Working out calories used

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XCKid

New Member
Can you tell me how to work out the number of calories used on a bike ride? If I know how much climbing I've done, my speed etc then surely it must be possible to work out the calories I've burned up. Any ideas?
 

Keith Oates

Janner
Location
Penarth, Wales
On my Cateye 8 Velo computer it calculates the Calories for you, however I don't know how they make the calculation or how accurate it will be!!!!!!!!!!!
 

XTCRider

New Member
Location
Hartlepool
Calories burnt is dependent on HR as well. Cant just work it out from speed alone. Sex, Age, Weight, HR and Av Speed are all entered into my HRM which uses this to give me calories. I burn about 100Kcal per mile, but I am over 3 stone overweight, therefore I burn more calories than a skinny bloke.

Thats with an avg HR of around 140-150bpm, Avg Speed about 13-14mph on my MTB
 

monnet

Guru
It's always seemed a tricky one to me. Is there a standard formula for everyone? There seem to be so many variables that an accurate reading would be difficult without a serious amount of technology.
 
OP
OP
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XCKid

New Member
Ok well I know my age, sex, weight, mean speed, duration of the ride. I can estimate the climbing from an OS map and I could borrow a cheap heart rate monitor. Is ther some formula which I can feed all those into and get a semi-accurate answer?

Sorry, wet afternoon and I'm bored! :ohmy: Thanks for the replies so far.
 

XTCRider

New Member
Location
Hartlepool
My HRM tells me the kcal
 
From Monday 0800hrs Lidl are flogging heart rate monitors for £9.99

- and other cycling related stuff, like a track pump for £2.99 - get it while you can!

www.lidl.co.uk

And, as mentioned in this thread "...it all depends on your age, sex, and weight..."

Don't think of sex on the bike - you'll topple off.:ohmy:

Hello by the way.
 

jay clock

Massive member
Location
Hampshire UK
XTC, I am fairly certain that your 100 cal per mile is totally wrong. All the online counters and other research I have looked at indicate around 55 per mile for a chunky man at that sort of speed. I am pretty confident that the coolrunning site is spot on.

Like you I am very hefty ( I need to lose 21 lbs to get to the maximum for my height, and could lose over 3 stone and still be in the range). On a week's touring holiday with a laden bike doing 100km per day, on your calc I would burn 3600 cals. I need 2100 for my base metabolic rate. I probably eat about 4000 a day when doing those trips....at which rate I would lose over half a pound a day and come back about 5 pounds lighter...which doesn;t happen sadly, convincing me that I am burning about 55-60 per mile, nowhere near 100.
 
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