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How fast do pro cyclists ride?

Author

Rachel Ellis

Published Jan 17, 2026

You: 17 to 18 mph. A tour rider: 25 to 28 mph.

What speed do professional cyclists ride at?

The average speed for professional cyclists while traversing on flat terrain is 25-28 mph. The average amateur cyclist travels about 17-18 mph while on flat ground.

How fast do Olympic cyclists ride?

There are 12 different events, and the races are held in a bowl-shaped arena, called a velodrome, that is 250 meters (820 feet) round (though sizes can vary from track to track), with racers riding counterclockwise and achieving top speeds above 70km per hour (43.5 mph).

What is a good average speed when cycling?

Ride consistently and get fitter, and you should be able to maintain a mileage per hour in the mid-teens (around 15.5mph/25kph) over several hours – Strava reckons that's the average speed for rides logged. To hit an average speed of 20mph/32kph, you'll probably have had to put in lots of systematic training.

How fast do pro cyclists sprint mph?

The average speed during professional road cycling sprints is 63.9kph (53.7-69.1kph) sustained for between 9 and 17 seconds for men, and 53.8kph (41.6-64kph) for 10-30 seconds for women.

28 related questions found

Is 17 mph fast on a bike?

Average speed - indications

Most cyclists can achieve 10-12 mph average very quickly with limited training. More experienced, short-medium distance (say 20-30 miles): average 15-16 mph. Reasonable experience, medium (say 40 miles): average around 16-19 mph.

Is 18 mph fast on a bike?

The majority of riders can average a speed of about 15 mph on a one hour ride. A good speed for a beginner is 10 mph, but you should be able to get to 15 mph pretty quickly. If you start training every once in a while, you could get your average up to 18 mph, but training on a regular basis could get you to 22 mph.

How do pro cyclists ride so fast?

But the other major way that professional cyclists go much faster than the rest of us in a race like the Tour de France is their expertise in drafting or slipstreaming. This is where they cycle "on the wheel" of the rider in front so they are protected from some of the air resistance.

Is 15 miles a long bike ride?

In the biking world, 15 miles is deemed a short distance. They usually consider 40 miles as the medium distance to build speeds from 16 to 19 mph. However, bikers tend to go over greater speeds during long-distance trips. In these long journeys, they exceed 25 miles per hour.

Is 30 miles a long bike ride?

Cycling for 30 miles for two hours is considered a good pace for slow, fast, and experienced bikers. So, you would not have to fret about going faster than that. However, there's a huge possibility that you would not feel too good by the time you finish this mileage.

How fast is Peter Sagan?

Peter Sagan, racing at approximately 75kg, crossed the line in 2:26:00 with an average power of over 247 watts. His average cadence was 73rpm with an average speed of 39kph. The short stage contained over 1,250 meters (4,100 ft) of climbing and required around 2,000 kilocalories.

How fast do Tour de France riders?

Over the last several years, the winner of the tour has posted an overall average speed of right around 25mph (40kmph)–but that encompasses an entire tour. Uphill, downhill, time trial, flatland, it's all averaged at 25mph.

How fast is Mark Cavendish?

His top speed, 70.2km/h, may have only been the fourth-fastest of the top quartet on the stage, but the combination of Mørkøv's lead-out and Cavendish's sprinting know-how was more than enough to outclass his rivals once again.

Is 20km/h fast cycling?

Cycling burns more calories

Cycling at a moderate speed of 20 km/h (12 mph) burns approximately 563 kcal per hour. And the difference is even bigger when we increase the intensity. A fast walking speed of 6.5 km/h (4 mph) burns 352 kcal per hour, while a fast cycling speed of 30 km/h (19 mph) burns 844 kcal per hour.

How fast do pros cycle uphill?

According to Strava, the average speed up the climb for all pros is just under 17kph, with the average time for all attempts at 9.8kph.

Has anyone ever won all 4 jerseys in the Tour de France?

Merckx became a national hero. He won the Tour four more times: in 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1974, equalling Jacques Anquetil.

Is cycling 20 miles a day good?

The overall protective impact cycling has on your heart is pretty impressive. The British Medical Association reports that cycling just 20 miles a week slashes your risk of coronary heart disease in half when compared with staying sedentary.

Is the MS 150 hard?

It is a little hard to get the gumption to go ride in the cold and rain if you are new to riding in the first place. For some perspective, for the first several years I rode the MS 150 I did around 600 miles of training over about 40 hours. That's only between 3 and 4 hours of riding per week on average!

Do pro cyclists ride everyday?

Deciding How Much To Train

Pro cyclists often ride 20-30 hours a week. Riders training for ultramarathon events may log even more. Recreational racers (category 3, 4, 5 and masters) usually put in about 10 weekly hours, although some get by on 5 or 7 quality hours if their events are short.

Why do pro cyclists train slow?

“Riding slow gets the blood flowing, while keeping my heart rate low,” Zwizanski says. “It's an important component of the recovery period between hard rides or races.”

How do pro cyclists get so strong?

In general, most riders will have completed their last long ride the weekend before the Tour, and then they start to dial it back by tapering. “They go from riding five to six hours a day to riding about an hour or so or just taking the whole day off,” says Lim.

Is 45 fast on a bike?

Professional cyclists can achieve a 45-MPH top speed on a bike using only raw power to propel themselves over the road, facing the wind.

Is cycling better than running?

The number of calories you burn in either exercise depends on the intensity and length of time you do it. In general, running burns more calories than cycling because it uses more muscles. However, cycling is gentler on the body, and you may be able to do it longer or faster than you can run.

What is a good 40k cycle time?

What is a good 40k time? A good 40k time is 01:31:12. This is the average 40k time across all ages and genders.