What average MPH is good over a 10 mile ride?

[Toby_2009]

Hi,

I'm 16 and have been cycling as a hobby for just under a month (up till now only used it for 2.5 miles a day to school and back ) So, I bought myself some lycra stuff, bottle, pump bike computer from aldi yesterday and decided to test it out today, Set the computer up this morning and tested it on way to and back from school (because I know exactly how far it is).

Then this afternoon, I decided to do a 10 mile ride (exactly 10 miles) and use it as a ride to do each week/fortnight to plot on a graph my improvement. Its a ride with one very steep, short hill and one long (one mile) hill.

My average speed was 15.5 MPH over the 10 mile ride which is ALL ON ROAD

The bike is a completely standard (at the moment) GIANT Boulder (yes with knobbly tyres) and as I said, I am 16, and I until I started cycling (about a month ago) I didn't really get any excersise.

So, Is 15.5 over 10 miles any good on a MTB? And what sort of average can i realistically but challengingly aim for?

Cheers, and btw I do cycle further than that, its just a short ride I can do frequently to fit in with A-Level studies

Toby

 

[MadoneRider1991]

15.5 is very good on a MTB B)

i tend to average 22 - 23 mainly on 10mile TT's

 

[Flyingfox]

That's a pretty good average, I very rarely get over a 13.5 mph on my 9 mile commute. It's flat but has loads of traffic and lights, so it's difficult to set a steady pace. My fastest speed was 23.7 mph yesterday (was slightly downhill though).

 

[palinurus]

Get those knobblies off and you'll be averaging 20.

Realistic, but challenging? Some riders can average 30 mph over 10 miles but they'll be riding top quality time trial machines and doing specific training for that. There was a guy who turned up at my local time trial on an MTB (he used the event for extra training) and he could average 22-23 mph however the course doesn't have much in the way of hills.

It's a good idea to repeat the same ride to track improvement, I have an 8 mile loop of quiet roads with all left turns and no lights or roundabouts which I use.

Here's a target for you: 18 mph.

Ride that course twice a week and I reckon you'll be there in a couple months. It helps if your course doesn't have any lights or tricky junctions or right turns.

 

[palinurus]

And 15.5 miles/ hour is pretty good going for an MTB on a hilly course I reckon, especially if you've only been at it a month.

 

[3-IN-One]

I,ve never done a 10m route but when I do a 50m on a steep ride on a Mountain bike my average is 13.5 mph,If thats any good????

 

[nigelnorris]

I nearly asploded with pride yesterday when I did my 4 mile each way commute on a steel hybrid in 15 mins both ways. 16 mph WOOHOO.

But then I'm 45 years old and fat so you young uns should be bettering that I reckon.

 

[Wigsie]

I am not exactly the fittest person on a bike yet (can swim for miles) and can average 18-20mph (road bike) on a 14mile loop I do at lunch with 1 rather steep hill and a couple of long climbs.

I reckon if you stick some slicks on you should be able to average 18 pretty easily!

good luck

 

[willhub]

On a MTB when I last used one I could average about 16mph over 15 or so miles, was pushing it though, far cry away from today where I can achieve up to 50miles at 20mph.

My PB which I doubt I'll beat for a Long time was 146 miles at 18.6 mph average.

 

[peanut]

that sounds like a pretty good average speed given the type of bike and tyres and your age and fitnness levels.
I do a hilly 6 mile loop every week and keep a record on a graph like you. My best average on a road bike is only 13.8mph but it is hills for half the route

If you can get some road wheels or at least some road tyres you'll notice a tremendous difference in speed and your average will shoot up .

Don't worry about doing short rides it is the intensity and effort you put into the rides that really count fitness -wise.
The latest training theory is to half the miles and increase the effort with hills and sprint training.

 

[Joe24]

Thats a good average for a MTB, i reckon an average in the 16/low17 would be a good one to aim for.
If i was just doing 10miles on my fixed(road bike) id aim for an average somewhere in the 20s, when i did the evening 10s on this id do it in 25:53(my PB for that bike)
On my TT bike(also fixed) my PB so far(only used it 2 times) is 24:55 on a windy day, so its an average of low 24mphs. That should be high23/low 24mins on a good day though. And there are some short-ish sharp inclines in that and courners you have to slow right down on.
Stick some slick road tyres on and you will average a high 17mph easy i think.

Oh, and im only 17, and ive been cycling since i was 15, or 16. One of them

 

[peanut]

comon guys this is turning into a pissing contest of PB's

 

[Joe24]

I used to go out regulary and do 30miles in 1:29, and sometimes 1:28, and thats with hills in.
Sorry no more pissing contests

Talking about pissing though, have you ever just been going along and had the urge to pee. Then you get off and pee(chose a spot with a nice view) and be peeing there for ages taking in the view?

 

[Toby_2009]

Hi guys, thanks for the replys, Did the 10 mile Time Trial again yesterday (same route) and had an average of 17.0 MPH, so Iv gone up by 1.5MPH!

Pretty pleased, I realise that I wont increase at that rate the whole time but its still nice!

Also, I did a 30 mile on sunday and my average was 15.5 which is the same as my first ride of my time trial, even though I was pushing on my time trial and taking it easy on the 30 miler. Oh well, strange stuff eh

 

[willhub]

I find hills don't massively decrease the averages unless they are miles long with a lasting headwind, as what goes up must come down.