Re: calories burned while riding a bike - what is the correct number?

Patrick Lamb wrote:
:: Roger Zoul wrote:
::: Patrick Lamb wrote:
::::: On Thu, 26 Jul 2007 10:46:13 -0400, "Roger Zoul"
::::: <rogerzoul2@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
:::::: Joe wrote:
:::::::: I've been dieting and I'm curious to see how many calories
:::::::: riding my bike an hour per day through a wooded trail burns. I
:::::::: bike at a moderate pace between 10-15 mph and if I do a
:::::::: calculation on this site I get numbers in the 700 range.
::::::::
:::::::: http://dftools.ivillage.com/healthtools/calc_cb.cfm
:: ...
::::::
:::::: I count 40 kcals/mile, no matter how fast I ride. 10 miles = 400
:::::: kcals. 15 miles = 600 kcals.
:::::: 20 miles = 800 kcals. Note, riding faster means you go more
:::::: miles in an hour, so that's how you burn more calories. For the
:::::: most part, though, you're doing the same about of work
:::::: regardless of speed. Hence, the energy used should really have
:::::: little (to the first order) to do with speed.
::::::
:::::: I think the numbers at the site are too high.
:::::
::::: Not really enough information. Need rider and bike weight, a good
::::: guess at cross section, and info on tire type.
:::
::: Not enough info for what? An extremely accurate answer? You're
::: never gonna get that. The 40 kcal/mile is not exact and is not
::: perfect for everyone. However, it's a lot more meaningful than the
::: numbers that come out of that website, and those that come out of
::: devices like the Polar 720i or the Edge 305, which are all way too
::: high.
::
:: That's fine, for some people it surely is close to 40 kcal/mile.
:: But if the OP weighs twice what you weigh, I bet he'll burn more
:: than that.

I agree.

If you're on a road bike with high pressure tires, and
:: the OP is sitting up on a cruiser with fat tires pumped up to 35
:: psi, he'll burn more than that.

I agree.

If your claim is that all bicycle
:: riders, no matter what circumstances, burn about 40 Cal/mi, you're
:: being fatuous.

Did you read that anywhere? I'm saying its a good ball park rather than the
site.


::
::::: FWIW, a few years back I started collecting formulas for cycling
::::: calories. I think I ended up with five different formulas -- not
::::: surprisingly, I got five different answers, which typically
::::: varied by up to 2.5X.
:::::
::::: Oh yeah, the difference between 10 and 15 mph matters more on the
::::: road -- the aerodynamic drag isn't significant in the gym.
:::
::: I won't argue that. But you still can't tell me exactly how many
::: calories I burn on a 10 or 15 mile road ride. Sure, drag makes a
::: difference, but it ain't that big of a difference.
::
:: Maybe for you. I'll argue that there's a knee in the energy vs.
:: speed curve. At speeds above the knee, aerodynamic drag becomes
:: significant. And the location of the knee depends on the factors
:: listed above, and perhaps other factors.

From a practical POV, it won't make a difference. Either you'll get low to
lessen the drag or you'll be slowed by it.



.

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