Softonic

Cycling Pace Calculator

Step 1 / 4 km/h

Enter distance, hours, minutes and seconds, the calculator returns average speed in both km/h and mph plus your split in minutes per kilometre and per mile. Use it to plan a gran fondo pacing sheet, check whether last weekend’s ride matched your heart-rate zone target or estimate a realistic cutoff time for a registered event.

How to calculate cycling pace

  1. 1

    Enter the distance

    In kilometres. For imperial rides, convert first (1 mile = 1.609 km) or use the running pace tools listed at the bottom.

  2. 2

    Enter the time

    Split ride time into hours, minutes and seconds. Start-finish time from a bike computer or Strava works directly.

  3. 3

    Read the speed

    Average speed shows in km/h and mph, rounded to two decimals. This is the value most training plans refer to.

  4. 4

    Read the split

    The split line shows minutes per kilometre and per mile: handy for checking signage and kilometre markers mid-ride.

Typical average speeds

Rider level Flat road solo Hilly solo Peloton / group
Beginner / leisure 18–22 km/h 12–16 km/h 22–26 km/h
Regular club rider 25–30 km/h 18–22 km/h 30–34 km/h
Strong amateur 30–34 km/h 22–27 km/h 34–38 km/h
Domestic pro 36–40 km/h 28–32 km/h 42–46 km/h
World Tour 40+ km/h 32–36 km/h 48–55 km/h

These are rolling averages over an hour or more, not instantaneous speed. A 30 km/h average means you spent time at 45 km/h on descents and as low as 15 km/h on climbs.

Pace maths behind the scenes

  • Average speed (km/h) = distance ÷ (time in seconds ÷ 3600)
  • Split (min/km) = total seconds ÷ distance ÷ 60
  • Speed in mph = speed in km/h ÷ 1.609344

One gotcha: average speed on a hilly route is always lower than the mean of your uphill and downhill speeds. Gravity gives you free extra speed going down, but you spend disproportionately more time going up, which pulls the average toward the slower number.

Using pace for planning

  • For an event, target a 5–8% slower pace than your best training average to allow for wind, stops and crowding at feed stations.
  • For intervals, use split (min/km) rather than km/h: it is much easier to hold “3:00 per km” than to stare at a jittery speed reading on the climb.
  • If you train by power (watts), pace is only a proxy, it ignores wind, gradient and drafting. Pair it with a power meter whenever you can.

Frequently Asked Questions

Strava by default excludes stopped time (auto-pause), so its average is usually higher. Use the “elapsed time” figure from Strava to match the output here.

No. It treats the ride as if it were on a flat road. For hilly routes, compare your speed against the “hilly solo” column in the table above rather than the flat one.

A strong amateur rides 100 km solo in around 3h 30m to 4h (25–29 km/h average). In a group, under 3 hours is realistic. Beginners usually land between 4h 30m and 5h 30m depending on hills and rest stops.

Yes, as long as your trainer or app reports distance. Virtual rides on platforms like Zwift use a simulated distance, so the pace reading is still meaningful for comparison.

Distance and time are used only to perform the calculation and are not stored or logged. In the step-by-step mode, the values are carried in the page link between steps so your inputs survive navigation; nothing is kept once you close the tab.

Related Tools

BMI Calculator

Calculate body mass index from height and weight. Shows WHO category, healthy-weight range and limitations of BMI.

Social Security Calculator

Estimate a US Social Security retirement benefit from your PIA and claiming age. Compare monthly and annual amounts at 62, FRA 67 and 70.

Age Calculator

Calculate exact age in years, months and days from a birth date, plus total days, hours and the next birthday countdown.

Dog Age Calculator

Convert your dog's age to human years using modern veterinary research. Breed-size aware: small, medium and large dogs age differently.

Amp-Hour Calculator

Work out battery runtime and stored energy from amp-hours, voltage and load current. Get runtime in hours and minutes plus energy in watt-hours and kilowatt-hours.

Fahrenheit to Celsius Converter

Convert Fahrenheit temperatures to Celsius with the exact formula, Kelvin output and common reference points for weather, cooking and health.

Tool available in other languages