We know that you are new to cycling and you are here to find out answers to a common question, i.e., “How long does it take to bike 10 miles?”
While there is no exact answer to this question, we can rely on the average biking speed of beginners and professional bikers to find out the actual time.
All in all, keeping the 10mph speed in mind for beginners, it will take around one complete hour to hit the 10 miles mark.
The time interval changes for a professional biker from one hour to 30-40 minutes only. That’s because these bikers average around 12 to 15 mph bike speed accordingly.
However, all these stats we have given depend upon a plethora of factors.
Today, we’ll explain all these factors to help the newbies get started with cycling and hit the 10 mile achievement mark as soon as possible.
Have a look:
How Long Does It Take to Bike 1 Mile?
If you know how long does it take for a bike to cover a 1-mile distance, calculating the rest of the time interval becomes an easy task.
For instance:
A beginner averages at least 10mph speed an hour with ideal conditions.
Keeping this pace in mind, it will take a newbie only 6 to 7 minutes to complete the 1-mile distance mark.
Simply multiply this time interval with 10 miles and you will get the concluding time as follows:
6 minutes x 10 miles = 60 minutes.
Similarly, for professional and experienced riders the speed of a bike averages around 12 to 15 mph. So, they can cover the 1-mile distance in about 3 to 4 minutes.
Apply the same formula and you will get a concluding time of about 30 to 40 minutes only.
Talking of pro cyclists, their average speed could hit as high as 28mph. For them covering a 10-mile mark won’t take more than 10 to 15 minutes.
Here’s a catch:
The total time taken to cover a 1-mile distance does not only depend upon the experience of a biker.
Many factors could contribute to impacting the actual time to cover 10 miles distance.
Take a glance:
Factors Affecting the Total Time Interval to Bike 10 Miles
Although we have formulated the one-hour mark to get to 10 miles, it could vary depending upon many factors.
That would include whether you are biking uphill or downhill or whether you are riding in a mountainous area.
It’s simply a no-brainer that downhill racers will take less time to cover the 1-mile mark, thus achieving the 10 miles feet easily.
Take Markus Stöckl, for example, who with his touring bike set a record of achieving the speed of 104mph during a downhill race. It will take him no more than 30 seconds to cover a 1-mile distance.
Similarly, if you ask uphill racers about the total time to cover the 10-mile distance, they will give you an estimate of many hours.
All in all, you simply cannot ignore all the factors that could contribute to changing the total distance covering time.
Some of these factors to take into consideration include:
Your Fitness and How it Affects the Total Biking Time
Your physical fitness level is one of the most important factors that would decide the total time taken to achieve the 10 miles mark.
- How often do you bike?
- What’s your calorie intake?
- Do you exercise more often?
These are some of the questions that would determine whether you can cover the target distance within a specific time.
For absolute beginners who have just started their biking journey, it will take at least 3 hours to cover the 10 miles mark.
However, do not stress yourself over the time concern as you will get there with time. Always remember, “Rome was not built in a day.”
Well, for bikers who bike more often than the average person, their fitness level will allow them to cover the distance within one hour.
Make sure that you eat healthy food, bike more often, and maintain a good average speed, if you want to lower down the actual time to cover the distance conveniently.
How Your Bike Will Determine the Time Interval?
The bike type you ride daily may also contribute to the actual distance over time factor.
That 10-mile bike ride would either feel like a heavy mountain to climb or a hot piece of cake depending upon how comfortable you are with your current bike.
Not only that but having a suitable bike for a specific terrain would also help avid riders get to their favorite route within a short time.
Another primary feature that a rider would love in their bike is the presence of gears.
Keep in mind that biking with adjustable gears will make the ride comfy and pacier for you rather than a bike with no gears that would add extra minutes to the overall journey.
In a similar context, we take a look at different types of bikes to see their role in calculating the balance time:
Three Different Bike Type Beginners Should Know About
Mountain Bikes
One of the most common bike types, i.e. mountain bikes offer a comfortable riding position and are an ideal choice to cover 10 miles ride.
That said, this bike type also features front and rear suspension, which makes these bikes a suitable option to ride uphill or on mountainous terrains.
Although such a bike will help a rider get to the destination, they are a little bit heavier than other bike types.
In simple words, the time coverage to get to 5 miles or 10 miles will extend while you ride on this type of bike.
Road Bikes
Perfect for flat terrains and downhill routes, road bikes are relatively lighter than mountain bikes.
They also feature a range of gears that would assist an experienced rider to get to the target destination within a short time.
However, one small problem with such bikes is their aggressive riding position. You cannot expect them to offer much comfort compared to other bike types.
Hybrid Bikes
Featuring combined qualities of mountain and road bikes, Hybrids offer the best riding experience, especially on varying terrains.
You can easily adjust the range of gears in hybrid bikes to get to the actual distance within a one-hour window.
One small issue with the bikes, however, is their price. They are relatively expensive than mountain bikes and that’s something you should keep in your mind before getting one.
Effect of Terrain on Actual Time Taken to Cover 10 Miles
Not something that a beginner rider does not know!
It’s obvious that an uphill terrain with continuous bumps will halt the biker’s capability to ride the bike.
Hence, with a slow pace, it will take even more than 6 to 7 hours to cover the 10 miles distance.
Similarly, with flat and downhill terrains, the time will become confined to no more than 30 minutes. That’s because the terrain is smooth and can increase the pace of a rider naturally.
All in all, it’s way easier to cycle on flat roads via hybrid or road bikes rather than riding mountain bike trails in uphill and forest areas.
Related: Time It Takes To Ride A Mile
Effect of Weather on Covering 10 Miles Distance
Similarly, harsh weather conditions such as rain, strong winds, and even hurricanes will increase the time taken to cover 10 miles mark.
For bikers, the best weather conditions are when the terrain is dry and the weather that day is sunny.
You can easily notice that on a sunny and dry day, the average biking speed will drastically increase thus allowing you to cover your favorite route with ease and convenience.
Keep in mind that biking on a really sunny day could cause dehydration. Hence, we will recommend you keep yourself equipped with plenty of water while covering the 10 miles distance.
Role of Your Biking Gear
Last but not the least, the type of gear you pack for biking can also affect your journey.
Packing necessary gear such as inner tubes, tire pump, extra cycling jersey, and water bottles will help you on the way as anything could happen.
Although we endorse keeping good biking gear to keep yourself away from any mishap, do not over-pack as it will reduce your pace sufficiently.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is biking 10 miles hard?
Biking 10 miles for avid riders is not hard, especially when they are riding comfortably on flat terrain on a sunny day. It’s not hard either for beginners. However, the time they’d take to cover this destination would be more than experienced bikers.
Is cycling 10 miles a day good?
Cycling is a proven cardiovascular exercise and it acts as a full-body workout at the same time. In this context, it’s fair to say that cycling 10 miles a day will bring the best fitness levels out of the riders. Besides, it could also boost the overall heart health to a whole new level.
How long does a 1 mile bike ride take?
It depends upon many factors. However, an average estimate for a beginner rider cycling at 10 mph is around 6 minutes. For experienced riders, the timespan narrows down to 3-4 minutes. Similarly, for professional cyclists, it may come down to as low as only 1 minute.
Final Takeaways: How Long Does It Take to Bike 10 Miles?
The question that how long does it take to bike 10 miles has no solid answer.
That said, the original time would vary on different factors including fitness level, the bike you ride, the type of terrain, and weather conditions.
In ideal conditions, however, it will take an average of 1 hour for a beginner to cover 10 miles distance. For experienced cyclists, it will come down to 30 to 40 minutes and for racers, it could take no more than 10 minutes.
No matter how long you take to cover the target distance as a beginner, keep cycling on daily basis and you will see a much better improvement within a short time.
