How this calculator works
Average speed and pace describe the same ride from opposite sides. Speed is distance divided by time. Pace is time divided by distance, usually stated as minutes and seconds per kilometre. A pace of 2 minutes 15 seconds per kilometre is the same as 26.67 km/h. This page keeps the arithmetic in SI units and converts only for display, so mixed entries such as a distance in miles with a pace per kilometre remain consistent.
Formula
Pace (seconds per km) = time in seconds / distance in km. Speed (m/s) = distance in metres / time in seconds. Time = pace x distance in km. Distance = time / pace x 1000. Pace per mile = pace per kilometre x 1.609344.
Worked example
A 40 km ride in 1 hour 30 minutes takes 5400 seconds. The pace is 5400 / 40 = 135 seconds per kilometre, or 2:15 per kilometre. Speed is 40,000 / 5400 = 7.407 m/s, which is 26.67 km/h. The pace per mile is 135 x 1.609344 = 217.3 seconds, about 3:37 per mile. Holding that pace for 100 km would take 13,500 seconds, or 3 hours 45 minutes.
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Frequently asked questions
Should I use moving time or elapsed time?
Moving time gives the pace you held while pedalling. Elapsed time includes stops at lights, feed zones and mechanicals, so it produces a slower average. Choose the one that matches the question you are asking.
Why does pace per mile differ from pace per kilometre?
A mile is 1.609344 km, so the time for one mile is that much longer than the time for one kilometre at the same speed. The conversion is exact by definition of the international mile.
Does wind affect average pace?
Yes, and not symmetrically. A headwind costs more time than the same tailwind saves because aerodynamic drag rises with the square of air speed and power with its cube. Average pace on an out-and-back route is therefore slower than the pace in still air.