How long will it take me to bike to work?

In this article, we will find out how long it will take to bike to work for different fitness levels and routes. We will also look at the 4 common obstacles that will slow you down and how to account for them. If you follow these suggestions before your first commute, you won’t be late for work.

How long will it take me to bike to work?

Every route and cyclist is different. But a good starting point is Distance (in miles) x 6 from door to door. Then add 15 minutes for the cool-down period afterward or if you run into issues on the road. As you get fitter, you may become twice as fast.

How to calculate how long a bike commute will take

Every route, rider, and bike is different. Even the weather can have a huge impact from day to day.

So there really is no one-size-fits-all answer.

But there is a reasonable starting point to set realistic expectations:

The average commuting speed for most people is 10 miles per hour (16 km/h) on a city bike. That’s a great speed for every fitness level that doesn’t break much of a sweat.

It also accounts for regular stops like traffic lights.

So, start by measuring the distance between your home and work. Google Maps is great for that.

Then divide the distance by 10 (miles per hour). Finally, multiply the result by 60 minutes to get your commuting time in minutes.

You can also simplify that formula to Distance (in miles) x 6.

It also works the same way for kilometers: Distance (in kilometers) divided by 16 (km/h) times 60.

Simplified, that is Distance (in km) x 3.75.

That is the time it should take you from door to door.

You can always go faster, but that’s a good starting point for a city commute without any major inclines.

A fitter rider can expect to go up to twice as fast.

That can work out to Distance (in miles) x 3.

give yourself an extra 15 minutes

Give yourself an extra 15 minutes on top of the formula above.

That accounts for unforeseen events like a flat tire (always carry a spare!) or hitting every… single… red light… in town.

You should also aim to be at work at least 10 minutes early to freshen up and cool down to avoid being sweaty at work.

I wrote this article about how to bike to work without getting sweaty where I laid down the benefits of adding a cool-down period before starting work if you want to learn more.

The 4 big obstacles: hills, construction, winds, and snow

An estimated 10 mph average speed already accounts for regular city traffic for most riders.

But if you are facing many hills in your commute (even slight ones), give yourself a couple of extra minutes.

An extra 5 to 10 minutes should be plenty to fight the occasional hill.

If there are steep hills on your way, on the other hand, consider taking a longer route to avoid sweating too much.

To check if there are any hills on your commute, follow these steps

• Open Google Maps
• Select your workplace on the map and set directions from your home address
• Pick the small Cycling icon on top of the directions menu to switch the calculation to bike speeds
• The bottom of the menu shows the elevation profile for each route. If all routes are mostly flat, the elevation is hidden behind the grey link at the bottom that says “All routes are mostly flat”. Click on it to expand the altitude difference.
• Google Maps is usually pretty good about suggesting routes that have no steep climbs. So make sure to set your To and From destinations correctly.

The same principle applies to construction zones as well but they usually have less of an impact on bikes than on cars or busses.

That is one of the main benefits of commuting with a bike in the city.

What if it’s windy or the roads are icy?

Some routes regularly face massive headwinds.

And let’s face it, a bicycle is the only mode of transportation that can make four left turns and run into strong headwinds from all four directions.

If you want to commute even during the harshest conditions (good for you!), then give yourself even more time.

On icy roads or with strong headwinds, you may take twice as long as usual.

So when the weather gets bad, consider adding anywhere between 20% to 100% to your regular commuting times.

An extra 50% is usually a safe start for most riders and commutes.

Give yourself a couple of minutes before your first commute

Your first commute is usually not as smooth as you would like.

You may forget your spare clothes or you’re not familiar with your route yet.

So try to be ready to get out the door 5-10 minutes before your planned commute.

Then, ensure that you are ready to head out:

• Check the weather and traffic report if you haven’t already done so.
• Make sure you know the way to work and don’t get lost.
• Make sure you have everything packed (bike lock, spare tires and roadside bike tools, change of clothes, lunch, work bag, phone, keys, and anything else you may need).
• Make sure your bike is in good condition (tires, brakes, lights, chain, etc).

Use Google Maps or Strava.

Google Maps is a simple way to compare different bike routes as we have seen above.

It provides accurate distances and the estimated biking times are often spot-on.

One issue with Google Maps is that it often doesn’t know all bike routes in your city.

A better (and much more purpose-built) service is Strava.

Strava is a biking website and app that lets you track your workouts.

Strava logs your GPS to track your daily routes and measure the time and distance.

It does not get any more accurate than that.

It also has a community with avid bikers that would be able to help you find the best route.

The downside with Strava is that it’s a paid service if you want to get the most out of it.

Let’s look at an example

Let’s say you’re an average rider starting a commute in a new city and would like to know how much time to allow yourself.

It’s summer, so the weather won’t be an issue.

But there are one or two hills on your commute and a construction zone as well.

So, how long will it take to bike to work?

Your commuting distance is 4.8 miles according to Google Maps.

We would calculate it as follows:

(4.8 miles * 6) + 15 minutes for cool-down + 7 minutes for obstructions = 51 minutes in total, with 36 minutes of commuting.

That gives you a very realistic idea for your first commute.

After your first day, you will have a much better idea of how much time you will need and it will be easier from there on.

How long of a commute is too long?

Now that you know how to calculate how long it will take you to bike to work, you may wonder if that is too long.

We have written an article to answer that very question. You can read it here.