To estimate the number of calories that you burn bicycling for 30 minutes, you need to consider several factors, including how much you weigh and how fast you ride. The Mayo Clinic cautions that all calorie-burning figures are estimates and that actual calories burned will vary from person to person.
Speed
A 175-pound person, bicycling for 30 minutes, burns 159 calories at a pace of 5.5 miles per hour, according to the American Council on Exercise. This figure jumps to 318 calories at 12 to 13 miles per hour and to 476 calories at 16 to 19 miles per hour.
Weight
If two people are doing the same exercise, all other things being equal, the person who weighs more will burn more calories. For example, though a 175-pound person burns 318 calories in 30 minutes when she rides 12 to 13 miles per hour, a 225-pound person will burn 408 calories doing the same exercise.
Intensity
Biking at 12 to 13 miles per hour uphill is a much more intense activity than biking 12 to 13 miles per hour on relatively flat ground, so uphill biking burns more calories. Biking the same speed on rough off-road terrain is more intense than biking on a paved road. Moderate-intensity exercise allows you to carry on a conversation, but not sing, while vigorous exercise makes it difficult to say more than a few words without pausing for breath.
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