Commuting speed
 

Howdy folks,
I'm hoping to get some feedback on how fast people are going when they commute.perhaps just an average of how long it takes you from your front door to your workplace and kilometers/miles travelled.

Thanks-Andre

My commute was 5.2 miles (8.3 km) one-way, and I usually rode my mountain bike rather than my road bike because it was easier to carry things, the roads were pretty rough in places, lots of glass from the liquor industry's success stories, etc.

I would average 10.5 miles per hour consistently, and 11.5 miles per hour on days when I got real sweaty.

The route had some short fairly steep hills, but was generally what you'd call flat.

So--I'm no speed demon. I find the concept of "perceived exertion," which I first read about in Runner's World magazine, very useful, and as a result I don't pay much mind to speed, just to how I feel during and after a ride. Speed, as far as I'm concerned, is for racers.

I would also regularly measure my pulse and blood pressure at home, (I have an inherited tendency to high blood pressure) and was generally mightily pleased!

5 miles each way. I generally average 15 mph, or 20 minutes for the ride. In terms of planning, I figure 1/2 an hour, which includes 10 minutes to tidy up and cool down before starting work.

My commute is 5 miles each way and I have been averaging 15 miles an hour. Although, the other day I had a good tailwind on the way home and made it there with a 17.3 average. Even though I could barely breathe when I fell into the yard, it was sort of fun. I ride a MTB, but it has slicks on it, so I don't know what that means.

My commute is 6 miles each way. It takes me about 24-25 minutes in the morning, (more down-hill)...and about 30 minutes in the afternoon, (when I pull more hills.) Some days are better, but that's the average. I ride a Giant Cypress setup as a commuter bike.

Speed isn't everything, but it does make the trip more interesting to watch your stats. I recently picked up a cyclecomputer Sigma BC600, and I realized my route was a mile further than I thought! I must have been peddling "country miles" as my Daddy used to say.

I put more emphasis on the speed getting in to work, and relax a little on the return home. :)

My shortest distance in to work is 16km and I generally average around 25km/hr. I rarely go the same route though as I usually extend either the trip there or home, depending on how much time I have. It can run anywhere from the above to 30-40kms.

Factors such as traffic, red lights, hilly terrain, wind, overall weight of the load and your personal riding style/training level will affect average speed, which can also vary from one ride to the next.

My commute is urban/suburban, "hilly" terrain, carrying several pounds extra load. My 14 to 15 mile trip takes about an hour.
I never expect to go any faster.

Although I often take "the road less travelled" to avoid congested traffic in the afternoons, one of my favorite joys is to
take a congested artery instead. I love passing long lines of crawling traffic. It's my way of saying "Nya-nya-nya-nya-nya!":p

It's 14.4 miles each way. In the morning, it's taken me as little as 40 minutes, so far. On the way home, it takes me about 1 hour and 15 minutes at my fastest. I gain about 700 feet elevation on the way home.

My wife and I are house shoping. She keep looking at houses on the top of hills. This use to be my desire too, but now, from a biking perspective, I'm starting to have second thoughts....:D

7 miles from the house to work, but I add an extra little detour to make it 10 miles. I average 16 MPH, and the commute takes anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes. I leave for work an hour early, so I have a little extra time to get cleaned up and ready for the day.

My commute is 5 miles. It almost always takes me right at 24 minutes, so I average 12.5 mph. When I keep track of my time between known mile marks, my speed varies from 9 mph on the uphills to 26 mph on the flats and downhills. Contrary to popular belief, there are very few long flat areas in Kansas.

Jonathan

My 8.7 mile inbound commute usually takes about 50 minutes by the clock. My computer, which measures only actual moving time registers anywhere from 38-44 minutes, depending on wind and just how I feel. On flat land with no wind, I usually maintain 15-16 mph by the speedometer, but with decelerations and accelerations at stop signs and red lights the average drops to 13-13.5. For all of the reasons mentioned, you have to allow for slower speeds and elapsed times commuting than you can achieve on more open roads.
Regards,
Raymond

You can say that again, neighbor! :)

Hi folks,
Thanks for all the replys,now i'll convert all those miles into kilometers to get an idea of speed.
Thank god for Aerobat ,no math required to read his posts!;)

Andre

1.44 miles, and at an easy pace, it takes me 7 1/2 minutes to get to work. I love being so close to work.

The winner of the Boston Marathon this year came in right at 2 hours - I figure if a person can run an average of 13 mph (about 22 kph), I ought to be able to ride a bicycle that fast.

My commute is about 4 miles going in, 4.5 coming home. It's pretty easy to keep a 13+mph average. It's those longer rides on the weekends that are harder to maintain the speed.

c~

I probably AVERAGE about 13.5 miles per hour. This is because my commute is in the city and I have to stop for traffic lights and traffic.

Also, I wear my work close when I bike, so I don't get gonzo enough on the ride to get too sweaty. I have to walk in looking fresh, smiling, and ready to hop right on the work.

Probably on the longer stretches, I hit 17 to 20 miles per hour or so depending on traffic and wind.

I always feel very left out when I read posts, here or elsewhere (yes, there are other bike forums, but they really seem crummy after you've been on this one any time! :) )--about average speeds.

Because I've never been able to maintain an average speed much over 10.5 miles per hour, on either my mountain bike or road bike, commuting or otherwise. All my riding is done in the city with lots of traffic lights and perils and such, but they don't really count because the MTB computer has auto start/stop, and the new one on my road bike does too--it's 10.5 or so, regardless.

If there were no hills, the average would probably be about 12. Still way below what everybody else seems to ride.

Oh, well. I hope there's some other poor soul out there that may read this and realize he or she is not alone. Maybe people with poor averages like mine just don't post about it.

Actually, Jon, based on my rides with other people 10.5 miles per hour is respectable. I believe that MOST people average about 9.5 to 10.5 miles per hour. My commute is getting faster because I am so familiar with the route, traffic signs, short cuts, and I am getting stronger.

Two things account for the fast speeds being reported:

1) The zippie riders are most likely to post their speeds.

2) Most people don't really know their AVERAGE speed. They see the cyclometer reading, say 14 mph for a stretch and they say, "Ooh look, I am averaging 14 miles per hour!". I calculate average speed by dividing the distance by the time it takes to do it.

Gosh, Jon, don't feel bad about that speed...this is the commuting forum, not the racing one! When I ride to work, it is on 7 miles of relativly flat highway with very light traffic and no traffic lights! Actually, there's not a traffic light in the whole county! What a great place to bike!:D I bet riding in your environment would slow anyone down, I know it would me!

Hello all! Just found out about this place, thought I'd chime in...

Since my commute is just about the only time I get to do any serious riding, I try to make it count by treating it as much like a "training ride" as I can. Fortunately, the office is equipped with lockers and showers so I can get presentable after a good ride :)

Even though I live in the US, I like to have my bike's computer set to Km; my commute is 20Km each way, on essentially flat terrain (the Central Valley of CA)--the only "hills" around here are freeway overpasses!. There are only a few traffic lights outside of the city where I work; even within the city there aren't many between the office and the city limits.

In the mornings, when the air is still, I manage to ride to work in around 45-50 min; the computer says my ride-time average is usually around 30Km/h. In the afternoons, during spring, summer and fall, there's usually a decent tailwind all the way home; direct-route ride-time can then drop below 40 min and average speed can climb up to around 32Km/h.

I don't really know how long it takes me--I'm probably super slow. When I do ride into work, I try to ride in before the regularly scheduled trains rolls in, and the railroad crossing lights start.

When I'm out riding by myself (just to ride around town) I figure, as long as I'm going faster than the neighbor kid's scooter, I'm good to go. :D

My hubby just started riding with me this week, and he has a tendency to race me down the block, right before we get to our house. He never tells me we're racing...just starts pedalling faster towards the end of our ride. Of course, I let him ride past, me...or at least that's my excuse. hehe ;)

Good strategy! ;) Get him hooked on cycling AND help him feel the he-man! What a woman, of course he will eventually figure out that women are pretty much ONLY the weaker sex in physical strength! (Of course, that is why you should re-gear your bike as he gets his cycling legs!) :p

My current commute starts off with a 25 minute/ 5.25 mile ride to the train station, waiting around for the train, 20 minutes on the train, and then a 25 minute /4.5 mile ride to work.

The only bad part of this is that the Chicago Metra train only runs about once an hour, so I always deliberately have to leave early so that I don't risk missing the train.

(The Chicago El train is much more bicycle friendly. If you miss a train, the next one should be by in just a few minutes. The Chicago mayor, Richard Daley, has talked about extending the El out to the western suburb of Schaumburg, where there are a lot of businesses. Although his motivation for doing so is to increase access to O'Hare Airport from the western 'burbs, it would be a very good thing for those of us who prefer not to use cars.)

In the last year I've had several part time jobs. 9.9 miles/48 minutes. 12.5 miles/1:20 21 miles/2:20 10.5miles/58 minutes. In all the rides the first five miles was heavy suburban traffic and stop lights. Say an average of 11 to 12 MPH. Rider, bike and all the gear ran 260 pounds for night riding. When I can drop the lights and work in bike gear make it 13 to 14 MPH. Cold weather (32 to 40 degrees) and rain slows things down. Consider fenders.

This time of year I'm averaging about 13-14 mph going to work and about 12-13 coming home. My commute is 8 miles. In warmer weather (60F+) I average 14-16 going to work and 13-15 coming home. I ride a mountain bike.