Calories Burned Mountain Biking Uphill

Whether you’re mountain biking uphill for fun or fitness, there are many factors that affect the number of calories burned. These factors include the amount of time spent on the bike, the weight of the rider, and the degree of inclines.

Mountain biking uphill is a very demanding activity that requires a lot of energy, for a 15-minute ride you will burn somewhere between 200 and 450 calories depending on your body weight, the elevation of the hill, and the technicality of the terrain.

In this article, I will give you a table of values so that you know how many calories you can expect to bunt in a 15 and 30-minute uphill ride and I will tell you what are the most important factors that will determine how many calories you will burn when you ride your mountain bike uphill. So keep reading!

How Many Calories Do You Burn Mountain Biking Uphill?

MTB uphill ride
Mountain biker riding uphill

Now let us examine in more detail the number of calories you burn when you ride your mountain bike uphill:

Mountain biking uphillMountain biking uphillMountain uphill (racing)
Bodyweight15 min [kcal]30 min [kcal]30 min [kcal]
70kg (154.3lb) – 79kg (174.2lb)257 – 290514 – 580661 – 764
80kg (176.3lb) – 89kg (196.2lb)294 – 397588 – 794756 – 841
90kg (198.4lb) – 99kg (218.3lb)330 – 363660 – 726850 – 935
100kg (220.4lb) – 110kg (242.5lb)367 – 404734 – 808945 – 1039
mtbfunplanet.com

In the table above you can find a rough estimate of how many calories you can burn on 15 and 30 minutes uphill mountain biking rides.

When it comes to mountain biking uphill at a racing pace you will not find too many riders in the 95+ kg category because if you can maintain the level of effort required in a race you must surely be in a better physical shape but for informational purposes, I included them.

Of course in real life, there are many factors that will affect the number of calories that you burn when riding uphill, like the rider’s weight, the incline, and the technicality of the trail.

If you want to lose weight incorporating uphill mountain biking training sessions into your daily routine is one of the fastest ways to get in shape, because it is one of the most demanding physical activities in regards to energy demand.

Keep in mind that if you want to lose weight the most important thing is consistency, you need to ride your mountain bike at least three times a week and avoid excuses, be disciplined just do it and in 6 to 12 months’ time, you will see results.

Try out our calories calculator

You can get the number of calories burned for your exact body weight, more than this you will get how many calories you would burn if you were road biking or trail running!

Factors that affect calories burned mountain biking uphill

The number of calories you burn while mountain biking uphill will differ depending on several factors. These include the incline, the slope of the track, and the speed.

Even small changes in elevation will increase the amount of energy you have to expend pedaling.

The difficulty of the trail you choose will also affect the number of calories you burn, bumpy and rockier trails require more effort to pedal. The more difficult the terrain, the higher the calories you’ll burn.

Also, the distance you ride will impact how many calories you’ll burn, however, these factors are difficult to factor into your average hourly calorie burn.

The weight of the rider must also be factored in. A rider who weighs 130 pounds will burn about 472 calories in a moderately-intense session, in comparison, a rider who weighs 190 pounds will burn about 690 calories.

The distance traveled also plays a significant role in the number of calories burned, some people can bike a mile or two in an hour while others can cover three miles at the same time, as a result, the number of calories you burn depends on how fast or slow you are riding (the more you push yourself the more calories you will burn).

Your Bodyweight Will Highly Influence the Number of Calories You Burn

During a mountain biking uphill ride, the rider will burn more calories than they would if they rode downhill or on a flat, a moderate effort can easily burn 600 calories per hour. The weight of the rider also plays a role in the number of calories burned, the heavier the rider, the more calories will be needed to ride uphill.

While a smaller rider will be able to pedal less, a bigger rider will need to pedal harder, which will burn more calories.

Mountain biking uphill requires more pedaling effort than road biking. A mountain bike with larger knobbier tires will exert you more than a road bike, let’s not forget that riding on trails will require more effort than riding on the road.

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I started mountain biking many years ago to improve my overall health state. After my first ride, I fell in love with the sport. Now I spend dozens of hours a week researching and training to compete in local XC and Enduro events.