How Long Does It Take To Ride Bike 5 Miles?

Cycling is an excellent physical activity that freshens your mind and soul. Even a regular biker sometimes wonders how long it takes to ride a bike 5 miles. You may be attempting this on a scenic ride or attempting to benchmark and increase your fitness levels. Well, no worries because in this short guide, we will explain the details of a 5 miles bike ride time. So stick around.

Covering a distance of 5 miles on a bike is hard for a beginner cyclist but not impossible. So if you are guessing how long it takes to ride a bike 5 miles then continue reading this article.

Average Time It Takes To Ride Bike 5 Miles

How Long Does It Take To Ride Bike 5 Miles

Generally, it takes 10 to 35 minutes to complete a 5-mile ride. You may be finding this estimated time duration confusing because the main reason behind this is the factors that play a major role in deciding your 5-mile bike ride time. I am including these factors below.

Factors That Affect the 5 Miles Biking Time

Factors That Affect the 5 Miles Biking Time
  • Biker’s stamina
  • Cycling speed
  • Biking terrain
  • Bike type

Biker’s Stamina

One of the main factors on which bike ride time depends is the stamina of the cyclist. There’s no doubt regular bikers will have more stamina as compared to those who bike once in a while, right? That’s why beginners take more time than regular cyclists to cover 5 miles distance.

Your Cycling Speed

Another factor that affects your 5 miles bike ride time is the cycling speed. As beginners ride the bike slowly their average time to bike 5 miles is 30-45 minutes whereas professional bikers will cover the same distance in 20 minutes or less because their cycling speed is much higher than beginners.

Biking Terrain

Besides the rider’s experience in cycling, a major factor that affects the cycling speeds is the track you choose for biking. Even a regular biker will take more than 30 minutes to cover 5 miles on rough and rocky mountain terrain. Whereas the same rider will be able to ride a bike 5 miles in much less time on a smooth track. So choose your terrain wisely if you are a beginner.

Moreover, there are many mountain bikes available in the market that you can buy if you are inclined to ride 5 miles on rocky terrain. This will not only save your energy but also its ergonomic design will keep you comfortable.

Bike Type

The type of bike you ride also affects your riding speed. As professional bikes are lightweight to offer maximum speed and comfort to the riders. While regular bikes are not as light as professional bikes and to ensure the durability of the bike they are built from some heavy-duty material which makes it difficult to ride.

There is no doubt different types of bikes offer different speeds. Here’s an overview of the main bike types along with their speeds. So if you are interested in knowing the bike speeds the below-mentioned points will be of great help to you.

  • The fastest bike is a road bike because it is lightweight and has narrow tires. This is the reason behind its fast-rolling speed. The average time to ride 5 miles on a road bike is around 20 minutes.
  • Mountain bikes are not only heavy but are also bulkier in size which is why their rolling speed is a lot less than a road bike. They also have wider tires, which means more friction to slow you down.
  • Whereas a hybrid bike offers maximum control over the bike but its speeds vary with the quality of the bike.

How to Increase your Biking Speed?

Are you concerned about your bike ride time because your ride time for a 5-mile is a lot higher than average riders? Do you want to achieve a better 5-mile bike ride time? If yes, then the following information is for you.

After spending hours searching on the internet, I was able to find a few useful tips that have benefitted me a lot in reducing my 5-mile bike ride time.

How to Increase the Biking Speed

Choose the Right Bike

Experts advise choosing your bike according to the terrain. So if your track is smooth and you want a speedy bike then a road bike, hybrid bike, or cyclocross bike is the best choice. For rough terrain, you need a bike with better grip than speed so you should go for mountain bikes.

Total Weight

If you want to reduce your riding time during a five-mile ride, then go on a bike with little or no luggage. The more weight you load on your bike the slower you will ride your bike. You will also have to put in more energy to keep moving forward. So, just go with the essential items while going for bike rides.

Riding Position

You must have seen professional bikers riding a bike in a particular position. Have you ever wondered why they always maintain a specific position during practice and races? Well, the scientific logic behind riding bikes in an aerodynamic position is that it reduces the surface area from the front which increases the speed. You could even try drafting off another cyclist.

Check the Tires

Never go on a long bike ride without checking the air pressure inside the bike tires. So, before you take out your bike for a 5-mile ride check your bike tires. Pump them up if needed. This will help increase the speed of your bike by decreasing the friction against the ground.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is biking 5 miles in 30 minutes good?

I would argue that cycling 5 miles in any amount of time! But an ambitious goal to shoot for would be 20 miles per hour, which would have you finishing in about 15 minutes.

Is a 5-mile bike ride good?

Good? It’s great! It can do wonders such as it keeps your heart healthy, helping you lose extra calories, increasing stamina, etc.

How long does 1 mile on a bike take?

Keeping the factors that affect the bike riding time aside it will take 3-6 minutes for an average cyclist to bike a mile.

Final Remarks

Many factors are responsible for deciding your bike riding time for five miles. Therefore, keeping all the factors in mind we have found out that an average cyclist will be able to cover a distance of 5 miles in 15 to 35 minutes on a bike. I hope our article has answered all your questions related to 5-mile bike ride time. Thank you.


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