How Fast Do Cruiser Bikes Go

Cruiser bikes were made for a slow, relaxed trip in the sand or on flat paved roads, but when you get pedaling hard, they can still feel like they’re going fast.

The average speed for this style of bicycle is less than most because of the large steel frame and wide bubble tires. However, you can make adjustments to coax more speed. How fast do cruiser bikes go?

The average speed for a cruiser bike is between 3 to 15 miles per hour. Cruiser bikes are made for slow and leisurely riding and not speed. They are typically single speed bikes without gears and have a heavier frame with bigger tires which requires you to pedal harder in order to go faster.

Are Cruiser Bikes Fast

Cruiser bikes are not fast. The entire concept behind this style is that the rider wants to slow down, relax and enjoy a long leisurely, comfortable ride rather than speeding from one point to another.

If you’re looking for a fast bike, you want to check out an ultralight road bike or a downhill mountain bike instead.

The older the cruiser, the slower it is likely to be. This is because old-fashioned bikes didn’t have access to modern parts and manufacturing processes that allowed the bikes to be more aerodynamic or lighter weight.

When you improve the profile or decrease the overall weight, the bicycle goes faster with equal power because there’s less drag.

However, regardless of what you do, this type of bike is not meant to race with the faster cycles.

What Speed Are Cruiser Bikes

There are three types of cruisers to consider when looking at top speed. First, you have the standard cruiser.

The maximum speed on this bike is around 20 miles per hour, but that would be pedaling quite hard with some advantages like a downhill slope.

In general, this style will only move at around fifteen mph on a flat path.

Beach cruisers are made for sandy terrain, so they often go just a little slower than their basic companions.

The difference is only a mile or two per hour. Meanwhile, e-cruisers or the electric versions of these bikes top out around 20 to 25 miles per hour, which isn’t very fast for an electric.

How To Make A Cruiser Bike Faster

A cruiser is never going to win a race against a road bike, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for the slowest model around. There are a number of ways you can increase the speed of your cruiser.

Below are 7 ways to get the most speed out of your cruiser bike:

1. Check your tire pressure. Less air is great for sand, but a little more pressure will help put the power into moving forward.
2. Clean your bike. It may seem odd that a clean bicycle goes faster, but especially where the chain and other drivetrain parts are concerned, clean means no debris to wear away at the metal and slows down the movement.
3. Get things lubricated. It would be best if you were cleaning and lubricating your drive chain at least once a month, according to Bicycle Warehouse.
4. Get your brakes aligned. An out-of-whack brake can rub n your wheel or other parts of the drive train, causing friction and slowing your bike.
5. Try out some new tires. If you haven’t checked your tire condition lately, then you should. A worn tire doesn’t get as much traction as new tires do, which can slow you down or even cause you to slip and crash.
6. Upgrade to more gears for better, faster rides. The ability to shift to a gear that works with your bike and the terrain will cause you to gain speed, especially on inclined trails and hills.
7. Lighten your load. There are plenty of ways to take less weight on your bike. For one, you can buy an aluminum frame. Removing unnecessary additions like panners and baskets will help, and so will wearing cycling clothing.

Do Cruiser Bikes Have Gears

Basic cruiser bikes are typically single-speed bikes. That means they technically have ‘gears’ but only one of them.

Happily, this doesn’t mean there are no geared cruiser bikes. Standard cruiser ‘speeds’ include 3 and 7 gears.

I strongly recommend buying a cruiser with integrated gears if you plan to ride in a hilly area or need to go a little faster.

You can install your own gears if you prefer. However, the downside to making this sort of upgrade to a preexisting bike is that it is expensive.

In fact, it often costs more than the whole bicycle did when you originally purchased it, which is why it’s best to buy an already-geared cruiser.

According to Bike Finest, “the cost will depend on whether you are for an internal gear hub or a derailleur gear system. Actually, an internal gear hub of reputable quality will cost about $1200. On the other hand, a good derailleur gear system will cost about $200 – $500… In addition, for you to successfully change the bike to a multi-speed machine, you will need to buy a new drive train set.”

Add the labor cost if you take it to a pro shop and you’re looking at a rather costly upgrade.

Is A 7 Speed Cruiser Bike Faster Than A 1 Speed Cruiser Bike

A seven-speed cruiser is faster than a one-speed cruiser. When you add gears and use them properly, you transfer more of the power from your legs into the pedals.

From there, they turn the crank and chain, which moves the gears and pushes the tire forward.

As you can see, that’s a lot of parts, and you lose a little bit of that energy moving each one, so maximizing your output will make you go faster.

What Is The Fastest Cruiser Bike

The fastest cruiser bike is the one with a super-fit rider in the saddle. However, a few cruiser bikes have the advantage of multiple gears, light frames, large tires, and an overall outstanding design.

I recommend the Sixthreezero EVRYjourney Men’s Hybrid 21-speed Cruiser Bicycle from Amazon.

Not only is Sixthreezero an excellent company, but this cruiser is made to go faster.

The large 26-inch tires help you cover ground quickly, and the foot-forward seat and pedal position allows riders to put feet flat on the ground while staying in the saddle.

Learn all about this excellent cruiser by clicking here.

Helpful Tips To Know About How Fast Cruiser Bikes Go

Cruiser bikes are the turtles of the cycling world. This style is built large and heavy to go the distance, but not quickly.

Here are more helpful tips to know about how fast cruiser bikes go.

• One of the advantages of wide tires and a heavy frame is that a cruiser bike can go slower than other styles without experiencing the same instability. You don’t need to move fast to stay upright. This makes cruisers more accessible to new riders and those who aren’t as physically fit.

• Most people regardless of bike style ride around an average of 10 to 12 miles per hour when they are not pedaling especially hard. Though it takes a little more effort to maintain a cruiser at this speed due to its weight and frequent lack of gears, most riders can expect to reach these speeds without too much trouble.

• The rider is the engine that powers a bicycle (unless it’s electric). Therefore, the fitness level and muscle you put into your bike will determine how fast it goes most of the time. It is only at higher levels that it makes a significant difference to cut a few pounds from the frame or make other adaptations to go faster.

Final Thoughts

Cruiser bikes go 3 to 15 miles per hour on average, but they can get up to around twenty on the downhill slopes.

This bicycle style is made for riders who aren’t invested in moving fast. However, you can opt for a geared or lighter-weight bike if you want a faster cruiser.

Alternatively, you can build muscle tone and remove unnecessary parts like baskets, but this will only improve the top speed by a few miles per hour. Cruiser bikes are slow.