Losing weight is a common goal for many people, and there are plenty of ways to go about it. Some people choose to diet, and others prefer to exercise. However, incorporating both is the best method for losing weight. A regular exercise routine mixed with a healthy, balanced diet is what experts recommend for losing weight.
Cycling is a fantastic way to lose weight because it is low impact, meaning that it doesn’t put stress on your joints, and it can be easily adapted to any fitness level. There are multiple ways to cycle, from indoor spinning, outdoor road, or mountain biking and Pelotons. Companies like Peloton have exploded in recent years because they are convenient and get people incredible results.
Regardless of the bike you use, they all have very similar results in weight loss and improving cardiovascular fitness. Cycling is an excellent workout because it uses large muscle groups like your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. These are some of the biggest muscles in your body, so you burn tons of calories when you work them.
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How Much Cycling To Lose 1kg?
On average, if you cycle your bike at a moderate pace (12mph/19kph) for 1 hour, you would burn approximately 688 calories. Therefore, you would need to complete 11 sessions to burn 1kg of weight or 11 hours of cycling. The amount of cycling needed to lose 1kg depends on how often you cycle, the intensity of your sessions and your current weight.
You need to burn around 7,700 calories to lose 1kg of body weight if you want to lose weight using cycling without creating a calorie deficit through dieting. Burning 7,770 calories with cycling should be done over multiple sessions and intensity levels to avoid burnout, injury and major fatigue.
I’ve created tables below for each weight category and how many sessions you would need to complete if you want to burn 1kg via cycling. A healthy and stainable goal would be to lose 1kg every 2 weeks, as trying to lose 1kg in a week is challenging for most beginners. If you plan to lose 2kg every two weeks for 14 weeks, you could total around 14kg of weight loss.
Body Weight: 160-180lbs (72-81kg)
On average, if you weigh between 160-180lbs (72-81kg) and cycle for 1 hour at a moderate pace, you would need to cycle 12 hours to burn 1kg of body weight.
| Intensity Level | Calories Burned (per hour) | Hours to lose 1kg |
| Light | 462 | 16 |
| Moderate | 616 | 12 |
| Vigorous | 770 | 10 |
Body Weight: 180-200lbs (81-90kg)
On average, if you weigh between 180-200lbs (81-90kg) and cycle for 1 hour at a moderate pace, you would need to cycle 11 hours to burn 1kg of body weight.
| Intensity Level | Calories Burned | Hours sessions to lose 1kg |
| Light | 516 | 15 |
| Moderate | 688 | 11 |
| Vigorous | 860 | 9 |
Body Weight: 200-220lbs (90-99kg)
On average, if you weigh between 200-220lbs (90-99kg) and cycle for 1 hour at a moderate pace, you would need to cycle 10 hours to burn 1kg of body weight.
| Intensity Level | Calories Burned | Hours sessions to lose 1kg |
| Light | 570 | 13 |
| Moderate | 760 | 10 |
| Vigorous | 950 | 8 |
Body Weight: 220-240lbs (99-108kg)
On average, if you weigh between 220-240lbs (99-108kg) and cycle for 1 hour at a moderate pace, you would need to cycle 9 hours to burn 1kg of body weight.
| Intensity Level | Calories Burned | Hours sessions to lose 1kg |
| Light | 630 | 12 |
| Moderate | 840 | 9 |
| Vigorous | 1050 | 7 |
Body Weight: 240-260lbs (108-117kg)
On average, if you weigh between 240-260lbs (108-117kg) and cycle for 1 hour at a moderate pace, you would need to cycle 8 hours to burn 1kg of body weight.
| Intensity Level | Calories Burned | Hours sessions to lose 1kg |
| Light | 684 | 11 |
| Moderate | 912 | 8 |
| Vigorous | 1140 | 6 |
Body Weight: 260-280lbs (117-127kg)
On average, if you weigh between 260-280lbs (117-127kg) and cycle for 1 hour at a moderate pace, you would need to cycle 8 hours to burn 1kg of body weight.
| Intensity Level | Calories Burned | Hours sessions to lose 1kg |
| Light | 738 | 10 |
| Moderate | 948 | 8 |
| Vigorous | 1230 | 6 |
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How Much Cycling to Lose 1kg in a Week?
We need to burn 7,700 calories to lose 1kg of body weight through cycling. On average, if you cycle a bike at a moderate pace of (12mph/19kph), you can expect to burn 688 calories each hour. Suggesting that you would need to cycle 11 hours or 1 hour 58 minutes daily to lose 1kg weekly.
The majority of people don’t have the time to cycle their bike or indoor exercise bike for 2 hours a day, so losing 1kg in a week is very unrealistic. However, losing 1kg a week is possible if you supplement your cycling with a calorie deficit through dieting, but this is still very challenging.
You would need to create a calorie deficit of around 500 calories daily to lose 0.5kg of body weight. For example, if you weigh 200lbs (90kg), you need to eat 2,282 calories a day to maintain your current weight. Therefore, you would need to consume 1,782 daily to lose 0.5kg a week.
Then you would need to cycle for 1 hour every day to lose the other 0.5kg weight. When you combine cycling and a calorie deficit diet, you can expect to lose 1kg of body weight in a week.
How Much Cycling to Lose 1kg in a Month?
The number of calories burned while riding a bike varies widely, but typical cycling intensity of 12 mph/19 kph can burn approximately 688 calories each hour. To lose 1 kilogram of body weight through cycling, we need to burn 7,700 calories, implying that you would have to cycle 11 hours per month on average to lose 1kg.
You can quickly burn 1kg of body weight in a month if you cycle for 30 minutes 5 days a week. This is a very realistic and achievable goal for most people. If you are new to cycling or considered overweight, this is the best and safest approach. Once you begin losing weight, you can increase your time on the bike or intensity level to burn more calories and lose more weight.
Tips to Burn More Weight on a Bike
While the number of calories you burn while riding a bike varies, there are ways to ensure you are maximising your efforts. Here are some tips:
1. Increase your speed – the faster you go, the more calories you will burn, is the theory. However, it can be challenging to maintain a high speed for long distances and multiple days. So listen to your body and don’t overtrain.
2. Ride uphill – if you bike is outdoors, don’t avoid hills. Embrace them because they will help to increase your heart rate and burn more calories. I always include hills in my cycling sessions, usually in the middle of the ride.
3. Use intervals – alternate between high and low-intensity periods to increase your heart rate and burn more calories. Interval training has been proven to burn 40% more calories than steady-state cycling. But only use interval training three times a week with a day of rest in-between.
4. Add resistance – if you are riding on a stationary bike, add resistance to make it more challenging and get your legs and heart working. Resistance is the thing that increases your workout rate and burns calories. So, add more resistance next time you are on the exercise bike.
5. Increase the time – once you get into regular cycling, you will very quickly be able to increase your time on the bike. Suppose you have a busy home and work schedule. Plan to have a long bike ride at the weekend. This will increase your time on the bike and calories burned. A great long-distance bike ride is between 1 and 2 hours.
