Biking an 8-mile ride is a great goal. It is very attainable even for beginners. If you are a recreational cyclist who wants to stretch your leg muscles and get some fresh air, then it will only take you 48 minutes or less to complete an 8-mile ride.
However, depending on your state of health and fitness, terrain, and the type of your bike, it will take you less or more to finish the 8-mile distance. If you are a heavy biker with health conditions, it will take you more than the average time of 48 minutes.
If you are going downhill and gravity enables you to move faster, you will probably finish the distance less than the average time.
To understand better how long does it take to bike 8 miles, we have this page dedicated just for you.
Table of Contents
What Kind Of Rider Are You
Beginner biker
If you are a newbie and want to explore the cycling road, finishing an 8-mile distance can be a bit of a challenge. As a starter, you have to acquaint yourself first, be familiarized with your bike and your surroundings.
It will take you more than 48 minutes to be able to complete the distance. However, as you progress, you can reduce the 8-mile bike ride to 40 minutes or less. A beginner cyclist will have an average speed of 10-12 mph.
Regular biker
A regular biker can finish the distance in 48 minutes or less. Depending on the biker’s physical prowess or state of health, the riding time can still be reduced. For regular bikers, riding an 8-mile ride is not too difficult, as well. The average speed of regular bikers is about 15-18 mph.
Professional biker
Most professional bikers only take 2.14 minutes to cover a mile. For an 8-mile road distance, it is a no-sweat deal for the pros. They are very skilled, know how to maneuver a bike quickly, and have high energy.
Professional bikers usually have a speed of 28 on flat and unchallenging road surfaces. For hilly and difficult terrain, they can have a speed of 25mph. It will only take them less than 20 minutes to finish an 8-mile ride.
For more details on the time and average speed of the cyclist levels. Please learn more about infographics in this article. Also, you can explore our article with interesting knowledge, such as how fast can you go on a bike, how many miles should I bike a day, and how long it takes to bike 15 miles.
Goals Always Vary
Depending on the goal you have in mind, an 8-mile bike distance will also vary. There are bikers who intend to just be on the road, enjoy the view, and fill their lungs with fresh air. It will surely take them more than the average of 48 minutes.
On the other hand, others will challenge themselves and take the 8-mile road as fast as possible. They will undergo training, prepare their body, and beat the average biking time. Based on your purpose, the length of biking also differs.
Leisure ride
For easy and fun road adventures, leisure riding is the way to go. This activity is not physically demanding and less intense. The road you are taking will not challenge you in any way. It is meant to provide you a more recreational experience when on the road.
An 8-mile distance for a leisure ride can take more than the average of 48 minutes. Meaning, you are not under the pressure of finishing the distance as soon as possible. Easy-going tours do not focus on speed, but more on the scenery, view, and landscape of the trip.
If you want to embark on a leisure tour, you will probably encounter easy roads. such as mild rolling hills, flat cycle flatways, and fun urban rides. In this way, you can spend more time on the scenery and not on the speed itself.
Leisure rides are perfect for beginners who want to acquaint themselves with the world of biking to the fullest. Nevertheless, regular road cyclists can also embark on leisure tours.
Adventure ride
For bikers who love the rush of adrenaline, an adventure ride is a great way to go. For this purpose, bikers are looking for challenges along the road. They often prefer biking on jungles, mountain tops, rugged coastlines, and other remote biking environments.
For this kind, the surroundings can be very challenging and bumpy, taking you more than the average to complete the tour. Nevertheless, adventure rides are fulfilling and develop you more as a biker.
Road cycling
For regular road cycling, if you are physically fit and using a well-engineered bike then you can take the 8-mile ride faster than the average. When you are on a road, you can increase your speed, put in extra effort, and reduce your riding time.
Nevertheless, road cycling can increase the level of difficulty, the time spent on the road can also vary. If you are up for an uphill ride, you can encounter a reduction of speed because of the gravity pulling you. For downhill biking, your speed will increase because of the force pushing you to move faster when riding.
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is also a challenging biking activity. You will encounter challenging trails and pathways that can prolong the time of completing an 8-mile distance. It is similar to an adventure ride where you can face challenges along the road.
Other Factors to Consider
Other factors can directly affect your biking speed. Aside from the mentioned above, here are the things you should always consider about:
- Age and fitness
- Weather condition and climate
- Kind of terrain
- Traffic obstructions
- Level of fatigue before the ride
- Training and practice
Conclusion
Most bikers always have a goal to hit when on the road. An eight-mile distance is an average goal for regular cyclists. Aside from the beginner level of 5-mile road biking that can still be challenging for novice riders, the 8-mile ride also increases in difficulty.
Before embarking on a full 8-mile ride, it is essential to assess your physical health, understand the road’s level of difficulty, and prepare your biking gear. In this way, you will be able to hit the 8-mile distance at an average or less.
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“I ride my bike to work for years, but is that enough? Our carelessness towards our surroundings has taken a toll on the environment. And now, everyone is responsible for changes; even the most minor contribution is counted. With this hope and spirit, I started with my partner to establish Biketoworkday to help more individuals commute to their work sites on their bikes.”