What’s yours on an MTB?

Round here where it’s flat I usually hover around 17-20 kmh. If I head to some hills it drops right down to about 10kmh.

Both seem a bit slow to me?

It is pointless IMHO – unless you repeat a loop- to measure a MTB ride in an average mph as it depends on how steep, muddy, windy, big the climbs are etc

a three hour ride could be as low as 5-6 mph and as high as 15

What’s a ‘bit slow’? Compared to the road, of course. What do you mean exactly?

Thinking about ave speed when mountain biking is a bit pointless, the sport is about either winning (speed varies so much with the course), riding slow and casually, enjoying the views, trails, technical challenges, or riding until you are shattered. Not riding to a set speed.

Depends how many people are on the ride! We spend too much time not moving for our average to be anything but pathetic.

Road, somewhere between 18-20mph on an averagely hilly route around here. Offroad, less, but the amount less is entirely variable based on factors like number of people, previous nights drunkenness, weather, tiredness, tree collisions, weather, tree collisions etc.

As above, offroad is so variable. Having said which i do track mine on my short local regular runs to ensure that I’m putting the effort in – I aim for at least 10mph and ideally 12mph (singlespeed and a couple of hills), but that’s just because I know that is my base.

I do about the same as the OP. On a good day… When it’s dry… With the wind behind me, etc

If I am planning routes particularly if I am taking folk out on a trail then I use 10km/h to plan how much time I will take. When riding with others it seem a good average, it includes some stops on the way.

Round here where it’s flat I usually hover around 17-20 kmh

Make yourself known to the GB MTB team cos the average speed at the Olympic MTB race was only about 1kph faster than that.

10kph is a good average speed to work off for “social” XC MTBing – if you’re on your own and putting the effort in then 10mph is realistic. Obviously depends a lot on length of ride and terrain.

My year to date moving average is 16km/h including road rides so mtb will be much less

I have done the same routes straight from home for years and depending on the ride, 20 mile to 40 miles routes, some road and some more off road, my average speed is 6,8,10,11, 13 and 15 mph! 😕

5.5mph today over Great Asby Scar – a complete gloop fest it was too in the rain and cold.

Eat my dust!

As you lap me 😉

No dust in the wet! 😉

Dunno, used to average 10mph fairly easily, now nearer 10km/h.

As others said it’s vastly dependent on where you ride, riding fire roads then 15mph isn’t hard, natural twisty singletrack 5mph can be hard to keep up!

Can’t see as it matters if you’re not in a race, and can’t think of any reason I’d want to enter one.

10kmph – average conditions a mix of climbing, descending and along – seems to be pretty consistent using data from Endomondo. I’m pretty slow compared to people I ride with

Yep – 10 km/h seems to work for an average ride off-road somewhere hilly with a small group of riders.

Works quite well in the Peak anyway just to judge whether you can squeeze one more loop in 🙂

20kph (12mph) is good i’d say, having said that if it is flat, and a short quick route then easily do-able around a forest etc…

Just thought.

Singlespeeder, assuming an average cadence (i.e. slower on the ups, freewheelin on the down)

80rpm
52″ gear
=19.9km/h

Which seems awfully fast. So we must really grind that gear!

As long as you get to the pub before last orders your average speed is irrelevant. If you don’t then next time you need to either speed up or plan a shortcut.

Seriously quick guys are doing 20kph round places like ‘degla and The Marin, by seriously quick I mean the kind of person who can batter the Rake in well under 3 minutes

the kind of person who can batter the Rake in well under 3 minutes

Is that euphemism?

It depends massively on the terrain and length of ride though doesn’t it.

Averaging 10mph in the peaks would be good going, but 10mph around Sherwood pines is easy.

Our club rides are normally about 6mph. For me race pace is anything around 10mph average over 30-50 hilly miles but there is no way I’d do that on normal rides – solo rides on my own are about 8mph.

I tend to reckon on 10mph for my local stuff, bit quicker in summer, bit slower in winter.

Means chuff all though.

The best comparison I can come up with is using Sam Houghton Challenge results from last year:
46km and 1400m of ascent.
I’d call that a fairly typical day ride in the hills, but trying to be quick.

The fastest guy I’ve ridden with took about 3 hours = 15.3 kph (and I think he’s now competing internationally at bike orienteering stuff)
The rest of us mere mortal club riders were strung out between 4 hours and 4:45 so 11.5 kph to 9.7 kph

On a social ride over the same distance & ascents, I’d expect to add at least an hour to that for chitchat, eating and generally slower pace, so that would be 8 kph absolute max.

Go to somewhere steep and techy though and I’d not feel too ashamed if I’d halved that again, 4 kph !!!

Go to somewhere steep and techy though and I’d not feel too ashamed if I’d halved that again, 4 kph !!!

Hmm, there’s a line, I’d be ashamed at less than 3mph!

10.5 MPH at the moment, pretty good as most of my riding is in and around the dales so theres plenty of climbing to be done

njee20,
3mph average would be positively flying on some Calderdale routes 🙂