Cycling calories calculator

Pick the kind of riding, from easy cycling to a spin class, add your minutes and weight, and see the energy and how it counts towards your week.

Your details

45 min of cycling, moderate pace

337 kcal

extra over resting, for your weight; add age, sex and height to personalise

Total, including what you burn at rest385 kcal
Your resting burn over that time48 kcal (1,529 kcal a day)
Effort for you (corrected METs)8.1 METs, against 7 for the standard 3.5 ml/kg/min
Personalised withaverage adult figures (add age, sex and height)
Effort level7 METs, vigorous
Each week (3 sessions)1,012 kcal on top of resting
Counts towards your 150 weekly minutes270 minutes (vigorous counts double)

The headline is the extra energy the activity used on top of what you would burn resting, which is the part that counts against food. Figures use the 2024 Compendium corrected METs and can be 20% out either way; fitness, technique and how hard you go all move them.

Chest pain, feeling faint or unusual breathlessness when active: stop, and call 999 if it does not pass. If you have a heart condition or have been told to take care, check with your GP about harder exercise.

The working

45 minutes at a moderate pace

Moderate cycling is 7.0 METs. The standard sum is METs × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200 per minute, so at 11 st (69.9 kg) 45 minutes uses 385 kcal in total. About 48 kcal of that you would have burned resting anyway (Harris-Benedict for an average 40 year old, 170 cm), leaving 337 kcal extra. At 7 METs it counts as vigorous, so three rides a week give 270 minutes towards the guideline.

Add your sex, age and height to personalise it. The 2024 Compendium corrects each MET for your own resting rate, so the extra kcal shifts a little: a shorter, older woman burns less at rest, so more of the total counts as extra.

E-bikes

Still exercise

With light assistance an e-bike is 6.0 METs, with high assistance 4.0: still moderate activity. Studies find e-bike owners often ride further and more often, which can make up the difference.

Pace guide

Rough feel

Pace	Feels like
Easy (4.3 METs)	chatty, like a brisk walk
Moderate (7.0)	talking in short sentences
Vigorous (9.0)	a few words at a time

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

Wind and hillsA headwind or a climb changes everything.
Power metersIf you have one, kilojoules of work are close to kcal burned.
CoastingDownhills and traffic lights lower the average.

Questions

Common questions

How many calories does an hour of cycling burn?

About 300 to 650 kcal for an 11 stone rider, depending on pace.

Does an e-bike count as exercise?

Yes. Even with high assistance it is moderate activity.

Is a spin class more than cycling outside?

Often, as there is no coasting.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Before you push on

New to exercise, or got a heart, lung or joint condition? Have a word with your GP or practice nurse first. Stop and get help if you feel chest pain, faintness or unusual breathlessness, and call 999 if it is severe.