Electric Bike - Cardio … Can it be added?

toobigbuddha

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.

lx1x

That's you pedaling the bike.. not self propelled bike.

🤷‍♂️

canthony3505

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

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

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

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.