Cycling or biking is one of the most effective and healthy exercises for fitness, whether it’s done outdoors or indoors on a stationary bike. It offers many health benefits, including improved fitness, cardiovascular health, weight loss, and stamina building.
But are you curious to know how many calories you burn while cycling on the road, on mountain trails, or indoors? In this article, I will explain everything you need to know, whether your goal is weight loss, performance measurement, or monitoring overall fitness.
When you're cycling, understanding the calorie burn is important, as it gives you insights. Our calculator is designed to help you quickly estimate and understand how many calories you burn based on your speed and the distance you cover.
Let’s dive deeper into this guide: How do you calculate calories burned using a calculator? Why do we track it? And what are some common FAQs.
Our calculator is simple, easy to use, and user friendly. It works best for bike rides, cycling sessions, and both stationary and outdoor cycling. Due to the bidirectional nature of the calculator, you can fill out any two fields you know, and the logic will compute the results for the other fields based on the fields you filled out. Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can use the calculator:
weight and choose any weight unit; by default, kg is selected (this field is required for calorie calculation).DistanceSpeedTime▼ Show Incline Options"0 to 45% to represent the hill grade.The good thing is that our calculator is highly flexible. You can enter the values you know others will auto calculate, and you can explore others' fields and it's bidirectional feature to utilize it.
The calculator uses the MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) formula, which is the method for calculating the calories burned while cycling:
Calories (kcal) = MET × Weight (kg) × Time (hours)
In calorie calculation, MET, incline, and terrain make this a widely used method for estimating cycling calories. Our calculator accurately uses MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task), which can vary depending on the intensity of cycling:
Leisurely cycling (<16 km/h): 4.0 METsLight effort (16-19 km/h): 6.0 METsModerate effort (19-22 km/h): 8.0 METsVigorous effort (22-26 km/h): 10.0 METsFast cycling (26-31 km/h): 12.0 METsRacing (>32 km/h): 15.8 METsMountain biking: 8.5 METsStationary bike: 5.5-14.0 METs (depending on intensity)Recumbent stationary bike (light): 4.5 METsPeloton or Spin class (vigorous): 10–14 METsFor uphill biking or cycling, the calculator allows you to add the incline adjustment. Here’s how the incline adjustment works:
Power = Weight (kg) × Gravity (9.8 m/s²) × Speed (m/s) × GradeAdditional METs = Power / Weight / 1.162Adjusted MET = Base MET + Additional METsExample 1: Cycling for 1 hour on flat terrain
If a person of 70 kg weight is cycling at moderate effort (8.0 METs) for 1 hour on a flat terrain:
Calories = 8.0 × 70 × 1 = 560 kcal
If that person is cycling on a 5% incline at 20 km/h (which is 5.56 m/s):
70 × 9.8 × 5.56 × 0.05 = 190.85 watts190.85 / 70 / 1.162 = 2.348.0 + 2.34 = 10.3410.34 × 70 × 1 = 724 kcalExample 2: 30 minutes moderate cycling
Suppose a person is cycling for 30 minutes with moderate effort (8.0 METs).
30 minutes = 0.5 hours.8.0.70 kg.Calories = 8.0 × 70 × 0.5 = 280 kcal
We estimated that the person burns 280 kcal.
The calculator uses your entered inputs to automatically compute and accurately estimate the calories burned and all other fields.
You can look at that table for a quick cycling comparison:
| Type | MET | Example Calories (70kg, 1hr) |
|---|---|---|
| Road Cycling (moderate) | 8.0 | 560 kcal |
| Mountain Biking | 8.5 | 595 kcal |
| Stationary Bike (moderate) | 6.8 | 476 kcal |
| Recumbent Bike | 5.0 | 350 kcal |
| Peloton / Spin Class | 10–14 | 700–980 kcal |
Tracking the calories burned while cycling offers various benefits and insights, from achieving weight loss goals to increasing motivation and accountability. Beyond just tracking the number of calories burned, this calculator helps you plan:
Wondering how many calories are burned by distance? An average cyclist burns approximately 30–50 kcal per km, depending on speed, incline, body weight, and intensity. You can check out the following ranges of calories burned per km:
5 km → 150–250 kcal10 km → 300–500 kcal20 km → 600–1,000 kcalIf your main goal is to lose weight, then remember the basic rule: create and maintain a calorie deficit — burn more calories than you consume. For example, cycling 30–60 minutes at moderate to vigorous intensity, combined with a balanced diet, can help you lose about 0.5–1 kg per week (depending on your calorie deficit).
Tip: Mix steady rides with interval (HIIT) sessions, add strength training weekly, and track your calorie intake.
Absolutely! You can use the calculator for your weight loss goal; tracking how many calories you're burning during a cycling or biking session helps you to create a proper caloric deficit. Our calculator also estimates your weight loss based on your calories burned.
Calories burned while cycling for 1 hour depend largely on intensity and the rider's weight. Let's estimate it:
For example, a 70 kg cyclist riding for 1 hour:
560 kcal/hour700 kcal/hour840 kcal/hourYes, you should expect approximately a 30–50% higher calorie burn rate if you’re cycling uphill instead of on flat terrain at the same speed. Climbing requires more power and effort to pedal uphill.