Cycling calorie calculator

The path is pure deterministic arithmetic with no network calls, no random seed, and no wall clock, so coaching apps, fitness journals, and prepaid API clients receive identical JSON every time for the same inputs.

What the calculator measures and which inputs you need

Send weight_kg as a positive finite number; aliases weight, body_weight, mass_kg, and bodyweight_kg are accepted. Zero or negative weight fails with invalid_input and is not charged. Provide at least one of distance_km or duration_min as a positive finite number. Distance aliases include distance, km, and ride_km; duration aliases include duration, minutes, time_min, and ride_minutes. Identical inputs always yield identical JSON because the algorithm never touches the network, a model, a clock, or a random generator.

Reading the response fields and intensity MET bands

Do not treat the figure as a medical diagnosis or a lab-grade calorimetry result: wind, hills, drafting, bike mass, and individual economy all move real expenditure. Extremely large weights, distances, or durations above published isolate safety caps are rejected. On success the response echoes weight_kg and the normalized intensity label so clients can confirm what was computed. The field met is the numeric metabolic equivalent used: four point zero for light leisure riding, six point eight for moderate steady riding, ten for vigorous hard efforts, and twelve for racing pace. duration_min and duration_hours report the time that entered the formula; duration_source is either provided when you sent minutes, or estimated_from_distance when only kilometres were available. calories_kcal is the headline energy estimate in kilocalories, unit is always kcal, formula restates the MET equation, and method is always met_cycling_compendium so downstream code can branch without sniffing shapes. When distance was supplied, distance_km is echoed; when both distance and a usable duration exist, average_speed_kmh is included. If duration was estimated from distance alone, assumed_speed_kmh shows the cruise speed table value used for that intensity band. Use calories_kcal for journals and meal offsets; use met and duration_hours when you want to re-derive the math in a spreadsheet.

API usage, pricing, training workflows, and practical limits

Call the free in-browser cycling calorie calculator for commute planning, group-ride estimates, lecture demos, and quick mental checks without installing a training spreadsheet. Prefer body weight that matches your product’s user profile units after converting pounds to kilograms on the client. Keep expectations educational: this is a planning and literacy tool, not a diagnostic medical device, and riders with clinical needs should follow professional guidance rather than any single formula alone. Send a JSON body with required weight_kg, optional intensity, and at least one of distance_km or duration_min (or their aliases). Use the prepaid API when a fitness SaaS, bike-computer companion app, wellness coach portal, or route planner needs a stable contract under KIT balance at $0.002 per successful item; validation failures never consume balance after the engine rejects the request. Pair this endpoint with your own GPS logs: pass measured minutes when you have them for tighter estimates, or pass planned kilometres with an intensity band when you are still building the route. Authors shipping SDKs can map calories_kcal, met, and duration_hours into dashboard cards and export CSV columns labeled ride energy and MET band—the same numbers coaches write by hand when they apply MET tables on paper.