How Many Cycling Miles Per Week? 5 Factors That Affect To The Distances
Cycling is good, but have you ever wondered how many cycling miles per week is enough? This article will help you answer that question with useful info!
Cycling is a good workout that everyone of different age groups and gender can do. It helps you improve your health, both physically and mentally. Yet, how many miles should I be cycling a day?
You are in luck, for today, we will help you answer that question! Today’s article will look at traveling distances and the factors that affect it. So, without further ado, let us dive right into it!
How Many Cycling Miles Per Week?
So, how long is enough? Is 100 miles a week cycling good?
There are many opinions regarding how many miles you should cycle per week. But generally, if you are a beginner, 10-mile to 15-mile once or twice per week should be enough. However, it is not as simple as it seems most of the time.
The interval you can travel depends on many factors, such as speed, goal, bicycle, physical condition, and terrain/route.
We will discuss these factors in the next section, so stay tuned!
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Factors That Affect Traveling Distance
The following are the factors that will affect it:
Speed
As you might know from basic physics, the distance you travel is calculated with the formula d = st, with “d” being distance, “s” is speed, and “t” equals time. That means it equals speed times time.
For example, if your speed is around 11 mph, and you travel for 2 hours, that means your approximate distance should be around 22, as 11 mph times 2 hours equals 22 long.
So basically, the faster you move, the more you can travel. Your speed, in turn, is affected by your goal, your bikes, your physical condition, and your route, which we will discuss next.
Goal
Your goal is the second factor that affects the interval. You must ask yourself: Why am I doing this? Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to train yourself for a competition? Or do you only cycle for fun?
If your main goal is exercising to keep fit, the answer to the question “Is 30 miles a week good cycling?” is YES! You should cycle at least 30 minutes every day, which translates to approximately 5 long per day, provided your average speed is around 10 to 13 mph.
So the minimum distance you would want to reach is more than 20-mile per week, especially if you are overweight.
For training, you do not want to go above 150-mile per week, as it will be very counterproductive, not to mention that you will have a higher chance of injury.
If you do it just for fun, the distance does not matter. Make yourself comfortable and enjoy the fun of biking!
Type Of Bicycle
The type of bike that you are using also affects the distance. There are 3 types of bikes on the market right now: e-bikes, road bikes, and mountain bikes.
If you are using an e-bike (electric bike), you can go much further than other types of bike, which is what beginners may like. Your overall distance per day may increase by 1.3 up to 9.3-mile.
Road bikes are designed for speed and flat, even roads. With speed being its main advantage, you can cycle much faster on this type of bike.
As the name suggests, mountain bikes can maneuver with ease on rough terrains. The distance you can travel on this type of bike depends entirely on the route quality, declines, and inclines.
Physical Condition
Physical condition is one of the most important factors deciding how far you can go. It includes fitness level, health, and age.
When it comes to fitness level, fit people such as runners and football players will have the advantage in speed. People out of shape may lack speed compared to fit people, thus limiting the distance they can travel.
If you have just recovered from broken bones, surgeries, or suffered from serious conditions like asthma, heart diseases, or diabetes, your traveling distance will also be limited.
Your age can also affect the distance that you can travel. Your average speed might decrease by around 1 to 1.5 mph between 20 to 60 years old, whether male or female.
Terrain And Route
Terrain and route are final factors that affect your overall travel distance. Mountainous, hilly, or muddy routes are slower to maneuver, as they take a lot of effort and strength to go through. Straight routes are easier to cycle at a faster speed.
Also, natural forces like gravity, friction, and wind will affect your traveling distance too. Headwind is the force against you, blowing opposite your side, slowing you down. Meanwhile, tailwinds can help boost your speed in some situations.
FAQs
How Many Miles Should You Cycling Per Day?
As mentioned in the previous section, it depends on many factors. Here is the list of some of the reference interval per day based on difficulties. Note that these numbers are only for reference purposes, and the actual number might vary from person to person:
- 0 to 7 miles; Very easy
- 8 to 14 miles: Easy
- 15 to 21 miles: Medium
- 22 to 28 miles: Hard
- 29 to 35 miles: Very hard
- Above 35 miles: Expert
Is Cycling Every Day Too Much?
For this question, the answer varies from person to person; some people might say that biking every day is normal, some might say it is too much. Overall, there is nothing bad with biking every day.
Doctors often recommend you to exercise at least 30 minutes a day. So you can choose to cycle every day for 30 minutes if you like to, once to twice per week.
How Many Miles Should Beginner Cyclists Travel Per Week?
For absolute beginners, it is often recommended that they should be biking 10 to 15-mile, once or twice per week. That is the minimum recommended number for beginners in general.
If you are a beginner but have a sports background, you can certainly try to go further than 10 to 15-mile.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, to answer the question of how many cycling miles per week is enough, you should look at five main factors: speed, goal, bicycle, physical condition, and terrain/route.
So, what do you think? Be sure to leave a comment down below.
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Jame K. Thomas
Hey guys, I am an avid cyclist who have raced competitively in the amateur ranks until my mid 30s. I love cycling because it offers both physical and mental challenges, as well as the sense of freedom that comes with riding outdoors. I have devoted myself to the communities and shared all that I know about this supper-duper lovely cycling. Hope that my experience in this blog could give you help.
