Calories Burned Cycling Calculator
Estimate calories burned cycling from your weight, ride time and intensity — by speed band, exact average speed, bike type (mountain, BMX, e-bike, spin class, stationary) or indoor power in watts — using 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities METs, with gross and net calories, per hour, per km and tables by speed and duration.
How it works
Calories = MET × 3.5 × weight(kg) ÷ 200 × minutes · Net = (MET − 1) × 3.5 × weight ÷ 200 × minutes · From power: kcal = watts × seconds ÷ efficiency ÷ 4,184
The MET (metabolic equivalent) method scales energy use by how hard you ride and how much you weigh: one MET is the energy you use sitting still, about 3.5 mL of oxygen per kg per minute, and every litre of oxygen burns about 5 kcal. The MET values here come from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, the standard research reference, from leisurely riding at 9 km/h (3.5 METs) up to racing above 32 km/h (16.8 METs), plus mountain biking, BMX, e-bikes with and without assistance, spin classes and indoor bikes by power. You can pick an intensity band, type your average speed and let the calculator pick the band, choose a bike type, or enter watts from a power meter or smart trainer — then it uses physics instead: the work you put into the pedals divided by your efficiency (about 24%). Pounds are converted to kilograms. You get gross calories, net calories above resting, per hour, per 10 minutes and per kilometre, and tables for every speed band and other ride times. Hills, wind, drafting, bike weight and fitness all move the true figure, so treat it as an estimate.
Worked example
A 70 kg rider cycling moderately at 19–22 km/h (12–13.9 mph, 8.0 METs) for 45 minutes burns 8.0 × 3.5 × 70 ÷ 200 = 9.8 kcal per minute, or about 441 kcal (net 386 kcal above resting). On a smart trainer at an average of 150 W for 45 minutes, the work is 405 kJ, and at 24% efficiency that is 405 ÷ 0.24 ÷ 4.184 ≈ 403 kcal.
Sources: 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities — Bicycling · Herrmann SD et al. (2024) — 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (J Sport Health Sci)
Frequently asked questions
Do hills or wind change it?
Yes — climbing and headwinds raise effort, and drafting behind other riders lowers it. Choose a higher band, the uphill mountain-bike option, or enter your power in watts if you have a power meter, which captures hills and wind automatically.
Is this net or gross calories?
Both are shown. Gross is everything you burn during the ride, including the baseline your body would have used anyway; net subtracts that resting amount (1 MET) and is the better number for weight-loss planning.
How many calories does an hour of cycling burn?
For a 70 kg rider, about 290 kcal at a leisurely pace under 16 km/h (4 METs), 590 kcal at 19–22 km/h (8 METs) and 880 kcal at 26–31 km/h (12 METs). Heavier riders burn proportionally more.
Does an e-bike burn calories?
Yes. The 2024 Compendium lists 6.8 METs with the motor off, 6.0 METs with light assistance and 4.0 METs with high assistance — about the same as brisk walking even at the highest setting.
How accurate are calories from watts?
More accurate than speed, because power measures the work you actually do. The only assumption is efficiency: most people convert 20–25% of the energy they burn into pedal power, so 1 kJ of work is close to 1 kcal burned.
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General educational estimate, not medical advice. Individual needs vary — talk to a doctor or registered dietitian for personal guidance.