Are BMX racing bikes easier to peddle uphill then regular bicycles?

[miri]

I just got a new bike and going uphill is really difficult. When I was 14 I had a Redline BMX racing bike and do not remember it being this difficult going uphill. It could be that I am just weaker now but the Redline was so easy to pedal.

I can lower the gear on my bike but then you pedal really fast and go barely anywhere lol.

If BMX racing bikes are easier to peddle, why are they rarely seen as commuter bikes?

 

[her209]

Its all about the gears.

 

[KaOTiK]

bears have no problems riding uphill on tricycles

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: her209
Its all about the gears.

and size/shape/mass of the wheels. Big wheels = more force required to turn them, smaller BMX style wheels not so much.

 

[miri]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: her209
Its all about the gears.

and size/shape/mass of the wheels. Big wheels = more force required to turn them, smaller BMX style wheels not so much.

So why don't more commuters use bmx bikes if they are easier to pedal?

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: her209
Its all about the gears.

and size/shape/mass of the wheels. Big wheels = more force required to turn them, smaller BMX style wheels not so much.

Um, not really. Going at a constant speed and neglecting the added weight of larger wheels (it's pretty minimal compared to the weight of the person on the bike) if you have the same gear ratio from the pedal to wheels (and the same length of pedals) it will require the same amount of effort.

Mechanical advantage FTW.

 

[CatchPhrase]

You got fat over the years.

 

[Dirigible]

Originally posted by: her209
Its all about the gears.

One possible explanation. What's the gearing on your new bike? Does it only have one gear?

Originally posted by: CatchPhrase
You got fat over the years.

Weight makes a big difference when cycling up hills. You almost certainly are a lot bigger than when you were 14.

You're probably in much worse shape too. When I was 14 I ran around most of the day. Now I sit behind a desk. Keep pedaling. It gets easier.

Are you on harder hills now, or is the terrain the same?

 

[hiromizu]

THAN

 

[matas]

Yes, I have a mountain bike and my friends got bmx. I tried riding bmx it was much easier, even tho it has only one gear and mountain bike multiple.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: miri

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: her209
Its all about the gears.

and size/shape/mass of the wheels. Big wheels = more force required to turn them, smaller BMX style wheels not so much.

So why don't more commuters use bmx bikes if they are easier to pedal?

The difference spidey is talking about is negligible. The variety of gears on a mountain/road bike make them much better for transportation. If you're on a mountain bike, the knobby tires will have much higher rolling resistance than smooth tires. You can get a set of smoother or multi-purpose tires for a mountain bike.

It's also possible that your bike is really heavy. A 40 lb bike is a lot harder to move around than a 25 lb bike.

 

[snowdogg187]

Like mugs said, the nice BMX bikes are very light so that would make a difference as well.

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: matas
Yes, I have a mountain bike and my friends got bmx. I tried riding bmx it was much easier, even tho it has only one gear and mountain bike multiple.

My MTB can make going up hills really easy.

Of course you look ridiculous because you are pedaling a ton and just crawling along.

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: hiromizu
THAN

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: OdiN

Originally posted by: matas
Yes, I have a mountain bike and my friends got bmx. I tried riding bmx it was much easier, even tho it has only one gear and mountain bike multiple.

My MTB can make going up hills really easy.

Of course you look ridiculous because you are pedaling a ton and just crawling along.

of course you would no matter what you were doing.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Depends on what gears you have on the BMX bike...they only have one gearset, so if it's a low gear, it might be easier, but I doubt it....a multi-speed bike only requires you select the proper or most comfortable gear for you.

When I raced BMX, a LONG time ago, we used to ride our bikes around town everywhere. Not uncommon for us to put over 30 miles in a day. That makes me hurt all over just thinking about it now.

 

[CorCentral]

I think you guys mean sprockets, not gears.
Hot Sprocket

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: matas
Yes, I have a mountain bike and my friends got bmx. I tried riding bmx it was much easier, even tho it has only one gear and mountain bike multiple.

It's all about gearing and wheel diameter. A mtb will have a wider range of gearing compared to the single fixed gearing of a bmx bike. The mtb set at it's lowest gear should be easier to pedal than a bmx bike.

Why people don't commute with a bmx bike? Due to the smaller wheels and single fixed gear, you can go a whole lot faster with a lot less effort on a bike with a larger wheel diameter.

 

[0roo0roo]

age and weight and distortion of memories.
and well to a degree weight of bike. nicer bikes of either type are lighter.
commuting with bmx....single gear is quite limiting for anything other than romping around a dirt track.
plus it looks rather childish.

 

[Slew Foot]

Heh, whenever I see some big fat guy riding around a little BMX bike around here, I always assume that the bike is stolen.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: CorCentral
I think you guys mean sprockets, not gears.
Hot Sprocket

True, but the sprockets still make up your gearing.

 

[miri]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
age and weight and distortion of memories.
and well to a degree weight of bike. nicer bikes of either type are lighter.
commuting with bmx....single gear is quite limiting for anything other than romping around a dirt track.
plus it looks rather childish.

yeah, I remember standing while peddling when I wanted to go fast on my BMX bike. I tried that yesterday on my bike and it felt weird due to the suspension on the front. My BMX bike was super light as well.

 

[rbV5]

If BMX racing bikes are easier to peddle, why are they rarely seen as commuter bikes?

Yea, or the tour de france...wtf