Home/Tools/Bicycle Speed Calculator
Free speed tool

Bicycle Speed
Calculator.

Enter how far you rode and how long it took to get your average speed in mph and km/h, or switch to ride-time mode to find how long a ride will take at a target speed.

What do you want?
Time

Enter your total elapsed time for an overall average, or your moving time for a moving average.

Average speed
16.0
mph
Leisurely Brisk Racing
Speed (metric) 25.7 km/h
Pace / mile 3:45
Pace / km 2:20

Results update as you type. Switch the unit to enter kilometres; mph and km/h are always both shown.

The maths

How the calculator works

Speed is one of the simplest formulas in cycling: how far you went divided by how long it took. Everything else is just a unit conversion.

÷
Average speed = distance ÷ time. Twenty miles in 1.25 hours is 16 mph. Enter kilometres and it converts first.
≈
Metric speed = mph × 1.609. The same effort shown as km/h for riders who think in metric.
”
Pace per mile = 60 ÷ speed in mph, shown as minutes and seconds. At 16 mph that is 3:45 per mile.
m
Pace per km = 60 ÷ speed in km/h. The metric-friendly version of pace, popular on the track.

The single biggest thing that changes your average is stopped time. Bike computers usually report moving time, which gives a flattering moving average; total elapsed time is the honest whole-ride number. Pick the one you care about before you read the result.

Want a printable speed and pace chart?
A one-page speed-to-pace reference chart is coming soon to our shop.
FAQ

Bicycle speed FAQ

Divide the distance you rode by the time it took. Speed = distance ÷ time. If you rode 20 miles in 1 hour and 15 minutes (1.25 hours), your average speed is 20 ÷ 1.25 = 16 mph. This calculator does the conversion to km/h and pace for you.

For most recreational riders on flat roads, 12 to 16 mph (19 to 26 km/h) is a solid average. Fitter club riders hold 16 to 20 mph, and fast group rides or racers push above 20 mph. Hills, wind, traffic and stops all lower your average, so do not judge yourself against pro numbers.

Yes. A sustained 20 mph (32 km/h) average on the flat is a strong pace that most riders can only hold for short efforts. Holding 20 mph for a whole ride usually means good fitness, an efficient road bike and reasonably flat, low-traffic roads.

Average speed tells you how far you travel in an hour (miles per hour). Pace tells you how long it takes to cover one unit of distance (minutes per mile). They are two views of the same thing: at 15 mph your pace is 4 minutes per mile. Runners think in pace, cyclists usually think in speed.

Your computer records a high top speed on descents or sprints, but average speed folds in every slow moment: climbs, corners, traffic lights, headwinds and coasting. A ride with a 35 mph top speed can easily average 14 mph. The average is the honest measure of the whole ride.

It uses whatever time you enter. If you enter your total elapsed time it gives your overall average; if you enter only your moving time (as most bike computers report) it gives your moving average, which is higher. Decide which number you want before you type the time in.