Calorie-burning rates can vary significantly from person to person, based on individuals' weight, metabolism and medical conditions. The number of calories you burn during a one-mile bike ride also depends on your speed, the difficulty of pedaling and how much weight you are hauling.
Significance
Bicycling is a good way to burn calories, whether you pedal inside on a stationary bike or outdoors on a street or mountain bike. As you increase your mileage, you gain more strength and stamina and are able to ride faster. This in turn increases your mileage per workout and the amount of calories you burn. And as noted on FamilyDoctor.org, a website of the American Academy of Family Physicians, regular exercise also increases your metabolism, which is the rate at which you burn calories.
Effects
The American Heart Association states that a 150-lb. person bicycling at 12 mph will burn about 410 calories per hour, or approximately 33 calories per mile. A person weighing 100 lbs. burns a third fewer calories per mile, while a person weighing 200 lbs. burns a third more.
Considerations
The figures above represent a consistent condition that's hard to replicate in outdoor cycling. A one-mile bike ride can take 15 minutes on a steep slope and cause intense calorie-burning. Another ride of the same distance can consist of two minutes of coasting downhill without burning calories. Riding 12 mph up a hill burns more calories than riding 12 mph on relatively flat ground, because it takes more energy to climb a hill at that pace. Bikes of different weights or loaded down with touring gear will also require more or less energy to pedal. Therefore, the figures cited by the American Heart Association are only estimates.
Recommendations
Stretch your quads, calves, hamstrings and gluteals before and after bicycling to prevent pain. Increase your total weekly mileage by no more than 10 percent each week to reduce your chance of injury.
Benefits
Bicycling is a low-impact exercise that's easy on your knees and builds your leg muscles, including your calves, quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteals. The aerobic nature of cycling exercises your heart and lungs by increasing your heart rate and breathing. Regular participation in cardiovascular activities such as bike riding can reduce your risk of heart attack and help you lose weight.
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