The best way to use your commute for fitness is just to get going. This is where you can really use the opportunity for improving fitness on your commute by constantly challenging your average speed. In terms of cycling, this can mean riding for longer, riding faster or taking a more challenging route.
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To improve fitness, the body needs to be consistently challenged using progressive overload. Cycling to work will not solve all the worlds obesity problems but it certainly can help if used in the right way with other training and a healthy, balanced diet. The good news is that regular short rides are a great way to boost fitness, over a period of time, and improve cycling performance and taking it easier means you will be more likely to sustain a good bike commuting habit.įitness and weight loss are a lifestyle choice and many choose to use cycling to work as part of this overall healthy lifestyle balance. For low levels of fitness, the average speed will be reduced. Maintaining your average speed over the commute distance will come down to endurance and fitness. Fitness Impact on Average Bike Commute Speed Just look to maintain a steady and consistent pace over your commute distance. For the casual bike commuter, I wouldn’t get too hung up about it. This article gives great cycling tips on improving cadence for the more serious rider. With optimal gear changes, you can maintain cadence over the length of your commute to make improvements on average speed. Improving, and maintaining cadence will allow you longer and faster-peddling meaning average speed can be improved. It is more optimal to ride at a steady, consistent pace that can be maintained, rather than going hell for leather in the early part of the commute and being unable to sustain it, you should target a level cadence that can be maintained throughout the commute.Ĭadence on a bike is defined simply as the rate at which a cyclist pedals. Whilst this is normal, especially for someone with a low fitness level it should be considered and maximised where possible. The increased distance means you will become fatigued which will impact the average speed you can maintain. The further you commute, the more difficult it will be to maintain a higher average speed.
#Average speed on a bike pro#
There is a reason pro road bike racers are so lean! Consider the Commuting Distance Whilst this is a key factor, a few kilograms of weight saving on the bike can be negatively offset by carrying extra weight, either on yourself, or in a backpack whist packing your supplies for a day in the office, so it is worth packing as light as possible on the commute. If nothing else, road bikes just don’t seem to battle you in the same way a mountain bike does. This may be a phycological placebo but…if a placebo works then it works. Coupled with the ultra-lightweight carbon fibre frames of most mid-range road bikes, road bikes are built for speed.Ĭarbon fibre lightweight road bikes can increase average speed by at least 5-10% and whilst this may seem minimal, many cyclist feel they are much quicker on a lightweight bike than other options.
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The narrow wheels and thin profile tyres minimise rolling resistance meaning you can really get up to speed and maintain higher top speeds for longer. Graph showing the impact of bike commute average speed on commute time over 10 miles Pick the Best Bike to Maximise Average Commute Speedįor road commuting, there is no doubt that you need a road bike if maximum speed is your objective. Optimising these factors can help you to maximise your average bike commute speed and consideration should be made into how small changes can result in an increased average speed. This can also vary from one day to the next due to external and internal factors. When considering the average bike commute speed there are many factors to consider and there will be a number of influences specific for each individual. Although a number of factors influence total bike commuting time, your road speed is something you can positively influence.Ĭonsider the simple table below to show how important average bike commuting speed can be for a 10-mile commute. Increasing your average speed will translate into a quicker commute when all other factors are considered. After building some modest fitness and cycling experience, the average can be easily increased to 15 mph (24 kph). The average commuting bike speed is 12 mph (16 kph) and most cyclists can achieve this average speed very quickly and with limited training. Let’s be honest, we usually want to get the commute out of the way as quickly as possible, we all want to spend more time in bed in the morning and want to get home as quickly as possible at the end of the day.
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One question that is often asked by new bike commuters is what average speed can be achieved cycling to work.