How many calories do you burn while cycling?

Weight and speed

You can see below how many calories a person consumes approximately at different speeds. The more you weigh, the more calories you will burn while cycling.

But what exactly about food? As an example, let’s take a candy bar. 1 snicker equals about 250 kcal. If you cycle at a good pace, as a person weighing 60 kg, you will need to cycle for just under an hour. That’s already quite an effort you have to make to burn a small candy.

Instead of a candy bar as a snack, opt for healthy varieties such as vegetables or fruit. That way you get enough vitamins without adding a whole bunch of calories that you have to burn afterwards.

Electric bicycle

Doubts often arise whether you burn as many calories on an electric bike as on a regular bike. Yes, you burn calories when you ride an e-bike. But the calorie count is slightly lower than that of a regular bicycle.

Now if you weigh 60 kg and you cycle 15 km/h you will burn about 246 kcal on a regular bike. On an electric bike, that’s about 210 kcal.

That’s a small difference, but it doesn’t mean that bicycling with electric assistance is any less healthy than riding a normal bicycle. Because the electric assistance requires you to exert less effort, you tend to use it more often and thus cover greater distances. And the bicycle is still a healthier and more sustainable choice than the car.

So you don’t have to worry. When you ride a bike, be it an e-bike or a regular bike, you burn calories. The only thing that makes a difference is exactly how much effort you put in. So don’t forget to swap the car for the bike several times a week. And finally, trade in the unhealthy candy bars for a healthy snack.