I’ve heard many cyclists ask, “how long does it take to bike 2 miles” and whilst it’s not straightforward to provide a direct answer to this question, I thought I’d answer this for you.
In this short guide, I’ll explain how long, on average, it takes to cycle 2 miles on several different types of bikes and for cyclists of varying abilities.
Alongside this information, I’ll talk you through several factors affecting your average cycling speed and teach you how you can limit their impact and decrease your time taken to bike 2 miles.
Let’s hit the road!
How Long Does It Take to Bike 2 Miles?
Since your average cyclist rides at a speed between 10 – 14 mph (16 – 22.5km/h), they’ll take between 8.5 and 12 minutes to bike two miles.
Just below, we’ll explore the factors that affect the average time taken to bike two miles.
It’s important to remember that you can always improve your cycling speed. So, if you think you’re slower than the time shown above, don’t worry!
Keep reading, and I’ll give you several valuable tips to help you cycle faster.
The table below displays the average time taken to ride two miles by cyclists of differing abilities.
| Average Time Taken To Bike 2 Miles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Beginner Cyclists | 12 minutes | |
| Intermediate Cyclists | 7 minutes 30 seconds | |
| Advanced Cyclists | 6 minutes | |
| Professional Cyclists | 5 minutes | |
Factors That Affect Your Average Biking Speed
As you can imagine, many factors impact your average cycling speed.
I’ve listed several of these below so that you get the idea of what to consider when working at improving your average biking speed.
However, if you want the complete list of factors affecting your cycling speed, read my detailed guide covering the average cycling speed, and reduce your time taken to bike two miles.
Rider Confidence
A cyclist who’s confident in their ability and keeps a positive mindset will reduce their average time taken to ride two miles compared to a nervous, negative cyclist riding the same route.
Keep positive and win the mental battle to shave your average times down!
Familiarity with Cycle Route
If you’re riding a technical mountain bike trail for the first time, you’ll need to ride slower to learn the course and prevent accidents than if you knew the route off by heart.
Familiarise yourself with your chosen route, and you’ll reduce your average ride time.
If you’re riding a route for the first time, it can be good to use tools such as Google Maps to better understand the route you’ll be taking.
I’ve put together a guide here to show you how to view bike lanes and trails on Google Maps, have a read!
Total Route Distance
As we carry out anaerobic exercise, our body supplies energy (from glucose) to our muscles for fuel. As a result, lactic acid (the waste product from this process) builds up, affecting our stamina and remaining energy.
Riding a longer route will demand more from your body, more energy will be used to fuel your muscles, and lactic acid will continue to build up throughout your ride.
This means whilst you might be able to sustain a cycling speed of 24 mph for half a mile, you’d struggle to continue at this pace over a 5-mile route.
Bike Condition
If you’ve neglected your bike for years and as a result, it’s now rusty and clunky to ride; firstly, it will be slower now than when it was new, and secondly, do yourself a favour and educate yourself on essential bike maintenance.
Take good care of your bike, and it’ll take good care of you. Otherwise, don’t be surprised if you take longer to cycle 2 miles than your cycling buddies!
To learn more about what you can do to cycle faster, read this free guide.
What Is the Average Bike Speed?
As we’ve found out already, the average cycling speed sits between 10 & 14 mph (16 – 22.5 km/h).
But I wanted to go further than this and find real-world data that would help determine a reliable average cycling speed.
Strava, the most popular bike ride tracking platform, collected data from over 5.2B miles of bike rides in 2018.
From this Strava’s rider data in 2018, the average cycling speed was 13.5 mph (21.72 km/h).
This is a considerable distance, which means we gain a reasonable estimate of the average cycling speed.
However, we need to consider that cyclists wanting to track and monitor their ride statistics will have faster ride time on average, as they probably take their cycling more seriously than your average rider!
The above data includes both male and female bike rides. It’s interesting to see how the two sexes compared in their average speeds.
Average Speed Over 2 Miles For Different Bike Types
The above chart displays the average speed of four of the most popular types of bikes.
If you’d like to learn more about different bike types, read my informative guide here for free!
How Long to Ride 2 Miles on a Road Bike
The average speed for a road bike on roads with a flat elevation profile is 16 mph (25.7 km/h).
This means, on average, it will take 7 minutes and 30 seconds for a cyclist to ride two miles on a road bike.
How Long to Bike 2 Miles on a Mountain Bike
When riding a mountain bike on a road with a flat elevation profile, your average cyclist will travel at 12 mph (19.3 km/h).
This means that when riding a mountain bike, it will take 10 minutes to bike 2 miles on average.
How Long to Ride 2 Miles on a Hybrid Bike
When riding a hybrid bike on a flat road, your average cyclist will travel at 14 mph (22.5 km/h).
This means that to cycle a mile on a hybrid bike will take 8 minutes and 34 seconds for the average cyclist.
How Long to Bike 2 Miles on a E-Bike
In the USA, the maximum assisted speed for an e-bike is 20 mph (32.1 km/h), which means it would take someone 6 minutes with maximum assistance to bike two miles in the USA.
In the UK, the legal maximum assisted speed of an e-bike is 15.5 mph. This means that it would take a cyclist on an e-bike 7 minutes and 44 seconds to cycle 2 miles in the UK.
Average Bike Speed FAQs
Is Cycling Two Miles a Day Good?
By cycling two miles per day, you’ll burn around 100 – 120 calories and whilst two miles isn’t a long distance to cycle, it’s a reasonable distance for beginner cyclists to start with.
It’s crucial to incrementally increase the distances of your ride to avoid injury and increase fitness, rather than going from 0 to 100!
What Distance Is a 30 Minute Bike Ride?
Considering the average cycling speed ranges from 10 – 14 mph (16 – 22.5 km/h), your average cyclist can expect to cover between 5 and 7 miles throughout a half-hour bike ride.
Should You Ride a Bike Every Day?
Daily exercise is a great idea and an excellent way to promote a healthy lifestyle.
Cycling every day will help you stay fit. Just be sure that you aren’t pushing yourself too hard as over-exercising can lead to injuries.
I’d recommend a variety of daily exercises, and if you’re tired or feeling run down, don’t be afraid to take a rest day to allow your body to recover!
Conclusion - How Long to Bike 2 Miles?
So you’re now an expert on average cycling speeds and should now understand how long it takes to bike two miles.
Most journeys by bike are further than this, but this measurement will be helpful if you’re only popping down to your local grocery store.
Again, I’ve put together a detailed guide covering everything to do with the average cycling speed. Have a read and learn what you can do to increase your speed on two wheels.
And as I always tell my readers, if you worry about the security of your bike whilst you’re away from it, do something about it!
Don’t wait before a thief steals it to think about updating your security equipment.
If you’re on a tight budget, check out my review of the best cheap bike locks. Or, if you’re willing to spend a little more to protect your two-wheeled friend, learn about the uncuttable bike locks here.
Remember, lock it… or lose it!
Ciao for now.
