How Much Should I Cycle A Day To Lose Weight?

The amount of weight you will lose depends on many factors, including your diet, the intensity of your workouts, and genetics. If you have chosen cycling as your physical activity to shed some pounds, you have made a great choice.  Cycling for weight loss is a great way to burn fat and calories, but you must adhere to the right cycling protocol if you want results. One of the most important things to remember is that cycling should be performed at an intensity that ensures your heart rate stays within a healthy range. Remember, burning calories doesn’t depend on cycling time or faster speed; the only matter is how much time you spend after cycling. 

Now, you may think, how much should I cycle a day to lose weight? 

In the initial steps, you must try cycling for 25-30 minutes daily. If you can ride this much regularly, you will lose a minimum of 1 pound in the first week. Then you can increase your cycling time gradually and lose more weight. 

One interesting fact about losing weight with cycling is the more you weigh, the more weight and calories you lose. So you don’t have to worry about heavy-weight cycling, 30 minutes of indoor cycling is also enough for a heavy rider to lose weight.

ACE ( American Council on Exercise) suggests cross-training to lose weight faster. For example, do some warmup exercises for 10 minutes, then cycling for 25-30 minutes, and then another calorie-burning activity like running, dancing, or whatever you want.

Is 30 Minutes Of Cycling A Day Enough?

Yes, 30 minutes of cycling a day is enough to support your health.

Cycling is a low-impact exercise that can help burn calories, build muscle, and improve cardiovascular health.

Thirty minutes of cycling can burn 240-336 calories, depending on your body weight, which will keep you fit and help you shed some extra pounds.  

American College of Sports Medicine suggests exercising 150-250 minutes weekly to stay healthy. If we distribute this time throughout the week, 22-36 minutes will be our one-day exercising time. And as cycling is a cardio exercise, 30 minutes of cycling a day is enough. 

Is Cycling As Good As Walking?

There are many benefits to walking and cycling, and which is better depends on each person’s individual needs and preferences. Walking is a low-impact activity that is easy on the joints, while cycling is an excellent workout for the legs and cardiovascular system. Both activities can help to improve your overall health and fitness levels. In 30 minutes of cycling, you can burn up to 255 calories. In fact, in some cases, Cycling is better than walking. When cycling, you are essentially working your muscles from the top to the bottom when cycling. It is typically less taxing on the joints than walking or running, which means you’re more likely to be able to continue doing it regularly over time without getting injured.

Is Cycling Better Than Running?

There are many benefits to cycling and running, so it depends on what you’re looking for. Cycling might be better if you want a low-impact workout that is easy on the joints. On the other hand, running might be a better option if you’re looking to burn more calories in a shorter amount of time. 

Runners tend to build more muscle mass and have better cardiovascular conditioning because they lift their body weight while running. 

Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference and what works best for you.

While cycling for 30 minutes can burn up to 693 calories, running can burn 671. So no one is less than the other one.

Let’s take a look at how many calories you can burn while cycling and running. After knowing the calorie-burning rate, you can decide which is better for cycling or running.

Cycling Calorie Burning Chart

Running Calorie Burning Chart

Does riding a mountain bike help lose weight?

 Yes, mountain biking can help you lose weight. According to Harvard University, a 30-minute mountain bike ride every day can burn 255 to 357 calories and shed a minimum of 1 pound of body fat in the first week.  Unlike running or walking, mountain biking is easy on your joints, so you can continue this for a long time without getting tired and still shed some weight.

Most importantly, while mountain biking, you don’t need to worry about your weight and set different weight loss goals- like you must ride a long way to burn more calories; it’s not like that. In fact, if you weigh more, you burn more calories doing the same ride at the same speed.  So mountain biking can be a great support to your weight loss journey.

Does Mountain Biking Burn Belly Fat?

While riding a mountain bike can be an incredibly exhilarating experience, it is also a high-intensity activity that can lead to weight loss, including belly fat loss.

Mountain Biking requires considerable upper body strength (particularly in the arms), which helps burn fat throughout the entire body. By working your calf muscles and using your lower body to resist pedaling, you can also target and burn belly fat. So, yes mountain biking burns belly fat. Some research has also shown that mountain bikers who have done regular cycling tend to have better body composition and lower waistlines than those who predominately walk or run.

How Many Calories Burned Riding Mountain Bike

How many calories you can burn while mountain bike riding largely depends on the intensity of the activity, as well as the individual’s weight. If you weigh 125 pounds a 30-minute simple mountain bike ride can burn up to 255 calories. If you 155 pounds, then 306 calories, and if you 185 pounds, then 357 calories. And when you want to lose weight faster, double the riding time and burn double the calories. 

A 60-minute or 1-hour mountain bike can burn 510 to 714 calories.

If a mountain biker weighs 125 pounds, he can burn up to 510 calories in one hour. While 155 pounds rider can burn 612 calories, and 185 pounds mountain biker can burn 714 calories.

How Many Calories Does 15 Miles Of Mountain Biking Burn?

Mountain biking can be a great way to burn calories. It is a great cardio workout, which will help you burn even more calories and fat. Fifteen miles of mountain biking takes around 1 hour to complete. So just like the 1-hour mountain biking, 15 miles of mountain biking can burn 510 to 714 calories. Assuming you weigh 155 pounds, after 15 miles of regular mountain biking, you will burn 612 calories. 

So mountain biking could be a great option if you’re looking to lose some weight. 

Road Bike VS Mountain Bike For Weight Loss

A mountain bike is better for weight loss when you want to lose weight without putting in hard effort. The mountain bike is super comfortable; in a 30-minute ride, you will only shed calories, with no worry about discomfort and tiredness, so you can then try cross-exercise and lose some more weight. Mountain biking is often considered a more challenging form of exercise, leading to increased calorie burn. This is because mountain bikes are typically equipped with heavier tires and higher-powered motors, making them much harder to pedal than road bikes.

But by riding a road bike, you can run swiftly and cover a long way in 30 minutes. When cyclists ride at high speeds on smooth flat terrain, they burn approximately 50% fewer calories than when pedaling slowly on unpavement ground because their body isn’t doing enough working out overall and therefore isn’t burning many calories. Road biking is considered an aerobic exercise for this reason. 

Ryan Ford

I am Ryan Ford, a mountain biking enthusiast who loves to explore the outdoors. I also like to go on adventures with friends and anything else that involves being outside. I love my bike because it gets me out of the house and gives me an opportunity to enjoy nature.