FunkyStickman

On a good day, with a tailwind, I'll average 15MPH. No help here... but if/when I get my road bike, I'll give it a shot.

nodachi

I never get anywhere near that, but if I did I'd probably be sweaty and gross. I'd like to go faster, but arriving at work not looking like I've had a full on workout encourages me to take it easier on the ride in.

CB HI

In my younger days, I was often able to do a 12 mile commute into work in 35 minutes.

But today, that time would not be possible because of age and increased automobile traffic that slows riding times down.

Of course the ride home took 55 to 75 minutes (more downhill going into work).

dobber38

I did it today (6.2 miles in under 20 minutes) but only because of a favorable tailwind and I was on my road bike. Couldn't possibly average that for a week

furballi

No wind and no lights...sure 20-21 mph if you have a decent motor. Otherwise, expect to average 15-16 mph on flat land without pot-holes. Around here, I run about 15.5 to 16 mph about 30% of the time to maneuver around pot-holes.

Scheherezade 

Any time you save by pushing that hard will be lost when you have to change clothes and shower. Just wear your work clothes and ride easy. Same overall time without the hassle of extra clothes and sweat.

JoeyBike

20mph for 10 miles on an open course with traffic, signals, etc. Not likely. At least, not often. If you catch every break, draft a bus or UPS truck for a break, have a tailwind all at the same time...you might make it. Not going to happen every day.

My "nickname" is 20+mph commuter (see my avatar). The route that made that name famous was 4 miles of relatively straight road, bad surface, tight traffic, and one stop light that if red, I must stop due to crossing traffic. 5 lights total. It was a rare day when I got home in less than 12 minutes, even though I am rocking 22-25 mph steady. One stop and you can kiss twenty AVERAGE bye-bye. My 20+ claim is made based on how fast I ride when I am actually rolling. I calculate my average time by the clock. If I got home one second less than 12 minutes that was good for some extra ice cream after supper. I don't think I managed it five times in five years. There is always that one thing, even four miles, that will kill your average time.

Sounds like fun trying tho. If you can average 20 mph for 10 miles - regularly - you might consider racing. Or a career as a stunt double for Tom Cruise 'cause you gonna be taking a lot of risks.

bbeasley

If you're goal setting and trying to hit a number, don't forget some type of warm up. One thought is to warm up for a couple of miles, hit reset and push hard. This way you will have a happier number on your dash and you won't penalize yourself for warming up. Your legs will thank you!

Burton

A commute is a two direction trip anyway and its impossible that traffic, wind direction and slope are going to be identical in both directions.

I have 12km stretch that I ocassionally do a couple times a week. Going out its always against a headwind and I`m lucky to average 12kph. On the way back, on the other hand - I can often manage 25kph.

And every day is different. Some days are so muggy you really don`t want to push that hard. So maybe keep a log and track both directions on a daily basis and chart the results. As long as the curve is slowly going up overall you`re doing good!

cod.peace

John Schlitter just rode 492.4 miles in 24 hours on a Bacchetta recumbent at the Sebring 24 race. That's an average of 20.5 mph.

The OP could just get an electric bike, that should easily do 20 mph over 10 miles.

alan s 

20 mph average for a commute is difficult to achieve. My highest average for a 16 mile one-way commute on my road bike with no extra gear was 19.4 on MUPs and roads without lights. That meant cruising at 22-24 mph for close to an hour with slowdowns only for turning, bad sections, road crossings, transitions from MUP to road, and the like.

gerv 

I'm just happy to be rolling along at whatever speed feels good. I don't have a cyclo-computer, not do I have a watch. My commute is timeless....

hopperja

I've averaged 20 mph on my 10.5 mile (flat) commute, one time. I had to really push myself to make that. Normally I average between 15 and 16, from door to door. This includes the many turns and stop signs/lights (I'd say ~20 stop lights/signs).

It's weird though, because I normally have a head wind each direction. Typically, it's a 10 to 15 mph headwind which dramatically slows me down. With an unusually strong headwind, I have averaged as slow as 11 mph. I live and work in a valley, so that probably has something to do with the wind.

Of course, the one 20 mph average day I had I didn't have a head wind.

Cyclaholic

I monitored my average and max speeds for years.... until I took the computer off my bike as part of some repairs and never put it back on. Now I measure my pace by how it feels. Sometimes it's a leisurely pace and sometimes I'm dropping roadies like bad habits, but one thing's for sure - every ride is that much more enjoyable at the right pace rather than the fastest pace.

azesty

On my best days I can average 32 kmph, (19.88 mph) over 12 km (7.5 miles). I have mostly open roads with huge empty intersections where I dont have to stop for red lights.

My ride is flat, and there is rarely any wind here.

My last couple of km are sort of dense urban riding, but I can still keep the speed up, though I might drop from an average of 33 kmph to 31 durning that.

z

contango 

I've personally averaged around 14mph through traffic over about 8 miles, through some areas of busy traffic but without a lot of traffic lights. I ride a mountain bike and although I'm a lot fitter than I was 12 months back I've still got scope to lose some surplus around my middle. Those 8 miles were also mostly pretty flat. Throw in red traffic lights and a hill or two and the average would drop, trade the bike for a more streamlined alternative and put slick tyres on it and you'll gain some speed.

My LBS reckons on adding around 30% to average speeds on a racing-type bike compared to a mountain bike so that would put my average speed somewhere near 20mph but still subject to being compromised by traffic lights. If you come to a complete or virtual stop you've got to work so much harder to keep the average speeds up.

But ultimately the only way to find out is to try it.

zacster

20 mph on a commute depends on where you are. Straight, traffic and traffic light free road, yeah maybe. Any city riding, no way. I tend to cruise and push it a bit on the way home, but at every major intersection I have the same riders that I pass come up next to me as I wait for the light. It really doesn't matter how fast you go if you have traffic lights.

I never push it on the way into the office as that'll add about a half hour to cool down.

tarwheel 

I track my time and average speed on all of my commutes, and my personal best is 17.25 mph over 22 miles round trip. I doubt if I could improve much on that on my commutes due to red lights, traffic, wind. Red lights will destroy your average speeds, even if your computer is set to stop timing during stops. A stiff head or cross wind will do the same. My route is very hilly, so my legs have to be well rested to post good times, and my typical average speed commuting is about 15 mph.

I enjoy tracking my times and shooting for personal bests. However, don't risk your safety by trying to set new speed records. Running red lights and blowing stop signs are sure ways to get run over or cause an accident. However, charging the hills and improving your climbing times will really help your average speed.

rnorris

I'm lucky if I average 13mph along the course of my 17 mile ride home (usually take bus in to work). Lots of climbs, stoplights, and if it's winter I often have to make additional stops to adjust clothing. I'm in good physical shape but am not an ideal power plant for cycling, being a small guy on a fairly meaty commuter bike. Someone else could probably shave a bit of time off this.

ItsJustMe

I do about 17.5 in the summer. I go 10.8 miles and only go through two traffic lights. I think I'm slowed down a lot more by the hills at the other end of the commute.

fietsbob

So you live on top of a mountain and go to work in the town on the flood plain
of the valley at the bottom?


Other than that, ( not a bad situation , as the slow climb home
is not going to get you fired if yore late..)

On the other hand.. aerodynamics is going to be your problem, above JRA speeds,
the air resistance is where most of the work goes.

what you need is teamwork, a peloton to share the work at the front.

Or a fully faired recumbent streamlined velomobile

canyoneagle

20MPH average is a sort of benchmark for racers doing solo training, a "minimum price of entry" to ride in "A group" training rides....... at least it was when I raced, so things may have changed.
The basic point is that a 20MPH average is a solid pace.
If you are a strong rider and are commuting on a fairly efficient bike, I'd say it is definitely achievable. If your average is in the 14-16 range now, I feel you would need to employ a "training" mindset and technique to your commute to get your pace up. Alternate sustained "pace" days with "intervals" days 1-2 days per week, and so forth. The road racing and training forums would be a god source for that kind of info.

As you've acknowledged, alot depends on the "motor". I (and others I know) could maintain a 21+ MPH average pace for a 40 mile, relatively steady (not many stops) route on mountain bikes with slicks. We were racers, though, and our solo training pace was 22-24 MPH (23-28 average in groups) , and we rode 13-15 hours per week on a very strict training routine.

Is it possible? Of course. Is it possible on a loaded commuter rig? Of course, given the nature of your route. The biggest factor is the engine. Time to start thinking of your commute as "training" if you want it to happen.
Good luck!!!!

noisebeam

Yes it is very possible. But to get 20mph ave. in area with light, turns and other traffic you will need to maintain a cruising speed 3-5mph over 20.

cmolway

Yes it is possible. Think of it as a time trial. You just have to push your motor at 80-90% for 30 minutes.

Seriously. I have a 10 mile commute and can regularly do it in 30 minutes or less if I catch all the lights (or blow through them if I am the only one on the road at 6am) and have no wind (tail winds are nice too) and I am on my fast bike (which I commute on if I am doing a group ride after work).

On my commuter (CAAD8 R1000 with a beam rack, trunk bag and fenders) I am more likely to average 17-18mph on good days and 15 on those day I just don't feel like arriving at my destination drenched in sweat.

rhm

It may be possible, but I've sure never done it. There's always something to slow down for.