We are pleased to announce that on March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor will be introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the upcoming changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Bike riders....

runslikeagirl
runslikeagirl Posts: 140 Member
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
OK I have a stupid question... I have beeen riding a bike the past month trying to recover from a running injury. I ride my bike on my gravel roads up and down hills. Now when I go to plug that in to track my exercise do I put road biking or is up and down hills on gravel considered Mountain Biking??? THere is a big cal difference....
Help
Thanks

Replies

  • FL_Nettie
    FL_Nettie Posts: 265 Member
    Usually when I have something like that happen, I manually enter my calories as between the 2 different exercises. I don't think that riding on a gravel road would be considered mountain biking even if there are hills.

    ** Edit -- that didn't make sense when I re-read it!
    If road biking says 100 calories burned and mountain biking says 200 calories burned, I would pick mountain biking and put 150 calories burned.
  • jw17695
    jw17695 Posts: 438 Member
    I have to use a HRM because I don't know how to log it either. :grumble:
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    I would probably call that "road" biking. Mountain biking involves riding over obstacles, going around switch backs, some pretty steep up and down hills. I can see how there's a calories difference, although I'd don't think I could ever seriously road bike. I'm to scared to go that fast.
  • runslikeagirl
    runslikeagirl Posts: 140 Member
    I would probably call that "road" biking. Mountain biking involves riding over obstacles, going around switch backs, some pretty steep up and down hills. I can see how there's a calories difference, although I'd don't think I could ever seriously road bike. I'm to scared to go that fast.
    [/quote


    I go up and down some really steep hills! Its not hardly flat at all.
  • zoom2
    zoom2 Posts: 934 Member
    I have a road bike, I have a cyclocross bike. The difference in equal effort on similar terrain (in terms of hills) is about 3mph. Because I'm more likely to go on sand/gravel roads AND the frame weighs about 4#s more. If you're on a hybrid or a mountain bike I'd call it mountain biking, since those bikes generally weigh even more than a 'cross bike. If you're riding a 30# bike, then you're having to move 10#s more than a heavy road bike...add heavier wheels and tires and unpaved terrain and you're definitely closer to mtn. bike territory than to road bike territory.
  • CDGolden
    CDGolden Posts: 343 Member
    I have a road bike, I have a cyclocross bike. The difference in equal effort on similar terrain (in terms of hills) is about 3mph. Because I'm more likely to go on sand/gravel roads AND the frame weighs about 4#s more. If you're on a hybrid or a mountain bike I'd call it mountain biking, since those bikes generally weigh even more than a 'cross bike. If you're riding a 30# bike, then you're having to move 10#s more than a heavy road bike...add heavier wheels and tires and unpaved terrain and you're definitely closer to mtn. bike territory than to road bike territory.

    Owning a mountain bike, road bike and cyclocross/commuting bike, I agree with "zoom2". If your on a mountain / hybrid bike with fatter, knobby tires, and riding on gravel I would use the calories burned from mountain biking.

    Chris
This discussion has been closed.

Categories