Originally Posted by CdCf
Don't know what site you're talking about, but I get quite different numbers using this site:
http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.html
Yes, my examples were extreme, but I needed them to be to clearly make the point that climbs and descents don't average out in the end.
They don't. Not by a long shot.
As soon as you introduce climbs, however small, the average speed will drop but the total energy required for the distance will go up.
The site I speak of is this one:
Calories Burned Calculator
Yes, and when you go down the other side (or come back home), your average speed will increase and energy required will go down. The biggest reason it doesn't even out is because wind resistance eats up some of the advantage on decents. So for small hills, you'll still be in the ballpark. I would agree that if you are climbing a mountain, the results will be off.