I ride my fat bike almost exclusively. Definitely burns more calories.
Calorie Burn Bicycles Vs. Walking
- Thread starter Soft Cars
- Start date
not if you are diabetic... I shoot for 109. LOL.
Yeah I’m borderline. I have an ongoing battle! Keeps me on my toes almost as much as vava
I'm an older guy and still ride my racing bicycle, although I'm far to ancient to compete with anyone but nursing home residents. 
Clearly, bicycling burns more calories. I can pretty much walk anywhere when my meds are right. But when cycling, I need to use a product like Perpeteum to have enough energy to complete an hour long ride.
Clearly, bicycling burns more calories. I can pretty much walk anywhere when my meds are right. But when cycling, I need to use a product like Perpeteum to have enough energy to complete an hour long ride.
I was 109 this morning... 164 yesterday morning... blame it on the crack cocaine my wife made the day before otherwise known as cinamon rolls...
I would imagine cycling burns more calories assuming a person isn't coasting or otherwise lollygagging..I'm an older guy and still ride my racing bicycle, although I'm far to ancient to compete with anyone but nursing home residents.
Clearly, bicycling burns more calories. I can pretty much walk anywhere when my meds are right. But when cycling, I need to use a product like Perpeteum to have enough energy to complete an hour long ride.
Everything I've read points to the bike being considerably more efficient, to the point that equal time on either burns the same calories (15 min on a bike at a given intensity roughly equals 15 minute on foot at the same intensity). On the bike, you will have traveled over twice (between 2 to 5, depending on which study your review) as far however.
I don't wanna be your personal nag!
You wanna burn calories? Legs are not only good for walking, running, and butt-kicking. Doing mountain climbers will burn some serious calories. 100 kcal per every 10 minutes! Most can't even manage to do them for a full minute. Physical exhaustion and pain for less than 10 kcal burnt. 
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Doing?
Hermann
Site Donor 2023
Been brisk walking 4-5 days a week religiously for over a year now. My last blood sugar was 89 after 16/8 intermittent fasting that I do most days. Used to be 100-105 range. FitBit shows my Cardio Fitness as excellent.
38.5/40. Resting heart rate is now 62 bpm during the day. Goes as low as 55 while sleeping.
During my 20-25 minute walks, average calorie burn is 180-240. Once warmed up my heart rate is usually between 110-120 bpm. 4 trips around my large cul-de-sac is 1.2 miles. On each lap there is a moderate hill that I pulse walk. My pulse will hit 130 for 30-40 sec. At almost 70 the last prescription from the doc had two words on it, KEEP WALKING. Still take no prescription meds and have a supplement regimen that is doc approved.
38.5/40. Resting heart rate is now 62 bpm during the day. Goes as low as 55 while sleeping.
During my 20-25 minute walks, average calorie burn is 180-240. Once warmed up my heart rate is usually between 110-120 bpm. 4 trips around my large cul-de-sac is 1.2 miles. On each lap there is a moderate hill that I pulse walk. My pulse will hit 130 for 30-40 sec. At almost 70 the last prescription from the doc had two words on it, KEEP WALKING. Still take no prescription meds and have a supplement regimen that is doc approved.
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EXCELLENT. How old are you?
Hermann
Site Donor 2023
69
Stud.
Just sleeping will burn off 500 calories a night. So sleep more.
Today I start, whole new life.
I would think power walking burns more than cycling or running. (and builds more muscle) but I think as with any activity its more how much you push yourself.
Im talking POWER not just walking. Arms swinging back and forth, up hill, down hill, as fast as your legs can move without running.
When you run part of it your body is leaping to the next step instead of pushing your muscles (or something like that) There is stuff written about this. Think about wha you do near a hill, you tend to run up the hill, vs keep your feet planted on the ground. Its harder to not run and to walk fast.
I did this on treadmills at Orange Theory for well over a year recently, most of the group of 6 to 15 on any given day ran. I routinely was able to maintain within the top three of the group for age appropriate heart rate which I would push as high as 165 before knowing to pace slower. After thinking about this though, this is a treadmill that I power walked on large angles compared to the runners.
I will take a step back and say if you are street running and all things equal on flat surfaces you may burn more running which most stuff on the internet seems to agree including another post in here.
Peak heart rate which was too high by mistake and not paying attention was the low 180s HR The pace would be 3MPH on the low end, 3.7 average and push to 4.1 for short periods with that said I power walked at high inclines. Base would be around 7 and peak at 15 degrees.
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/target-heart-rates
One can also do this in a community too not just a gym. I would think power walking is also the safest
But no matter the method it's what works best for your enjoyment, as long as you get your heart rate up there, if your compromised of corse with any exercise talk to your doctor.
Just one article I found on the fly ... https://www.livestrong.com/article/292096-which-burns-more-calories-walking-or-biking/
I guess when you think about it, you know how much you are exercising by how high your heart rate is. So you do the exercise that works for you and you can only push yourself as high as you safely can, so if you're at that point, all good.
Im talking POWER not just walking. Arms swinging back and forth, up hill, down hill, as fast as your legs can move without running.
When you run part of it your body is leaping to the next step instead of pushing your muscles (or something like that) There is stuff written about this. Think about wha you do near a hill, you tend to run up the hill, vs keep your feet planted on the ground. Its harder to not run and to walk fast.
I did this on treadmills at Orange Theory for well over a year recently, most of the group of 6 to 15 on any given day ran. I routinely was able to maintain within the top three of the group for age appropriate heart rate which I would push as high as 165 before knowing to pace slower. After thinking about this though, this is a treadmill that I power walked on large angles compared to the runners.
I will take a step back and say if you are street running and all things equal on flat surfaces you may burn more running which most stuff on the internet seems to agree including another post in here.
Peak heart rate which was too high by mistake and not paying attention was the low 180s HR The pace would be 3MPH on the low end, 3.7 average and push to 4.1 for short periods with that said I power walked at high inclines. Base would be around 7 and peak at 15 degrees.
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/target-heart-rates
One can also do this in a community too not just a gym. I would think power walking is also the safest
But no matter the method it's what works best for your enjoyment, as long as you get your heart rate up there, if your compromised of corse with any exercise talk to your doctor.
Just one article I found on the fly ... https://www.livestrong.com/article/292096-which-burns-more-calories-walking-or-biking/
I guess when you think about it, you know how much you are exercising by how high your heart rate is. So you do the exercise that works for you and you can only push yourself as high as you safely can, so if you're at that point, all good.
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You mean you're going back to bed?
Lots of really good info here...especially the simple energy balance equation.
I don't have much to add, but a couple things I didn't see.
-A modern road bike is THE MOST EFFICIENT form of transportation today...still. When you look at calories/distance, it still wins (last time I checked). So you do have to ride a good distance to get a good benefit.
-Bicycling has some regenerative effects on the health of knees...I don't know enough to go into details, but I have had two knee reconstructive surgeries, and biking is GREAT rehab and maintenance health.
-mountain biking burns more calories, but is also harder on the elbows and shoulders, and harder to find a place to go ride
-In my experience as a former amateur mountain bike racer, and runner...even if I burn more calories biking, I will always lose more weight running. I think there is a secondary effect to running that motivates your body to shed excess weight. I have done MANY intervals biking or on an elliptical that burned 1.5x the calories as compared to running, but I have always been leaner when running.
Advice from a dorky engineer that maybe should have been a health coach ;-)
I don't have much to add, but a couple things I didn't see.
-A modern road bike is THE MOST EFFICIENT form of transportation today...still. When you look at calories/distance, it still wins (last time I checked). So you do have to ride a good distance to get a good benefit.
-Bicycling has some regenerative effects on the health of knees...I don't know enough to go into details, but I have had two knee reconstructive surgeries, and biking is GREAT rehab and maintenance health.
-mountain biking burns more calories, but is also harder on the elbows and shoulders, and harder to find a place to go ride
-In my experience as a former amateur mountain bike racer, and runner...even if I burn more calories biking, I will always lose more weight running. I think there is a secondary effect to running that motivates your body to shed excess weight. I have done MANY intervals biking or on an elliptical that burned 1.5x the calories as compared to running, but I have always been leaner when running.
Advice from a dorky engineer that maybe should have been a health coach ;-)
