Case 1
- Body weight
- 75kg
- Average speed
- 20km/h
- How long did you ride?
- 45min
450kcal
Open with these valuesCycling Calorie Calculator
450kcal
Result: 450 kcalSpeed decides the intensity band and weight multiplies it: 75 kg for 45 minutes at 20 km/h costs about 450 kcal. Going from 19 to 24 km/h moves you from 8 to 10 MET, which is why pace matters more than distance here. Treat the figure as an average, not a measurement.
The numbers at a glance
Held fixed: Body weight 75.0 kg, Average speed 20.0 km/h.
| How long did you ride? (min) | Result (kcal) |
|---|---|
| 20 | 200 |
| 40 | 400 |
| 45Your value | 450 |
| 60 | 600 |
| 80 | 800 |
Worked examples
Case 2
- Body weight
- 90kg
- Average speed
- 30km/h
- How long did you ride?
- 60min
1,080kcal
Open with these valuesCase 3
- Body weight
- 60kg
- Average speed
- 14km/h
- How long did you ride?
- 30min
120kcal
Open with these valuesHow it's calculated
kcal = MET(speed) × kg × hours
- StepEnter your body weight — calories scale directly with it.
- StepEnter your average speed; it picks the MET band from the table below.
- StepEnter the ride time in minutes.
- ResultRead the total for the ride.
What this number means
Wind, hills and surface are not in the number
The figure is an average, not a measurement. Wind, hills, road surface, drafting, bike type and your own efficiency can move the real burn by 10–20 % or more.
Speed picks a band, not a curve
The MET value steps at the band edges instead of rising smoothly. Riding at 19 km/h sits at 8 MET and 24 km/h at 10, so a small change in average speed can jump the result.
Not built for a stationary bike
The MET values come from outdoor riding, where air resistance is a large part of the cost. Indoors the intensity depends on the resistance setting, so a power or heart-rate reading from the machine is closer to the truth.
One MET is an approximation
One MET is taken as roughly one kilocalorie per kilogram of body mass per hour. That is the usual approximation of the MET method, not a measurement.
Commonly misread
We rode the same route together, so we burned the same.
The MET method scales directly with body mass. At the same pace the heavier rider gets the higher figure, and that is expected rather than an error.
Distance is what decides the calories.
Speed picks the intensity band and time multiplies it; distance is not an input at all. A 75 kg rider for 45 minutes at 20 km/h comes to about 450 kcal.
I can use this figure to audit what I ate.
It is an average that can be 10–20 % off. Use it to plan fuelling and training load rather than to balance energy.
Reference table
| Weight, speed, minutes | Compendium band | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 75, 14, 60 | under 10 mph, leisure — 4.0 MET | 300 |
| 75, 18, 60 | 10–11.9 mph, light effort — 6.8 MET | 510 |
| 75, 20, 60 | 12–13.9 mph, moderate — 8.0 MET | 600 |
| 75, 24, 60 | 14–15.9 mph, fast — 10.0 MET | 750 |
| 75, 28, 60 | 16–19 mph, racing — 12.0 MET | 900 |
| 75, 35, 60 | over 20 mph, racing — 16.8 MET | 1260 |
Questions
How many calories does cycling burn?
It depends on weight, speed and time. As a guide, a 75 kg rider at 20 km/h for 45 minutes burns roughly 450 kcal; fast road riding can pass 700 kcal an hour, while a gentle roll sits nearer 300.
What is a MET?
A MET is the energy you use at rest — about one kilocalorie per kilogram of body weight per hour. An activity rated 8 MET costs roughly eight times that, and cycling runs from about 4 MET for easy riding to over 12 for fast road work.
Why does speed change the calories so much?
Air resistance grows sharply with speed, so the energy cost rises more than proportionally. Moving from 19 to 24 km/h jumps you from about 8 to 10 MET, and the same rider burns noticeably more per minute.
Does my weight affect the result?
Yes — the MET method scales directly with body mass. Two people riding together at the same pace will see different figures, and the heavier one is higher. That is expected, not an error.
Does this work for a stationary bike?
Not well. The MET values come from outdoor riding, where air resistance is a large part of the cost; indoors the intensity depends on the resistance setting, so a power or heart-rate reading from the machine is closer to the truth.
How accurate is the estimate?
It is an average, not a measurement. Wind, hills, road surface, drafting, bike type and your own efficiency can move the real burn by 10–20 % or more, so use it to plan fuelling and training load rather than to audit energy.
Sources and last check
Information, not medical advice.