Are Cruiser Bikes Good For Exercise – Bicycles In Motion

Are Cruiser Bikes Good For Exercise

Are Cruiser Bikes Good For Exercise

Cruiser bikes tend to have wide seats, few gears, and a nice upright riding position. This means you’ll push harder pedaling uphill than you would on a road bike, but that’s only one way to expend calories and gain muscle riding this casual style of bicycle. Are cruiser bikes good for exercise?

Cruiser bikes are ideal to ride every day to stay active in a very low-key way because you can get a good workout in a short period of time, especially if you’re just getting started or don’t want to risk overexertion. Riding a cruiser bike at 12 mph can burn 200 to 600 calories in just five miles.

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Can I Use A Cruiser Bike For Exercise

If you’re only familiar with road bikes and there, often lycra-clad, frequently very in-shape riders, then it’s easy to think that’s the only bike for fitness.

Fortunately, that isn’t the case. You can use a cruiser bike for exercise.

Any activity that raises your heart rate, like cycling, is suitable for burning more calories. You don’t need a mountain bike or a racing cycle to reap the benefits of being more active.

Exercise is something anyone can do and having a cruiser bike is a simple way to get started. You’ll get some fresh air and sunshine and have a nice time while you build muscle and stamina.

How Are Beach Cruiser Bikes Good For Exercise

Beach cruiser bikes are good for exercise because they engage your core and help you maintain good posture while also working the muscles in your arm and legs.

When you ride a bicycle, you are literally turning your body into a power source for a simple machine—giving power to a bike to move means using energy from your body to help you lose fat and gain muscle.

Can You Lose Weight Riding A Beach Cruiser

You can lose weight doing anything, including riding a beach cruiser. The secret is not in what type of exercise you choose but how you balance your food intake with your energy output.

People who eat more calories than they burn will gain weight, and those who eat less lose some.

A casual ride on a beach cruiser can be a part of your weight loss journey if you spend enough time or expend enough effort.

For reference, I’ve made a chart below for how many calories you burn riding a cruiser bike at just 12 miles per hour.

The weight of your bicycle may cause this amount to vary slightly, and a faster pace would also burn more calories.

Calories Burned Riding Cruiser Bike 12MPH

Distance & Rider Weight150lb / 68.1kg200lb / 90.7kg250lb / 113.3kg
1 mile (1.6 km)48 Calories64 Calories79 Calories
5 mile (8 km)238 Calories318 Calories397 Calories
10 mile (16.1 km)476 Calories635 Calories794 Calories
20 mile (32.2 km)953 Calories1270 Calories1588 Calories
30 mile (48.3 km)1429 Calories1905 Calories2381 Calories

How Long Should I Ride Cruiser Bike To Lose Weight

To lose weight riding a cruiser bike, you need to burn more calories than you take in. This means following a moderate diet along with your exercise regimen.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) recommends no less than 30 minutes per day. However, it would be best to reach at least moderate intensity for the entire duration.

It’s not about how much you sweat, but rather your heart rate.

That said, an excellent way to gauge whether you’re at moderate intensity for your body is to talk or sing.

You are at roughly moderate intensity if you can speak or sing, but it leaves you feeling winded.

Another way to make an educated guess is to speed up and keep the pace between twelve and fifteen miles per hour.

Benefits Of Using Cruiser Bike For Exercise

There are lots of good reasons to choose a cruiser for exercise. For one thing, it’s easy to integrate a casual bike ride into your routine.

Plus, most areas have plenty of options for everyday riding, from low-traffic side streets to paved bike trails.

I’ve collected together 5 of the best benefits of using a cruiser bike for exercise on the list below:

1 – Cruisers Are Often Single Speed

A multi-speed geared bike has an adjustable chain. You shift, moving up and down along your cassette to larger and smaller gears.

The effect of this is that it helps you push the ideal amount of power to your wheels based on the terrain, especially on hills.

So, what happens when you have fewer or no extra gears? You have to work harder.

Going up and down slopes with a cruiser will require more effort and energy output than a road bike or other many-geared style.

It’s not hard to understand how putting out more energy is great for your health.

Maximum effort means you sweat more, build more muscle and burn more calories doing it all.

2 – A Cruiser Isn’t Built Light

Cruisers and beach cruisers are hefty bikes. While this style doesn’t weigh in as heavy as an e-bike with its batteries, or a thicker MTB made for taking on dirt terrain and trails, the cruiser is built for comfort.

Added shocks under a wide seat, with wide wheels and tires and a generally heavy-set frame all, come together to create a durable but mid-weight bicycle.

While cranks and wheels facilitate your movement, they still have to move whatever they’re carrying, even with heavy loads. Adding weight makes the power source work harder to make the bike go.

Since the power source is your legs, you get stamina, muscle, and better health thanks to riding a heavy cruiser instead of an ultralight road bike at the same speed

3 – Cruising Is Low Impact and Highly Accessible

It doesn’t matter if you’re new to bike riding or out of shape. Riding a cruiser is straightforward and has a low learning curve.

Plus, it’s easy on the muscles and offers a comfortable upright posture on a well-padded, shock-absorbing seat.

You don’t need to be a beginner to enjoy riding a cruiser, but this style is relatively inclusive and straightforward regardless of where you are on your fitness journey.

4 – Fight Fatigue and Build Stamina Through Cruising

It may seem like bike riding is just exhausting, and there’s no question that you’ll be tired if you overdo it.

However, a regular routine that includes riding a cruiser, even if you limit it to just thirty minutes a week, will build muscle stamina, which helps fight long-exercise-session fatigue.

Better still, good exercise enables you to sleep well at night, so riding a cruiser will prevent fatigue in two ways.

5 – Cruising Makes You Happier

Riding a cruiser bicycle is beneficial to your mental health and your physical body.

Getting out in the sun and having some fresh air, especially where you can see trees and nature, improves your focus and happiness.

On top of that, the benefits of exercise, even casually like you do on a cruiser, helps create and prolong your sense of calm and satisfaction.

Helpful Tips To Know If Cruiser Bikes Are Good For Exercise

Cycling in all its forms can be a great way to exercise. Even a casual cruiser bike will help you burn extra calories and build muscle if you do it regularly.

Here are more helpful tips to know if cruiser bikes are good for exercise.

  • The heavier your cruiser, the more energy you will expend riding it. Wide wheels and a basket or panniers are an advantage for riding for health.
  • It doesn’t matter where you ride your bike or what style you ride. Exercise is about consistent effort, burning calories, and challenging your muscles.
  • Cruiser bikes are excellent for new riders and those who don’t feel ready or interested in fast-paced or competitive cycling. The best exercise is the kind you are comfortable enough to commit to, so casual cycling is a great way to get healthy.

Final Thoughts

Cruiser bikes are excellent for exercise. These comfortable bicycles help the rider with their posture while also working the arms, shoulder, core, and legs to steer, maintain stability, and move forward.

Although cruisers are considered casual, they are still a great way to get outdoors and get active. Low impact cycling is accessible to most people, and it even helps improve your mood.

Brian Smith

Brian is the founder of Bicycles In Motion and an avid cyclist for 17 years. On the weekends, he enjoys exploring new bike trails and countryside roads to enjoy the outdoors.

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