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Calories Burned Cycling Calculator

Work out calories burned cycling instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Calories Burned Cycling Calculator

Cycling energy cost is taken from the Compendium of Physical Activities MET bands, which rise steeply with speed because air resistance grows with the cube of velocity. At 25 km/h the value is 10 MET, so a 75 kg rider burns about 656 kcal in an hour - far more than the 4 MET of gentle riding under 16 km/h.

Formulas

MET energy cost

kcal/min = MET x 3.5 x weight(kg) / 200

Speed bands

16-19 km/h = 6 MET, 22.5-26 = 10 MET, over 30 = 15.8 MET

Worked example

With the default values below, Calories Burned Cycling Calculator returns Calories Burned of 788. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Body weightminimum 1 kg
75 kg
Average speedminimum 0.1 km/h
25 km/h
Durationminimum 0.1 min
60 min

Results

Calories Burned
788 kcal
MET Value For That Speed
10.00 MET
Burn Rate
13.13 kcal/min
Calories Per Kilometre
31.5 kcal/km

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2MET energy cost
  3. 3Speed bands
  4. 4Calories Burned= 788 kcal
  5. 5MET Value For That Speed= 10.00 MET
  6. 6Burn Rate= 13.13 kcal/min
  7. 7Calories Per Kilometre= 31.5 kcal/km

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
  • This is an estimate from population-average equations, not a medical or diagnostic assessment. Individual results vary with genetics, training history and technique. Seek advice from a qualified coach or clinician before making significant changes to training.
  • This is an estimate for general information and not professional medical advice. See the full disclaimer for the limits that apply to this kind of calculator.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

This is an estimate from population-average equations, not a medical or diagnostic assessment. Individual results vary with genetics, training history and technique. Seek advice from a qualified coach or clinician before making significant changes to training.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does speed matter so much on a bike?

Aerodynamic drag rises with the cube of speed, so going from 20 to 30 km/h roughly triples the power needed against the air.

Does drafting change the figure?

Considerably - sitting in a bunch can cut power demand by 25-40%, so the MET band overstates your effort.

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