The number of calories burned biking can vary from 400 to 700 calories per hour depending on your speed.
Use our calories burned biking calculator to estimate the number of calories you might burn while cycling.
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Table Contents
Calories burned biking / cycling calculator
- Enter your weight
- Enter the time spent cycling in minutes
- If you know the distance, enter your distance
- If you don’t know your distance leave this blank and select your speed, the calculator will determine your distance
How many calories does cycling burn?
Depending on your weight and speed, you can burn up to 400 – 700 calories per hour. The faster your average bike speed, the more calories you burn. You’ll also burn more calories on hills or off-road cycling.
Cycling is not only a great way to travel, but also to burn calories and lose weight. It’s low impact – so ideal if you’re unable to run or want to actively rest your legs after a heavy training session or long run.
When combined with other exercises, it will increase your overall calories burned. For example, if you add your push-up calories to your calories burned biking, you’ll burn more calories than biking alone.
You can burn between 400 - 700 calories per hour depending on your speed and the terrain. Cycling is a low-impact form of exercise that's great to help with weight loss.
What are calories?
A calorie is a unit of energy. Calories are used to measure the energy in food we eat and the calories we burn through everyday activities and other exercise. The number of calories will vary between the type and quantity of food you eat.
Different exercises and activities expend different calories, for example, walking slowly for 10 mins will burn far fewer calories than cycling at full speed for one hour.
When you eat more calories than you burn, you put weight on. When you eat fewer calories than you burn then you will lose weight.
One pound of body fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories, so for every 3,500 calories you eat over those you burn, you will put on 1lb of body fat. Conversely for every 1lb of body fat you wish to lose, you must burn 3,500 calories more than you eat.
The safest and most effective way to lose weight is to reduce the calories you eat and increase the calories you burn through a regular exercise plan. For more, read How many calories should I eat to lose weight?
The best way to loose weight is to reduce the calories you eat and burn more calories through regular exercise.
How many calories do you burn riding a bike?
Use our calories burned biking calculator to work out how many calories you burn while cycling. How much you burn depends on these 3 factors:
- Your weight: the more you weigh, the more energy required to cycle
- Your speed: the faster you pedal, the more energy required, the more calories you’ll burn
- Your duration: the longer you’re on your bike for, the more calories you’ll burn.
- The terrain: it takes more effort to cycle up a hill than on a flat which means that you’ll burn more calories. The best way to monitor this is to use a fitness device or bike computer.
There are 4 factors that influences how many calories you burn riding on a bike: your weight, speed, duration of cycling and the terrain.
How many calories do you burn biking a mile?
How many calories you burn biking a mile will depend on your weight and how fast you cover that mile, but as a general indicator here are couple of examples:
- A 150lb person cycling a steady pace of 14 mph will burn 48 calories per mile. That same person traveling at 20 mph would burn 56 calories per mile.
- A 200lb person biking at an average speed of 14 mph will burn 64 calories per mile. If they sped up to 20 mph this would increase to 75 calories per mile.
The number of calories you burn per mile will depend on your speed. The faster you cycle, more calories you'll burn.
How many calories does cycling burn by time?
The amount of calories burned biking varies based on your weight and speed. On average, cycling at 8 mph burns 6.5 calories per minute. Cycling at 14 mph, burns 12 calories per minute.
10 minutes of cycling burns how many calories?
On average 10 minutes of cycling at a speed of 8 mph burns 65 calories. When this is increased to a speed of 14 mph the calories burned rises to 120 calories.
15 minutes of cycling burns how many calories?
15 minutes of cycling burns 100 calories at 8 mph. If the speed is increased to 14 mph the calories burned increases to 180 calories.
20 minutes of cycling burns how many calories?
The average person will burn 140 calories in 20 minutes of biking at 8 mph. Increase this speed to 14 mph and the calories burned will be around 240 calories.
How many calories does cycling burn in 30 minutes?
The average person burns 200 calories per 30 minutes of biking at 8 mph. This increases to 350 calories per 30 minutes of cycling at 14 mph.
How many calories does cycling burn in 1 hour?
For the average person cycling burns 400 calories per hour at a speed of 8 mph. Cycling at 14 mph burns 700 calories per hour.
On average, cycling at 8 mph burns 6.5 calories per minute. Cycling at 14 mph, burns 12 calories per minute.
How many calories do you burn on a stationary bike?
The number of calories you burn on a stationary bike can be between 345 to 552 calories per hour. This depends on your weight, how fast you are cycling and the resistance.
The more vigorous you cycle or the heavier the resistance, the more calories you’ll burn. For example, the calories burned spinning will be more than a gentle ride while watching your favorite series.
How many calories are burned on a stationary bike in 60 minutes?
Weight | 1 hour cycling |
100Ib | 276 |
125Ib | 345 |
150Ib | 414 |
175Ib | 483 |
200Ib | 552 |
225Ib | 622 |
250Ib | 691 |
You can burn about 300 to 600 calories per hour on a stationary bike depending on your speed and resistance.
How many calories burned biking / cycling per mile / kilometer?
The best way to burn the most calories is to ride a longer distance, however be careful not to push yourself too hard as it may cause injury. For example instead of doing a massive bike ride straight away and risking an injury, you would be best to gradually do a little extra so you can still do the exercise but not risk hurting yourself, which could prevent you from exercising for a month or two.
So, what this means is the further you ride, the more calories you burn. For example if you ride 5 miles one day and another day you ride for 10 miles, then you will burn double the calories than you burned on the 5 mile ride.
How many calories do you burn biking a mile?
If a person who weighs 200lb cycles for 1 mile for 5 minutes (at a fixed speed of 12 mph) then they would burn 64 calories.
If the same person cycles for 10 miles for 50 minutes (again at a fixed speed of 12 mph) then they would burn 635 calories.
Finally if the same person cycles for 30 miles (at a fixed speed of 12 mph) then they would burn 1,905 calories.
How many calories burn in 1km in cycling?
If a person who weighs 200lb cycles for 1km for 5 minutes at a speed of 8 – 10 mph, they will burn 46 calories. If you increase the speed to 10 – 12 mph, you’ll burn 54 calories. At 14 – 16 mph, you’ll burn 79 calories.
| 150lb/68.1kg | 175lb/79.4kg | 200lb/90.7kg | 225lb/102.1 | 250lb/113.3kg | |
| 1 mile/1.6 km | 48 | 56 | 64 | 71 | 79 |
| 3 mile/4.8km | 143 | 167 | 191 | 214 | 238 |
| 5 mile/8 km | 238 | 278 | 318 | 357 | 397 |
| 10 mile/16.1 km | 476 | 556 | 635 | 714 | 794 |
| 15 mile/24.2 km | 714 | 833 | 953 | 1,072 | 1,191 |
| 20 mile/32.2 km | 953 | 1,111 | 1,270 | 1,429 | 1,588 |
| 30 mile/48.3 km | 1,429 | 1,667 | 1,905 | 2,143 | 2,381 |
The table shows examples of calories burned per distance at a fixed speed of 12 mph.
To burn more calories cycling, aim to gradually increase the duration of your ride.
Calories burned biking over different periods of time
When biking over a period of time, you will see the longer you cycle for, the more work you have done, which means the more calories you will burn.
When you start to cycle to burn calories and keep fit, you should make sure to gradually increase your time on each ride, again you don’t want to jump straight into a long bike ride and risk hurting yourself.
The more work you put into your bike ride means there is a higher level of physical exertion. Physical exertion means the physical activity of your muscles.
| 150lb/68.1kg | 175lb/79.4kg | 200lb/90.7kg | 225lb/102.1 | 250lb/113.3kg | |
| 10 mins | 95 | 111 | 127 | 143 | 159 |
| 15 mins | 143 | 167 | 191 | 214 | 238 |
| 30 mins | 286 | 333 | 381 | 429 | 476 |
| 45 mins | 429 | 500 | 572 | 643 | 714 |
| 60 mins | 572 | 667 | 762 | 857 | 953 |
| 1.5 hours | 857 | 1,000 | 1,143 | 1,286 | 1,429 |
| 2 hours | 1,143 | 1,334 | 1,524 | 1,715 | 1,905 |
From our table of results, we can see that if someone weighs, 225lb and cycles for 30 minutes then they will burn 429 calories (at a distance of 6 miles).
If the same person then cycles for 60 minutes then they will burn 857 calories (at a distance of 12 miles).
Finally, if he cycles for 2 hours then he will burn 1,715 calories (at a distance of 24 miles). If you are going to be cycling for long periods, you’ll need to think of refueling during your ride, for meal/snack ideas that work for cycling, read: What to eat before running.
Increasing the duration of your ride is an easy way to burn more calories biking.
How does speed (mph/km) affect your calories burned?
The faster you are going, the more miles/kilometres you will cover in a quicker time.
However if you are doing a group ride and someone completes the same distance as you in a slower time, then it doesn’t mean you have burned more calories. If you weigh more than someone else in the group then you may burn more calories even if you finish behind them. So if you have a fixed time to exercise the quicker you exercise the more calories you will burn.
| 150lb/68.1kg | 175lb/79.4kg | 200lb/90.7kg | 225lb/102.1 | 250lb/113.3kg | |
| 5.5 mph | 250 | 292 | 333 | 375 | 417 |
| 10 mph | 486 | 567 | 648 | 729 | 810 |
| 12 mph | 572 | 667 | 762 | 857 | 953 |
| 14 mph | 714 | 833 | 953 | 1,072 | 1,191 |
| 16 mph | 857 | 1,000 | 1,143 | 1,286 | 1,429 |
From the table of results, if you weigh 175lb and you cycled for 1 hour at 10 mph then you would burn 567 calories (10 miles).
If you cycle at 12 mph then they would burn 572 calories (12 miles).
Lastly if you cycled 16 mph for 16 miles would burn 1,000 calories in 1 hour.
Increasing your speed by as little as 2 mph faster, will help you burn more calories cycling.
How does your weight affect your calories burned biking?
When measuring your calories being burned when biking, your weight is very important to consider. You will burn different units of calories depending on your weight.
For example, if you weigh 200lb and your partner weighs 175lb, if you both do 5 miles then you will burn more calories because you weigh more than your partner. The reason why heavier people burn more calories is because it takes more energy to move a heavier body.
| Speed | 150lb | 175lb | 200lb | 225lb | 250lb |
| 5.5 mph | 250 | 292 | 333 | 375 | 417 |
| 10 mph | 486 | 567 | 648 | 729 | 810 |
| 12 mph | 572 | 667 | 762 | 857 | 953 |
| 14 mph | 714 | 833 | 953 | 1,072 | 1,191 |
| 16 mph | 857 | 1,000 | 1,143 | 1,286 | 1,429 |
If you weigh 150lb doing 5.5 mph which is 5.5 miles in 1 hour would burn 250 calories.
Secondly, if you do 12 mph which again is 12 miles in 1 hour then you would burn 572 calories.
Again, if you do 14 mph which would be 14 miles in 1 hour you would burn 714 calories.
Bikes for big guys and girls
Pretty much any bike is fine to start with if you’re less then 250lbs. If you’re above this, particularly if you’re closer to the 300lb mark or above then take a look through bikes for big guys.
Being heavy doesn’t mean you can’t ride a bike to burn calories and lose weight, it just means you need to chose the right bike for you.
The heavier you are, the more calories you'll burn when riding a bike.
How does incline (downhill / flat / uphill) impact your calorie burn
Incline is basically a slope either uphill or down. Going uphill means there is a positive incline however that means it harder. Downhill is a negative incline which means it is easier.
For example, you may want to burn 750 calories in 30 minutes and the incline of the track is very flat you may have to do a longer distance to reach your goal whereas if the track was at a fairly high incline then you would not have to ride for as long a period of time.
It is very good to exercise at a high incline because it will help you increase your endurance and it will also help you improve your speed, so you can cover more miles/kilometres in a quicker time.
However cycling uphill is a lot harder than cycling at a flat/downhill incline. The reason for this is because your body is working harder against the forces of gravity. The calorie calculator does not take into account the incline as it assumes you will be going on a bike ride with no net incline. So for example, if you go on a bike ride where it’s a high incline on the way back rather than on the way there, then the positive incline may cancel out the negative incline on the way there.
Cycling uphill will burn more calories than on a flat. The best way to calculate this is to use a fitness device or bike calculator.
Calories burned biking versus running
Minute for minute, running is a more effective way to burn calories, however the best way to burn the most calories is to choose an activity you enjoy and can maintain.
If you weigh 150lb and you go for a 1 hour run, at a speed of 5 mph and you run for 5 miles, the calories burned running would be about 643.
If you then did the same time, distance and fixed speed on a bike, you would only burn around 250 calories.
If you find it easier to cycle and can maintain this as an ongoing activity, you will ultimately burn far many more calories as it would something you can sustain.
Running burns more calories per hour than cycling. However, cycling tends to be more sustainable as there's less chance of injury.
How does the amount of calories burned differ between track, mountain, trail, road and stationary biking?
Here are the types of bikes, their activities and their relative calories burn from most to least.
- Mountain biking
- Road biking
- Road bikes on indoor or outdoor tracks
- Stationary bike
Where is the best place to ride your bike to burn the most calories?
The best place to burn the most calories is wherever you enjoy it the most, simply because you will be able to maintain this and do it a lot more often.
Weight loss comes from maintaining a common habit of dropping the calories you eat and increasing the calories you burn.
If you are just focusing on burning calories, then the best place would be on trails and mountains only because the intensity you are working at is a lot higher rather than tracks and roads.
On the other hand, you may find that you are able to maintain road biking rather than mountain biking.
It is best to do more exercise of something you find enjoyable as it will be more maintainable. Also, swapping routes will help prevent boredom!
The key factors you may need to consider when burning calories for example:
- Eat after your bike ride
- Do different amounts of bike rides
- Try to push yourself but not too hard
- Do bike rides with other people
- Try and be as consistent as you can
- Always put safety first by wearing a helmet
The best place to burn the most calories cycling would be one that is sustainable. Mixing it up can also help prevent boredom.
Do you burn more calories sitting or standing while cycling?
Sitting down burns fewer calories than standing up. Standing up increases your heart rate and develops core and upper body strength.
You should try to split standing and sitting on a bike 50/50 then again most people stand up for going uphill and sit down when going downhill.
Standing up while cycling will burn more calories. Aim for a 50/50 split.
What’s the most important piece of bike safety equipment?
Bike helmets reduce head injury by 85%!
In lower light conditions drivers can easily fail to see a cyclist.
Make sure you’re visible, chose a bile helmet with with in light.
A bicycle helmet is the most important piece of safety equipment to stay safe on the roads.
FAQs
How many calories does riding a bike burn?
About 400 to 700 calories per hour depending on your speed.
How many calories do you burn on a stationary bike in 60 minutes?
The calories burned on a stationary bike can be between 345 to 552 calories per hour depending on your effort, speed and resistance.
10 minutes of cycling burns how many calories?
On average, 10 minutes of cycling at a speed of 8 MPH burns 65 calories. Cycling at 14 MPH, increases the calories burned to 120.
How many calories does cycling burn in 1 hour?
Cycling for 1 hour at a speed of 8MPH will burn about 400 calories. Cycling at 14 MPH burns 700 calories per hour.
How many calories burn in 1km cycling?
You’ll burn about 46 calories if you cycle 1km in 5 minutes at a speed of 8 – 10MPH if you weigh 200Ibs. If you increase the speed to 10 – 12 mph, you’ll burn 54 calories. At 14 – 16mph, you’ll burn 79 calories.
Overall Summary
- The calories burned biking can be between 400 – 700 calories per hour
- Your weight, speed, distance and terrain will influence the number of calories burned biking
- The best way to lose weight cycling it so eat less calories than you need and burn more through regular cycling
- Cycling is a low impact exercise that is great for burning calories
