Biking

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kimiec
kimiec Posts: 62
in Fitness and Exercise
Can someone help me I went for a bike ride today but when I looke up the calories burned you had to pick the mph and I have no idea how fast I was going. I went for about 28 mins and it was up hill then some down hill on the way back not an easy ride. I kept my bike in 4th or 6th speed but still not sure of my speed and I don't want to say I burned more calories then I did. So anyone that could help me on this please give me what you know or think.

Replies

  • medaglia_06
    medaglia_06 Posts: 282 Member
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    If this is something you plan on doing frequently, I would suggest investing in a heart rate monitor. I picked mine up on clearance for $50 and I know Walmart has some for around the same price. If you get one with a chest strap you can see the calories burned much easier than having to keep touching the watch part. Sorry I couldn't be more help than that :(
  • 1HappyRosie
    1HappyRosie Posts: 80 Member
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    I was always trying to figure out mine calories too. Best advice I can give you so that you can be totally honest with yourself is spend the money for a HRM. I did and it has helped me so much. Polar FT4, so easy to work with and worth the money. You can find them for around $60. Good luck and health and happiness to you!!!
  • sarahnicole218
    sarahnicole218 Posts: 66
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    If you were riding at a brisk cruising speed, on a mountain bike, or even hybrid bike, you were probably going 12-14 miles per hour. If you were on a road bike (skinny tires), it was probably a but faster than that. However, if you think you could have carried on a conversation without losing your breath, it was probably slower. And if you rode like you were racing, it was probably faster. But a good average biking speed on flat ground is about 15 miles per hour, so if you factor in the slower pace on hills, you'd be safe at 12-14 without overestimating your calories burned.
  • phresh21
    phresh21 Posts: 132 Member
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    I ran into the same problem tho I knew I rode about 9.5 miles. Up hill down hill and all of the inbetweens. It took me over an hr and I know I was not going at a leasurly pace I was working my *kitten* off but because of the hills (I assume) slowed me down some. I just put it as leasurly for however long I rode that way I knew I wasn't over.
  • Cmh1211
    Cmh1211 Posts: 104
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    everyone burns calories different... get a HRM and log it according to calories burned not time and distance, hope this makes sense
  • FireTigerSoul
    FireTigerSoul Posts: 274 Member
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    I would say average is between 10-12 mph...that's where I'm at if I'm doing a moderate workout. 13-15 is vigorous, and anything under 10 is taking it easy. I would think that the downhill would be under 10, but uphill would be higher depending on the incline.

    Hope that helps! :)
  • gsettine
    gsettine Posts: 5 Member
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    You can also buy a cycling speedometer for your bicycle. A decent one should keep track of your average speed which you can use for the MFP entry.
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
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    I bike at 10mph, tops. Usually a little less. Not very fit at all.
  • FireTigerSoul
    FireTigerSoul Posts: 274 Member
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    You can also buy a cycling speedometer for your bicycle. A decent one should keep track of your average speed which you can use for the MFP entry.

    ^ This, definitely. :)
  • hiker282
    hiker282 Posts: 983 Member
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    I'd say your best bet is to get a heart rate monitor. A speedometer will only tell you how fast you're going, not how hard your heart is working, which is what you really want if you're trying to determine a calorie burn.
  • Mrs_TrimWaistFatWallet
    Mrs_TrimWaistFatWallet Posts: 486
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    Take the guesswork out and get something like a BodyBugg or BodyMedia (my preference). If Im huffing and puffing moderately, thats 500 cals/hr. Lightly then it's about 300 cal/hr.
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
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    If you have a smartphone the free RunKeeper app can be used to track your bike rides. It uses distance, elevation, and time to give you an average mph and calorie burn.
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
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    I bike at 10mph, tops. Usually a little less. Not very fit at all.

    I'm lucky if I get up to 3 mph, and the land around here is flat. I seem to be going just as fast as all the other bikers, though.
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
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    If you were riding at a brisk cruising speed, on a mountain bike, or even hybrid bike, you were probably going 12-14 miles per hour. If you were on a road bike (skinny tires), it was probably a but faster than that. However, if you think you could have carried on a conversation without losing your breath, it was probably slower. And if you rode like you were racing, it was probably faster. But a good average biking speed on flat ground is about 15 miles per hour, so if you factor in the slower pace on hills, you'd be safe at 12-14 without overestimating your calories burned.

    Personally I think those numbers are really high!
  • kimiec
    kimiec Posts: 62
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    Thanks everyone for the great advice all I know for sure is I was huffing a puffing but I havn't been on a bike in well over 2 years so that I am sure didn't help but I bought my daughter a bike for christmas and since she is prego I though way not give it a try. Well by the time I was done I was dying and was so glad to be home. I want this to be a part of my exercise regimen it can get dull walking and/or jogging. So I guess I will have to look for one of those heart thingys.
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
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    If you were riding at a brisk cruising speed, on a mountain bike, or even hybrid bike, you were probably going 12-14 miles per hour. If you were on a road bike (skinny tires), it was probably a but faster than that. However, if you think you could have carried on a conversation without losing your breath, it was probably slower. And if you rode like you were racing, it was probably faster. But a good average biking speed on flat ground is about 15 miles per hour, so if you factor in the slower pace on hills, you'd be safe at 12-14 without overestimating your calories burned.

    Personally I think those numbers are really high!

    And I think they are low ;)

    It's all about gearing.
    On my road bike, it's almost impossible to go under 10 mph and still balance. @ 10 mph, you need to be in the shortest gear, and mashing away at less than 50 rpms. But 22mph on it is less work than 17 mph on my mountain bike, on the same roads.


    OP: if you want to keep biking a lot, invest in a decent computer, possibly with ANT+ and GPS. GPS isn't needed though, counting rotations of the wheel is accurate enough for NASA (that's how basic computers measure speed and distance, number of times the wheel rotates). But a nice computer with ANT+ will allow you to use a HR strap, that you can also sync to a phone/watch/etc. I'm a little out of the loop on these computers though.

    On the other hand, Wahoo Fitness makes an ANT+ dongle and case and app to use an iphone and HRM and onboard GPS to do everything a computer on the bike will. They make an android app too, but you'd have to have an ANT+ phone to use a HRM with it.

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