Calories Burned Mountain Biking
Calorie Calculator
About mountain biking
General trail riding rates 8.5 METs, about 598 calories an hour for a 155 lb rider. What that average hides is how lumpy the hour is. You are pinned on the climbs and coasting most of the way back down, so the work arrives in blocks rather than at a steady drip, and two riders on the same loop can finish with genuinely different totals depending on how much of it they pedalled. Sustained climbing has a rating of its own at 14.0, close to what the Compendium gives a six minute mile.
Calories Burned by Body Weight
Calories burned per 30 minutes of mountain biking at moderate intensity (MET 8.5)
| Body Weight | Calories Burned |
|---|---|
| 120 lbs (54 kg) | 231 cal |
| 140 lbs (64 kg) | 270 cal |
| 155 lbs (70 kg)Reference | 299 cal |
| 170 lbs (77 kg) | 328 cal |
| 185 lbs (84 kg) | 357 cal |
| 200 lbs (91 kg) | 386 cal |
| 220 lbs (100 kg) | 424 cal |
Calories Burned by Duration
Calories burned at 155 lbs body weight, moderate intensity
| Duration | Calories Burned |
|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 149 cal |
| 30 minutesReference | 299 cal |
| 45 minutes | 448 cal |
| 60 minutes | 598 cal |
| 90 minutes | 896 cal |
Calories by Intensity
Different intensities burn different calories. MET (Metabolic Equivalent) measures exercise intensity.
Food Equivalent
30 minutes of mountain biking burns enough calories to offset:
Based on 299 calories burned (30 min at 155 lbs)
Tips for Mountain Biking
- Sit and spin the long climbs, standing feels faster and empties your legs before the top
- Drop the saddle before a technical descent so your weight can move behind the bike
- Carry more water than a road ride of the same length, since trail pace hides how hard you are working
- Eat on the climbs rather than the descents, because a two hour ride outruns what you started with
Frequently Asked Questions
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