10000 Steps And Cycling

Calculating 10,000 steps and cycling, is it even possible? It’s now become pretty easy to calculate steps by walking or running with all the step counters gadgets out there, but cycling or rather cycling companies haven’t come up with a good or easy solution that calculates it for you. Should they even bother? For some people, they only think in Step speak, not time or distance. It’s all about steps and how many you can get in every day.

To convert cycling or other exercises into steps a good rule of thumb is to use the below conversions using a talk test.

1 min Low intensity (gentle) = 85 steps
Talk Test: Low intensity – You basically can carry on a normal conversation without breathing difficulty.

1 min Moderate/Brisk intensity (comfortable) = 150 steps
Talk Test: Moderate Intensity – You’re now warmed up and you’re beginning to have a little breathing issues, but nothing too strenuous.

1 min High Intensity (tolerable intensity but not for a long period of time) = 200 steps
Talk Test: High Intensity – The pace has picked up to the point where you would have a very difficult time talking.

1 Min All Out (crazy hard intensity) = 265 steps
Talk Test: Yea right – The only talking is in your head and it’s screaming how painful this is.

There is a ride here in Austin that starts at ATC (Austin Tri Cyclists). It starts out at a low intensity for 5 minutes and then picks up to moderate for 15 minutes and then high intensity for 40 with occasional all out sessions.

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Based on this ride I would calculate the steps something like this
85 steps x 5 minutes
150 steps x 15 minutes
200 steps x 40 minutes
265 steps x 4 minutes

So this ride would roughly be equivalent to 11,735 steps at a high intensity clip.

There you have it. You might have to remember your activity level during the ride and do some mathematics, but it is pretty basic.

If you ride at a moderate intensity for a little over an hour, you will hit your 10,000 steps. Up your intensity and you can cut the ride time by probably 10 or more minutes.