How to calculate biking w/a trailer (+1 kid)?

Options
my2loves04and06
my2loves04and06 Posts: 312
in Fitness and Exercise
Is there some sort of equation I can use to get a rough estimate of how many calories burned while biking and pulling my child in the trailer? I can use an app on my phone to caculate avg speed cycled and distance.

Replies

  • LongMom
    LongMom Posts: 408 Member
    Options
    I've just been calculating the calories based on biking without the trailer and hoping the extra calories burned will result in fat loss.

    Curious what others do!
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
    Options
    Maybe try recalculating the exercise calories with the added weight of the child and trailer? So if your kid is 30 pounds, add 35 or 40 and see how many calories a person that weighs that plus your weight would burn.
  • canstey
    canstey Posts: 118
    Options
    A heart rate monitor that can calculate calories burned would probably be the most accurate since it is only concerned with effort on your part and duration. You are either working harder to maintain the same speed or working the same and going slower because of the extra load but your HRM would pick up either situation.

    I think it would be best if you just assumed a certain amount of calories burned per hour and figure you automatically adjust your effort and speed to maintain that level of intensity. You could get 500-700 calories an hour if you are in decent shape and working pretty hard.
  • my2loves04and06
    my2loves04and06 Posts: 312
    Options
    I found this info on a few other websites, so I guess this is what I'll go with until I get an HRM.

    (my weight + bike weight + trailer weight + kid weight) x 0.28 = calories burned per mile

    So for me, today: (309 x 0.28) x 8 (miles I rode today) = 692.16 calories burned

Categories