# How many cycling calories do I burn?

Estimates the calories burned cycling from body weight, riding speed or kind of ride (road, mountain, e-bike, stationary bike by watts) and minutes, with MET values from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/health/calories-burned-biking-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/health/calories-burned-biking-calculator.json
- Version: 5b258356cf81

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Weight 160 lb, Speed or kind of ride 12 to 13.9 mph, moderate effort, Minutes ridden 60): Cycling for 60 minutes (12 to 13.9 mph, moderate effort) at 160 lb burns about 610 calories.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| weight | Weight | Your body weight. |
| ride | Speed or kind of ride | Your riding speed, the kind of ride, or the power on a stationary bike, which sets the MET value. |
| min | Minutes ridden | How long you ride, in minutes. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| calories | Calories burned | Total kilocalories burned during the ride, including what the body burns at rest. |
| net | Above resting | Kilocalories beyond what you would burn resting for the same time: (MET − 1) of the total. |
| perHour | Calories per hour | Kilocalories burned per hour at this effort and weight. |
| met | MET value | The Compendium’s energy cost of the ride as a multiple of the resting rate. |

## Method

Calories = MET × 3.5 × weight (kg) ÷ 200 × minutes; calories above resting use MET − 1.

## Assumptions

- MET values are the 2024 Adult Compendium’s, measured in adults 19 to 59 years old.
- One MET is taken as 3.5 mL of oxygen per kilogram per minute, and 1 litre of oxygen as 5 kilocalories (the Compendium’s conversions).
- The answer is an estimate for an average rider; wind, hills, the bike and riding position change the real cost.
- This is for information only and is not medical advice.

## Worked examples

1. weight = 72.574779, ride = 01030, min = 60 gives calories = 609.628145, net = 533.424627, perHour = 609.628145, met = 8. Source: 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, Bicycling, https://pacompendium.com/bicycling; Compendium of Physical Activities, Unit Conversions (kcal/min = METs × 3.5 × body weight in kg ÷ 200), https://pacompendium.com/unite-conversions/.
2. weight = 70, ride = 01040, min = 30 gives calories = 367.5, net = 330.75, perHour = 735. Source: 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, Bicycling, https://pacompendium.com/bicycling; Compendium of Physical Activities, Unit Conversions (kcal/min = METs × 3.5 × body weight in kg ÷ 200), https://pacompendium.com/unite-conversions/.
3. weight = 90.718474, ride = 01228, min = 45 gives calories = 571.526386, net = 500.085588, perHour = 762.035182. Source: 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, Bicycling, https://pacompendium.com/bicycling; Compendium of Physical Activities, Unit Conversions (kcal/min = METs × 3.5 × body weight in kg ÷ 200), https://pacompendium.com/unite-conversions/.
4. weight = 55, ride = 01088, min = 20 gives calories = 77, met = 4. Source: 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, Bicycling, https://pacompendium.com/bicycling; Compendium of Physical Activities, Unit Conversions (kcal/min = METs × 3.5 × body weight in kg ÷ 200), https://pacompendium.com/unite-conversions/.

## FAQ

### How many calories does cycling burn?

A 160 lb person riding one hour at 12 to 13.9 mph (8.0 MET) burns about 610 calories. At 14 to 15.9 mph (10.0 MET) the same rider burns about 762 an hour.

### How is it calculated?

Calories per minute = MET × 3.5 × weight in kg ÷ 200, the Compendium’s conversion, times the minutes. The MET value is the energy cost of the ride as a multiple of sitting at rest.

### How many calories does a stationary bike burn?

It depends on the power you pedal at. In the Compendium, 50 watts is 4.0 MET, 126 to 150 watts 8.0 MET and over 325 watts 16.3 MET. A 200 lb rider at 126 to 150 watts for 45 minutes burns about 572 calories.

### Does an e-bike burn fewer calories?

Yes, more motor help means less work. The Compendium gives 6.8 MET with no support, 6.0 with light support and 4.0 with high support, so a 55 kg rider burns 77 calories in 20 minutes on high support.

### What does “above resting” mean?

The calories from the ride itself: (MET − 1) of the total. Your body would have burned the rest (1 MET) even sitting still for the same time.

### Why does my bike computer show a different number?

A power meter measures your work directly, and a watch may use heart rate. The Compendium values are averages for adults 19 to 59; wind, hills, tyres and riding position change the real cost.

## Sources

- 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, Bicycling (codes 01xxx and their MET values). https://pacompendium.com/bicycling (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Compendium of Physical Activities, Unit Conversions (1 MET = 3.5 mL O₂/kg/min; METs to kcal/min = METs × 3.5 × body weight in kg ÷ 200). https://pacompendium.com/unite-conversions/ (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- Herrmann SD and others. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: a third update of the energy costs of human activities. Journal of Sport and Health Science 2024;13:6–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2023.10.010 (retrieved 2026-10-02)
- NIST Special Publication 811, Appendix B (1 lb = 0.45359237 kg exactly). https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811 (retrieved 2026-10-02)