What kind of rider would I be if I ride about 40-50 miles per week?

Question

Beginner or Intermmediate? Just asking for opinions. Also, i ride a road bike and tend to ride on even surfaces, at around 15-20 m.p.h. and I dont stop pedaling.

Answer 1

Your speed is very good.  I don't know if you're commuting and breaking the 10 miles per day into two five mile rides or if you are just going out and riding 10 miles at once.  Nevertheless, riding five days per week and totaling 50 miles per week are excellent accomplishments.  You should be proud of your total mileage.  It also sounds like you are pushing yourself on your bike and not just have a pleasure cruise.  The Mypyramid activity tracker from the USDA lists speeds greater than 14 MPH as "Racing" or "Vigorous."  So I think that 50 miles per week while pushing yourself would put you in the higher levels of intermediate.  If you were doing much more, you'd be a very advanced rider.  Just remember to cross train with some push-ups and other resistance activities!

Answer 2

It really depends what your goals are.

If you are pairing yourself against an amateur or pro racer then (unfortunately) you haven't even reached "beginner" yet. As a junior amateur class I rode about 18,000 miles a year or 1500 miles per month- this averages to 50 miles per day, every day of the year.

If you are comparing yourself to the average recreational bike rider- one that goes on club rides and understands the difference between a $200 bike and a $2000 one then I would say you have breached the 'beginner' label and are well on the way to 'intermediate'.

If you are just riding around and want to know how you are doing then you are doing well.

Ummm, no disrespect intended- I have a bit of skepticism in my mind about your speed estimate. At your average of 17.5 mph it would take just over 25 minutes for your 10 mile ride. Might I suggest that you clock your route using a car to determine mileage and then comparing that with your time? This would help you to advance your abilities by providing a realistic measurement.

Answer 3

hmmm 40-50 miles a week

that woukld make you....

insane!

jokes :)

that's alot of riding do i would definately say intermediate!

Answer 4

It depends on how many days that 40-50 miles is broken up over, and how comfortable you are on a bike. If you are riding only 50 miles per week, but that's because you only ride 2 or 3 days a week, and are very comfortable on your bike, you're definitely an intermediate level rider.  If you are riding 7 times a week, and averaging only 6-7 miles a ride, then you would most likely be considered a beginner, even if you are pretty comfortable on your bike. 15-20mph for a longer ride definitely puts you in the intermediate category.

Answer 5

Do that for 20-years then look at yourself and others. People will say your in good shape.

Answer 6

You'd be a reasonably proficient and fit rider. 50 miles a week at a good tempo is more than enough to maintain your aerobic fitness. I've been cycling for 30 years and I'm now in my forties so 50 miles is about what I restrict myself to nowadays but I also intersperse it with a bit of sprinting on a cycle track.

Answer 7

I would rate a rider on a 5 point scale. If your rides are regularly 5,10,15,20,25 miles then I would rate your level of riding a 1-5. Once your ride 25 miles each ride then your capable of almost any length ride w/out needing a week to recover. So if your 10 miles a day is two 5 mile rides and your getting tired I would rate you a 1 but a 2 if its a single 10 mile ride.  I currently ride 15 miles a night for exercise with a 25 mile ride 1 or 2 days a week as a comparison.