A 5-mile bike ride is the perfect distance for most beginners & is one of the most joyful experiences whether you are commuting or just cruising.
knowing how long on average it will take can help you prepare mentally, so how long does it take to bike 5 miles?
The average time it takes to bike 5 miles is 20 minutes riding at a speed of 15 mph on a flat road. More advanced riders riding at a pace of 25 mph can expect to ride 5 miles in 12 minutes.
There are a few things that come in to play when on a 5-mile ride that affect your overall speed. These include your fitness level, weather conditions, resistance, & much more. So let’s dive into it!
Biking 5 Miles What To Expect
First, let’s take a quick look at the numbers to have an idea of how long it will take you to reach 5 miles, & what it will take to reach your desired finishing time.
Maintaining an average speed of 10 Mph = 30 minutes to bike 5 miles
Maintaining an average speed of 15 Mph = 20 minutes to bike 5 miles
Maintaining an average speed of 20 Mph = 15 minutes to bike 5 miles
Maintaining an average speed of 24 Mph = 12 minutes to bike 5 miles
Maintaining an average speed of 30 Mph = 10 minutes to bike 5 miles
As you can see the number one metric that determins how long it will take you to reach 5 miles you average cycling speed.
The average beginner cyclist can maintain 15 mph for 5 miles, whereas a more experienced rider can go for beyond that. However, there is far more that goes into your average cycling speed than skill level. Your average cycling speed is determined by 4 factors: Your Fitness Level, Resistance, Weight, Type of Bike you use.
Factors That affect How Long It Takes You To Bike 5 Miles:
Fitness Level
The first important factor that has an effect on your average speed is your fitness level.
your fitness level in cycling is a combination of 5 different elements, these are your aerobic endurance, muscular speed, strength, muscle power, & muscle endurance.
Your aerobic endurance refers to your ability to maintain a constant speed for an extended period of time. Better aerobic educe enhances your body’s ability to use oxygen, as a result, you will be able to ride at a faster pace for a longer period of time.
Here are just a few benefits of improving on your aerobic fitness:
- Strengthen your heart which will produce more oxygen-rich blood per heartbeat.
- Allow more oxygen to be transported to your muscles by increasing the number of red blood cells produced
- Allow you to breath more efficiently
- increased lung fitness
Muscle speed refers to cadence, which is the rate at which you pedal. Cadence is measured in revolutions per minute, in simpler words, this is the number of times you turn the cranks in a minute.
Strength refers to the amount of force you can exert, this is built from weight training or from riding on an inclined surface.
Muscle power is a combination of both strength & speed, this is the amount of power you are able to exert in a short period of time such as 15-20 seconds, taking endurance out of the equation.
Muscle Endurance refers to your ability to maintain a high pace without early muscle fatigue & lactic acid build-up.
Resistance
Air resistance known as drag has been proven to reduce cyclist’s overall average speed. research shows that 75% of air resistance comes from the rider & 25% is from the bike.
Starting with the rider first 75% of air resistance comes from the rider, there are two things you can do to reduce air resistance directed to you & those are your riding position & clothing.
To optimize your riding position to reduce drag simply bend your elbows 90 degrees while keeping your forearms horizontal & your elbows tucked in, then slightly lower your head between your shoulder blades while keeping your back flattened.
Clothing is another factor that has a direct impact on air resistance, baggy clothing has been shown to have a negative impact on speed due to drag, fitted clothing will make a massive difference in reducing drag & increasing your overall average cycling speed.
Weight
Weight is another element that has a direct impact on your performance, this involves both your weight & the weight of the bike. The more you & your bike weigh the more gravitational resistance you will experience & the slower your average cycling speed would be.
A quick fix is to find a lighter bike, this will result in less gravitational resistance & an overall better average speed.
Type Of Bike
Having a bike that’s more aerodynamic & that’s lightweight can instantly improve your overall average cycling speed. As we mentioned earlier 25% of resistance comes from your bike, so simply swapping for a more aerodynamic bike will have a positive effect on your overall speed.
Rolling resistance is another element of resistance that involves your bike, it accounts for 11% of resistance experienced when cycling & is dependant on your bike tires. Tire pressure tire tread, tire diameter, tire width, & tire construction all play a role in rolling resistance.
Final Thoughts
The most important metric that determines how long it will take you to bike a mile is your average speed, maintaining an average sped of 15 mph allows you to complete 5 miles in 20 minutes, your average speed is determined by several factors as we mentioned above.
Although your fitness level is the most important factor it’s not the only one, wind resistance, weight & your type of bike does have an impact on your overall average speed. So there it is, we hope you enjoyed this article, thanks for reading & happy riding!