can be different from the above numbers, there are a lot of internal factors related to the cyclist's body that can affect his physical abilities, and therefore for his average speed, it can be lower or higher from one cyclist to another.
The records below may shock you!
Exceptional Records By Senior Cyclists
Like we said earlier studies numbers can be different from the real world, here are some examples that will show that cyclist age is just a number!
- Frenchman Robert Marchand at the age of 105 he averaged 14 miles per hour on the world record attempt, just in 2014 at the age of 102 he averaged 15.1 miles per hour.
- Henri Paret was 50 years old when he finished the tour de France 1904 with an overall distance of 1508.7 miles, averaging about 15.7 miles per hour.
- Patricia Baker a cyclist woman, participated in the USA Masters Track National Championships to set a new hour record with an average speed of 17 miles per hour, At the age of 80 years!
What Can Affect The Average Speed
If you rely on the average speed to measure or estimate your fitness level you must be aware of what can affect this number, in order to make a better and more accurate analysis.
There are a lot of factors that can affect your riding average speed, here are the most common things that can either increase or decrease your speed on the bike.
- Bike Type and weight.
- Your Body Weight.
- Tires
- Your fitness level.
- Aerodynamics and position.
- Wind and weather.
Average Speed For Bike Types
As we mentioned earlier the bike type affects the speed heavily, it's better to know what speed is considered to be normal for a certain bike type, in order to have more close expectations.
| Bike Type | Average Speed (mph) |
| Mountain Bike | 10-15 mph |
| Hybrid | 11-17 mph |
| Road bike | 12-18 mph |
Adding to the above factors and data, now you can isolate the average speed more to make a reliable reference to measure your physical ability.
Should You Worry About The Average Speed?
Should you care about average speed too much?
The main reason for riding the bike is to have fun and have a great recovery from a busy weekend, it' better to not stress yourself with a number, but if you want to measure your fitness level on the bike, it's better to use a power meter instead of the average speed.
Average speed is not a reliable reference for measuring physical capabilities or fitness level, if you can't afford a powermeter then you can use the average speed meter combined with a heart rate monitor by considering and isolating all the things that can affect it.
Powermeter data output is the only accurate and reliable reference used to measure cyclist performance, you can read about how to use the power meter in this article.
Frequently Asked Questions
Average Speed For A 60 Years Old?
The average speed for 60 years old cyclists with average physical abilities ranges between 9 to 11.5 miles per hour.
What Is The Average 50 Mile Bike Ride Time?
It can be from 210 minutes to 150 minutes, it depends on the riding speed, terrains and bike type
What Is The Average Time To Cycle 20km?
Depends on the riding speed that can be affected by a lot of factors and conditions, but it can be from 35 to 65 minutes maximum.
Conclusion
In the end.
It can be said that the average speed is the most used data that can reflect the cyclist's performance and physical abilities.
The average speed can be used as a reference in the absence of a power meter or heart rate monitor to analyze rider performance and training progress.
Before stressing yourself with the average speed, you need to know and be aware of what can affect this output, in order to make a better and more accurate analysis of your performance and your fitness level.
What Is a Good Average Speed for Cycling
Source: https://bikingultimate.com/what-is-the-averages-speed-for-senior-cyclist/
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