If you have chosen a bicycle as a means of becoming more active, fitter and healthier, then you have chosen well. Riding a bike is one of the most effective ways to lose weight, but it’s important to put in some work before you see any progress. But how much effort should one really put in before losing the pounds significantly?

Well-planned workouts will help you maximize your time on two wheels. Riding harder will make you lose weight faster, but like everyone else, gradual progress is important to consider. Start slowly, and as your health gradually improves, you can gradually intensify your exercises, also gradually.

Light workouts are the starting point. Intensity levels of physical activities can be measured in other ways, such as oxygen consumption; but heart rate is the most used method. Light or low intensity would mean your heart is working at about 40% – 54% of your maximum heart rate (MHR) or 200 beats less than your age. Your heart rate is 68 to 92 beats per minute (bpm), and other physical signs are no sweating unless it’s hot and humid and there’s no noticeable change in your breathing pattern. With the light bike, you’ll burn between 300 and 500 calories per hour, depending on your weight. One pound is lost for every 3,500 calories burned. So with light cycling you will tend to lose a pound in 7 to 10 hours.

Moderate bicycling is when your heart beats between 55 and 69 percent of your MHR or between 93 and 118 bpm. Here, you will notice that you will sweat for about 10 minutes after your workout and your breathing will become deeper and more frequent. This will help you burn about 400 to 600 calories or a pound in about 6 to 8 hours.

For vigorous or high-intensity cycling, your heart will beat at 70 to 80 percent of your MHR or more than 119 bpm, you’ll break a sweat after 5 minutes of training, and your breathing will become rapid and deep. With vigorous cycling, you will lose a pound in about 4 to 6 hours.

Know that whether your bike is light or vigorous, it will still burn energy and this will serve your purpose. The more intense and longer your workout, the more calories you burn and the more weight you lose.