Average Cycling Speed By Age Chart: With 3 Easy Hacks to Increase SPEED in 2023

Calculating the average cycling speed by age is not an exact science since what is most critical is the number of years you have been riding. The more experience you have will often mean that you have greater cardiovascular fitness and endurance. 

Because of this fact current and past fitness levels of a rider will usually be critical in dictating the average cycling speed they may attain. As such trying to determine average speed by age is often just an approximation. 

Other factors such as the type of bike, distance covered, aerodynamics, tires, and riding conditions may also affect the average speed that may be attained by a rider.

What is a good average speed for cycling?

The majority of cyclists can attain speeds of up to 15 mph riding for about an hour. For beginner riders, the average speed they can attain is about 10 mph though this can increase pretty quickly once you start getting into your groove.

If you get to the intermediate and advanced levels and get a better bike such as a road bike or hybrid bike you could achieve up to 18 miles an hour or even 22 miles depending on fitness levels.

Average Cycling Speed by Age Chart

The table below shows the average speed of cyclists from age 18 to age 60. Just like the increase and decrease of FTP in the table mentioned above, we see a gradual increase and decrease in speed as age increases.

Take a look:

Age	Average Speed – km/h	Average speed – mph
18 – 20	27	16.7
20 – 25	30	18.6
25 – 30	35	21.7
30 – 35	33.5	20.8
35 – 40	30	18.6
40 – 45	28.5	17.7
45 – 50	24	15
50 – 55	22	13.6
55 – 60	20	12.4
60 – 65	18.5	11.5

FTP (Functional Threshold Power by Age)

The chart below shows how functional threshold power increases from age 18 to age 35 and starts decreasing after that.

Age	Functional Threshold Power
18 – 20	120w
20 – 25	150w
25 – 30	180w
30 – 35	200w
35 – 40	180w
40 – 45	160w
45 – 50	120w
50 – 55	100w
55 – 60	90w

From this, it is clear that the power threshold is directly correlated to the age of the cyclist. Along with that, it is also evident that average cycling speeds are also directly impacted by the power threshold and the higher power one has the better the speed.

How Age Affects Cycling Speed

In the illustration above you can clearly see that the overall speeds that can be obtained on a bike are highly dependent on the rider’s age. As such it can be said that if you are a younger rider, you are usually more efficient and the older you get the slower you are likely to get.

Apart from the speeds you can attain, the overall power you can produce in order to increase your riding speeds is dependent on how much force you are able to generate with your pedaling.

Looking at the table, it is clear that as you age from a young adult into a fully grown adult the more power and speed you will be able to produce. However, as you get even older, the body will then produce a different threshold of energy and power threshold to maintain a faster or fast speed. As such you will typically begin to have a drop off in performance once you peak at about 35 years.

On average people older than 35 are unable to produce the speeds they used to when they were younger and hence their numbers will start to slide as they become less efficient and slower. While it tends to be a gradual process, you can sometimes maintain the same strength and stamina and maintain a reasonable average speed as you get older.

If you are a cyclist looking at ages when you can be most efficient there is no better period than when you are between 25 and 40 years old. While you are young, your body is able to p[produce the power needed to move your body and produce speeds and power to keep up the pace. Most people will usually have about 17 years to take advantage of their best years before they begin to experience the drop-off.

What is the average Bike Speed for 60 year old cyclist?

The average sixty-year-old cyclist with average physical capabilities can achieve speeds of between 9 and 11.5 miles an hour.

What is the average speed for a 70 year old cyclist?

The average speed of a 70-year-old cyclist will usually top out at about 8 mph but it is important to note that this may vary depending on their physical fitness, experience or terrain.

What is the average speed for 50 year old cyclist

The average speed of a fit 50 year old is about 24 km/h or about 15 mph

Factors that impact average bike speed

There following are some of the most critical factors that affect the average bike speed that can be attained by a beginner or professional cycle.

Bike Type and Weight

The type of bike you are riding plays a huge role in how fast you can go. Road bikes tend to be faster than mountain bikes and hybrid bikes are faster than mountain bikes but slower than road bikes. 

Weight is also a critical component that can determine the average speeds you can attain. Bikes made of steel tend to be heavier which makes pedaling harder and hence you will ride slower than if you were to ride something like a carbon fiber bike. By riding a lighter bike you can increase your riding speed by up to 10%.

Other components of the bike such as tires, and the position of the handlebars which can affect aerodynamics and weight can also either increase or reduce the average bike speed that can be attained. 

Fitness Levels 

Fitness levels are critically important for any cyclist regardless of age, Beginner cyclists average between  10 and 14 mph. While some beginners can attain higher speeds most top out at 14mph while some go at even lower speeds. 

Athletes doing other sporting activities such as swimming and running can usually top out between 15 and 18mph. This is because they will typically have built up some endurance doing aerobic sports.

Overall your cycling speed will be affected by age as the older you get the lower will your average speed get due to a decline in fitness levels. According to studies, most cyclists will attain their physical peak between the ages of 20 and 30.

This means that once you hit 30 years there will be a steady decline in your speed over time. This is believed to be caused by reduced circulatory, heart, and lung function and decreased muscle mass.

Gravity

It is a well-known fact that gravity exerts a significant force downwards in the body thus significantly impacting how fast one can go while cycling. Since gravity depends on mass, things like body mass and how heavy your equipment and bike are will also have a significant impact on speeds.

Another important thing to take into account when discussing gravity is the gradient. Gravity usually increases on an uphill ride and reduces downhill. As such, your average speed and pace will be dependent on the structure and topology of your bike route. For instance, it is not possible to go at the same speed in the mountains as open you can easily maintain on an open road.

Rolling Resistance

This has a lot to do with the terrain on which you are riding your bike. Rolling resistance refers to the force generated when the bike comes into contact with road surfaces. If you are riding on complex or rough terrain the rolling resistance significantly increases while it will reduce when riding on relatively flat pathways.

Some of the best surfaces for reducing rolling resistance are concrete and wooden tracks. Other roads that may provide much less rolling resistance include roughly paved and asphalt roads. If you are riding on terrain with a lot of rolling resistance such as mountain bike paths or gravel roads you may have to use specialist bikes such as mountain bikes and gravel bikes.

Distance Covered

Average speed can often be dependent on how far you go. Because you will typically be less tired on shorter rides you can go at faster speeds. On longer rides, most riders prefer to drive at a casual pace which can be slower. 

One caveat though is that professional riders tend to maintain a regular cadence and speed over longer distances and can thus attain higher average speeds on longer rides even as they use shorter rides for recovery hence cycling slower than usual.

Riding Conditions

Riding conditions can either increase or decrease your average speed. If you ride in hilly terrain you may have lower speeds as compared to someone who rides on flat terrain. 

The same may be said of windy or non-windy conditions. If you ride with a tailwind you will find that your average speed can go up by up to 10% while a headwind could reduce your speed by about the same.

If you are riding in rainy conditions the roads may be slick and you will have to go slower to reduce the risk of slipping. 

Lastly, temperatures can also impact your riding as extremely cold or hot conditions could make you tire faster thus reducing the average speeds you can attain. 

average cycling speed for beginners

Beginners on short-distance rides can average about 12mph with limited training. Beginners with at least six months of cycling experience can top out at 15-16mph cycling distances between 20 and thirty miles.

More experienced riders with at least a year of riding experience can ride at an average speed of between 16-19mph at distances of about 40 miles. 

Professional club riders should be able to attain an average speed of between 20-24mph cycling distances of about 50 miles. 

If you are a beginner or just ride your bike for fun once or twice a week, it may not be possible to average anything greater than 15mph. This may come down to a lack of endurance, fitness training, or all three. 

How to Improve Your Average Cycling Speed

The most important way to do this is to work out on the body and train so that one can produce the energy and have the stamina to pedal and maintain reasonable speeds.

Other unorthodox ways of improving how fast you can go include working on the frequency of your braking. If you can brake far less than your competitors you overall go faster. Nonetheless, it is important to know that braking takes a lot of practice before you become good at riding with minimal braking

Another way of improving cycling speeds is by riding in a group where you can improve speeds by keeping up with the group or taking advantage of techniques such as drafting.

summary

Average cycling speeds per age is not a great metric to compare yourself to another cyclist. The most significant thing that affects average speeds usually comes down to fitness and other aspects such as riding conditions, type of bike, distance covered, and experience.