Cycling Travel Time

Cycling trip time: formula and reference speeds

Trip time on a bike comes down to th = distancekm / speedkm/h. For average speeds, a rough guide: an urban commuter on a hybrid bike does 15-25 km/h, an amateur road cyclist sits around 25-35 km/h, and a pro can hold 40+ km/h on flat ground. Example: the São Paulo - Rio de Janeiro route (~430 km via Dutra) works out to roughly 18 hours of pure pedalling time for an amateur at 24 km/h average, which you'd realistically spread over 3-4 days with stops. Wind, gradient and traffic lights can shave 20-40% off your effective speed. Devices like Garmin Edge and Wahoo Elemnt, plus apps like Strava or Komoot, track moving time apart from elapsed time.

Applications: commute, cicloturismo and races

People use it for bike commuting (Bike SP, Itaú Bike-sharing), for mapping out cicloturismo routes like the Caminho da Fé or the Circuito das Frutas, for building training schedules, and for ultra-endurance events such as Brasil Ride and the Audax brevets (200/400/600 km, each with a time cap). It's handy too for delivery couriers (iFood, Rappi) sizing up how much they can earn in a shift.

FAQ

Why is my Strava average lower than expected? By default Strava folds in the time you spent stopped. Switch the view to "moving time" if you want a fair comparison with your pure pedalling speed.

How much does elevation affect time? For most amateurs, a 5% climb roughly halves their speed. On hilly routes, budget 1.5-2x what the same distance would take on flat ground.

What about headwind? A 20 km/h headwind can knock 5-8 km/h off your effective speed. Getting low into an aero position and drafting behind a group cuts that penalty a lot.