20k Cycle Times

Cycling Standards By Age And Ability

What is a good 20k cycle time?

A good 20k time is 39:23 for men and 45:08 for women. This is the average 20k time across all ages. Compare your 20k time by age and ability below.

How long does it take to cycle 20k?

For an intermediate cyclist, the average time to cycle 20k is 39:23 for men and 45:08 for women.

Cycling LevelMaleFemale
Beginner58:4901:08:34
Novice47:3355:31
Intermediate39:2345:08
Advanced33:2837:10
Elite29:1131:13
NR24:06.36026:41.983

Time: Finish time for the full distance (seconds below a minute, otherwise mm:ss or hh:mm:ss).

Cycling LevelMaleFemale
Beginner20.417.5
Novice25.221.6
Intermediate30.526.6
Advanced35.932.3
Elite41.138.4
NR49.844.9

km/h: Average speed in kilometres per hour.

Cycling LevelMaleFemale
Beginner12.710.9
Novice15.713.4
Intermediate18.916.5
Advanced22.320.1
Elite25.523.9
NR30.927.9

mph: Average speed in miles per hour.

Cycling LevelMaleFemale
Beginner5334
Novice8756
Intermediate14194
Advanced217157
Elite315253

Watts: Average power output.

Cycling LevelMaleFemale
Beginner328221
Novice458303
Intermediate659447
Advanced944684
Elite13131047

Cal/hr: Average calorie burn per hour.

Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite 5% 20% 50% 80% 95% 58:49 47:33 39:23 33:28 29:11 Finish Time - 20k

Male 20k Cycling Times

A good 20k time is 39:23 for men. This is the average time across all ages.

Average 20k cycle time by age and ability

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced EliteRecord
1001:16:1801:01:4251:0643:2637:52-
1501:01:5450:0341:2735:1430:4324:13.000
2001:00:0948:3840:1734:1429:51-
2501:00:0948:3840:1734:1429:51-
3001:00:0948:3840:1734:1429:51-
3501:00:0948:3840:1734:1429:51-
4001:00:0948:3840:1734:1429:51-
4501:00:0948:3840:1734:1429:5127:41.990
5001:00:0948:3840:1734:1429:5124:06.360
5501:00:2248:4840:2534:2129:5728:22.000
6001:02:2550:2841:4835:3130:5826:54.270
6501:04:2252:0243:0636:3831:5625:36.170
7001:05:3553:0243:5537:1932:3326:46.167
7501:08:1455:1045:4238:5033:5129:50.900
8001:14:0259:5149:3542:0836:4431:30.688
8501:20:1501:04:5353:4545:4039:4934:26.800
9001:32:1001:14:3101:01:4352:2745:4432:59.099

Time: Finish time for the full distance (seconds below a minute, otherwise mm:ss or hh:mm:ss).

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced EliteRecord
1015.719.523.527.631.7-
1519.424.028.934.139.149.6
2020.024.729.835.140.2-
2520.024.729.835.140.2-
3020.024.729.835.140.2-
3520.024.729.835.140.2-
4020.024.729.835.140.2-
4520.024.729.835.140.243.3
5020.024.729.835.140.249.8
5519.924.629.734.940.142.3
6019.223.828.733.838.744.6
6518.623.127.832.837.646.9
7018.322.627.332.236.944.8
7517.621.826.330.935.440.2
8016.220.024.228.532.738.1
8515.018.522.326.330.134.8
9013.016.119.422.926.236.4

km/h: Average speed in kilometres per hour.

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced EliteRecord
109.812.114.617.219.7-
1512.014.918.021.224.330.8
2012.415.318.521.825.0-
2512.415.318.521.825.0-
3012.415.318.521.825.0-
3512.415.318.521.825.0-
4012.415.318.521.825.0-
4512.415.318.521.825.026.9
5012.415.318.521.825.030.9
5512.415.318.421.724.926.3
6011.914.817.821.024.127.7
6511.614.317.320.423.329.1
7011.414.117.020.022.927.9
7510.913.516.319.222.025.0
8010.112.515.017.720.323.7
859.311.513.916.318.721.6
908.110.012.114.216.322.6

mph: Average speed in miles per hour.

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
10304773110156
154777123189273
205083133204296
255083133204296
305083133204296
355083133204296
405083133204296
455083133204296
505083133204296
555082132202293
604676121185267
654370112170246
704167107162234
75386197146210
80325179118169
8527426597137
902132476996

Watts: Average power output.

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
10242307405542717
153064195938401158
203184406298971243
253184406298971243
303184406298971243
353184406298971243
403184406298971243
453184406298971243
503184406298971243
553164386258891232
603034145848241135
652913935507701055
702853825307391009
75272359492679920
80249320426575765
85231288374493644
90208248307388491

Cal/hr: Average calorie burn per hour.

Female 20k Cycling Times

A good 20k time is 45:08 for women. This is the average time across all ages.

Average 20k cycle time by age and ability

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced EliteRecord
1001:34:4501:16:4301:02:2251:2243:08-
1501:18:1101:03:1851:2842:2335:3629:41.970
2001:09:3956:2345:5037:4531:42-
2501:08:4155:3645:1237:1431:16-
3001:10:5557:2546:4138:2732:17-
3501:10:5557:2546:4138:2732:17-
4001:12:0258:1947:2539:0332:4829:41.124
4501:12:0258:1947:2539:0332:48-
5001:13:2959:2948:2239:5033:2733:27.890
5501:14:4401:00:3049:1240:3134:0226:41.983
6001:14:4401:00:3049:1240:3134:0228:20.904
6501:15:2801:01:0649:4040:5534:2128:23.800
7001:19:5701:04:4352:3743:2036:2433:00.020
7501:27:1701:10:3957:2747:1939:4433:28.989
8001:30:5501:13:3759:5149:1741:2433:31.956
8501:41:4701:22:2401:07:0055:1146:21-
9002:12:0201:46:5301:26:5401:11:3501:00:07-

Time: Finish time for the full distance (seconds below a minute, otherwise mm:ss or hh:mm:ss).

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced EliteRecord
1012.715.619.223.427.8-
1515.319.023.328.333.740.4
2017.221.326.231.837.8-
2517.521.626.532.238.4-
3016.920.925.731.237.2-
3516.920.925.731.237.2-
4016.720.625.330.736.640.4
4516.720.625.330.736.6-
5016.320.224.830.135.935.9
5516.119.824.429.635.344.9
6016.119.824.429.635.342.3
6515.919.624.229.334.942.3
7015.018.522.827.733.036.4
7513.717.020.925.430.235.8
8013.216.320.124.329.035.8
8511.814.617.921.725.9-
909.111.213.816.820.0-

km/h: Average speed in kilometres per hour.

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced EliteRecord
107.99.712.014.517.3-
159.511.814.517.620.925.1
2010.713.216.319.723.5-
2510.913.416.520.023.8-
3010.513.016.019.423.1-
3510.513.016.019.423.1-
4010.412.815.719.122.725.1
4510.412.815.719.122.7-
5010.112.515.418.722.322.3
5510.012.315.218.421.927.9
6010.012.315.218.421.926.3
659.912.215.018.221.726.3
709.311.514.217.220.522.6
758.510.613.015.818.822.3
808.210.112.515.118.022.2
857.39.011.113.516.1-
905.67.08.610.412.4-

mph: Average speed in miles per hour.

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
1017264267105
15254167110176
20335390150242
25345593156252
30315186143231
35315186143231
40304982137221
45304982137221
50294778130209
55284575124199
60284575124199
65274473121194
70243963104166
7520325183131
8019294675117
851523365687
90914203146

Watts: Average power output.

AgeBeginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
10159194252348491
15190247347510758
202172964336601007
252213034456821043
30212287418633962
35212287418633962
40208280405611925
45208280405611925
50203271389584881
55199264377562845
60199264377562845
65197260370551825
70185239333486719
75170213287406587
80164203269376537
85150180228307424
90130146171210267

Cal/hr: Average calorie burn per hour.

What do the cycling standards mean?

Beginner Faster than 5% of cyclists.
Novice Faster than 20% of cyclists.
Intermediate Faster than 50% of cyclists.
Advanced Faster than 80% of cyclists.
Elite Faster than 95% of cyclists.

Strength Level introduced these exact Beginner-to-Elite percentile boundaries in 2015. See how the standards evolved.

Data behind the 20k cycle time standards

Cycling Level analysed 1,116 qualifying results from 13,546 community results submitted by 7,743 Cycling Level users from 2021 to 2026 to produce our 20k cycle time standards. We will continue to update them as more community data becomes available. See our standards timeline.

Community results 13,546
Community users 7,743
Qualifying results 1,116
Male results 930
Female results 186
Data start
Data cutoff
Model generated

Qualifying results are retained after checks for implausible data, duplicates, and unusual or automated submission patterns. Learn more about qualifying results.

Previous standards ()

The old average finish time for 20k was 43:26 across all ages and genders, 41:32 for men (now 5.4% faster) and 50:12 for women (now 11.2% faster).

LevelPreviousCurrentChange %
Beginner53:4758:49+9.4%
Novice46:3047:33+2.3%
Intermediate41:3239:23-5.2%
Advanced38:0033:28-11.9%
Elite35:2629:11-17.6%
LevelPreviousCurrentChange %
Beginner01:07:3001:08:34+1.6%
Novice56:5955:31-2.6%
Intermediate50:1245:08-10.1%
Advanced45:3237:10-18.4%
Elite42:1331:13-26.1%

We created these previous standards on and last updated them (see archive.org).

20k World Records

Male 20k World Records

RecordAge CategoryNameTimeDateAgeSurfaceStartSource
NR17-18Heath Sandall24:13.00024 Jul 1994-Road time trialTime trialUSAC
NR48Steve McCaw27:41.9909 Aug 201148Outdoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA
NR54Richard Oakes24:06.36015 Sep 202354Indoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA
NR55Jon Howard28:22.00026 May 202455Outdoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA
NR64Robert Gilmour26:54.27030 Sep 201564Indoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA
NR65-69James Dickerson25:36.1704 Sep 2022-Road time trialTime trialUSAC
NR70-74Wayne Watson26:46.1673 Sep 2023-Road time trialTime trialUSAC
NR75-79Walter Axthelm29:50.9005 Sep 2010-Road time trialTime trialUSAC
NR80-84Phil Shew31:30.6881 Sep 2024-Road time trialTime trialUSAC
NR85Walter Fowler34:26.80022 Sep 201985Indoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA
NR90-94Carl Grove32:59.0998 Aug 2019-Road time trialTime trialUSAC

Female 20k World Records

RecordAge CategoryNameTimeDateAgeSurfaceStartSource
NR17-18Jessica Grieco29:41.97010 Aug 1990-Road time trialTime trialUSAC
NR40Auriel Forrester29:41.1241 Jan 199840Indoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA
NR52Karen Taylor33:27.8908 Aug 201852Outdoor trackNot specified by sourceVTTA
NR55-59Julie Emmerman26:41.9831 Sep 2024-Road time trialTime trialUSAC
NR60-64Pat Caldeira28:20.9048 Aug 2019-Road time trialTime trialUSAC
NR65-69Pat Caldeira28:23.8004 Sep 2022-Road time trialTime trialUSAC
NR70-74Martha Iverson33:00.0201 Sep 2019-Road time trialTime trialUSAC
NR75-79Martha Iverson33:28.9891 Sep 2024-Road time trialTime trialUSAC
NR80-84Wendy Skean33:31.9561 Sep 2024-Road time trialTime trialUSAC

References for WRs:

USAC
USA Cycling. "National records." Accessed 30 Sep 2026. https://usacycling.org/resources-rules-fees-policies/national-champions-records/national-records.
VTTA
VTTA. "National time trial records." Accessed 30 Sep 2026. https://www.vtta.org.uk/records.

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World Record