Mountain biking calories burned
Quick answer
Mountain biking burns about 263 kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. One hour burns about 525 kcal.
- 30 minutes, 70 kg
- 263 kcal
- 1 hour, 70 kg
- 525 kcal
- MET used
- 8.5
- Effort or pace
- Moderate
Moderate uses the Compendium's general mountain biking row. Easy matches riding on dirt roads, and Hard matches competitive racing.
Calories burned by body weight
Estimated kcal for each effort level the Nibbs app offers for mountain biking. Pick the level that matches the whole session, including normal short rests.
| Effort level | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy5.8 MET | 120 kcal | 144 kcal | 168 kcal | 192 kcal | 216 kcal | 240 kcal |
| Moderate8.5 MET | 188 kcal | 225 kcal | 263 kcal | 300 kcal | 338 kcal | 375 kcal |
| Hard16 MET | 375 kcal | 450 kcal | 525 kcal | 600 kcal | 675 kcal | 750 kcal |
| Effort level | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy5.8 MET | 240 kcal | 288 kcal | 336 kcal | 384 kcal | 432 kcal | 480 kcal |
| Moderate8.5 MET | 375 kcal | 450 kcal | 525 kcal | 600 kcal | 675 kcal | 750 kcal |
| Hard16 MET | 750 kcal | 900 kcal | 1050 kcal | 1200 kcal | 1350 kcal | 1500 kcal |
- Easy:
- Relaxed, light effort.
- Moderate:
- Steady, noticeable effort. New logs in the app start here.
- Hard:
- Demanding and hard to keep up.
How this is calculated
Calories burned = (MET − 1) × body weight in kg × time in hours
MET compares the energy an activity uses with sitting at rest. Nibbs takes away 1 MET, the energy your body uses at rest (about 1 kcal per kg per hour), so it counts only the extra calories from the activity. The app rounds the result to the nearest whole kcal.
Worked example (Moderate, 70 kg, 30 minutes): (8.5 − 1) × 70 × 0.5 = 262.5, rounded to 263 kcal.
| Effort level | MET | Compendium code |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 5.8 | Effort model |
| Moderate | 8.5 | 01009 |
| Hard | 16 | Effort model |
Compendium row for mountain biking: code 01009, 8.5 MET.Compendium wording: “Bicycling, mountain, general”
Easy, Moderate and Hard come from the Nibbs effort model. They are approximate rates, based on Compendium codes 01013, 01009, 01004. They are not separate measurements of mountain biking. A code shows next to a level only where its rate equals the row above.
Common questions
How many calories does mountain biking burn in an hour?
About 525 kcal for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. At the same effort, a 50 kg person burns about 375 kcal and a 100 kg person about 750 kcal.
Does mountain biking burn more calories at a harder effort?
Yes. For a 70 kg person, 30 minutes burns about 168 kcal at easy effort, 263 kcal at moderate effort and 525 kcal at hard effort. Choose the level that matches the whole session, including normal short rests.
Why are these numbers lower than some other calculators?
Nibbs counts only the calories you burn above your resting rate. It takes away 1 MET, about 1 kcal per kg of body weight per hour, because your body burns that much even when you sit still. Calculators that count total calories include this resting energy, so their numbers are higher.
How do I log mountain biking in Nibbs?
Add Mountain Biking from the exercise library, enter how long you did it and pick Easy, Moderate or Hard. Nibbs uses the weight in your profile to estimate the calories. You can replace the estimate with your own number.
Log mountain biking in Nibbs and get a calorie estimate automatically
Nibbs has a library of more than 1,200 exercises. Add a workout and Nibbs uses your weight to estimate the calories, next to the meals you log.
Calories burned in related activities
Values are kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person, at the app's default effort level or the pace shown on each page.