What's your average touring speed

[Tigerbiten]

Mine was about 8.5 mph over a 4,000 mile tour to Iceland and back on my bent trike.
My unladen average as around 12 mph and I slow down by ~1 mph per 10kg extra weight carried.
So adding around 30 kg for the trailer and camping gear, you see the speeds about right.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Fully loaded - 4 panniers & rack pack plus 5L of water minimum, for a world tour (so plenty of spares, tyres, Rohloff oil change kits, chains, chain whip, 4-5 days of food, 2 spare tyres each...) we were averaging around 10mph on our tourers.

UK tour, 2 panniers & rackpack - will find out in 2 weeks time!

 

[palinurus]

About 10 mph last tour, pretty much that's what it is regardless of length (although I've never done a proper long tour). Last one wasn't hilly, but even hills don't change the average much. If it's flat I'll plod along, if it's hilly I go up slow and come down fast, it evens out the same.

 

[stumpy66]

Between 10-11mph avg fully loaded enjoying the scenery and not shredding the legs

 

[robjh]

I also find the 10mph average rule works surprisingly well when averaged over whole days, including stops. It's interesting to see how much agreement there is on this.

 

[Haitch]

Italy to Holland this summer on a roadbike with a small rucksack, 1,200 km over seven days averaged at about 20 km/h, or 12.5 mph in old money.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I also find the 10mph average rule works surprisingly well when averaged over whole days, including stops. It's interesting to see how much agreement there is on this.

Must be the sweet spot where human physiology and bicycle gearing mesh.

 

[andym]

Must be the sweet spot where human physiology and bicycle gearing mesh.

Hang on a second. I'm not sure how meaningful it is to talk about average speeds without any reference to the terrain/amount of climbing, IME it doesn't usually average out - climbing most mountain climbs my speed will drop to a third or even a quarter of my flatland speed but it's fairly rare to find a mountain road with a long straight run out, so usually I'd expect to only do a max of twice my flatland speed going down the other side.

 

[swansonj]

Hang on a second. I'm not sure how meaningful it is to talk about average speeds without any reference to the terrain/amount of climbing, IME it doesn't usually average out - climbing most mountain climbs my speed will drop to a third or even a quarter of my flatland speed but it's fairly rare to find a mountain road with a long straight run out, so usually I'd expect to only do a max of twice my flatland speed going down the other side.

And, of course, even if you could match the quarter speed up the hill by four times the speed coming down, it still wouldn't average to the original speed overall....

I'm another 10 mph tourist for undulating terrain, which reduced however to 5.3 mph for a day' fairly intensive (by my standards) climbing one day this summer.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Sometimes, terrain is not the only impediment. I do live in pretty flat land, for the most part. Makes the exceptions all the more stunning.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Moving avg 20kph when loaded is my planning rule of thumb. I usually end up riding about 10% faster.

 

[Bodhbh]

Sometimes, terrain is not the only impediment. I do live in pretty flat land, for the most part.

Regarding that and deviations from the 10mph thing. In extremes, like flat, open landscape with a strong tailwind (Fens/Flanders/Hungary/etc) I've had daily averages which verge on 20mph and moving averages hitting the mid 20s. On the otherside of the coin, headwinds have caused daily averages as low as 5mph or 7mph moving...that is slogging your guts out... I would generally take serious note of what the wind is upto when planning my day across anywhere flat, could be a p*** easy 100miles or killing yourself doing 45.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Heat can also slow you way down. We had 97f highs here earlier in the week, with high humidity, and it sure lowered my average speed.

 

[bof]

On flattish terrain in reasonably calm weather about 14mph moving average when credit card touring. I budget 12mph per day moving average which allows for weather and short stops en route for checking direction/comfort breaks etc, with meal stops and visits to attractions not counted in the 12 mph.

 

[MarkF]

Including all ups and downs and variable weather, I potter along at 10mph usually.