How Many Calories To Bike An Hour?

A 150-lb. cyclist burns between 250 and 1,000 calories per hour. The number of calories that you burn depends on who you are and the difficulty of your ride.

Body Size

Muscles need extra energy when you ride. Since larger cyclists have more muscle, they burn more calories per hour. Also, according to Science of Cycling, up to 90 percent of your effort on the bike goes to overcoming wind resistance. Since larger cyclists have more surface area to drag through the wind, they expend more energy. Wind resistance and thus calorie expenditure increase exponentially with speed.

Intensity

The harder you ride, the more calories you burn. Climbing a hill, time trialing and frequent speed bursts during a race burn more calories than a casual ride. You can estimate your calorie expenditure if you know your average heart rate. A 150-lb. woman burns about 640 calories an hour with an average heart rate of 160 beats per minute.

Formula

Indoor cycling places slightly different demands on the body. Riding at 80 watts, you burn 3.6 calories per hour per pound of body weight. Therefore, a 150-lb. cyclist burns about 540 calories per hour at a moderate intensity.