Is 20 Miles a Long Bike Ride? Guide to Cycling 20 miles a Day

There has long been a discussion about what length of bike ride is the best. However, some things are subjective, while others are objective. That means the ideal distance for a bike ride generally doesn’t exist.

Things like weather, terrain, and whether the ride is on the road or dirt, can change the whole theory behind the perfect bike ride length. However, for argument’s sake let’s pick 20 miles as the perfect distance to ride a bike. Why you may ask?

Well, 20 miles is generally a doable distance for most beginners, and it is long enough to provide some health benefits. But the question is is 20 miles a long bike ride? For the majority of people it is, and in this article, we will go into more depth and answer the burning question – Is 20 miles a long bike ride for the beginner, or is it the ideal distance?

So continue reading to find out if 20 miles is classed as a long ride and if it is the ideal distance for the beginner.

20 Mile Bike Ride For Beginner – Why Is it A Popular Distance?

Studies have shown that cycling 20 miles is the most common distance among beginners and enthusiasts. This is largely down to the fact that 20 miles are a length you can tailor to any level of fitness.

If you have been stagnant for a while, and haven’t touched your bike, 20 miles is typically still manageable for most people.

A 20 mile bike ride for the beginner is also a perfect distance for more elite riders. Despite the distance being relatively short for this level of athlete, it still provides enough duration to vary the intensity and session.

That means during a 20 mile bike ride you can incorporate some HIIT training, sprint training, and event some short threshold type sessions. The distance is generally long enough for someone to improve their fitness without taking up a lot of their time.

20 Mile Bike Ride Calories – How Many Do You Burn?

You may be wondering if 20 miles is long enough to burn through calories and help you on your weight loss journey. Since 20 miles for most people is classed as a long ride, you can expect to burn through a decent amount of calories.

Below gives you an estimate on what a 20 mile bike ride calories burnt through different weights. We also provide other distances close to 20 miles to help you see the difference in calories burned.

Distance	150lb/68.1kg	175lb/79.4kg
10 mile/16.1 km	476	556
15 mile/24.2 km	714	833
20 mile/32.2 km	953	1,111
30 mile/48.3 km	1,429	1,667

While the above table shows that cycling 20 miles a day can burn a decent amount of calories, it is important to understand that to continue the benefit you will need to increase the distance. Doing so, will not only help you burn more calories but also help prevent your fitness from plateauing.

Alternatively, if you only have time to cycle for 20 miles, try to vary the intensity of the workout. Sessions like HIIT bike workouts, sprint training, and event Vo2 workouts can greatly increase the calories you burn.

 

How Long Should a 20 Mile Bike Ride Take?

On average, for most people, a 20 mile bike ride should take between 1 hour and 1 hour forty minutes. However, it is important to understand there are factors that can influence how fast you can ride 20 miles. These include:

– Heat
– Wind
– Terrain
– Fitness

Of course, fitness and terrain and the two largest influences on how fast you can ride 20 miles. However, as long as you have a healthy physique, decent bike, and the motivation to ride a bike, you should have no problem finishing a 20 mile bike ride in under 1 hour 40 minutes.

Is Cycling 20 miles a Day Good For You?

Unlike other sports such as running or weight lifting, cycling is a low-impact exercise that most novices can start with. It allows even the most unfit and overweight people the ability to exercise without placing too much stress on their joints, muscles, and tendons when starting out.

Knowing that cycling is easy on the body, is cycling 20 miles a day good for you?

The answer to that question is yes. Cycling 20 miles a day is a great way to improve cardiovascular health as well as improve the functions of your lungs. Studies have shown that just cycling 20 miles each day can help prevent the chance of developing heart disease by a whopping 50%.

Some of the benefits of cycling 20 miles regularly include:

– Increase in weight loss
– Strengthens muscles and tendons
– Reduces depression
– Improves cognitive function
– Reduces chances of heart & Lung Disease

Those benefits alone are something that should motivate you to get out the door and start cycling today.

Cycling 20 Miles a Day Weight Loss – Can it Help?

The short answer is cycling 20 miles a day can increase weight loss. However, your weight will only decrease if you are eating a healthy and low-calorie diet.

Cycling 20 miles each day won’t help you lose weight and keep it off if your nutrition isn’t on point. So, it is important we start cycling to lose weight that you also start eating a much cleaner diet.

For most people cycling 20 miles, you can expect to burn around 1000 calories each day extra on top of your metabolic rate. That means you will burn an extra 7000 calories per week by exercising on a bike.

The number of calories you burn during that distance can also be manipulated. By adding in more intense cycling, you can increase the number of calories you burn by nearly 20 percent.

So by mixing up your riding between low-intensity cycling and high-intensity cycling, you will not only burn more calories but also improve your fitness and health much faster.