calories and cyclometer

[Ryyy]

I don't fancy reading through loads so seeing if anyone has a cheap and cheerful recommendation.

I want to know my my average speed,miles rode and calories burnt, rather not spend over £50, only cycle round town I'm not doing the TDF.

Or if there is a basic miles rode and speed thing and anyone has an app for the calories I'd consider that too thankyou.

[lauda]

The basic, free version of Strava on your phone would give you that data.

Although you need to take the calorie reading with a pinch of salt. If my power meter isn't working, Strava's estimate of calories burned is about 20% higher.

[oddman]

Phone and Strava or other tracking app

FWIW recording calories is pointless if weight loss is a goal. Devices are inaccurate and there is good evidence that the body compensates for calories lost in exercise by dialling down other energy systems.

[Ryyy]

Downloading strava now

Also oddman, wdym?I shouldn't be counting calories for weight loss??

[Dracoro]

Not sure what miles you are cycling, however "calories burnt" will need offsetting by the following:
How many you take on whilst cycling (energy bars/gels/etc.)
What you do after cycling - do you pig out to replenish?
How much rest you do. Many (we all do this) just chill out for rest of the day (exp if a long cycle) but that's using less energy than if you doing normal activities had you not cycled earlier in day.

i.e. doing a big cycle then afterwards lying down on sofa all day with a pizza isn't going to result in much weight loss!. Granted some fitness will improve etc., but that doesn't always translate into weight loss.

Any computer calculating calories will be an estimate as too many variables (fat/glycogen stores, metabolism, weight, fitness etc.) so pinch of salt using them.

Also, what are you actually going to do/use with this information? You will know how far you've cycled, how intense it was etc. to know if you've used a moderate amount or a lot, the actual figure doesn't give you much (and as above would only be an estimate anyway).

In fact, all the above applies to any kind of exercise.

[otolith]

If he's tracking calories in, having some estimate of additional calories out may be useful, though the accuracy should be taken with a health warning.

[Dracoro]

Sure but then needs to know how much less calories burnt after due to resting, i.e. for the rest of the day!

He may burn extra calories whilst exercising.

BUT then rests on sofa for rest of day so normal calories burnt is less during rest of day, so net calories burnt over whole day may not be much more.....

So, would need to know nett calories burnt over WHOLE day, not just the extra burnt during the exercise.

[otolith]

Dracoro said:

Sure but then needs to know how much less calories burnt after due to resting, i.e. for the rest of the day!

He may burn extra calories whilst exercising.

BUT then rests on sofa for rest of day so normal calories burnt is less during rest of day, so net calories burnt over whole day may not be much more.....

So, would need to know nett calories burnt over WHOLE day, not just the extra burnt during the exercise.

True, but it depends on his behaviour and assumptions. There is also a post-exercise increase in energy consumption, but that depends on the intensity of the exercise.

Probably better with a wearable that tracks all activity than a cycling specific app or device.

[POIDH]

Google Fit does it for free - and you can set it to track all activity automagically (a touch hit and miss IMO) or track it by press of a button.

[Ryyy]

So to answer some questions and clear things up. I spent ages training and calorie counting and lost 3st. Crept a stone back in over getting on for 2 years and want to lose 6lbs ( I don't want to be as skinny as I got too) I'm not training anymore and I don't intend too but i am calorie counting, tracking my steps and not stuffing my face laid on the couch. Daily steps exceed 10k.

I plan to do 10 miles ish daily. I'm not planning to be the next Bradley Wiggins but I would like a rough guide of calories burnt and see how fast I'm going avg and the actual distance instead of roughing it off Google maps

[Dracoro]

If you don't do long epics, then just use your phone with Strava app - that will show you speed & distance plus the other metrics at the end.
If you do do epics, then the phone battery will probably die long before the end of the ride!

Alternatively, if you have smartwatch, that can do the recording for you (and can show distance/speed maybe, but not easily readable compared to out front mount).

Or you need a bike computer.

Basic ones (loads around) will show you speed etc. but many don't have GPS so won;'t record into Strava at the end (hence phone suggestion above).

https://road.cc/buyers-guide/best-cheap-cycling-co...

Better ones like Garmin's, Wahoo's etc. do all you need (and more) but costs lots more too..

[FlatSixBoxer]

Ryyy - work out what calories you need for maintenance over a week. Plot out your bad days (hig intake), i.e. the weekend, and make sure you cut intake on other days i.e. the week to balance out total calories consumed over the week. It would be hard to put on weight following that logic.

The cycling will help you keep your deficit or trim miscounted calories at the weekend and in the week and keep you on track, whilst boosting your fitness and heart health. I find it hard to accurately detemine what is in my home cooked meals for example and that's what I mean by miscounted calories.

As for the computer - look on ebay for a secondhand garmin or wahoo

[mike80]

Could try a Lezyne GPS, I've had one for quite a few years. It'll record your distance etc., and sync with the Strava app to work out calories burnt. If you did want route planning at some point you can do that as well.

You could probably get one close to your budget on ebay or similar.

https://ride.lezyne.com/collections/gps-all

[oddman]

Ryyy said:

Downloading strava now

Also oddman, wdym?I shouldn't be counting calories for weight loss??

Have a read of The Exercise Paradox

Also covered in a fascinating Food Programme Podcast

It appears that the body compensates for exercise by reducing other forms of energy consumption. We are all familiar with vegging out on the couch after a hard session but in addition the body dials down energy consuming activities such as inflammation (which is postulated as one of the mechanisms for the benefits of exercise).

It also explains the advice along the lines of 'weight loss in the kitchen; muscles in the gym' (or something like that). We're also familiar with the capacity of exercise to drive appetite very hard.

FWIW I think calorie counting in food is valid. It makes me accountable and brings me face to face with the high caloric content of some foods (and booze) and the relatively modest calorie output of exercise (realistically about 500 calories an hour). As I like eating, calorie counting tends to drive me towards lots of non starchy veg, fish and meat. If the goal is weight loss I think unless you are doing so much exercise (perhaps >1000 calories a day) that it's probably counterproductive to eat back all exercise calories until at goal weight.

The exercise/food industry has an interest in selling energy and protein products and sponsors research to support their marketing.