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Free health tool

Cycling Calories
Burned.

Enter your weight, ride time and intensity to see how many calories you burn on the bike, your hourly burn rate and how it fits your day.

Your ride
Calories burned
450 kcal
Burn rate 600 kcal/h
Of a 2,000 kcal day 23%
Roughly equal to 4.3 bananas
An estimate from your weight, time and intensity. For a weekly weight-loss target, plan your rides around the deficit you want, not the calories you can eat back.

Results update as you type. Figures use the MET method and are a good estimate; real burn varies with fitness, terrain and wind.

The maths

How the calculator works

Calories burned equal your intensity (as a MET value) times your weight in kilograms times the hours you ride.

MET
Intensity A MET is how many times harder an effort is than resting. Moderate riding is about 8 MET, racing pace close to 16.
kg
Weight Moving more mass costs more energy, so a heavier rider burns more for the same ride. Include your kit.
h
Time Calories scale straight with time on the bike. Double the ride, double the burn at the same intensity.
=
The formula kcal = MET x weight in kg x hours. It is the standard method used across fitness research and apps.
W
Power tie-in If you ride with a power meter, total kilojoules of work is almost exactly your calories burned, the most accurate method.

The number is a smart estimate rather than a lab reading. Fitness, terrain, wind and how smoothly you pedal all move it, so use it to plan trends over a week rather than to chase an exact figure on a single ride.

Want a 12 week cycling weight-loss plan?
A printable ride-and-deficit plan built around this calculator is coming soon to our shop.
FAQ

Cycling calories FAQ

A 75kg rider burns roughly 450 calories in 45 minutes of moderate riding (12 to 14 mph), or about 600 calories an hour. The exact number depends on your weight, how long you ride and how hard, which is what this calculator works out for you.

Minute for minute, hard running usually burns a little more than moderate cycling, but cycling is far gentler on the joints so most riders can go longer. Vigorous or racing-pace cycling can match or beat running, and total calories come down to time multiplied by intensity.

This tool uses the MET method (Metabolic Equivalent of Task). Calories equal MET value times your weight in kilograms times hours ridden. Each intensity has a MET value from the Compendium of Physical Activities, for example moderate riding is about 8 MET and racing pace close to 16 MET.

Yes, directly. Moving more mass takes more energy, so a heavier rider burns more calories for the same ride than a lighter one. Enter your real weight including kit for the most accurate figure.

Treat it as a good estimate, not a lab measurement. MET values are averages, and real burn varies with fitness, terrain, wind and efficiency. If you ride with a power meter, total kilojoules of work is very close to calories burned and is the most accurate method.

Yes. A calorie deficit drives weight loss, and cycling is an efficient, low-impact way to create one while protecting your joints. Pair regular rides with sensible nutrition, and use the burn figure here to plan your weekly deficit rather than to justify overeating.