How Many Calories Does Riding A Bike Burn?

Riding a bike is a great way to burn calories and get some exercise. But How Many Calories Does Riding A Bike Burn? Well, it depends on a few factors, like how fast you’re going and how much effort you’re putting in. But on average, you can expect to burn around 200 calories in 30 minutes of biking. 

So if you’re looking to lose weight or just get some exercise, hop on a bike and start pedaling!

Keep reading for more useful information.

What Are Calories?

Calories are units of energy. Calories can be used to measure energy in food and calories burned through exercise. Many factors affect the calories consumed through food. Different activities and exercises burn different calories. For example, walking slowly for 10 minutes will burn more calories than riding at maximum speed for an hour.

You gain weight if you consume more calories than what you burn. You will lose weight if you consume fewer calories than what you burn. Calories are units of energy. Calories can be used to measure energy in food and calories burned through exercise. Many factors affect the calories consumed through food.

Different activities and exercises burn different calories. For example, walking slowly for 10 minutes will burn more calories than riding at maximum speed for an hour. You gain weight if you consume more calories than what you burn. You will lose weight if you consume fewer calories than what you burn.

Calorie Usage During Biking

When you exercise, your muscles begin utilizing the oxygen in your blood to produce adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, from fats, carbohydrates, and occasionally proteins. This is the fundamental chemical that gives cells energy.

“Even if you’re simply lounging around, you pretty much need a continual stream of ATP. But you need a lot when you’re working out, says Rachel DeBusk, CPT, a triathlete coach at Unstill Life in Seattle.

Your body may access or produce ATP in a variety of ways, depending on how long and hard your workout is. Your muscles already contain some ATP, claims DeBusk. But you have to manufacture more when that runs out.

Your body uses anaerobic metabolism during brief, intense bursts of exercise to turn carbs into ATP. Your body obtains ATP from aerobic metabolism, where the majority of the energy is obtained from carbohydrates during longer, less strenuous activities.

Fast and intense versus slow and steady

When biking at a steady, moderate pace with little resistance, your aerobic metabolism is mostly being used. This makes your heart and lungs function better and makes your body’s usage of glucose more effective.

DeBusk warns that having pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome increases your risk of inefficient glucose use. Your body gets better at mobilizing muscle-stored fat when you cycle at a moderate intensity.

You’ll rely more on your anaerobic metabolic system if you’re pedaling faster or against more resistance. Although you can’t sustain this system for very long, cycling harder will teach your muscle fibers how to adjust to demand.

The more quickly you move, the more calories you’re likely to burn because moving quickly requires more energy from your body. According to Harvard University, a 155-pound person can burn 298 calories in 30 minutes by riding at a moderate speed of 12 to 13.9 miles per hour. A person of the same weight will burn 372 calories at a quicker pace of 14 to 15.9 miles per hour.

Stationary Biking

The amount of calories burned varies slightly depending on whether you’re riding outside or inside. DeBusk asserts that you can work out effectively inside and outside a gym.

Biking outside, however, is more dynamic because you have to pay attention to your surroundings and move in more different directions when you turn to follow roads and trails.

Depending on the spin class you take, there may also be wind resistance and slope, such as hills, which may help you burn more calories than when you’re indoor cycling.

Spin courses can be a wonderful option if your work or family schedule makes it difficult to exercise unless it’s a scheduled activity.

According to Harvard University, a person’s weight affects how many calories they burn when pedaling a stationary bike at a “moderate” pace.

12 to 13.9 miles per hour is considered to be a moderate pace. The number of calories burned over a 30-minute period according to weight, on average, is as follows:

• 210 calories for 125 pounds
• 260 calories for 155 pounds

Outside Biking

The number of calories burned when cycling outdoors could be somewhat higher. The following number of calories can be burned while riding outside at a moderate speed for 30 minutes:

• 240 calories for 125 pounds
• 298 calories for 155 pounds
• 355 calories for 185 pounds

Some individuals might select BMX or mountain biking. Due to the possibility of climbing hills and negotiating rocky, uneven terrain, this usually results in a person burning more calories.

According to Harvard University, a person riding a mountain bike for 30 minutes burns, depending on their weight:

• 255 calories for 125 pounds.
• 316 calories for 155 pounds
• 377 calories for 185 pounds

How Biking Uses Calories?

Your muscles convert oxygen from your lungs into adenosine triphosphate (ATP) when you use them. This is the basic molecule that supplies energy to your cells.

Even if you are just hanging out, you need a steady supply of ATP. However, when you are exercising, you need lots of it,” Rachel DeBusk CPT, a Seattle triathlete coach, tells Unstill Life.

Your body may access or make ATP differently depending on how intense and long-lasting your workout is. DeBusk says, “There’s some ATP waiting in your muscles.” “But once that’s gone, you need to make more.”

Your body uses anaerobic metabolism to convert carbohydrates into ATP during short, intense workouts. Your body receives ATP from aerobic metabolism during longer, more intense workouts. This is where carbs make up the majority of your energy.

How Many Calories Does Riding A Bike Burn?

You can burn more calories by riding longer distances. However, it is important to not push yourself too hard. Instead of riding a long distance on your first bike ride and risking injury, it is better to slowly increase the distance so that you can continue exercising but don’t get injured.

This means that the farther you ride, the more calories are burned. If you ride 5 miles on one day and then ride 10 miles the next day, you’ll burn twice as many calories as you did for the 5-mile ride.

A person who is 200 lbs would run for 5 minutes at a speed of 12 mph for 1 mile. This would burn 64 calories.

A person who cycles 10 miles per hour for 50 minutes at a speed of 12 mph would burn 635 calories.

The final example is if a person rides for 30 miles at a fixed speed of 12 mph, then they will burn 1,905 calories.

Calories Burned While Biking At Different Times

You will notice that the longer you ride, the more work you do, and the more calories you burn.

You should gradually increase the time you ride your bike to lose calories and stay fit. Also, don’t jump into long rides and end up hurting yourself.

Your bike ride will be more physically demanding if you do not put in as much effort. Your muscles are performing more physical exertion.

A person who cycles for 60 minutes will burn 857 calories if they cycle at a distance of 12 mi.

He will also burn 1,715 calories if he rides for two hours (at a distance of 24 miles).

How Does Speed (mph/km) Affect Your Calories Burned?

You will travel faster if you go faster.

If you’re riding in a group and someone else does the same distance, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have burnt more calories. You may lose more calories if you are heavier than the others in your group, even if they finish ahead of you. You will burn more calories if you set a time limit.

How Does Your Weight Affect Your Calories Burned Biking?

Your weight is important when calculating how many calories you have burned while biking. Your weight will determine how many calories you burn.

If you are 200lb and your partner is 175lb, then you’ll burn more calories if you each run 5 miles. Because heavier people burn more calories, heavier bodies need more energy to move.

Bikes for Big Guys & Girls

If you are less than 250 lbs, most bikes will work for you. You might want to consider bikes for bigger guys if your weight is greater than 250lbs.

It doesn’t matter if you are heavy, but it does not mean that you cannot ride a bicycle to lose weight and burn calories.

For more benefits of bike riding, check out our post.

Calories Burned Cycling At Different Distances (miles/km)

The distance your bike can have an impact on how many calories you burn.

The speed, distance, and time you ride directly affect how many calories you burn. If you’re 200 lbs and you cycle for an hour at 5.5 mph, and another person cycles for 30 minutes at 10 mph, you will burn more calories, even though you’re not cycling as fast.

Calculators will tell you that cycling for 1 hour burns more calories than 30 minutes, but you could have burned those extra calories just by being alive.

How Does An Incline (downhill/flat/uphill) Impact Your Calorie Burning?

An incline is basically a slope that goes uphill or downwards. Uphill is an indication of a positive slope, but it can be more difficult. Downhill is more difficult because it has a lower slope.

For example, if you want to burn 750 calories per hour and the track is extremely flat, you might have to ride a longer distance. However, if it was steeper you wouldn’t have to ride as much.

High-incline exercise is a great way to increase endurance. It will also improve your speed so that you can travel more distances/kilometers faster.

It is much more difficult to cycle uphill than downhill. This is because your body works harder against gravity. Because the calorie calculator assumes that you’ll be riding on a bike with zero net inclines, it doesn’t take into account the incline. For example, on a bike with a higher incline than the return trip, the positive incline might cancel out the negative one.

How do Age and Heart Rate Affect Calorie Burning?

Running is more efficient than running minute-by-minute, but it is best to do something you love and can maintain. You would burn approximately 593 calories if you were 150lb and ran for 1 hour at 5mph for 5 miles.

However, if you did the same distance and speed as before, you’d only burn 250 calories. You will burn more calories if you cycle because it is easier than running for two weeks.

Calories Burned Biking Compared With Running and Walking

Running is more efficient than running minute-by-minute, but it is best to do something you love and can maintain.

You would burn approximately 593 calories if you were 150lb and ran for 1 hour at 5mph for 5 miles.

However, if you did the same distance, speed and time on a bicycle as before, you’d only burn 250 calories.

You will burn more calories if you cycle because it is easier than running for two weeks.

What Is The Difference In Calories Burned Between Stationary, Track, Mountain, Trail, and Road Biking?

These are the types of cycling activities that have the highest calories burned and which ones are the least.

• Mountain biking
• Road biking
• Road bikes on indoor or outdoor tracks
• Stationary bike

The most calories would be burned by mountain biking or trail biking. Because of the physical exertion required, mountain biking and trail biking are more intense.

Because there are different levels of inclines, road biking is next. However, unlike mountains and trails, it is usually a smooth surface.

It would be difficult to burn as many calories riding a road bike on outdoor and indoor tracks as it would mountain or trail biking. The road bike is very light and the tracks are extremely smooth.

The stationary bike will depend on the ability to adjust the settings to make it easier or harder to ride. This way is the most efficient for burning calories if the incline is set to 0%.

What Is The Best Spot To Ride Your Bicycle To Burn The Most Calories?

You can burn more calories by choosing to do what you love the most.

Weight loss is achieved by eating less and burning more calories.

You don’t need to burn calories if you want to be active. The best places are trails and mountains because you can work at a higher intensity than roads and tracks. You may be able to continue mountain biking, but not road biking.

It’s best to exercise more of what you enjoy, as it will be easier to maintain.

Here are some key points to remember when you want to lose calories.

• Eat after your bike ride
• Different amounts of biking trips
• Push yourself, but not too hard
• Go on bike rides with others
• Be consistent.

Do You Burn More Calories Sitting or Standing While Cycling?

Sitting down burns fewer calories than standing up. Standing up raises your heart rate and strengthens your core and upper body.

It is a good idea to alternate sitting and standing on a bicycle 50/50. However, most people will stand when they go uphill and then sit down when they go downhill.

FAQs

How many calories is a 1-hour bike ride?

The average person will burn between 450 to 750 calories per hour cycling. The number of calories depends on your weight, speed, and time spent biking.

How hard is it to burn 100 calories on a bike?

This system isn’t one that you can maintain for very long, but cycling harder will help your muscle fibers learn how to adapt to demand.

How many calories burned by a stationary bike calculator?

According to Harvard University, the number of calories burned riding a stationary bicycle at a “moderate” pace varies based on what a person weighs. A moderate pace is going about 12 to 13.9 miles per hour.

Conclusion

Biking is a great way to burn calories and have a lot of fun.

Combining a cycling routine with a low-calorie diet will help you lose weight and create the body you desire.