Biking is all the rage these days. With its rising popularity, there have been many questions about how to ride well, how to stay focused, and its benefits. One main point of concern is the distance you need to bike daily. Here’s the answer:
People can cover different distances depending on their expertise. Beginners can usually bike 10 miles a day, while experienced cyclists can go as far as 45 miles if they habitually ride 20 to 30 miles a day.
Since it’s so subjective, there’s no set mile to bike every day. It mainly depends on you and how much time you want to dedicate to the hobby. There are many questions related to how much you should bike a day.
In this article, I’m about to cover everything related to how many miles you should bike a day.
Read on to find out!
Average Miles to Bike a Day
Ideally, your cycling goals should coincide with your average miles. In this way, how many miles you should bike a day has no significant value. It can be as less as 5 miles or as many as 20.
There are a few miles that many people commonly go at. This is the mileage that’s somewhat easy to reach, and the miles are also easy to keep track of.
Now, if you were to go 6.5 miles every day, it’s a lot harder to keep track of than going 5 miles. Similarly, if you’re determined to lose weight then 10 miles is the perfect distance for you.
15 miles is for the ones who want to push their body. Or ones who want to train professionally. Usually, 10-15 miles give you the perfect distance to work on your body and give it your all. Any more may be straining if you’re not a professional.
What’s Considered a Long Bike Ride?
For a person who doesn’t often cycle, riding 20 miles will be a long ride. On the other hand, 100 miles will be a long ride for passionate cyclists, so the degree of a long bike ride varies from person to person. In the Tour de France, cyclists have even covered more than 140 miles.
Realistically speaking, any distance which causes you to ride for more than four hours is long. Even four hours is a very long duration to spend cycling.
» Read my blog post: Tour De France Always The Same Route? No, It’s Not! (Facts)
On the other hand, the intensity at which you cover a distance also matters.
If you cover 40 miles with a group of like-minded enthusiasts at a decent speed, then it won’t feel as long.
At the same time, going alone for even 10 miles may seem like the longest distance ever. But at the end of the day, consistency is key.
If you’re keener on riding at 25 MPH, then any speed faster than that may be difficult for you. And this is how you can determine which distance is long or not.
Is It OK to Ride a Bicycle Every Day?
Riding a bicycle every day is very much OK and contributes to a good metabolism and muscle building. With its steady boom over the past years, bicycling has surely been on the top of activities you can do to stay healthy.
To put it plainly, when you start cycling every day, you’ll notice many changes in your body (all good ones). These can include the following:
- You gain strength in your legs — When you start biking every day, you’ll notice that your legs have gotten much stronger. This is the most noticeable benefit you’ll get from biking every day. Your quads, hamstrings, and calves will grow only if you ride your bike diligently.
- Increased core strength — Next, your core strength increases exponentially. Biking doesn’t just strengthen your legs but your core overall. Don’t feel too surprised when your abs hurt after a cycling session. Chances are it’s tiring after keeping your body atop the whole time.
- Build muscles — Biking is intense cardio. Therefore, as with any exercise, you’ll find yourself building muscles. Cycling puts strain on your muscles, so along with your lungs, you’ll also feel your muscles burning due to their extensive use.
- Shed body fat — When you gain muscle mass, you lose fat. So, biking helps you lose body fat and replace it with muscle mass instead. Being high in intensity, biking is the perfect exercise to lose body fat without risking your joints.
- Increase mental stamina — Lastly, biking improves your mental stamina a lot. Since it isn’t easy, you’re required to push yourself to reach your destination. This is what makes you stronger internally; improving your mental strength and resilience.
These are some of the changes that come with cycling every day. So, cycling every day is okay.
» Maybe this also could be of interest to you: The Disadvantages Of Cycling? (Are There Really Any?)
Is It Better to Cycle Faster or Longer?
Both cycling methods serve different purposes. Short and fast sessions are good for building stamina and heart and lung capacity. Whereas long and slow sessions help train cyclists for competitions and are a great leisure activity.
Before we reach an answer, we must have a clear view of what “long” and “fast” is. Here we can make it 20 miles and at a speed of 25MPH.
There are a lot of training aspects lying in this question as well, but mainly this focuses on benefits. If you were to ride faster, let’s say a 3-hour ride, you can still do it with a higher power output since speed depends on how fast you pedal.
This way you’re still effective in your biking and you’ll overall have a higher power output. Since shorter sessions are easier to recover from, you can dive right back into your next ride quickly.
» I have also written this post, about: How Fast Is Possible On a Bicycle? (Fastest Speed w/o Draft)
On the other hand, biking for longer is more suited for people training for competitions. It builds more endurance and is always a good way to de-stress. Other than this, there are plenty of psychological benefits from cycling longer, too.
Factors to Consider When Biking
When you make biking every day a habit, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Firstly, you shouldn’t only be biking because you have to, but because you want to. Biking is an arduous activity and one that requires much pre and post-care.
When you’re biking, you must ensure you’re in the best of health, are on the right terrain, and have stable weather conditions.
If there are any mishaps in any of these conditions, then it can end badly for you. Biking longer distances can only happen if you take care of these factors; then, you can expect to go longer miles pretty soon.
Your Ultimum
First things first, the only way you can ever go beyond a mile is if you have got a stable goal. You must have an ultimatum that motivates you to bike every day.
To be aimless and do it for the sake of doing it won’t get you anywhere. If you want to bike longer miles, you must think of the things you want to achieve with biking.
This could be feeling better about yourself, losing weight, and improving your general fitness. Whatever the case, having a steady goal set in mind can push you out of bed to bike every day.
Whether you want to go 5, 10, or 15 miles, by having an ultimatum, you can bike accordingly. Plus, you can keep reminding yourself of your motive to stay uplifted.
Your Health
Next up is health. An obvious factor to be aware of when biking. While exercise is no doubt good for you, you shouldn’t go overboard on the agenda.
So much so that you end up not being able to do daily chores. If biking for a few hours makes you lose energy, then it’s best to consult a doctor and tone down your bike time.
Remember that as a beginner, you’re not meant to bike 20 miles a day; at that point, even 3 miles would suffice.
You get to decide the starting point based on your health.
Once you’ve found a balance between your health and your biking schedule, you’ll find yourself more energized than drained out.
How Skilled You Are
Your skill is very necessary when you start biking. Since it’s an activity that requires you to have a good balance of your body, this can only be achieved if you’re familiar with the sport.
You’ll need to evaluate the basis of your skill before you plan on your biking schedule. That way, you can decide how many miles are best for you.
As a beginner, it’ll take longer to cycle a mile than professionals.
If you ride a bike daily, then you can easily go more than 3 miles a day and still be energetic. Biking is by no means a race, so you shouldn’t be comparing yourself to others.
Just keep to your daily distance at your own pace. Stopping by to appreciate the view won’t put you back.
What Bike You Are Using
As we all know, different bikes offer different features. And these features are what determine your bike’s speed and related factors.
Each bike has its pros and cons, and therefore, you should try your bike out first before making a routine based on it. For example, road bikes and BMX are faster than mountain bikes.
» I have covered more on this subject in this blog post: How Fast Do Electric Bikes Go?
Get familiar with the gears, pedals, and their comfort level before setting out on hardcore routines. A tip is to be careful of the saddle.
It’s not supposed to make you feel pain, so if that’s the case, then there’s something wrong with your bike which needs to be fixed. It’d also help if you chose between a mountain or road bike. As they’re both unique in their way.
Environment/Terrain
Lastly, your terrain of choice affects your biking experience a lot. For a beginner or just anyone who bikes as a hobby, flat terrains are the best option.
There’s no need for you to be riding in hilly terrains unless you’re training for a tournament. Only then is uphill, rocky, and other sorts of terrain best suited.
You should talk with any local rider you know and ask them about their routes so you can get an idea. With a few opinions in mind, you can then choose your preferred place to ride your bike.
FAQs
By now, I’m sure you have plenty more questions left unanswered. That’s why I’m going to try and answer as many as I can.
How Many Miles Can a Beginner Bike In a Day?
We’re back to where it all started. A beginner should easily be able to bike around 10-15 miles per day. This is both achievable and a constant figure to keep you motivated biking every day.
However, this also largely depends on your fitness; as a beginner, you might not be used to such strenuous activities, and it can be hard to bike this long. In that case, even biking 3 miles will suffice.
Conversely, if you’re a professional, then 45 miles should be an easy target.
Is Cycling 5 Miles a Day Good?
Riding up to 5 miles on a steady-paced bike is more than enough to help you stay in shape and lose your calories. At 5 miles, your body will both burn the excess fat and help you stay in perfect shape.
Biking 5 miles daily is a good way to reach your weight loss goals sustainably. It’s a healthier alternative as well as an entertaining one.
Is Biking 20 Miles A Day Good?
Though a bit more intense, biking 20 miles also has the same benefits as biking 5 miles every day. It helps in weight loss by burning excess calories.
Although it’s important to take note that you’ll only lose weight if you’re in line with your diet. Biking 20 miles a day is a good distance for intermediate and beginner riders. And a casual stroll for professionals.
» You can also read my post: How Many Watts An Average Cyclist Produces
Conclusion
How many miles you bike a day is completely up to you, something you’ve probably known by now. Biking shouldn’t have any general values added to them. It all depends on your schedule and motivation.
To box people into certain mileages, 5 or 10 or 30, is foul for a sport so free-spirited. Plus, not everyone bikes for exercise. Some do it as an outlet from their stressful lives, and when doing so, how much ground you cover or how fast you go shouldn’t matter.
The perfect distance to bike daily is your own choice. Though it’d be best to keep a neat routine, you can also switch up the distances daily as per your mood. This is the leverage we’re given as bikers.
