Calorie consumption cycling

Saddle up and lose calories

“With no other invention the useful and the pleasant is intimately connected as with the bicycle.” This statement by Adam Opel perfectly sums up the advantages of cycling. Sitting on the saddle of your bicycle you not only experience a feeling of freedom, but also do something good for the environment and yourself. Here we explain why cycling is so healthy and how many calories you burn.

Add to Favourites

Send

What makes cycling so healthy

Cycling is easy on the joints, strengthens the muscles and stimulates the cardiovascular system and blood circulation. Additionally, it improves coordination skills. These positive effects already appear after about 10 minutes on the bike, which is why even short rides are rewarding.

As cycling is easy on the joints, the sport is also suitable for people who weigh a little more but want to lose excess pounds at the same time. How many calories you lose while cycling will be explained in the following section.

Reference value: how many calories you burn while cycling

How many calories you actually burn while cycling depends on many factors. As you can imagine, someone who is comfortably rolling along a flat asphalt road burns fewer calories than someone who is pedaling up a steep forest road. We are going to explain the decisive factors in detail below.

Despite the different influencing factors, a certain reference value can be predefined. For example, someone who cycles at about 18 km/h for one hour on a paved road burns about 450 kilocalories. The faster you cycle, the more calories you burn. When mountain biking, calorie consumption per hour can reach up to 800 kilocalories, as scientific studies show.

These factors strongly influence calorie consumption when cycling

We have already learned that the speed has an influence on calorie consumption when cycling. There are many other factors that determine how many calories you burn while sitting on the saddle:

Personal characteristics: age, gender, weight and fitness level
Intensity or pedal frequency: regular and strong pedaling leads to a higher calorie consumption than rolling along comfortably
Cycle route: terrain, slope and difficulty of the route
Wind & weather: increased calorie consumption in headwind and cool temperatures

Cycling challenges in Ötztal that will make your calories tumble

The "bicycle nation" of Ötztal in Tirol offers rewarding cycle challenges at full length, which will make your calories tumble particularly quickly:

Mountain bike and bike & hike routes

Anyone who covers many altitude meters on a bicycle burns a lot of calories. The more than 850 km (and 35,000 altitude meters) of mountain bike trails in the valley of more than 250 peaks higher than three thousand meters are just what you need. For those who would like to combine several sports and conquer also the summit regions, several exciting bike & hike routes are warmly recommended.

Discover MTB routes

Ötztal Cycle Trail

The Ötztal Cycle Trail runs for more than 50 km from the valley entrance near Haiming to Sölden at almost 1400 meters. In between you will enjoy relaxed and safe biking fun, brimming with exciting cycling destinations to the left and right of the cycle path. The Ötztal Cycle Trail was designed in such a way that you are spared strenuous climbs. Therefore, the route is also suitable for people who do not regularly use their bicycle.

All details about Ötztal Cycle Trail

Road cycling tours

Anyone who likes to ride on narrow tires will find many an altitude challenge in Ötztal. It is not for nothing that the valley is home to the Ötztaler Cycle Marathon, one of the most legendary amateur races of the entire Alpine region. It also leads participants to Kühtai pass. The "Kühtai Rodeo" makes it your task to conquer the pass from three different starting points in one day. However, the Glacier Road in Sölden and the Timmelsjoch Pass Road in upper Ötztal also lead steeply uphill. But don't worry, in addition to these challenging tours there are also leisurely pleasure routes.

Go to road cycling routes

H3: Frequently asked questions about calorie consumption while cycling

How many calories do you burn on a 30 minute bike ride?

At a speed of around 18 km/h, you burn about 225 kcal during a 30-minute bicycle ride. This number is only a reference, as several factors influence how many calories we actually burn while cycling. In addition to personal characteristics such as age and weight, it also includes intensity, route characteristics and weather conditions. You can find out why cycling is so healthy, how many calories you lose while mountain biking and which biking opportunities Ötztal offers HERE on our topic page: "Calorie consumption while cycling"

How long do I have to ride the bike to lose 1 kilogram?

Because actual calorie consumption when cycling depends on several factors such as intensity, this question cannot be answered uniformly. However, a certain guideline can be defined: assuming that you pedal with an average power of 200 watts, you have to sit in the saddle for 13 hours to lose 1 kilogram of body fat. You can find out why cycling is so healthy, how many calories you lose while mountain biking and which biking opportunities Ötztal offers HERE on our topic page: "Calorie consumption while cycling"