How many calories does cycling really burn? And how important is counting them anyway?

We all want to know how many calories we burn while cycling, but while it's easy to make an estimate, it's hard to get an accurate figure. We explore common questions around cycling and calorie burn

Male cyclist riding hard to burn calories
(Image credit: Future)

It’s a question we’ve all pondered: how many calories do I burn riding a bike? You can find quick and easy-to-apply equations to the number of calories burned cycling – but alas, life is rarely that simple. Even GPS devices and the best cycling apps, though useful, can't guarantee an accurate figure.

Estimated calories burned cycling

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Rider weightAverage riding speedestimated calories burnt per hour
55kg13mph/21kph440kcal/hour
55kg15mph/24kph550kcal/hour
55kg18mph/29kph660kcal/hour
75kg13mph/21kph600kcal/hour
75kg15mph/24kph750kcal/hour
75kg18mph/29kph900kcal/hour
90kg13mph/21kph720kcal/hour
90kg15mph/24kph900kcal/hour
90kg18mph/29kph1080kcal/hour

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Anna Marie Abram
Fitness Features Editor

I’ve been hooked on bikes ever since the age of 12 and my first lap of the Hillingdon Cycle Circuit in the bright yellow kit of the Hillingdon Slipstreamers. For a time, my cycling life centred around racing road and track. 

But that’s since broadened to include multiday two-wheeled, one-sleeping-bag adventures over whatever terrain I happen to meet - with a two-week bikepacking trip from Budapest into the mountains of Slovakia being just the latest.

I still enjoy lining up on a start line, though, racing the British Gravel Championships and finding myself on the podium at the enduro-style gravel event, Gritfest in 2022.

Height: 177cm

Weight: 60–63kg