Commuting - Average Speeds on your commute

All my commutes are on vintage road bikes. Since I have to merge in with rush hour traffic a lot, I have to move quickly. On my 79 Raleigh Competition GS, I have a computer. I have been noticing when I was leaving work, on a slight decline I am pushing 31/33 mph. I got a thrill out moving to the left lane in passing a slower moving car., . Closer to home on a flat section I am up to around 23 mph..

I have to take the full lane a lot of times on my commute, and traffic is moving quite fast.
Most of the time my speed is around 15-18mph, so I could say that is my average speed.

All my commutes are on vintage road bikes. Since I have to merge in with rush hour traffic a lot, I have to move quickly. On my 79 Raleigh Competition GS, I have a computer. I have been noticing when I was leaving work, on a slight decline I am pushing 31/33 mph. I got a thrill out moving to the left lane in passing a slower moving car., . Closer to home on a flat section I am up to around 23 mph..

I have to take the full lane a lot of times on my commute, and traffic is moving quite fast.
Most of the time my speed is around 15-18mph, so I could say that is my average speed.

I have no idea how fast I'm actually moving during my commute. I don't have any kind of speedo/computer on the bike. I do things the old fashioned way. "OK.....It's 20 miles....and it took 1.5 hours to do the commute.....that's about 13.5 mph". Of course, that timespan includes time spent sitting at traffic lights and stop signs.

So, how fast am I really going? Fast enough to sweat and breathe hard.

Too many variables. Weather, wind, how I feel, down hill, up hill, etc.

I would say on the way to work, where I get most if not all of the head wind, it is between 13-15 mph. On the way home, it could be 15-18 mph. Depends on wind, how I feel, how the knees are doing, weather, and how heavy my load is. I have to take a lot of stuff to and from work so panniers are usually packed.

I actually track stuff like that on bikejournal.com and for the month of June, my average speed was right at 17. More than 80% of my miles for the month were commuting miles, so I have to think that my average commuter speed would be right at 17. I commute about 7.5 miles each way on a Bacchetta Giro recumbent. It may be a bit faster in July as I have just changed the tires to 26"x1.125" Gatorskins running at 105psi.

Tractor Tom in Okeechobee, FL

Well, one day I averaged 23mph, but that was when I was doing a comparison driving the company pickup truck. When I'm riding my bike, my speed is between 14 and 18 mph. There are many uncontrolled variables, such as traffic lights, traffic, and wind. The distance is only 4.5 miles. There are several stretches where I'm able to ride the speed limit and keep up with traffic if the wind isn't against me.

From reading all the responses, it can be safe to say that that average commuter speed for all commuters is about 13 to 18 mph.. Some commuters have spots (decents) where they can boost up the speed to 30mph but that is not average, more of an exception. I travel light. Only a small backpack, no panniers.

I average about 15 measured the same way SkippyX does. I hit about 35 on one downhill section but I'm just coasting there. It's my reward for the long slow slog up to the top of that ridge.

I have been reading a bit on this forum on what people consider as average speed. There is a lot of definitions. I like the Distance/hours formula. My commute is 4.2 Km which I do in 11 minutes which gives me an average speed of 23 Kph or 14 mph. The time is different from day to day, but when you average this over a few months, it is pretty consistent.

My non-parking lot portion commute home generally takes 28-30 minutes rolling time, so the speed home is 2 to 2.1 commutes per hour. To work is slower,30-32 minutes. 9.3 miles.

Total time door to door including parking lots and waiting at lights varies 33 to 38 minutes. So, (9.6 miles) 15-17 mph.

I ride 11 miles one way. On the way to work I'll average 17mph, almost all downhill. Coming home, I drop to about 13mph. Going home is really hard with temps in the 100 degrees. Can't wait till fall.

My commute is a nearly flat 5 miles. I have gotten my moving average on a commuter hybrid up to just over 15 (17 on the road bike). It's right around 11 including stop lights. I seem to hit all of them. :mad:

My commute is 33 miles rt w/a 500 ft elevation drop on the workward leg. Working 2nd shift allows me the luxury of averaging between 17-19 towards work and 15-17 on the way home. It's rural w/6 stop signs spread out over the 16.5 miles. No traffic lights. Very little traffic and the roads either are well paved secondary or a primary w/an 18-36 inch shoulder area outside the white line. There are better paying jobs out there for what I do, but I wouldn't trade my commute for any of them.

flat-bar knobby-tired MTB.

11km (7 mile commute) each way, so roughly 22km (14 miles) RT.

my rolling average speed is 22km/h and the rolling time is right at an hour. i seem to hit a huge amount of stop lights and ride through the pedestrian zone (no cars / bikes at walking speed) both ways because I like to grab a baguette/meat for breakfast at work or something to eat on the way home.

edit 1: it seems that my total time is roughly 35mins ... meaning i spend roughly 5 mins stationary each direction (stop lights and with make purchases ... food/beer/etc...)

edit 2: when I ride with the gf, our time is slower, roughly 35 mins rolling each way (70 mins total) ... so roughly 12 mph. but, it's ok with me as it's really nice to speed to with the gf commuting to work :D

edit 3: it would be really nice if the commute was 50% longer. I'd really like to get roughly 20 miles in per day ... but alas, it wasn't meant to be.

I take about 45 min to get to work. It's 8 miles. Some of that time is getting my bike out of the house, parking, waiting for lights etc. So I'd say my average speed is about 16 mph.

Depends on the day and the bike I ride. If I ride the commuter which is heavier, but a bit faster I can go 10km in about 30 minutes counting all the traffic stops. Obviously the time goes up if I get unlucky and get all reds. I've had it down to 15 minutes but that was a lucky day when ALL the lights were green and there were no ^&*&^* buses to block the lane, stop, make me wait, block the lane. On my 15km bike trail commute days I can get there in 30-35 minutes if I can clear the bike shaped objects in the park quickly enough. Exercising I get around 25-28km/h averages. Commuting I get 23-25km/h averages.

1h10 approx. (depending mostly on wind direction) to go 19 miles (30.5 kms)

edit 3: it would be really nice if the commute was 50% longer. I'd really like to get roughly 20 miles in per day ... but alas, it wasn't meant to be.

I just started adding a few km to my commute home, 4 Km is way too short. I have a 12 km route I've taken a few times and I'm now looking at a 30 km route for next week. Would never even think of doing this in a car.

so many variables - around 20 kph for me -hilly rural terrain on a mix of dirt and paved roads

'bout 8.5 mph.

I just started adding a few km to my commute home, 4 Km is way too short. I have a 12 km route I've taken a few times and I'm now looking at a 30 km route for next week. Would never even think of doing this in a car.

yeah, i have a nice 40k ride home mapped out (2hrs) that i posted pictures of before.

to be honest, it's more of a time issue

I average about 15 measured the same way SkippyX does. I hit about 35 on one downhill section but I'm just coasting there. It's my reward for the long slow slog up to the top of that ridge.

The swift movement of the bicycle and the sound of the wind as it slips dowward with speed, Indeed it is a reward. :beer:

flat-bar knobby-tired MTB.

11km (7 mile commute) each way, so roughly 22km (14 miles) RT.

my rolling average speed is 22km/h and the rolling time is right at an hour. i seem to hit a huge amount of stop lights and ride through the pedestrian zone (no cars / bikes at walking speed) both ways because I like to grab a baguette/meat for breakfast at work or something to eat on the way home.

edit 1: it seems that my total time is roughly 35mins ... meaning i spend roughly 5 mins stationary each direction (stop lights and with make purchases ... food/beer/etc...)

edit 2: when I ride with the gf, our time is slower, roughly 35 mins rolling each way (70 mins total) ... so roughly 12 mph. but, it's ok with me as it's really nice to speed to with the gf commuting to work :D

edit 3: it would be really nice if the commute was 50% longer. I'd really like to get roughly 20 miles in per day ... but alas, it wasn't meant to be.

I got to give you MTB riders big props!! :thumb:

Off the top of my head, I would say MTB riders have to work at least 40% if not more harder than road bike riders. MTB tires, and weight adds more to the resistance. However, I have been passed by MTB on the flats, ;)

My average on the cycle computer is normally around 11-12 mph. Cruising speed might be 1-2mph higher than that.

Regardless of what speed I do on the 'straightaways', my average speed/time on my 16 mile commute never really varies. 18mph cruising speed, 55 minutes. 20mph cruising speed (a LOT more effort), 50 minutes. My bike computer gives rolling times, so +3mins for traffic lights.

Depends - during the winter after a freezing rain when the bike paths are a mess - safety requires that even with studded tires, the commute can be a crawl across frozen slush that can often hide foot-deep water.
During the spring before the bike paths get crowded, I can usually average about 35km/h on a 15km commute. During the summer the paths are crowded and I don't bother pushing things. Average drops to about 23km/h.
But when I feel the 'need for speed' -there's always the winding roads that go over the Mount Royal summit downtown (elevation 750ft more or less). Freshly paved this year - ideal for road or mtbs with slicks. Early in the morning before there's any traffic on the road - its a breeze to hit 90 going downhill.
But I'm thinking that compared to this guy I'm just a kittycat: http://www.flixxy.com/mountain-bike-world-speed-record.htm

But you're pretty quick! I regularly check the computers on the bikes that come into the shop and almost all fall below 20km/h - even the super fancy CF road burners :lol: :beer:

11 mph average. 6 mile commute each way, relatively flat, 10 traffic lights and 5 all-way stop signs, takes me 33-35 minutes depending on wind direction and velocity. I ride a hybrid with full panniers (clothing, lunch, towel, tools, etc). My times are getting better as I lose weight and get in better shape, though.

8 miles each way. I average around 14 to work and about 15-16 on the way home.

My average speed is only limited by my imagination.

IMHO no data collection, measurement or analysis happens on my commute. But I have been wondering lately if I could do it with my eyes closed?

I recently removed my bicycle computer, but when I used it, it gave a rolling average of about 15-17 mph on mild to moderate terrain/traffic. My real average, though, once you factor in bigger hills, traffic lights, riding in the door zone, etc., is almost always about 10 mph. It's like Hubble's Constant or the speed of light: no matter how fast or slowly I ride, over any longer distance in an urban environment, the average is 10 mph. It's not exactly a rocket ride on the MUP at 6:00 AM, but at least it makes trip planning pretty easy...

It's like Hubble's Constant or the speed of light: no matter how fast or slowly I ride, over any longer distance in an urban environment, the average is 10 mph.

I was wondering if I was the only one that experienced this.

There are days when I feel like I'm kicking butt - haulin' *** - riding hard....get to the halfway point and check the stopwatch....45 min.

Then there are other days when it feel like I'm pedaling through molasses. Fighting a headwind. Being passed by two year olds on big wheels. Get to the halfway point.....45 min.

Weird.

13 - 15 mph on a 20-30 mile urban commute. My computer does rolling speed. A 15 mph day means I was really smokin. I budget 10mph in real time for starts, stops, bathroom, water, just watching the river flow etc. I also am slower in the winter and really hot days.

I
got to give you MTB riders big props!! :thumb:

Off the top of my head, I would say MTB riders have to work at least 40% if not more harder than road bike riders. MTB tires, and weight adds more to the resistance. However, I have been passed by MTB on the flats

If you put dual purpose or slick tires on an MTB you'd be surprised just how much faster and easier it gets. It does take some off the offroad potential away, but for commuting its an ideal modification. I got 28km/h average on yesterdays 150km ride. 95% of that is of course on road.

I'm about 17mph average. Road bike with rack and a pannier. Loaded down on Mondays and Fridays for all the toiletries I ride in. I'm on a MUP, crazy wind almost all the time. One spot however on the way home I push it 25+ for about a mile.

IIf you put dual purpose or slick tires on an MTB you'd be surprised just how much faster and easier it gets. It does take some off the offroad potential away, but for commuting its an ideal modification. I got 28km/h average on yesterdays 150km ride. 95% of that is of course on road.

what type of tires are you running? and what size?

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Those tires on either of the the two bikes above. The commuter is heavier but has 48-12 as the largest ratio making a little faster at lower cadences. Its also much more useful for carrying kids and cargo. The other is much lighter but has 44-12 and its a little slower on top speed but much more nimble and an all round better bike for going anywhere. I ride either depending on where I'm going and what I need to do.

My computer says I average about 15mph. I figure it's about 12mph due to traffic.

My Garmin edge 205 stops adding up time on the stops, just like a bike computer, but my avg ride speed to work with 32.6 miles is 18.6 mph. With a ride time of 96 minutes or so. Now if you added in the stop times thats a 110 minutes total time. So with stop times added in my avg sepeed is 17.78 mph.

I have a bike computer which tracks average speed. It's typically about 14.8 to 15 mph. A typical cruising speeds is anything between 16 and 18 mph depending on grade and wind. If wind is unfavorable, that will drop to the 12 to 14 range. The distance is 6.9 miles which typically takes about 28 to 30 minutes with lights and whatnot.

My best average speed was over 16, rarely is it below 14.

Bike is a Breezer Uptown with NuVinci drive, dynamo powered lights on, 1.75 in tires pumped to about 60 psi with liners and a big fat saddle bag on the back.

All my commutes are on vintage road bikes. Since I have to merge in with rush hour traffic a lot, I have to move quickly. On my 79 Raleigh Competition GS, I have a computer. I have been noticing when I was leaving work, on a slight decline I am pushing 31/33 mph. I got a thrill out moving to the left lane in passing a slower moving car., . Closer to home on a flat section I am up to around 23 mph..

I have to take the full lane a lot of times on my commute, and traffic is moving quite fast.
Most of the time my speed is around 15-18mph, so I could say that is my average speed.
@cehowardGS - Congrats on your high end speeds, it sounds like you're really burning it up out there. For me to see >30MPH I need to be going downhill with the wind at my back, mostly due to all the extra 'cargo' that I carry on my engine. ;)

I average speeds of 15.58 moving, 14.32 overall (Counting time spent at lights). I'm more interested in my average moving speed as it better reflects my effort than the overall. On a good day I'll average mid to high 16's. It all evens out as I tend to ride slower in the morning and then light it up on my way home in the afternoon.

Man I'm lucky to go 12 mph MOVING average. I don't see how some of y'all average 15-16 mph.

Man I'm lucky to go 12 mph MOVING average. I don't see how some of y'all average 15-16 mph.

It really depends in the bike and fitness. Conversion of a knobby-tired MTB to slicks seems to result in a roughly 20% increase in speed (12 to 14mph OR 14 to 17mph moving average.) Gearing and wheel size is a also a huge difference. I got a slight bit of time on a German trekking bike this weekend (think wide 700x40 tires and 48T up front) and it makes a world of difference.

I was able to click off 30km much easier than 30km on my MTB. (I think the Moving average was 28km/h or so, compared to 22km/h, with much less effort).

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Not sure if gearing would make much difference for me. I seem to spend most of my time in the middle chain ring and middle rear sprocket range. I usually only use the large chain ring for flat or downhill sections, and NOTHING in my area is flat.

...NOTHING in my area is flat.

Seems to me that's the issue.

I'm approaching an elapsed time from door to door that has me averaging 14 MPH. As I said earlier, I have no idea how fast I'm actually going when I'm riding.

However, I do know that my commute is over flat ground. If I lived in hilly terrain, there's no way on Earth that I'd even approach that 14 MPH average speed.

~14mph on fixie or geared tourer, ~16-18mph on roadie

when I post my average, its from the computer. I know it doesn't show the speeds I usually see on the speedo - which are normally higher - but it does a good job of being a consistent measuring tool - rather than me guessing or averaging in my head what I see as I'm riding. congrats on that max though ... well done!

be careful out there especially passing on the left

My average speed had been a solid 12.0 mph for the last year. Just got up to 12.1.

13.6 mph http://app.strava.com/rides/12297081

Any faster than that and I get uncomfortably sweaty.

11 miles each way at 12-15 mph depending on weather

My average speed had been a solid 12.0 mph for the last year. Just got up to 12.1.

nice job! seriously!