When it comes to riding a bike, taking an average rider’s average speed and guessing it for every other rider is impossible. The average speed of a road bike depends on many different facts and aspects of a person and his riding situation.
If we are taking a list of things that will help us determine how fast a road bike can go, here we go. The average speed for any rider on a road bike is calculated after considering the age, weight, cardiovascular system, fitness, and efficiency of the bike they use.
Although, this does not stop at all these points. The intensity of traffic in the area where you are riding, hills you need to pass, weather, road surface, etc., also has vital roles. Besides, another interesting fact that experts in the biking field found is that a rider cannot achieve his average speed more than twice a week.
This statement is more true when it comes to a beginner-level bike rider. And the reason behind this is the same list above mentioned as the facts that matter in average speed on a bike. After all, the average speed of a rider will increase from the first time he starts riding a bike.
So, let’s take a deeper look into these facts about the average speed on a road bike and how you can improve your performance.
Table of Contents
Average Riding Speed of a Bike Rider
Even professional athletes build differently with their fitness. For example, some sprinters mostly ride on straight normal roads. Instead, hill-climbing specialists will gain more speed on hilly areas when competing with sprinters.
A well-trained regular professional rider can ride at an average speed of 20 to 24 mph. Then it goes in descending order when it comes to different levels of riders.
If we are looking at a medium-level expert rider, he can do an average speed of around 16 to 19 miles per hour. Then we can look at a normally experienced rider who is pretty experienced in all kinds of terrains. A rider with this level of experience can make it up to an average speed of around 15 to 16 mph.
Then comes the last section of riders that are beginner-level riders with not much experience on a bike. A beginner-level cyclist can achieve around 10 to 12 mph average speed on the bike with a limited level of training.
However, all these calculations are always ready to change according to the different health and environmental conditions. Moreover, the quality and efficiency of the bike you are riding will also come as decoration.
When it comes to average speed, most cyclists cannot achieve a big number. However, a good amount of the biking population has an average speed of around 13 to 15 mph. Besides, the highest average speeds are always clocked during long-distance rides.
How to Improve your Average Speed on a Bike
There is a list of things that makes you slow while riding a road bike. Suppose you can tackle all the obstacles to most of their advantage for you. Then you can improve the average speed with constant training and experience.
Improve the seating position
Wind direction and speed is the main thing that slows down a bike rider, so you have to gain more aerodynamics while in the ride. The essential part of penetrating through the wind is the seating posture of the rider during the ride.
So, for that, you can sit in a position in which your body is slightly lowered in the forward direction. Sitting straight while trying to gain speed is not a good idea for control and speed. Instead, you can lower the body alongside tucking and bending your elbows.
Ride as a group
Anything we do alone will become boring after a while, and the motivation will start decreasing. So the best way to keep the mind power strong is by riding alongside other riders. This way, you can feel the competitive spirit throughout the ride, which will be fun all the time.
There will be riders in your group who can ride faster than you with more control. You can learn and try harder to be like them or more efficient than them on a bike.
Keep the Air inside Tires always in Check
It is important to make sure about the sufficient air inside the tires whenever you start a ride. However, remember not to overkill the air than the sufficient level. More air than needed will make the tires hotter while on the ride and even make them explode.
At the same time, if there is no enough air inside the tires, it can make the bike very slow even if you tried your best every day possible. A lower tire with air can get punctured easily, and you can never take enough control over the bike.
Control the Braking
Whenever you break during a high-speed ride, it will make you slow, and you have to try harder than before to gain that speed again. So, trying to apply the brake as little as possible is the right way to gain speed.
A rider can tackle small obstacles on the road without braking and using body language for an experienced rider. No one cannot teach you this; instead, you have to teach yourself by riding and gaining more experience on the road.
Eliminating comfort braking can be the starting point for you to improve braking efficiency. Besides, it will also improve the life of the brake system on your bike. If you are in good and safe road conditions, then try braking less just because the bike gains a little more speed than you usually do.
Improve your athletic ability by decreasing a little weight.
This is one of the most important things you can do to increase your average speed on a road bike. But, first, your body needs enough stamina, and for that, you need good athletic abilities. Another thing is that you need great flexibility that you can achieve by draining out a little weight from your body.
Using a lightweight bike may not do its task if your body is not keeping up with the bike’s abilities. If you can make your body and bike lightweight and in great control, there is no need to look back unless you drop something on the floor.
Have some music in your ears.
A music track that can help you keep the pace constant will help you gain speed and stay on it. Some fast beat songs are the best kind to have in these needs. Through this, you can ignore half of the fatigue you may feel by experiencing every movement around you while riding the bike.
Conclusion
To know how fast a road bike goes, you have to ride it yourself because every other individual has different stats in this case. However, you can enjoy your bike ride with the maximum speed you can go without making you tired.
Calculating average speed can be used once in a while to keep track of your biking abilities. However, trying to do the same is not encouraged. Instead, you can train every day by enjoying the ride. Doing anything more than enough is not great for your stamina or health, especially without enough supervision.
So, go out and have fun on your bikes and try to get data on the average speed to make sure about your abilities and increase that ability.
Read More