How Many Calories Are Burned While Riding A Bicycle Compared With Walking?

Riding a bicycle is the second-best exercise for burning calories, behind running, according to reports by the state of Wisconsin and the "Harvard Heart Letter." Riding a bicycle outside and inside via a stationary bicycle both burn more calories than almost every other exercise. Walking ranks low in short-term calorie loss, but it's an effective exercise for long-term weight loss because it's an easy and natural exercise, according to "The Merck Manual of Medical Information." You lose 1 lb. when you burn 3,500 calories.

Rankings

Bicycling more than 20 mph is tied for first in calories burned with running 10 mph among 78 sport activities, according to a "Harvard Heart Letter" report. Bicycling 16 to 19 mph is tied for fifth. Bicycling 14 to 15.9 mph, mountain biking and bicycling 12 to 13.9 mph are tied for 11th, 25th and tied for 26th. The top walking exercise, race walking, is tied for 44th. Walking 4.5 mph, walking 4 mph and walking 3.5 mph are tied for 57th, tied for 62nd and tied for 64th. Vigorous stationary bicycling is first in calories burned among 20 gym activities. Moderate stationary bicycling is tied for eighth. You're exercising vigorously if your heart rate is 70 to 90 percent of its maximum, and exercising moderately if it's 54 to 69 percent of its maximum, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Your maximum heart rate is 220 beats each minute minus your age.

Outdoor Bicycling

Bicycling more than 20 mph burns 1,466 calories per hour if you weigh 185 lbs. and 1,228 calories per hour if you weigh 155 lbs., according to the "Harvard Heart Letter" study. Bicycling 16 to 19 mph burns 1,066 calories per hour if you weigh 185 lbs. and 892 calories per hour if you weigh 155 lbs. Bicycling 14 to 15.9 mph, mountain biking and bicycling 12 to 13.9 mph burn 888, 754 and 710 calories per hour if you weigh 185 lbs. and 744, 632 and 596 calories per hour if you weigh 155 lbs.

Stationary Bicycling

Vigorous stationary bicycling burns 932 calories per hour if you weigh 185 lbs. and 782 calories per hour if you weigh 155 lbs., according to the Harvard study. Moderate stationary bicycling burns 622 calories per hour if you weigh 185 lbs. and 520 calories per hour if you weigh 155 lbs. A 155-lb. person bicycling vigorously on a stationary bicycle needs to bicycle about 4.5 hours to lose 1 lb. A 155-lb. person bicycling moderately needs to bicycle about 6.7 hours to lose 1 lb.

Walking

Race walking --- which is walking at least 5.5 mph, according to "The Complete Guide to Walking" --- burns 578 calories per hour in 185-lb. people and 484 calories in 155-lb. people, according to the Harvard study. Walking 4.5 mph, 4 mph and 3.5 mph burns 444, 400 and 356 calories per hour in 185-lb. people and 372, 334 and 298 calories per hour in 155-lb. people. Walking, though, causes fewer injuries than any other exercise and, thus, is more apt to be part of a long-term exercise program than other exercise, according to "The Merck Manual of Medical Information."