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Fair Conversion - Cycling Distance to Steps?

Old 02-08-16, 10:56 AM
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Fair Conversion - Cycling Distance to Steps?

Is there a fair conversion one can use to convert biked miles to steps, something that takes into account your average speed and time? I found something that suggested 160 steps per minute at 15mph. So let's say your average speed is 17 mph, and you bike for 60 minutes, it would be

160/15 * 17 * 60 = 10,880 steps.

This is for a step challenge at work. I think people should get credit for biking, instead of walking.
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Old 02-08-16, 11:02 AM
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I used METs (Metabolic Equivalent for Task) for a program at work. I'm not sure that it is a rigorous scientific comparison, but apparently there are data associated with the calculation for METs.

We ran into the same thing. There are a host of activities for which one should receive credit. We had a couple of cyclists, a couple of CrossFit guys, a bunch of soccer players, and some folks who played pickle ball, among other reasonably vigorous activities. We did the best we could to compare the activities using METs.
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Old 02-08-16, 11:06 AM
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steps have a rise and a run .. in this town 1 block is steep the sidewalk has steps in it,

Other blocks just steps, no attempt at making a street, there.



From G'gl:
The general rule (in the US) is 7-11 (a 7 inch rise and 11 inch run). More exactly, no more than 7 3/4 inches for the riser (vertical) and a minimum of 10 inches for the tread (horizontal or step).

And so divide your hill up like it was in 7" increments ..
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Old 02-08-16, 11:07 AM
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If you're not interested in walking why participate?

Are you going to show up at a half-marathon on your Schwinn and demand accommodation as well?
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Old 02-08-16, 11:09 AM
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Originally Posted by Spoonrobot
If you're not interested in walking why participate?

Are you going to show up at a half-marathon on your Schwinn and demand accommodation as well?
I do participate in the walks they have at work, but others are adding steps for other activities as well. Your second comment is stupid.
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Old 02-08-16, 11:14 AM
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Why make it hard. Go outside and walk a mile and count your steps. Multiply by number of miles biked. The effort isn't the same (biking will be easier) but you'll get a number out of it.

Alternatively take the average stride length for someone of average height (5'10") and figure out how many steps it takes to do a mile (2100 steps) and multiply by number of miles biked.
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Old 02-08-16, 11:34 AM
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Originally Posted by GatsbyGlen
Is there a fair conversion one can use to convert biked miles to steps, something that takes into account your average speed and time? I found something that suggested 160 steps per minute at 15mph. So let's say your average speed is 17 mph, and you bike for 60 minutes, it would be

160/15 * 17 * 60 = 10,880 steps.

This is for a step challenge at work. I think people should get credit for biking, instead of walking.
Do you think you can walk 10,880 steps in an hour?
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Old 02-08-16, 11:36 AM
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I ran some my numbers to get a comparison.

My RMR = 81 Cal/hr

my Gross walking at 4mph for an hr = 115 * 4 = 460
But I gotta subtract the RMR so it's really 380 Calories net.

4 miles = 21120 ft

I'm 6'1" and my stride is close to 32", so that's 7920 steps (132 steps/min) which is about 1 Calorie per 21 steps when walking at 4mph. Obviously, shorter people will have to take more steps.


A typical bike ride for me is 600 Cal/hr at the PowerTap. Well call that 18-20 on level ground and that's net.

I'm not really sure how slow I'd have to ride to only burn 380 Calories/hr, I never go that slow.

But looking at my calculated guess of around 8000 steps compared to your calculated guess of around 11,000 steps, I think you are maybe high ballpark. Maybe say 10K for an hour of cycling and call that close enough.
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Old 02-08-16, 11:46 AM
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Originally Posted by caloso
Do you think you can walk 10,880 steps in an hour?
With the level of effort done in an hour of biking? Yes. They say 3.5 mile per hour average walking, or 2000 steps per mile, so that's 7000.

Anyway, I talked to the health/fitness leader here at work and he will look into something that can be published for multiple activities. If nothing can be that is fair, then I won't bother converting the cycling effort.

Thanks for the feedback.
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Old 02-08-16, 12:37 PM
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Originally Posted by GatsbyGlen
Is there a fair conversion one can use to convert biked miles to steps, something that takes into account your average speed and time?
Honestly, no. You can paint black and white stripes on a cow, but you haven't turned it into a zebra. Walking and cycling are different enough that you can't fairly make one into the other. For example, with your math above, you're suggesting that cycling for an hour at 17 mph (on the flat, I hope) is the same as walking 11,000 steps but I can't do that in an hour, which suggests to me that they really aren't very equal or a fair comparison. You could multiply your average cadence by the amount of time you spent riding, I don't think that would be fair either but it gets you closer and stacks things less in favor of the bike.
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Old 02-08-16, 12:52 PM
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I have heard many times that 1 miles walking - 3 miles riding. Altitude gained is altitude gained. On the bike you do a little more work because you have to lug the bike up as well.

So let's say that one employee does 1000 steps at 6" by 10". Altitude gained is 6"/12 X 1000 = 500 feet. Distance traveled is 10"/12 X 1000/5280 = .26 miles. So, on the bike: Scale the latitude gained by the addition of your bike, so 175 pounds (you) / [175 pounds (you) + 25 pounds (bike)] X 500' = 438 feet. Distance: 0.26 X 3 = 0.75 miles.

Go finds a hill close to 500'. (But asking the others to accept it? I'd say ask but don't expect for one second that they will say yes. You are bringing a gun to an archery contest.

Ben
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Old 02-08-16, 03:01 PM
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My Fitbit calculates 6700 steps per hour of riding, same as when I'm walking between 3.0 and 3.5 mph. A test wearing multiple Fitbits has shown that it caps at 110-120 steps/minute. A walk at 4.0 mph should have resulted in approx. 9000 steps but still accounted only for approx. 7000.

Anyhow, that's the number I use to convert riding into walking steps. Not necessarily correct, but it's a number. I just see it as 1 hour of activity vs. 1 hour of activity.
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Old 02-10-16, 10:06 AM
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Hmm... I always figured that 4 mph was a 'good' walking pace, and 16 mph might be close in effort level on a bike, so I always use a 1:4 ratio for exercise value. That is, one mile of walking is like biking 4 miles. Overly-simplistic I know, but it's easy to calculate out that way.
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Old 02-10-16, 06:16 PM
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Originally Posted by GatsbyGlen
Yes. They say 3.5 mile per hour average walking, or 2000 steps per mile, so that's 7000.
Go for a 1-hour walk. See how fast you walk.
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Old 02-10-16, 06:47 PM
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Originally Posted by 79pmooney
I have heard many times that 1 miles walking - 3 miles riding. Altitude gained is altitude gained. On the bike you do a little more work because you have to lug the bike up as well.
It has been a while since I've been running, but 26 miles running will completely drain me down to zero reserve energy. I'm not sure if I've ever come close to that with an ordinary bike ride. 100 miles? 150 miles? Even if the century+ ride takes longer time.

Walking? I don't know. Maybe hill climbing. Backpacking?

I agree with others, it is hard to do a direct comparison between the two. Running/Jogging seems to take more energy than my ordinary rides. But, walking takes less.

And, even riding varies, say from cruising at 10 MPH to pushing it at 20+ MPH.
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Old 02-11-16, 10:26 AM
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One difference is you sit down while you ride a bike.
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Old 02-11-16, 12:57 PM
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Originally Posted by GatsbyGlen
Is there a fair conversion one can use to convert biked miles to steps, something that takes into account your average speed and time? I found something that suggested 160 steps per minute at 15mph. So let's say your average speed is 17 mph, and you bike for 60 minutes, it would be

160/15 * 17 * 60 = 10,880 steps.

This is for a step challenge at work. I think people should get credit for biking, instead of walking.
https://cooperaerobics.com/Downloads/...ts-System.aspx

Ken Cooper took a shot at this issue long ago.
Different amounts of aerobic points for different activities.
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Old 02-11-16, 01:03 PM
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Originally Posted by CliffordK
It has been a while since I've been running, but 26 miles running will completely drain me down to zero reserve energy. I'm not sure if I've ever come close to that with an ordinary bike ride. 100 miles? 150 miles? Even if the century+ ride takes longer time.

Walking? I don't know. Maybe hill climbing. Backpacking?

I agree with others, it is hard to do a direct comparison between the two. Running/Jogging seems to take more energy than my ordinary rides. But, walking takes less.

And, even riding varies, say from cruising at 10 MPH to pushing it at 20+ MPH.
Yes, but ...

Originally Posted by Seattle Forrest
One difference is you sit down while you ride a bike.
Running and cycling are utterly different. One is weight-bearing, one is not. Running employs eccentric contractions of the muscles, which is far more stressful and gives rise to more muscle fibre damage than the concentric contractions employed in cycling. So even if the stress on the cardiovascular system is equivalent, your joints, muscles and connective tissue will get massively more beaten up on the run.
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