Bike Speed Calculator
Enter any two of speed, pace, distance and time — the calculator fills in the rest, in kilometres and miles, so you can plan a ride, check a split or settle what that average really means.
- Published formulas, shown on the page
- Works in km and miles
- Free — no sign-up, nothing uploaded
Calculate your ride
Enter times as h:mm:ss or m:ss — for example 1:20:00 or 45:30.
The greyed-out value is the one being solved — pick a different “Solve for” to change it. Everything updates as you type, and the address bar keeps your numbers so you can share the link.
Your results
Average speed
—
| Distance | — |
|---|---|
| Time | — |
| Average speed | — |
| Pace | — |
Averages blend moving time and stops — for a moving average, enter moving time only.
Speed at a glance
The table below converts the speeds riders talk about most into mph and pace. For the full range — every speed from 10 to 50 km/h — open the printable bike pace chart. If you want to know which gear and cadence produces a given speed, the gear speed calculator works it out from your chainring, cog and wheel size.
| Speed | mph | Pace /km | Pace /mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 km/h | 9.3 mph | 4:00 | 6:26 |
| 20 km/h | 12.4 mph | 3:00 | 4:50 |
| 25 km/h | 15.5 mph | 2:24 | 3:52 |
| 28 km/h | 17.4 mph | 2:09 | 3:27 |
| 30 km/h | 18.6 mph | 2:00 | 3:13 |
| 32 km/h | 19.9 mph | 1:53 | 3:01 |
| 35 km/h | 21.7 mph | 1:43 | 2:46 |
| 40 km/h | 24.9 mph | 1:30 | 2:24 |
How the calculator works
Average speed is distance divided by time; pace is the same relationship turned around — the time one kilometre or one mile takes. The solver treats speed and pace as two views of one number, so solving for either gives you both. Conversions use the exact definitions: 1 mile = 1.609344 km and 1 mph = 1.609344 km/h. The full method, including how the power and gearing tools on this site are modelled, is set out on the methodology page.
A rider covers 60 km in 2:15:00. Speed = 60 ÷ 2.25 h = 26.7 km/h (16.6 mph). Pace = 2.25 h ÷ 60 km = 2:15 per km, or 3:37 per mile. Enter 60 and 2:15:00 above to see the same result.
What is a good cycling speed?
It depends far more on the rider, the bike and the road than on any single number. The ranges below are the ones commonly published by cycling magazines and coaching sites for adults on flat roads in calm conditions — treat them as orientation, and expect hills, wind, traffic and a heavier bike to pull any of them down.
| Rider | Average speed | What it usually looks like |
|---|---|---|
| New rider | 15–20 km/h (9–12 mph) | First months on the bike, upright position, frequent stops. |
| Regular commuter | 20–25 km/h (12–16 mph) | Rides most weeks; traffic and junctions cap the average. |
| Fit recreational rider | 25–30 km/h (16–19 mph) | Weekly club or solo rides of an hour or more. |
| Trained club rider | 30–35 km/h (19–22 mph) | Structured training, drop bars, group riding. |
| Racer | 35–42 km/h (22–26 mph) | Race pace in a bunch; solo time trials sit lower. |
Age matters less than training history: masters riders in their 50s and 60s who train consistently routinely hold speeds that new riders half their age cannot, while top-end speed and sprint power do decline gradually from the 40s onward. If you want to see what a target speed demands from your legs, the watts to speed calculator converts it into power. Racing a triathlon instead? The triathlon pace calculator builds your whole day — swim, bike, run and transitions — around a bike split.
More cycling calculators
This solver covers the road. The rest of the site goes deeper: the gear speed calculator turns chainring, cog and cadence into speed; the watts to speed calculator estimates the power behind any speed, both ways; the triathlon pace calculator plans swim, bike and run splits; the stationary bike calculator handles indoor miles and erg watts; and the bike pace chart prints the whole speed-to-pace table for the wall.
Gear Speed Calculator
Speed from chainring, cog, wheel size and cadence — plus the full gear matrix.
Open the calculator →Watts to Speed Calculator
The power a speed takes — and the speed a power buys — from the published model.
Open the calculator →Triathlon Pace Calculator
Swim, bike and run splits for Ironman, 70.3, Olympic and Sprint.
Open the calculator →Stationary Bike Calculator
Indoor distance, pace and erg watts for trainers and gym bikes.
Open the calculator →Bike Pace Chart
Every speed from 10–50 km/h with mph and pace — printable.
Open the calculator →Limitations
- Average speed hides everything interesting: climbs, descents, stops and surges all blend into one number.
- Pace assumes an even effort. Real rides vary minute to minute, so treat pace as a planning figure.
- The “good speed” ranges are commonly published orientation figures, not measured norms for any population.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my cycling speed?
Divide the distance by the time. A 40 km ride that took 1:20:00 works out to 40 ÷ 1.333 hours = 30.0 km/h (18.6 mph). The solver above does it in either direction — enter any two of speed, pace, distance and time and it fills in the rest.
What is a good average cycling speed?
On flat roads on a road bike, most beginners average 15–20 km/h, regular riders 24–28 km/h, trained club riders 28–32 km/h, and strong racers 35 km/h and above. Terrain, wind, traffic stops and the bike itself move those numbers a lot — use them as orientation, not a score.
What is the difference between speed and pace?
Speed is distance per hour (30 km/h). Pace is the time each unit of distance takes (2:00 per km at 30 km/h). They are the same ride described two ways, and this calculator always shows both, per kilometre and per mile.
Why was my average speed lower on the way back?
Usually wind and gradient: a headwind or a gentle climb that felt flat can cost several km/h, and stops at junctions drag the average down too. If you want to know what power that speed took, the watts calculator estimates the drag, rolling resistance and gravity behind it.
How accurate is this calculator?
The arithmetic is exact for the numbers you enter. Real rides differ because average speed blends moving time, stops and slow corners — if your computer shows elapsed time including stops, use that for a like-for-like average.
- Bicycle performance — Wikipedia — speeds, power and efficiency in context
- British Cycling — Insight Zone — coaching guidance on pacing and typical riding speeds