Originally Posted by
McBTC
For an interesting look at the factors involved in energy consumption, speed, weight, headwind, grade, etc. this bicycle calculator is pretty interesting:
Bike Calculator
Try this: You decide to do 200 watts on two rides of ten miles. One ride it flat, the other is 5% up for five miles and 5% down for five miles
Plug the numbers into the calculator, keeping the power at 200 watts.
The flat ride burned 348 calories.
The hill ride burned 375 calories climbing, and then 106 calories descending, for 481 total.
But that's kind of a cheat since that the hill ride took longer. Make the time the same and the calories will turn out the same. Yet the calories
per mile will be 48 for the hill ride, and 35 for the flat ride!
I'm going to stop geeking out here before someone complains, but playing with the power calculator is always fun.