BikeErg pace calculator

Understanding BikeErg pace and watts

Concept2's PM5 monitor reports pace as a split — time per 1000 metres on the BikeErg (500m on the RowErg/SkiErg) — rather than power directly, but every split corresponds to an exact wattage via a fixed, publicly documented formula (power scales with the cube of speed). This calculator applies that same formula so you can quickly convert between the two, compare effort levels, and see what a target split works out to for an FTP test, a 1K sprint, or any other distance.

Enter your /1000m split and a distance to see the resulting power output, Calories/hour, projected finish times across common piece lengths, and cumulative splits for pacing a longer ride.

Training on more than one erg? RowErg pace calculator and SkiErg pace calculator use the same PM5 watts formula, so your effort translates directly across machines.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert BikeErg pace to watts?

Enter your /1000m split (e.g. 2:00) and the calculator applies Concept2's official PM5 power formula: watts = 2.8 / (split seconds per metre)³ — the exact same formula and split number as the RowErg and SkiErg. A 2:00/1000m BikeErg split works out to roughly 202 watts, identical to a 2:00/500m RowErg split, because "the wattage required to go at a given pace per 500m on the indoor rower is the same wattage required to go at that pace per 1000m on the BikeErg" (Concept2, "Benefits of Cycling the BikeErg for Rowers").

What is a good BikeErg pace?

It depends on experience and effort duration. For a 1000m test, verified Concept2 Logbook entries show a wide competitive range: roughly 1:50/1000m (~263 W) is a solid recreational benchmark, 1:45/1000m (~302 W) is strong, and 1:40/1000m (~350 W) sits among the fastest logged efforts. Since the BikeErg split number is directly comparable to RowErg/SkiErg for watts, a 2:00/1000m BikeErg split represents the same ~202 W as the classic 2:00/500m RowErg benchmark.

How does the calculator estimate Calories per hour?

It uses the same formula Concept2's PM5 monitor displays on-screen: a 300 Cal/h baseline at 0 watts, plus roughly 4 Cal/h for every extra watt, then adjusted for a 175 lb (79.4 kg) reference bodyweight. Actual calorie burn varies with your own body weight and efficiency.

Why does BikeErg use /1000m instead of /500m like RowErg and SkiErg, if the pace number is the same?

Concept2 uses 1000m as the BikeErg's split distance so the "meters traveled" more closely simulates biking on the road — pegged at 2× the RowErg/SkiErg distance for the same effort, so a rider covers 2000m on the BikeErg in the same time a rower covers 1000m at the identical pace number (Concept2, "Benefits of Cycling the BikeErg for Rowers"). The watts-per-pace-number formula itself never changes; only how far that split interval counts as covering differs by machine.