Studies of commuters in Copenhagen and the Netherlands found that cycling’s health benefits far outweigh the risks: roughly an hour of extra life for every hour spent cycling, mainly from lower heart disease and diabetes risk.
How to use the Biking Life Gain Calculator
- Cycling time per day (minutes)
- Days per week
- Months per year
- Age when you start
- Age when you stop
- Life expectancy
- Custom life expectancy
Results update as you type, every field has its own unit menu, and everything is calculated in your browser.
How it works
Enter how much you cycle, the age you start and stop, and your country’s life expectancy.
Inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Cycling time per day (minutes) | A number |
| Days per week | A number |
| Months per year | A number |
| Age when you start | A number |
| Age when you stop | A number |
| Life expectancy | Choose one: Global average (73), USA (77.5), UK (81), Germany (81.000001) … |
| Custom life expectancy | A number |
What each result means
- Total hours cycled = [Cycling time per day (minutes)]×[Days per week]×4.345×[Months per year]×max(0, [Age when you stop] – [Age when you start])÷60
- Life gained = [Cycling time per day (minutes)]×[Days per week]×4.345×[Months per year]×max(0, [Age when you stop] – [Age when you start])÷60÷24
- Life gained = [Life gained]÷30.44
Example values
How the main result changes when Cycling time per day changes and everything else stays at the example values above:
| Cycling time per day (minutes) | Life gained (days) |
|---|---|
| 15 | 91 |
| 22.5 | 136 |
| 30 | 181 |
| 37.5 | 226 |
| 45 | 272 |
| 60 | 362 |
Formula
Hours cycled = minutes/day × days/week × 4.345 weeks × months/year × years ÷ 60 · Life gained ≈ hours cycled (1 h of life per hour of cycling)
Worked example
Inputs — Cycling time per day (minutes): 30; Days per week: 5; Months per year: 10; Age when you start: 30; Age when you stop: 70; Life expectancy: 79.
Results — Total hours cycled = 4,345 h; Life gained = 181 days; Life gained = 5.9 months; Life expectancy as a cyclist = 79.5 years.
Key terms
- Life expectancy
- Average expected lifetime from birth.
Frequently asked questions
Is the hour-for-hour rule exact?
No – it is an average from population studies.
What about accident risk?
It is included: benefits outweigh risks by roughly 9 to 1 in studies.
Does e-biking count?
Partly – e-bikers ride longer and still get much of the benefit.
Do I need to ride fast?
No – regular moderate riding provides most of the benefit.