For the short time that I gave a crap and had a computer on my commuter, I was averaging between 16-18mph average speed for my 25mi commute. But I'm feeling much better now.

So, 1 way commute of 17.5 miles. Usually 1 hour and 15-20 minutes. Mostly backroads and bike paths, a few stoplights and stop signs. 1 hour once, big ring, hammer time. 1.5 to 2 hours a few times. Heavy rain ,wind, snow or all three. Part of my ride is along the mystric lake, nice riding, scenic and often some headwinds. Surly cross check, 35 mm tires, rack and bag.

Slowest was about 10 mph in a snowstorm and fastest was about 21 mph on my road bike. Usually in the 16-17 mph range. That is the overall average on the computer, including slowing down along the way for turns, traffic, etc. for a 25-30 mile RT commute.

Computer says 13.1 mph avg. On headwind days it is slower. On Tailwind days it is much faster. I usually have a head wind on one of legs of my trip.

To work is all Southbound. To home is Northbound followed by an Westbound ride on streets.

If I didn't have a computer I would kill myself because no matter how fast I think I am going it always feels slower. I use the computer as a gauge to let me know I am not dogging it.

Air Speed or Ground Speed?

Or MPG, of potable ethanol?




No, I don't average my speed, commuting, It takes about a half hour.

I don't make an effort to separate my group rides and rando-ing from my commutes, but my overall moving average is 14 and change. Of course, the door-to-door average is lower due to waiting at stoplights. It's obvious why the roadies only care about their moving average.

I'm not a roadie but I like to look at both. Plus if you tally both times by the end of the year you will realize how many HOURS you have spent standing at lights - Four hours and fifteen minutes for me so far, and the year is still young!

I personally do not find tracking the stats to be a distraction from my riding experience but I understand that it isn't for everyone.

If I work hard and have some luck at the lights I can average over 16 (barely) on a commute. Most days it's between 14 and 15 but in winter it slows down considerably. Frankly, I don't even want to know how much slower it is in the winter so I don't usually mount a cyclometer on the winter bike.

A fast group ride will push 18 now and then but that's a grueling pace for me. The route we take has got some hills that are killers, but 2/3 of it is pretty flat. A few sections have frequent stops.

On a closed course sprint triathlon I can average 20 mph if it's fairly flat. If I trained for the extra distance I could probably do an Olympic distance at a slightly faster pace.

Storms blew thru Indy last Friday at the end of my workday - I rushed to get home ahead of the weather and - thanks largely to gusty tailwinds - my average speed (moving average) was 17+ for the 20 mile roundtrip. I figure I averaged 18-19 for the homeward leg.That's a personal best on my suburban/urban commute.

One of my commuting goals is to pass motorists. I pass the slower moving ones but some motorists floor it when they see me approach on the side. Absolutely hilarious.

15.5 mph

Did that the other day to a guy on a small motorcycle. He looked me, dropped behind for a bit to match pace (I think he wanted to know how fast I was going - about 40kmh at that spot as I remember and then shot off into the distance with a look of "thats impossible" on his face. Its more fun with the guys in big expensive cars stuck at traffic lights. Go around the traffic, cross on the pedestrian cycle and get home before they do. You can just see them staring daggers at you.

I use an old computer on my bike, it calculates the average as miles travelled/total elapsed time. No consideration for stop time although my commute only has a few lights anyway. I typically hit 15-15.5 mph on my 19 mile (each way) ride. Some days I drive part way due to time constraints - my average is usually around 16 on the 10 to 12 mile days because of fewer climbs.

Over the almost five years I have been tracking my commute data, my year round average has consistently stayed in the 14 mph range, and is slower in the winter. I mostly ride a 30+ pound hybrid between 25 and 30 miles round trip on a combination of MUPs. My slowest commute was about at a 7 mph average riding in about four inches of wet snow on uncleared MUPs, my fastest was about 17 mph on one of the few times I commuted on my road bike.

From almost the start of bike commuting 4 years ago, my average has been about 15mph going to work and a bit slower coming home. I originally rode 16.5 miles round trip, and this year have extended it to(usually) get in 20 miles round trip. Anyway, it doesn't seem to matter if I ride the converted mtb commuter with panniers or the road bike, the average is between 14 and 16 mph going in and after the 12 hour shift, it's always slower going home(12-14), but no surprise there!

I love it when it happens, but it almost never does - I ride in a very rural-suburban area where traffic generally doesn't back up.

I get my average by watching my speedometer often when I'm pedaling at a steady pace and by throwing out the high and low to account for hills. My average speed to work is 18mph and my way back is about 15. My round commute is 26-28 miles depending on the two different routes I normally take.

I use a Garmin Edge 500 with auto pause. My average, with its algorithm is usually in the 16 to 17 mph range. However, my average cruising speed in the flats can be in the 20 mph range.

I typically average Mach 0.023 with no wind.

That's a hellva feeling...

When I got that speed on decenting, and cars ahead at a slower pace, I move to the passing lane.. Wow!!

Alright, I've avoided these types of threads for some time but now have some actual Endomodo data to base my response on so here we go: 15mph average, 18mph high, 12 mph low.

Commuting is all about context. I would like to cite the following factors in my commute which is 4 miles via street and 7 miles via MUP, many luck based, others not:

1) Hitting the first light. Pure luck. Can add +30sec, more if you hit the sweet spot. On a 45 minute route = 1%, still something.
2) Stoptional signs. I'll admit I ride through 4ways at high speeds early in the morning when nobody is out.
3) WIND! Chicagoeans know what I am talking about
4) MUP traffic, plenty of folk hogging the trail.
5) Rest/dehydration/hangover... nuff said
6) Last lights leading to the loop.

So, my average speed is what I said above, 18-12, usually around 20mph on the MUP and 15mph in the streets for rested and decent conditions. All commuting time logged, 14.1mph average including critical masses, meh.

Recent Road bike Convert (from Heavier entry level MTB with slicks) and doing my 8 mile commute in under 30 minutes, shaved 5 minutes off the very first day on a Fuji Roubaix 3.0. Very happy, current AVS is about 15 mph in, 13-14 mph out (more traffic headed home, comp doesnt stop when not rolling).

when I used to keep track, it was somewhere around 12-13 mph. now I no longer care!

My commute used to be 8000 km over the course of a year and with some long term data on the computer my average speed in nice weather was 21 kmh in the city (using many bicycles) while my rural commute to the frame shop which has no breaks for 40 km over a 50 km route was 25 kmh which is closer to the speeds I average when I am touring.

My winter speed was not much slower although there would be some days a normal 30 minute commute would turn into a 45 minute commute because of heinous weather conditions.

This is not to say that on the right day with the right bike that I could not cover my 8 mile urban commute in 22 minutes or hit 55 kmh when I was crossing the bridge or cover certain flat sections at 40kmh +.

Put me on the road bike and send me out for 100km in the country and my average speed will be in the low 30's.

My current commute to the bike co-op is 8km and I usually plan on it being a 25 minute ride in traffic although this can vary by quite a bit depending on the time of day, traffic, and luck of the lights. Some days I can make the trip in under 20 minutes and some days it is closer to 30 minutes.