Electric Bike - Cardio … Can it be added?

toobigbuddha
toobigbuddha Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I see standard bicycling on the drop down list of cardio exercises but not electric bike. A study two years ago indicated it is about 80% of regular bike ride caloric burn. Somewhere around 444 calories an hour for 180 lb dude.

Replies

  • lx1x
    lx1x Posts: 38,330 Member
    That's you pedaling the bike.. not self propelled bike.

    🤷‍♂️
  • canthony3505
    canthony3505 Posts: 35 Member
    E bikes are not common enough yet to be included I'd speculate. Depending on the amount of of assistance you use, I'd think 80% might be about right. It's hard to know for sure.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    You have to average 125 watts (regardless of your weight) for an hour to burn 450 kCal. For sure doable, but probably not super easy for most people.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    I'd be very surprised if the average e-bike user is really providing 80% of the energy.
    Maybe some do but how would you know you are part of that "some"?
    Can't recall seeing any e-bike riders actually exerting themselves to any great degree. Sure there will be some but in my 5,000 miles of riding a year I'm not seeing them.

    I'd agree with @NorthCascades but take it further, if people can comfortably produce 125w I doubt they would be using an e-bike.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    I agree with @sijomial.

    I'm riding along and see another bike in my rear-view mirror. Next thing I know, it's passing me, making a distinct mechanical whine, and the rider isn't even pedaling. Just like the mopeds in the 70s: no one ever pedaled those either. In fact, the point of the pedals was to call it a bicycle rather than a motorcycle.

    I guess there are ones where the motor just assists, but perhaps I don't notice those.

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