Cycling in general and riding an ebike in particular is good for our health. Fortunately, this is no longer in question in 2025. Numerous scientific studies have shown how our cardiovascular system benefits from cycling, how our musculoskeletal system is strengthened in a way that is easy on the joints, how our blood vessels dilate and how our mood is lifted by the release of endorphins.
The list of advantages also includes the entire range of benefits relating to weight loss, improved general fitness and targeted athletic training. Pedalling on an ebike requires a lot of energy. Our body provides this from the very first pedal stroke. But how many calories do you actually burn when riding an ebike? Is there a calculator to determine the calories burned while riding an ebike? Which of the body’s own substances do the calories come from? What influences calorie consumption when ebiking? And how can those who want to lose weight, for example, burn more calories? We will answer these and other questions in the following paragraphs.
1. What factors influence calorie consumption when cycling?
2. What ebike-specific factors influence calorie consumption?
3. How many calories do we burn on average when ebiking?
4. How are calories burned when riding an ebike calculated?
5. Ebike Calorie calculator
6. This is how you test the effects of the electric drive on calorie consumption
7. Calorie consumption and fat burning – are they the same thing?
8. Lose fat and carbohydrates with targeted training
9. This is how you increase calorie consumption when riding an ebike
10. How do fitness apps help you burn calories when ebiking?
1. What factors influence calorie consumption when cycling?
These days, there is no question that calories are burned when riding an ebike. Some of you may have watched an ebike race or even taken part in one yourselves. In racing series such as the E-EDR World Cup, professional athletes line up at the starting line who not only impressively demonstrate the riding dynamics of an ebike, but also arrive at the finish line bathed in sweat, thus making it clear that ebiking is clearly a sport. And anyone who regularly rides their ebike in their spare time knows that you don’t need a race track to get your pulse racing, your breathing short and your sweat flowing.
Nevertheless, ebiking is primarily about cycling. Therefore, calorie consumption is influenced by factors that basically determine the energy expenditure when cycling.
- age: differences, for example, in the proportion of muscle mass, the efficiency of the metabolism and mobility
- height: differences in the proportion of muscle mass
- weight: differences in the proportion of muscle mass and achieving a certain level of performance
- gender: differences in the proportion of muscle mass, the types of muscles present and the metabolism
- genetic predisposition: differences in the types of muscles present and the metabolism
- general level of fitness: differences in the proportion of muscle mass, the types of muscles present and the metabolism
- length of the route: influence on the amount of energy required
- altitude metres: influence on the amount of energy required
- composition of the ground: influence on the rolling resistance of the tyres and the amount of energy required
- climatic conditions such as wind, outside temperature, solar radiation: influence on the amount of energy required and the efficiency of the metabolism
- speed: influence on the amount of energy required and the way energy is provided
- cadence: influence on the amount of energy required and the way energy is provided
- pedalling performance in watts: influence on the amount of energy required and the way energy is provided
All in all, this results in a rather complex overall picture. So how many calories you burn when cycling depends to a large extent on your physical condition, the route, the weather and also the technical condition of your bike.
2. What ebike-specific factors influence calorie consumption?
All the factors mentioned above also apply to ebikes, of course. After all, ebiking doesn’t suddenly take us into a completely different world. Rather, other variables are added to the calculation of how much energy our body has to provide for it.
1. Motor power
The motor’s assistance ensures that riding an ebike uses less energy than riding a regular bike. At first glance, you might think that every motor has the same effect here. But far from it. All motors approved in the European Union for pedelecs are limited to a maximum continuous rated power of 250 watts. However, not all ebike motors reach this value. Secondly, most motors have a significantly higher peak power. One example is the DJI Avinox, which Amflow uses in its Amflow PL and which can provide a short burst of 1,000 watts. Thirdly, many apps allow you to adjust the motor assistance for many drives. Some of you have probably reduced the power in this way to extend the range of the battery.
2. Torque
A higher torque will put a smile on your face when you realise that a lower pedalling frequency and less effort are sufficient to accelerate your ebike powerfully. The riding fun demands more power from the battery, while your energy consumption decreases.
3. Selected support level
The riding mode certainly has the greatest influence on calorie consumption when riding an ebike. At least if we are talking exclusively about the factors that depend directly on the bike. Regardless of whether your ebike offers three, four, five or six support levels, the result is always the same. The lower the level, the more calories you burn. The higher the level, the less strain you put on your own energy stores.
4. Weight of the ebike
While the motor reduces the energy consumption during ebiking, the higher weight of the ebike compared to a bike without an electric drive increases it again. The greater mass requires more power to initially set it in motion and then to keep it there. However, ebikes and regular bikes have been continuously approaching each other in terms of weight for several years. In certain segments, such as full-suspension e-mountainbikes or urban ebikes, the difference is now sometimes only around two kilograms. Studies such as the Titanium Zero from Urtopia show the direction in which ebikes could develop in the coming years. It therefore seems logical that the factor of additional weight will become less and less important in the future.
3. How many calories do we burn on average when ebiking?
When riding a regular bike or an ebike, a variety of factors influence calorie consumption. This makes it extremely difficult to determine an exact value. If you look into the matter in more depth, you will quickly come across rough guidelines when searching the internet. These are anything but accurate and are usually based on highly simplified calculations. However, they do give us a first idea of the range we are talking about.
On its website, for example, the bicycle manufacturer Canyon puts the average number of calories burned by adults in one hour of cycling in a range from 200 kilocalories (kcal) to 600 kilocalories.
The German fitness magazine ‘Fit for fun’ provides a little more detail and gives the following breakdown:
- under 15 km/h: around 200 kcal to 300 kcal
- between 15 km/h and 18 km/h: up to 450 kcal
- between 18 km/h and 22 km/h: between 400 kcal and 600 kcal
- between 23 km/h and 28 km/h: between 600 kcal and 800 kcal
- over 28 km/h: between 800 kcal and 1,000 kcal
Due to the assistance provided by the motor, the energy expenditure you personally achieve when riding an ebike is usually lower than these values. Many sources consistently report a figure of around 300 kilocalories accumulated over the course of an hour. Once again, the value refers to an adult. Canyon notes that the body weight of the person riding must always be taken into account. A person weighing 90 kilograms will reach this value much more easily than a lighter person. For example, someone who weighs only between 65 and 70 kilograms would only reach 200 kilocalories per hour.
4. How are calories burned when riding an ebike calculated?
Fortunately, you don’t have to be satisfied with these general values. Sports science also provides somewhat more complex formulas, which can be easily understood with a few explanations. One of them is as follows:
Calorie consumption in kcal = duration in minutes x (MET value x 3.5 x weight in kg) / 200
Let’s briefly go through the individual factors. Duration in minutes refers to the physical activity performed – in our case, ebiking. The MET value is the abbreviation for Metabolic Equivalent of Task. The MET value expresses how much energy the body of a 40-year-old man weighing 70 kilograms must expend during a particular physical activity. As you can see, we are once again confronted with a generalisation. We simply cannot do without one at this point. It does not specify any concrete quantities, but rather a degree of exertion in the form of numbers. The MET scale starts at 1 and goes up from there. The starting point is sitting. That’s why it is classified as 1.
The weight in kilograms is your body weight.
The MET for riding a bike
So, what MET value applies when calculating the calories burned while ebiking? To answer this question, let’s take a look at cycling again. There is a lot of information available about riding a regular bike. Two sources are given here as examples. The Hannover Medical School provides the following estimate:
- cycling (approx. 15 km/h): 5.8 MET
- cycling (approx. 25 km/h): 10.0 MET
- cycling (indoor trainer, approx. 150 watts): 7.0 MET
The values given by the University Hospital of Munich are at a very similar level.
- cycling (approx. 19 km/h): 6.0 MET
- cycling (approx. 22 km/h): 8.0 MET
- cycling (approx. 32 km/h): 16.0 MET
Apparently, the MET value increases quite rapidly as soon as the speed increases and thus also the intensity of the physical exertion.
MET for riding an ebike
As has been mentioned several times, the ebike motor reduces this effort. Ebike manufacturer Himiway assumes a 20 per cent lower MET value. A look at scientific studies shows that the data for the metabolic equivalent varies considerably. The values for riding an ebike at a moderate intensity are between 3.7 and 8.5. Some studies only provide a general value for the ebike, which then lies between 4.8 and 6.1.
That is the scientific side of things. In industry, other estimates are sometimes used. For example, the ebike manufacturer Tenways considers a MET between 2 and 5 to be realistic.
On its website, it gives the following classification:
- low assistance: 3.6 – 4.5 MET
- medium assistance: 2.6 – 3.5 MET
- high assistance: 2.0 – 2.5 MET
Example calculation for calorie consumption at different riding modes
What differences arise for calorie consumption when ebiking if this classification is used as the basis for the calculations? This can be briefly demonstrated with an example calculation. For this, we assume a male person weighing 95 kilograms and cycling for 45 minutes – but under three different conditions. In case 1, he does so with an ebike at a high level of assistance and an MET of 2.2. In case 2, he is again on an ebike, but this time he chooses a low level of assistance and is estimated to have an MET of 4.0. In case 3, he gets on a bike without electric assistance and rides at an average speed of 22 km/h, which corresponds to an MET of 8.0.
- calorie consumption case 1: approx. 165 kcal
- calorie consumption case 2: approx. 299 kcal
- calorie consumption case 3: approx. 599 kcal
Of course, there is a considerable degree of inaccuracy in the results, since we are ignoring a number of factors that would have a significant influence on calorie consumption in practice. These include, among other things, age, height, the ebike drive system, climatic conditions and the nature of the terrain. Nevertheless, the values do give us a sense of how close or far – depending on your interpretation – ebiking is to riding a regular bike, for example. They also show the significant influence that the selected level of assistance has on how many calories we burn when riding an ebike.
5. Ebike calorie calculator
The calculator provided you with a corresponding result for your example. But how does it come about and how can you influence it? If you are asking yourself these questions, these topics will help you finding an answer:
6. This is how you test the effects of the electric drive on calorie consumption
If you want to know exactly how much your calorie consumption varies in different scenarios, you are welcome to try it out for yourself. All you need is a route of your choice, an ebike and a way to measure your calorie consumption while riding. The latter can perhaps be done using your ebike’s display. Alternatively, fitness watches, smartwatches and fitness apps will do the job.
Once you’re ready to go, ride the route once at each of the following levels of motor assistance: minimum, medium and maximum. For each round, try to keep as many parameters as possible constant. For example, set a speed that you maintain as consistently as possible during all attempts. The easiest way to do this is on a nearly flat route. If you have a ten-kilometre long climb with a consistent gradient on your doorstep, you are welcome to use it, of course.
It’s best to complete the runs on different days at the same time and with the same daily routine as before. This way, a different level of pre-stress, a different food intake and other variables won’t distort the results later on. Ideally, the weather should be almost the same every day. As we said, ideally. If the route you have chosen takes less than 30 minutes, simply make it several laps. For a reliable evaluation, you should move continuously for at least half an hour.
At the end of the day, it’s not necessarily the absolute calories that you have calculated that count. Rather, what matters is the relation of the values to each other. This gives you a good starting point for later trips. In the future, you can use this to control a workout or simply do something for your fitness if you want to exert yourself more or less on a tour.
7. Calorie consumption and fat burning – are they the same thing?
I ride an ebike to lose weight. I want to get fitter. I want to keep my body in motion. I use ebiking as training for a competition. The motivation for getting on an ebike may sound quite different. However, it is often more similar than we assume.
Our body doesn’t care about the reason. Regardless of our goals, the same processes always take place inside it. It draws the energy required for riding an ebike primarily from two sources: carbohydrates and fats. We express the energy value of both in kilocalories (kcal). Consequently, fat burning is one of the ways in which calories are burned.
Our body also does not recognise an either/or. From the first metre covered, we consume calories, i.e. fats and carbohydrates. Both energy sources are tapped in parallel and not separately or one after the other. So, it doesn’t matter and we can just start pedalling? No, not really. If you want to lose fat as a priority or if you want to use your carbohydrate stores first, you should target your own metabolism specifically – either aerobically or anaerobically.
Two forms of metabolism
During aerobic metabolism, our body converts substances into energy while there is enough air available. You can check this for yourself. If you are riding an ebike and can have a relaxed conversation with someone, your body is working aerobically. A maximum of 50 per cent of the energy comes from the body’s own fats. So, in principle, it’s the perfect way to burn fat and lose weight. However, our bodies can only generate a relatively small amount of energy in this way. Accordingly, the absolute amount of fat burned is rather low. In addition, the body needs a warm-up phase. Fat burning only reaches its most efficient level after 20 to 30 minutes.
When we run out of breath while riding an ebike, in other words when the air becomes scarce, our body switches from a predominantly aerobic to a predominantly anaerobic metabolism. With the lack of oxygen, we primarily break down carbohydrates. Lactic acid, the by-product of this process, enters our muscles in the form of its salt, which most of you are probably familiar with as lactate. Just like the aerobic metabolism, the anaerobic metabolism does not occur in isolation. Only the weighting shifts. That is why the word ‘predominantly’ is of greater importance here. In addition, the anaerobic metabolism itself also includes fat burning to a certain extent. Their share is rather low. However, since much larger absolute amounts of energy are obtained here, the amount of fats broken down is not insignificant either.
8. Lose fat and carbohydrates with targeted training
The terms aerobic and anaerobic not only describe our metabolism, but also characterise the corresponding zones of our physical exertion. In the aerobic zone, we can perform the associated physical activity with endurance. We don’t need huge amounts of energy for this. What is needed is produced by our body over a long period of time.
In the anaerobic zone, on the other hand, we can only stay for a much shorter period of time. If too much lactate builds up, the muscles become acidic and you hit the famous wall – it’s all over. With a little experience, you can use an ebike to specifically move in both zones. The motor helps you to perfectly adjust the load. Sometimes, for example, by switching it off completely. 😉
You will benefit from such controlled training in a holistic way. By riding in the aerobic zone, you strengthen your basic fitness, which benefits not only your metabolic system but also your cardiovascular system and breathing. You create a basis that makes you more resistant to more intense exertion. By contrast, ebiking in the anaerobic zone strengthens and builds more muscle. Here, the calorie-burning phase is extended into the resting state. How long this afterburn effect lasts is not yet fully understood. Theories suggest a period of between 24 and 48 hours. What is certain is that muscle cells need more energy than fat cells – even at rest. Consequently, the formula for success for maximising calorie consumption is to reduce fat cells and build muscle cells.
Tips for training with an ebike
If you don’t just want to see riding an ebike as a way to burn calories, but would rather use it as targeted training, you can take the following advice to heart:
- Training in the aerobic zone can take from 30 minutes up to several hours. Ideally, the duration of the training should only be increased gradually and carefully.
- Those who are training in a structured way for the first time should initially train below the aerobic threshold in order to strengthen the cardiovascular system. Depending on the individual fitness level of a person, experience has shown that the aerobic threshold is between 60 per cent and 85 per cent of the maximum heart rate.
- Training in the anaerobic zone is characterised by shorter durations and higher, sometimes extreme, intensities. Plan for sufficiently long regeneration phases afterwards. An unbalanced ratio of exertion and relief can lead to overtraining or even serious damage to health.
- To improve endurance, training should include aerobic and anaerobic training in an 80:20 ratio.
9. This is how you increase calorie consumption when riding an ebike
The different MET values already indicate that calorie consumption when riding an ebike is not a fixed value. There are a number of options for actively influencing how much energy you burn when ebiking and how intense the activity should be.
One of the most effective ways of doing this is to change your speed. Increasing your average speed will quickly increase your energy expenditure as soon as you use the ebike’s motor at the same or lower assistance level. If you often ride at the maximum speed and stay close to 25 km/h because the motor is just supporting you there, it is advisable to accelerate beyond the limit and then do without the electric boost. At least for a while.
This strategy can easily be adapted for lower speeds. If you’re not in a hurry or the traffic is slowing you down, feel free to switch to off mode. Doing this regularly will help you challenge your body more.
Changes are not absolutely necessary
Of course, you can just as easily stick to your previous ebiking habits. After all, riding longer distances automatically increases your calorie consumption. You might decide to take a detour that also allows you to enjoy a more relaxed ride. Yes, this takes up more of your daily time, and you may have deliberately chosen a more direct route. At the same time, there is hardly any other way to integrate a workout into your daily routine as cleverly as with this method. Or you can increase the number of days you ride your ebike and stick to the same route.
There are two further options for those of you who use their ebike in your leisure time. Firstly, you can gradually increase the length of the route. And secondly, you can incorporate one or two additional ascents when planning your routes. That is, as far as the area around your home or holiday destination allows, of course. The level of difficulty increases noticeably with the number of metres in altitude, so you demand more from your own motor and burn more calories.
10. How do fitness apps help you burn calories when ebiking?
Resolutions like the ones just mentioned sound good, but sometimes it’s incredibly difficult to put them into practice. You might think that the ebike itself could help you at first. However, it feels like this is still in its infancy. Currently, there are only a few displays for ebikes that show you the calories you burn while riding. For older Bosch drives, these are the Bosch Kiox and the current Bosch Nyon. On some Flyer models, you will find another display with the FIT D1 that has this feature.
More common is a display that shows you what part of the total pedalling power is provided by the motor and what is down to you. For example, the Bosch eBike Flow app for the Smart System displays this power distribution between motor and rider as a percentage. In the TQ app, on the other hand, you can see exact wattage figures for the motor and you for the HPR50.
Apps with different focuses
Those for whom this is not enough can use apps for coaching, motivation or to monitor their own progress. When connected to bike computers, fitness trackers or smartwatches, apps such as Strava, Garmin Connect, komoot or Fitbit collect a wealth of fitness and riding data. In addition to calorie consumption, this includes heart rate, route, speed and distance. With the help of such data, you can obtain important information about your current fitness level, individual progress and the general state of your health. Each of these apps focuses on certain aspects. Some of them make it easy to compare current and past performance and create numerous analyses and statistics. Others provide you with tips and ideas for your own training and you can request specific training plans. Still others emphasise the community aspect and encourage you to share your successes with the community or present you with a challenge.
Who knows, maybe one day we will see the heart rate monitor on the ebike handlebar that Patrik Schneider, founder of the ebike community Sons of Battery, dreams of. With the help of such a sensor, it might then be possible to see the calorie consumption on an ebike as standard. However, it will take a lot more calories to be burned before that happens. Have fun. 😉
