Cycling Calories Calculator
Enter your average power in watts and ride duration in minutes to estimate the work done in kilojoules and the calories you burned.
How to calculate cycling calories
- Enter your average power in watts from a power meter or trainer.
- Enter the ride duration in minutes.
- Read the mechanical work in kilojoules and estimated calories burned.
Examples
Two hours at 200 watts
average power 200 W, duration 120 min
1440 kJ, about 1434 calories
One hour at 250 watts
average power 250 W, duration 60 min
900 kJ, about 896 calories
Frequently asked questions
How are cycling calories calculated from power?
Work in kilojoules equals average power times seconds divided by 1000. Divide that by metabolic efficiency and by 4.184 to convert kilojoules to calories.
Why do kilojoules and calories come out so close?
Human pedalling is roughly 24 percent efficient. Dividing kilojoules by 0.24 and by 4.184 gives a factor near one, so burned calories nearly match the kilojoules.
What efficiency should I use?
A value around 0.20 to 0.25 is typical, with 0.24 as a common default. Trained riders sit near the top of that range, so a higher efficiency lowers the calorie estimate.
Is this more accurate than heart rate estimates?
Yes, when you have a power meter. Direct power measurement of work done is far more reliable than calorie estimates based on heart rate or speed alone.
Does this include resting metabolism?
No. It estimates only the energy used to ride. Your body also burns baseline calories at rest, which this active estimate does not add on top.
Related tools
FTP Calculator
Estimate your cycling FTP from a 20 minute power test, then get all seven Coggan training zones in watts. Free FTP and power zone calculator.
Power to Weight Calculator
Calculate your cycling power to weight ratio in watts per kilogram from power and body weight. Enter weight in kg or lb. Free W/kg calculator.
Cycling Speed Calculator
Calculate bike speed from cadence, gearing and wheel size. Get speed in km/h and mph for any chainring, cog and wheel combination. Free and private.
Gear Inches Calculator
Calculate bike gear inches and metres of development from chainring teeth, cog teeth and wheel size. Compare gears across any drivetrain. Free and private.
Spoke Length Calculator
Calculate bicycle spoke length from rim ERD, hub flange measurements, spoke count and cross pattern. Standard wheelbuilding formula. Free and private.