How Long Does It Take To Bike A Mile - The Whole Truth

How Long Does It Take To Bike A Mile - The Whole Truth

biker in helmet riding a bicycle

Whenever you decide to start riding or if you have been riding for a while, you might have wondered, "How long does it take to bike a mile?".

But you know what? There are actually different ways to answer this question. If you want the whole truth about how long it takes to bike a mile, then read on.

If you look up the definition of'mile' in any English dictionary or even on Google, you will most likely read that one mile is equal to 5,280 feet. This is not 100% accurate since, technically speaking, there are 1609.34 meters in one mile. So if we are being very specific with our numbers here today, one mile is equal to 1.609 kilometers (or 1 kilometer = 0.621371192 miles).

So now that we have those things out of the way, let's get into the meat and potatoes of this article.

It was stated above that there would be different ways to answer the question, "How long does it take to bike a mile?" There are actually three different answers: one for people biking who don't care about how fast they get somewhere; one for people biking who like to go as fast as they can; and one for people biking with cargo (to pull or hold).

On average, it takes roughly 3 - 4 minutes to bike 1 mile if you are traveling at an average speed of 17 - 18mph.

How long does it take to bike a mile?

For those bikers who really do not care how long it takes them to get from point A to point B, then you can use the calculation 1 mile = 5,280 feet / 1.61 kilometers (or 0.62 miles) = 4 minutes and 14 seconds (rounded up or down depending on how accurate you want to be). To get the time it takes to bike a given distance, just multiple that by your speed in miles per hour (or kilometers per hour), and you'll get the answer in minutes.

Those who like going as fast as they can while biking will want to use this calculation: 1 mile = 5,280 feet / 3 minutes and 20 seconds (rounded up or down depending on how accurate you want to be). This is about half of what normal people biking without cargo would find. For example, biking at an average speed of 15 mph (24 kmph) for one mile would take you around 2 minutes and 18 seconds. Multiplying that by 3 gets us 6 minutes and 36 seconds, which is about right.

Those who like to take it slow might prefer this calculation: 1 mile = 8,000 feet / 12 minutes (rounded up or down depending on how accurate you want to be). Biking at an average speed of 12 mph (19 kmph) for one mile would take you around 1 minute and 36 seconds. Multiplying that by 3 gets us 4 minutes and 24 seconds.

Going even slower than that will likely give you different times, but I'm not sure where precisely they'll come into play because the effects seem negligible at these speeds.

How long does it take to bike 2 miles?

Biking 2 miles will take six to seven minutes if you are traveling at an average speed of around 17 to 18mph.

How long does it take to bike 3 miles?

To bike 3 miles, it will take roughly 9 to 10 minutes for you to complete.

How long does it take to bike 4 miles?

Biking 4 miles will take about 12 to 13 minutes. This amount of time could be cut down a little if speed is increased.

How long does it take to bike 5 miles?

To bike 5 miles, it will take an average time of 15 to 16 minutes.

How long does it take to bike 10 miles?

To travel a total of 10 miles, it will take roughly 30 to 40 minutes depending on if the person biking can keep a constant speed of 17 to 18mph. This can be difficult to do as the distance.

Factors that will affect biking speed

There are many factors that will affect the speed at which a biker can go. These factors will be listed below.

  • The Type of bike
  • The type of bike will determine the rider's maximum speed. There are many different types of bikes for people to use. The bike type will affect the maximum speed because it could be a road bike, mountain bike, an old rusty bike, etc. This factor is usually the main reason why many cyclists have different speeds that they can go at.

  • The Condition of the Bike
  • If a person has just gotten into cycling or has only had their current bicycle for a few years, there are going to be problems with being able to pedal fast enough so biking won't be too strenuous on them. After all, you do have legs which need to be used when someone wants to travel faster so they can keep up with cars and other bicyclists who are farther ahead than them.

  • The biker's physical fitness
  • Physical fitness will be very important for how fast a bike can go. If you are physically fit, then it will be easier to accelerate faster and keep up with other people who are biking alongside you. The more physical fitness one has, the less effort it is going to take to travel at any speed which they would like.

  • Weight of the bike
  • Everyday, bikes have different weights so they aren't actually all made equally when it comes down to physics. Generally speaking, mountain bikes tend to be heavier than road bikes because of the materials that are used in their construction. On average though, most bicycles will weigh roughly 25 pounds or slightly under that since this is an average number calculated by taking into account the above factors that factor into how heavy a bicycle can be. The weight of a bike has to be taken into account when considering all of the other factors such as gravity, power and velocity.

Conclusion

To conclude this blog post on the different times it takes to ride a mile on various bikes, the information provided here should be enough for most people to gain an overall understanding of what is important when comparing times. This post essentially illustrated how weight plays into this equation. Weight is hugely important when considering all the other factors that factor into how long it will take to ride a mile. If you're planning on riding further distances (and you don't want to end up exhausted) then you might need something lighter like a road bike or mountain bike or even one specifically made for racing because these types of bicycles are much lighter than your average bicycle and therefore, they make biking much more easier and faster in general.

About Author:

image of Kevin Pommells

Hi, I'm Kevin Pommells, a lover of camping and the great outdoors as everyone says nowadays. I'm also a passionate soccer fan and the proud owner of CamperRules.com, a website dedicated to helping campers and outdoor enthusiasts make the most of their adventures. With years of experience exploring the wilderness and a deep love for the sport of soccer, I'm always looking for new ways to combine my two passions and share my knowledge with others. Follow me for tips, tricks, and insights on all things camping and outdoor recreation.

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