Stationary bike calories burned
Quick answer
Riding a stationary bike burns about 203 kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. One hour burns about 406 kcal.
- 30 minutes, 70 kg
- 203 kcal
- 1 hour, 70 kg
- 406 kcal
- MET used
- 6.8
- Effort or pace
- Moderate
Easy matches light pedalling, Moderate a general workout and Hard a vigorous one. Nibbs does not read your watts, so pick the level that matches how the ride felt. Recumbent bikes and air bikes use the same rates.
Calories burned by body weight
Estimated kcal for each effort level the Nibbs app offers for stationary bike. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy3.5 MET | 63 kcal | 75 kcal | 88 kcal | 100 kcal | 113 kcal | 125 kcal |
| Moderate6.8 MET | 145 kcal | 174 kcal | 203 kcal | 232 kcal | 261 kcal | 290 kcal |
| Hard10.8 MET | 245 kcal | 294 kcal | 343 kcal | 392 kcal | 441 kcal | 490 kcal |
| Effort level | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy3.5 MET | 125 kcal | 150 kcal | 175 kcal | 200 kcal | 225 kcal | 250 kcal |
| Moderate6.8 MET | 290 kcal | 348 kcal | 406 kcal | 464 kcal | 522 kcal | 580 kcal |
| Hard10.8 MET | 490 kcal | 588 kcal | 686 kcal | 784 kcal | 882 kcal | 980 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): (6.8 − 1) × 70 × 0.5 = 203 kcal.
| Effort level | MET | Compendium code |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 3.5 | Effort model |
| Moderate | 6.8 | 01200 |
| Hard | 10.8 | Effort model |
Compendium row for stationary bike: code 01200, 6.8 MET.Compendium wording: “Bicycling, stationary, general”
Easy, Moderate and Hard come from the Nibbs effort model. They are approximate rates, based on Compendium codes 01210, 01200, 01236. They are not separate measurements of stationary bike. A code shows next to a level only where its rate equals the row above.
Common questions
How many calories does riding a stationary bike burn in an hour?
About 406 kcal for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. At the same effort, a 50 kg person burns about 290 kcal and a 100 kg person about 580 kcal.
Does riding a stationary bike burn more calories at a harder effort?
Yes. For a 70 kg person, 30 minutes burns about 88 kcal at easy effort, 203 kcal at moderate effort and 343 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 stationary bike in Nibbs?
Add Stationary Cycling 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 stationary bike 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.