Cycling is one of the best exercises you can do for your body and mind. It’s low impact, so it’s gentle on your joints, and it’s a fantastic cardiovascular workout. Cycling also increases strength and flexibility, and it can enhance your mood. But regardless of whether you are new to biking or you have been riding for a while, it’s always interesting to know if you’re reaching the average times.
10km is a superb beginner distance and the average distance for most commuters. Estimating your average 10km time for your gender and age group can be helpful in understanding how long it might take you to cycle to your destination or calculating how much time you have to exercise each week.
Table of Contents
What is the Average Time to Cycle 10km?
A person with an average level of fitness can cycle 10km between 24 minutes and 35 minutes. The average time for a male aged 20-40 is around 24 minutes. For a female, it is 30 minutes. For an advanced cyclist, an average 10km time is around 16 minutes.
However, you must take into account the sort of bike you’re riding since this may have a significant impact on your speeds. The quickest bike is generally a road bike that is easy to build miles on. A hybrid bicycle is generally slower than a road bike, but it’s still quick when riding on flat, smooth surfaces like the highway.
A mountain bike or a regular bike is the slowest because it has a thick wheel, resulting in more friction and weight. They are usually heavier than road or hybrid bikes and have a larger surface area, making them slower due to friction on the road. A road bike is generally 10% faster than a mountain bike, which might be 2 minutes or more depending on the rider.
The terrain has a significant influence on your overall time. If you’re cycling on a flat road, you’ll be able to keep a higher speed than if you were cycling on a rough mountain path. Off-road cycling is more difficult than road and highway riding, and when compared to the road, there is a 50 percent difference in cycle time.
As a result, these average timings are estimated for a typical road bike on a road surface. Add 10% more time to these times if you’re riding a mountain bike or hybrid, and if you’re cycling off-road, add extra time for the terrain. The more difficult the ground is, the longer it will take you to bike 10km.
Average Time to Cycle 10km Males
On average, it takes a male between 24 minutes and 29 minutes to cycle 10km. However, it depends on their age, weight and overall fitness levels. For instance, a male that is aged between 25-29 can expect a 10km cycling time of 24 minutes. For a male that is aged 40-44 can expect around 25 minutes.
| Age | Average Time To Cycle 10km in Minutes (Males) |
| 15-19 | 24.50 |
| 20-24 | 24.00 |
| 25-29 | 24.20 |
| 30-34 | 24.30 |
| 35-39 | 25.00 |
| 40-44 | 25.30 |
| 45-49 | 26.30 |
| 50-54 | 26.50 |
| 55-59 | 28.00 |
| 60-65 | 29.10 |
Average Time to Cycle 10km Females
On average, it takes a female between 29 minutes and 35 minutes to cycle 10km. However, it depends on their age, weight and overall fitness levels. For instance, a female that is aged between 30-34 can expect a 10km cycle time of 30 minutes. For a female that is aged 45-50 can expect around 31 minutes.
| Age | Average Time To Cycle 10km in Minutes (Females) |
| 15-19 | 31.00 |
| 20-24 | 29.10 |
| 25-29 | 30.00 |
| 30-34 | 30.20 |
| 35-39 | 30.30 |
| 40-44 | 30.50 |
| 45-49 | 31.10 |
| 50-54 | 34.20 |
| 55-59 | 34.30 |
| 60-65 | 35.00 |
Generally, males are faster at cycling than females because they have more muscle mass and a lower body fat percentage. However, as the distances get longer, females have greater endurance and can actually outperform males who are regularly training.
But ultimately, its fitness level has the biggest impact on your average time to cycle 5km. A person that is very fit will be able to do it faster than someone who is not as fit, regardless of their gender. The only way to improve your cycling times is regularly cycle and train. Your weight is another factor to consider because a lighter person will be able to cycle faster than a heavier person.
Other Cycling Articles you Might Find Helpful
How Many Calories Do You Burn Cycling 10km?
On average, if you cycle 10km at a moderate pace at a speed of 19kph-30kph, you can expect to burn around 350 calories. The number of calories you burn cycling 10km will depend on your weight, gender and pace. A person who weighs 180 pounds and bikes 10km in 30 minutes will burn about 330 calories. A person who weighs 220 pounds and cycles 10km in 30 minutes will burn about 400 calories.
| Weight (pounds) | Calories Burned for cycling 10km |
| 160 | 290 |
| 170 | 310 |
| 180 | 330 |
| 190 | 340 |
| 200 | 360 |
| 210 | 380 |
| 220 | 400 |
| 230 | 420 |
| 240 | 450 |
| 250 | 480 |
Can you Lose Weight Cycling 10km Every Day?
If you are trying to lose weight, cycling 10km a day is a great way to start. You will burn approximately 2,500 calories per week by cycling 10km every day. This is equivalent to half a pound of weight loss per week. In order to lose one pound of weight, you need to create a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories. This can be done by reducing your food intake, increasing your activity level or a combination of both.
It is important to remember that weight loss is not a linear process. You might not lose half a pound every week, but if you stick with it, you will eventually reach your goal.
Can You Cycle 10km Every Day?
Yes, you can cycle 10km every day, but you need to make sure that you do not overtrain. This is because if your body does not have time to recover, then it will start to break down muscle tissue. It is recommended that you take a rest day every 3-5 days. This will give your body time to repair and rebuild any damaged muscle tissue.
If you are new to cycling, then you should start off slowly and gradually increase your distance and pace. For instance, you could cycle 10km 3 times a week for the first week and then increase it to 4 times a week the following week. You should also make sure that you warm up before you start cycling and cool down afterwards. This will help to prevent any injuries.
How To Improve Distance And Speed For Cycling?
Cycling is a pretty simple sport as far as physics is concerned. It’s all about weight, resistance, and strength. Approaching your goals of speed and distance should be approached slightly differently.
Here are some tips to help you improve your overall distance so you can clock up high miles on your bike.
1. Sprint Training
First, let’s look at improving speed in the capacity of sprinting a short distance on the bike. When you’re doing this, there are a few things to consider:
–neuromuscular recruitment: the ability of your nervous system to fire muscle groups quickly and efficiently
– anaerobic capacity: the amount of energy you can produce without oxygen
– lactic acid threshold: how much lactic acid your muscles can produce before it starts to affect your performance
To improve your anaerobic capacity and lactic acid threshold, you need to do high-intensity interval training (HIIT). This type of training involves going all out for a short period, followed by a recovery period, and repeating this process several times.
Let’s begin with 1km. First, try to max out your cycle speed for that 1km, then for the next 1 km, reduce your speed to what you’re comfortable with. Repeat this step over and over every time you cycle, and you’ll be building a lot of body strength that will go a long way to improving your cycling speed and skill.
Next, work up to 5km. You’ll want to push your average speed higher and higher each time you attempt the 5km route, and this will involve a fair amount of muscle conditioning and training and, of course, pain. The fastest way to improve your speed on the bike is to build a sprint-based training routine that pushes your body to increase the average speed.
You’ll want to find similar weather and road conditions and cycle at the same time each day to gauge your improvement. Obviously, cycling at midnight with no traffic is going to be considerably faster than cycling at peak hours in a dense urban environment.
2. Fuel Up And Regularly Stretch
You’re going to want to warm up your muscles correctly if you’re planning on doing any type of strength or distance training on the bike, so incorporate at least 10-15 minutes of stretches before and after your cycle.
Focus on the hamstring, quads, thighs, back and shoulders. Don’t forget some neck stretches and movement exercises, too, as a long time in the saddle impacts your entire body. Make sure you refuel with an electrolyte replenishing drink or a similar sports drink, and if you’re going long distances, have some slow and fast-releasing energy foods to keep you focused and energised.
3. Double Up The Distance
OK, so you’ve got your top speed up to around 20-25km/h, and you’re really beating the 10km route. The next step is to improve the distance that you’re cycling. The easiest way is to double your 10km route to 10km and maintain your new top average speed.
You’ll find this will be challenging at first, but within a few weeks, if you cycle every day, your muscles will be conditioned to the new 15km distance.
4. Explore More Challenging Terrain
By far, one of the easiest ways to improve your speed and distance cycling is to cycle on varied terrain. Doing a few short ascents along with bursts of downhill and sprint cycling will not only improve your cycling ability on flat terrain but will also significantly improve your fitness and overall health. Cycling varied terrain and making day trips cycling to new areas and towns is one of the many joys of cycling and is really something to look forward to in your cycling fitness goals.
Are you regularly cycling the same distance as your daily commute to work? OK, so why not try doing more the next time or visiting friends at the weekend? Instead of admiring the mountains from a distance, why not cycle out to them and check out the new terrain?
5. Join A Cycling Club
Cycling isn’t only about pushing your personal goals and fitness levels. It’s also an incredibly social sport that is ideal for all ages and skill levels of cyclists. Joining a social cycling club is a great way to meet people with similar interests and offers exciting ways to expand your cycling skills and knowledge of the area.
Many cycling clubs also offer social rides, competitions, events, and cycle holidays to explore new areas, states, or even countries. Can’t cycle in Michigan state in the winter?
Why not hit up Malta or a Mediterranean island for a bit of cycle tourism while improving your tan?! Sounds good, right! There are so many exciting places to explore, and the only way to do it is to get on your bike and ride!
