Brompton Electric and Calorie Burn | How BAD is it?

[@thefloridamurphys6282]

I find it always interesting that folks compare non electric to electric when doing these comparisons. I think people should really compare electric to not biking at all. Most people wouldn’t bike this much during the week unless they had a bike that made it easier, safer, and more fun to get around instead of using a car. Electric bikes are the absolute best for getting peeps to ride that wouldn’t normally touch a bike for commuting or running errands.

[@EverydayCycling]

I agree with your statement 100%. I'd go a step further and say that even cyclists may ride more often having access to an e-bike, which is my case. I go out on my bike at least twice every day to run errands or other things.

[@hartzogLovesScience]

If you assume someone driving or taking the bus, then you are looking at a metabolic rate a little over basal metabolic rate compared to the electric bike. So just focus on that data set

[@briandavies2833]

It is extremely interesting for those of us who cycle daily for exercise and weight control as well as for enjoyment, who, for whatever reason, are contemplating the change to an electric bike. Due to my advancing years I have resisted the change and seeing those figures I'll continue with my regular bikes for as long as I am able. Thanks for the video @Everyday_Cycling

[@KellyAllen-q1g]

I absolutely agree. Really interesting video and really well presented but as you say the real win with E-bikes is getting those of us who don't bike often feeling confident about being back on our bikes.

[@cliftonsmith]

I have had a normal brompton for about 7 year. I used it probably 2 to 3 times a week. however since i got the electric version I now use the bike 5 to 6 times a week. simply because can go on longer journeys and not be too tired/sweaty when I get to meeting. I also do not worry about hills on journeys. I think overall for me it has meant that I do more cycling. do trips I simply would never have done as they would have been too long with too many steap hills. I think I burn more calories cycling now simply because I am now cycling more than twice as much

[@EverydayCycling]

I feel exactly the same way.

[@terryc8164]

My Brompton is now Swytch powered, as I already had the bike it was a much cheaper option. Your figures make sense, very interesting experiment. I use the lowest assistance most of the time, saving the higher levels for the occasional steep hill, using that system I have found I can ride twice the distance compared to my pre swytch rides and feel much the same.

[@EverydayCycling]

That's a good strategy to extend the range. I did that once, when I wasn't sure how long the ride would be, and I was able to ride 45km and still end up with ~20% battery left.

[@jrodriguez8216]

Best video I have seen with actual analysis of activity. I thought I was back in school for a minute. Good work dude!!

[@EverydayCycling]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I was wondering if I should cut that out of the video, but ended up leaving it there.

[@NoZenith]

I had to re watch a couple parts. He presented very transparently and explains it well but dang... It's a lot to absorb

[@NoZenith]

@@EverydayCycling I'm glad you did.

[@seductive_Octopus]

Fun Fact: a German Bike Magazine tested the same Question…, there Answer - Untrained People will ride more often with an Electric Bike then a Normal Bike and in the End burn more Cal. by riding more there Electric bike. Even if every single ride burns less cal. then a ride on a normal bike would have. The - how much and how long counts, and that was way higher with electric bikes. …. So I guess if ur health isn’t the best, ur old or your overweight and want to start loosing same weight- electric is the way to go. Everyone else- grab a normal one and only electric if u can’t afford to be sweating at ur arrival. 🥸 nice Video. with all the numbers, it almost felt like school again 🤣

[@EverydayCycling]

Great point!

[@A-Wa]

Awesome data! I think the best would be to grab an electric bike but turn it off, if you are able to take a shower afterwards (eg riding home) and turn the assistance on when going to work

[@apaul9776]

Very interesting, thanks for doing it. I have a DIY electric Brompton and a hybrid electric bike plus other non-electric bikes. I live on a hill and using an ebike makes riding much more appealing and I do it much more readily and often than using a standard bike. When I am somewhere fairly flat I much prefer using my (unpowered) gravel bike. This is a rather rambling way of saying that ebikes may be better for exercise because they are used more.

[@gsansoucie]

This was a good video and great background on the metrics. I would love to have seen another datapoint here with the lowest electric assist setting as well, kind of a happy middle ground data point.

[@adrianlw2750]

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing this insight into energy use! And as I puff myself up the next hill on my fully human-powered Brompton and that 75-year-old on his electric bike passes me with ease, I will remind myself that he is burning calories too, just less of them 😃 … and if he really wants to he can just turn off the assistance to enjoy making it harder 😂 Just one small point - if you have to carry your Brompton up/down stairs, arguably the electric will require marginally more energy burn to achieve this. But maybe of little real significance.

[@adityapathak5761]

Superb videos, precise and elegant presentation, answered a question I'd already had, with solid numbers. Fantastic work.

[@LifeontwowheelsRocks]

Thank you Victor, very much appreciated. Another brilliant video.

[@madiantin]

2:41 "So I decided to write a script..." And here we see "engineer" is not a job, not a title, but is instead a vocation, a personality type. =D. Being married to an engineer, I recognized It right away. =D.

[@daletsteele]

Another great video comparison! I think about this regularly but haven't put any data together. I only have the Electric model but often ride it without assist and generally use the lowest level assist otherwise. I think I'm taking more frequent and longer rides than I would be without assistance. I've got an Apple Watch so I would mainly need to standardize my rides like you did. Perhaps you've inspired me to do so! Currently I'm dealing with smokey air conditions and keeping all rides to a minimum so don't hold your breath, except when outdoors...

[@tandago7281]

Love how geeky this is. It made me eager to play with that data a bit. I might actually redo it for myself ;) However, my wonder with these calculations (and any smart watch's) is that they really don't take the organism's actual metabolism. And that varies oh so much! How would you know if your metabolism is the average for that age group? That's the tricky part...

[@EverydayCycling]

Very good point! In fact, the numbers don't mean much, and there's no way to actually quantify energy expenditure without fancy equipment and a controlled environment. My hope is that, whatever is wrong, is equally wrong for both the standard and electric Bromptons, such that the comparison is still valid (those 55% I mention in the end). What I mean is, if someone at a different fitness level, age, gender, does the same experiment, the number will be totally different, but I'd expect them to burn half the calories burned on the electric. Or not. Haha there are proper ways to run an experiment like this, properly sample the population, and make generalized conclusions. This video is certainly not that, but it was fun!

[@WanderingWelshGirl]

Interesting facts. Most importantly though I feel, is that you didn't use a car and you have had exercise. I love my electric bikes, I think if Brompton ever moved to using disc brakes on their bikes i'd get one! Love your chanel Victor 🚴🏼‍♀️

[@ChrisbyBike]

Love it! Great comparison. I've tough the difference would be greater.

[@EverydayCycling]

Me too, Chris. Not too bad!

[@NoZenith]

I thought so as well! This is such a curious topic for me.

[@MrEmanuelpsilva]

Calories burning comparison between the various levels of assist will be a smart video 😊

[@smeesheikh]

Great video Victor! I didn't go anywhere near as far as you with the comparison but it is interesting! I read online from quite a few sources that the calorie burn for an electric bike is 25-30% lower than a non-electric, I wonder how much the data below 121BPM affected your results. More interestingly, one paper noted that the average person rides more miles on an electric bike per week because of the convenience (they cited c.90% more miles/week). I can't find the link or I'd share - may not apply to you as you cycle a lot, but I can confirm for me, I ride a lot more since getting the brompton electric than I did with my hybrid bike.

[@markotrieste]

Believe it or not, study shows e-bike riders get more exercise than cyclists Micah Toll Electrek

[@khas01_earthling]

Excellent study of this topic, really liked it. Many years ago I used ebike to get me back to cycling. If it helps people use ebike instead of car; then equation does swing further to ebike. I think ebikes are great and help people make more bike journeys.

[@marcgelly7639]

Thanks for your review, once again very interesting and well presented!!! (from 🇫🇷)

[@MartinSchabbauer]

Sometimes one word is enough: fantastic !!

[@uniworkhorse]

Love the data presentation, super easy to understand!

[@XiaoPangZi]

To be honest I want both an electric and a normal bike. Electric is great when it's bad weather and/or windy, or when stressed. Normal bike is preferable under nicer conditions. 🤔

[@tito2928]

Like always great video Victor. Great content and very informative. I thought that same thing when I was using my ⚡️ but makes me feel better. I hope you have an awesome weekend. Until the next video.

[@frankhooper7871]

I usually ride my electric Brompton about 20-25 miles (32-40 km) most days of the week and for quite a bit of each ride I'm over the 15.5 mph (25 kph) point at which the motor cuts out.

[@EverydayCycling]

Best way to extend battery life, cover longer distances, and get fitter.

[@cliftonsmith]

true, I use the elctrice to get above 15.5MPH too and then just go on my own power till it drops below

[@mjkl614]

i wished i get to ride long distance to work as well, no way remotely possible here in Houston, TX, it's just not bike friendly at all

[@markotrieste]

Great job Victor, let me add some thoughts: 1) I get similar data to yours by means of a Garmin fitness watch + heart rate strap. I evaluated that motor and I usually split the job 50/50. 2) My typical way to work (I don't use the Brompton for that) and back implies some 14 miles, possibly with a tag-along for my son, and with 600 ft climb both ways. So any comparison between electric and conventional bike becomes moot, because I'd never commute on a normal bike for such a demanding route. 3) Keep in mind that the amount of calories burned is of little relevance for weight loss and general health. What counts is that one exercises regularly, mixing low intensity LISS and HIIT. again, the possibility to tune the assistance level on e-bikes is very useful to obtain this. A great share of calories burned comes after the workout, by the accelerated metabolism.

[@EverydayCycling]

Agree with all your points. The e-bike is the only choice for many people, for many rides, so no comparison is relevant in those cases. And also agree with your last bullet point. I'd add the fact that weight loss is pretty much dictated by diet. I think touching those topics of weight loss and increased fitness is far beyond my knowledge and the scope of the experiment I ran, actually. As you said, there's a lot more to it. But for these everyday rides, where the heart rate doesn't really go that high, I'm not sure there would be much of an accelerated metabolism.

[@NoZenith]

@@EverydayCycling I'm trying to pull all of those pieces of information into one cohesive thought and while I understand you're not a professional in the field, wouldn't some elevated heart rate especially if you don't go back and just sit down after your bike ride, keep your metabolism elevated for a while?

[@msobetchi]

Respect! Well done!

[@hartzogLovesScience]

Liked that you considered basal metabolic rate in your analysis

[@briandineen7857]

Nice video. I think your information is pretty accurate based on my own experience .

[@stewartrv]

Some doctors say that walking is better than running for burning fat because you don't have insulin spikes hence its more effective. I am wondering if using the eBike maybe the equivalent in bike terms and might actually be better than an all out workout on a bike? This might be indicated by your noticing that you sweat less - another thing mentioned to avoid when walking apparently. Now I'm not a doctor or a biologist it's just a potential hypothosis and can by totally wrong, but I'm curious...

[@NoZenith]

This is a well thought out and interesting hypothesis!

[@LoneHowler]

I've seen some studies that show electric bike riders burn more calories overall because they go for longer rides and are more likely to grab their bike instead of a car because the bike is fun. But on a 1-1 comparison for the exact same trip lengths of course the acoustic is going to win

[@fernandohagge7201]

Ficou muito bom o seu trabalho, bastante elucidativo, parabéns meu brother, sucesso pra ti.

[@AlanChristensen]

Excellent work on this -- and one more good use for Python!

[@pneuamtics1]

Thanks for helping

[@cirodirosa6752]

Great video! I will eventually go electric when Im at an age where I need to take it easier.

[@EverydayCycling]

Yeah, I'm glad this option exists!

[@jonathanleach3914]

Excellent. Thanks v much.

[@mdrahatkhan8708]

nice and clever video. BTW informative too :)

[@dronespace]

Great video!

[@A_Box]

You are a mad lad for riding with cars. I wouldn't go anywhere if there wasn't brand new separated bike lanes in my city.

[@handsonbrompton7875]

Very informative… 👍

[@gdwlaw5549]

Reasonably priced electric folding bike by another brand of non-electric Brompton which is in my budget? It’s really rather difficult to lake a decision. The folding system in a Brompton is just amazing and the geometry of the bike.

[@brimmed]

i should not have clicked these videos haha. now i really want one. only issue is i'm in downtown los angeles and the biking infrastructure is dog water

[@realhass]

I was like am I watching science lesson or cycling channel , thanks very informative video.

[@EverydayCycling]

I considered removing the method section from the video, but it would leave many people wondering how I got the numbers and what assumptions were made. Glad to hear you found it informative!

[@wtpark]

Thank you for the analysis. So did you gain any weight after switching?

[@gilbmkay]

6.5 kilometres to the grocery store 😳 These distances would drive me crazy

[@ecopennylife]

Interesting, eBiking is about half the calorie burning so still is a little bit of a 'workout' - impressive math calculations 😉

[@mathiasjobst5936]

Hi Victor, i am considering buying a Brompton Electric. I noticed that your standard Bromton has a H handlebar and your electric has a mid. Can you tel me how tall you are as a reference and why you choose different sizes?

[@erosqing]

You have Strava in Spanish?!? Jajaja cheers from Spain mate!!!

[@thorstenwidmer7275]

Cool, you take your bike with you to the gym 👍

[@theofficecyclist]

Hm In a cyclist and also riding a Brompton. I would say electric bike saves you a lot of calories om your test. I would take the ordinary Brompton every Day in the week.

[@theodorewan501]

Hey, just curious, after a year, have you experienced any hardware failure on this electric Brompton?

[@anahhungria]

I would like to point out, that your calculation is probably overestimating the amount of calories spent. I say that, because at training pace, a fit cyclist will burn around 500 calories pee hour, so I believe that is hardly unlikely that your numbers are correct. The more reliable source would be a power meter.

[@brightlightdun]

My brain hurts 🤯

[@Qoonutz]

All smart watches tend to over estimate calories burned too. I would love someone do an Apple Watch (on left hand) vs Samsung/Huawei/Xiaomi/Garmin/Fitbit watch (on right hand) comparison. However, at the end of the day, it is quite clear that one will have a lower average heart rate on the electric which in turn translates to a lower calorie burn. One more question that I hope someone will advise - Will a heavier Brompton (say a 12kg vs a 10kg Brompton) burn more calories? And if so, by how much?

[@rabomarc]

I sort of do a similar comparison - however with Garmin only - from time to time. I use a Garmin Fenix as my regular calorie tracking and for some serious cycling I use a Garmin Edge with external HR strap. Last week I did quite a demanding 86km route. The Edge + HR strap which were actually tracking the ride reported 3170 calories, the Fenix (which was in its regular activity tracking mode, it didn’t track the actual bike ride, which means it was doing fewer readings) reported about 2900. This is close enough. Most watches track the calories mostly based on HR, sometimes adding some flat additional amount per km walked/run/ridden. From my friend’s experience, Xiaomi watches have had some appalling HR reading capabilities (could be off by easily 30 bpm). But maybe their newer models are better. 12kg Brompton would make you burn some extra calories compared to a 10kg Brompton but the value would be next to nothing - especially on flats. Uphill would make some difference but it’s still probably too small to quantify. A similar difference would be between a well maintained vs dirty drivetrain (more friction on the 2nd one) or one or two extra items in the backpack you carry.

[@Qoonutz]

@@rabomarc Thank you. I am curious because I noticed wide differences between a friend’s Samsung Watch calorie count vs my Apple Watch 2 calorie count. Apart from gender differences (and me weighing much more and having a higher average speed), she can get a lot higher readings on her watch with the similar distance/route covered. Yes, I have a heavy setup. With bags on, my Brompton weighs about 15kg. Sometimes, it will weigh 20kg. I am not complaining (and am definitely not a weight weener). I am just curious and am happy to know I am burning that extra few insignificant calories with a heavy bicycle. Well, they said every penny counts. 😜

[@rabomarc]

@@Qoonutz I don’t know about Samsung but Apple has one of the best wrist HR sensors on the market and from my friends using it I can see they’re getting very predictable results. I have never made any direct comparison with any of them though. I have a super light gravel bike and an average weighing city bike (which is quite sporty for a city bike) and definitely can see I’m burning more calories with the city bike per km, even if I’m going slower. I don’t own a Brompton YET, this channel is definitely doing a great job convincing me to get one!

[@Qoonutz]

@@rabomarc I want to believe that Apple is one of the more accurate readers but I don’t want to be alleged being a blind Apple Fanboy (by Apple haters). For now, I think I will stop comparing my readings with my friend’s. I hope you get a Brompton soon! I am sure you will love it as much as I do! 😃

[@rabomarc]

@@Qoonutz quite a few independent tests show that Apple does great job with HR sensor. However, as with all wrist HR, it’s important that you keep the strap of the watch fastened quite tightly. Brompton are getting expensive and quite hard to get if you’re after a specific model and it’s hard for me to justify a 3rd bike (but N+1 rule…) but I really like the idea of it, I had a ride on it once (a friend of mine has one) and it was a lot of fun.

[@idtubenod]

🤔 If it's for exercise then why even consider motor assisted? Electric would be practical if assuming the person is recovering from an injury or health condition and would like some assistance during recovery period.

[@EverydayCycling]

I don't use it for exercise, just transportation. I was just curious about calorie burn

[@idtubenod]

@@EverydayCycling "...my most consistent form of exercise..." I did get a brommie to augment exercise (calorie burn) by using it for errands instead of driving and traded a 44T 12% ratio for a 54T standard ratio gearing to decrease efficiency to 🔥 more calories. If you want to burn more calories and have no medical issues forego the electric assist - Just saying. Happy and safe ride 😷🤙

[@rainbowhiker]

Hummm.

[@HonoluluTita]

Do you always ride with the assist at level 3? How long does the battery last? I switched my battery from 1 to 2 level when it had four lights of charge and it started blinking two red lights of charge. I’m afraid to run out of juice so I just ride at level 1.

[@EverydayCycling]

Always level 3, and it lasts about 35km. Lights drop very consistently at every 7-8 km. When I need to ride, say 40km, I play around with different levels and it always lasts for the entire trip. But on day-to-day rides, always level 3. Something seems weird with what you described. Just by changing levels it starts blinking?

[@HonoluluTita]

@@EverydayCycling oh. Will try level 3 next bike ride then. Thanks!

[@chrispollard6568]

It uses less resources to ride the E-bike. Reported in the book "There is no planet B"

[@viperviperpiro]

e-bike just brings away the real fun of cycling...ever have the satisfying feeling after cycling 30-50miles or even 100 miles with your man powered bike :)? ebike... nay...

[@Jesco93]

Save money get an ebike