How Long Does it Take to Bike 50 miles? It will take around 3 hours and 30 minutes to ride 50 miles for people of all ages and gender. However, the average time can vary depending on the age or cyclist’s ability. A beginner cyclist will take approximately 03 hours 58 minutes, and a skilled and seasoned cyclist will take 2 hours 37 minutes.
Not all cyclists have the same riding ability. Therefore, you might have sore muscles or leg cramps during a 50-mile ride.
In this article, I will give you a detailed brief on time it takes to complete a 50-mile bike ride for people of different ages, gender, and cycling ability.
Knowing the average completion time of cyclists of different ages and abilities will be convenient for you. I will also give some bonus tips on how to decrease your time taken for a 50-mile ride safely.
So, without further, let’s dive straight into the article.
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Is Biking 50 Miles Hard?
Biking 50 miles is not a joke. If you are a person who has already completed a 50-mile bike ride, you will know how tough it can get towards the end of the bike ride.
If it weren’t tough, we wouldn’t be seeing different time figures for completing these rides.
A 50-mile distance roughly means going from downtown Brooklyn to Long Island on a bike.
However, with a difference being on a ride, you don’t only go over paved roads. There is mud, rock, dirt, and gnarly puddle crossing on a biking trail.
The mental barrier is quite challenging, even if you are in good shape. For example, going on a 50-mile ride requires physical and mental strength. Hence, making it a very daring and hard activity.
If you don’t have prior experience with long bike rides. You risk developing muscle pains and soreness or numbness in your body.
So, based on all these aspects, a 50-mile bike ride is extremely challenging. Therefore, only a few people can accomplish this feat.
Factors Those Affect Biking 50 Miles
There are many factors that affect biking 50 miles.
Some of the most important factors are as follows:
1. The Terrain
Riding on a paved road is much easier and less exhausting than scooting your way through dirt, rocks, or uneven trails.
It can be especially difficult if the track goes up a mountain because riding through elevation is challenging.
2. Physical Fitness and Athletic Ability
It is easier to be confined to a rusty routine, which results in poor fitness and Athletics. If you have been in a rut for a while, you won’t have the stamina to complete the 50-mile ride.
However, with proper training routines and exercise, you can ease the difficulty of achieving a 50-mile bike ride.
3. Age
As we pass our prime, a person’s physical ability starts decreasing and going downhill. Despite being an active individual, you just won’t have the firepower that a teenager or a young adult may have.
Hence making a 50-mile bike ride gets challenging with passing age. If you are above 40, it will take all your wits to accomplish this feat.
However, the satisfaction of achieving this remarkable feat is unmatched.
3. Bike Condition
How hard your 50-mile bike ride also depends on the bike’s condition. If your Bike is not equipped with great tires and is not performing well, you will have difficulty completing a 50-mile bike ride.
What is the Average Time For a 50-Mile Ride
Now that you know, riding 50 miles is hard, and many factors can make it harder. It will be easier to comprehend the average time taken by riders of different ages and abilities.
For your ease and convenience, I have summarized the time it takes to ride 50 miles by riders of different ages and abilities in a table, which is as follows :
Average Time Against Age and Cycling Ability Men
| Age | Beginner | Intermediate | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 03:58:33 | 03:04:12 | 02:37:07 |
| 25 | 03:58:33 | 03:04:12 | 02:37:07 |
| 30 | 03:58:33 | 03:04:12 | 02:37:07 |
| 35 | 03:59:52 | 03:05:13 | 02:37:59 |
| 40 | 04:06:02 | 03:09:58 | 02:42:03 |
| 45 | 04:16:12 | 03:17:50 | 02:48:45 |
| 50 | 4:27:23 | 03:26:27 | 02:56:06 |
Average Time Against Age and Cycling Ability Female
| Age | Beginner | Intermediate | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 05:01:18 | 03:44:03 | 03:08:26 |
| 25 | 04:59:22 | 03:42:37 | 03:07:13 |
| 30 | 04:59:22 | 03:42:37 | 03:07:13 |
| 35 | 05:00:33 | 03:43:29 | 03:07:57 |
| 40 | 05:06:40 | 03:48:02 | 03:11:47 |
| 45 | 05:18:39 | 03:56:57 | 03:19:17 |
| 50 | 05:37:26 | 04:10:55 | 03:31:02 |
The results from the table show a clear pattern. Although with passing age, people tend to lose their cycling speed. Hence, increasing the time taken to complete a 50-mile bike ride.
However, the results show a very drastic difference between cyclists with better riding ability. In addition, trained and seasoned cyclists can significantly reduce the time it takes to complete a 50-mile ride.
When compared, the age factor is not as powerful as the training factor. Therefore, if you train hard, irrespective of your age, you will be able to finish a 50-mile ride more quickly than a cyclist your age.
For instance, let’s use the data of average cycling speeds for a male at the age of 45.
- A 45-year-old beginner cyclist takes 4 hours, 16 minutes, and 12 seconds to finish a 50-mile bike ride.
- A 45-year-old intermediate cyclist takes 3 hours, 17 minutes, and 50 seconds on average to finish a 50-mile bike ride.
- A 45-year-old elite skilled cyclist takes 2 hours, 48 minutes, and 45 seconds on average to finish a 50-mile bike ride.
The data shows that the difference between a beginner cyclist and a skilled cyclist is 1 hour, 27 minutes, and 27 seconds. It represents roughly an 80% decrease in the time a skilled cyclist takes to complete a 50-mile ride than a beginner.
So, let’s see how you can train and equip yourself for a quick 50-mile time.
How to Increase Your Cycling Speed?
The following tips will help you build better cycling and physical ability. Hence allowing you to complete a 50-mile ride in a shorter time.
1. Setup a Schedule for Training Sessions
“Practice makes perfect” I am sure you might have heard this phrase a million times, but it just makes sense for cyclists.
The more you ride your Bike, the better you will become. So, if you want to complete a 50-mile ride in a shorter time with a higher speed, you will need to train.
An easy way is to set up weekly training sessions. You should go on three weekly rides to test your stamina and cycling ability.
Of course, you will not be able to ride 50 miles the first week, and that’s totally fine. Slowly increase the distance until you feel ready for a 50-mile ride.
2. Increase Your Physical and Athletic Abilities
By this, I don’t mean you need to bulk and build muscle like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Just be healthy enough to develop good stamina and build some leg muscles so that you don’t get tired and give up on your big 50-mile ride day.
How you want to develop your physical strength is totally up to you. Hit the gym, do cardio, lift weights, or cross-training like swimming. Just be honest with yourself and consistent with whatever you do.
3. Choose Your Track Wisely
On your 50-mile ride, you don’t need to tackle the toughest biking trail if you don’t feel like it. Paved roads will always be easier than tracks or trails through hills or bush.
If you are doing a 50-mile ride for the first time, you will be significantly faster on a straight road without any elevation.
It isn’t just for beginners. Even novice and intermediate cyclists should not opt for a 50-mile bike ride up a trail because that might be too much to handle for folks.
Ultimately, you will be disappointed and give up. So, opt for an easier paved route if it’s your first time.
4. Make Sure Your Bike is Technically Sound
A 50-mile ride exposes the bike to some excessive wear and tear.
If your bike is not mechanically fit and technically sound, it will be a big hurdle in the 50-mile ride. Ultimately, it will slow you down and increase the time it takes to finish the 50-mile ride.
Therefore, before committing to a 50-mile ride, inspect your Bike. If there are any faults or issues, you should attend to them before going on the ride.
Also, ensure your bike tires have tread remaining and are in good condition.
Conclusion
If you do the work and follow the tips I mentioned in the article, you can significantly reduce the time it takes to complete a 50-mile bike ride.
Training is by far the most important aspect when it comes to riding your Bike for 50 miles. With everything covered, it is time to wrap up the article.
I hope you found the information in this article helpful. If you have any queries feel free to reach out to me, and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Good luck with your ride.
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