{"id":4280,"date":"2022-08-13T04:57:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-13T04:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bikefinest.com\/?p=4280"},"modified":"2022-08-13T10:11:14","modified_gmt":"2022-08-13T10:11:14","slug":"are-bmx-bikes-good-for-cruising-ride","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikefinest.com\/are-bmx-bikes-good-for-cruising-ride\/","title":{"rendered":"Are BMX Bikes Good For Cruising?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BMX bikes are so versatile that some of us fancy the idea that it\u2019s okay to use them for just about anything. I\u2019ve tried mine to go long distance<\/a>, <\/strong>do a few simple tricks and complex stunts, and cruise on different trails. But are BMX bikes good for cruising in the first place?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BMX bikes are good and bad for cruising. You can cruise on the bike for about hour, but they become uncomfortable thereafter. Built specifically for stunts and riding in short bursts of speed, BMX bikes are the worst kind that you can hop on for a long distance ride.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if you were to use a BMX bike for cruising, you really would do so at high speed. That\u2019s because, by the very current standards, BMX bikes have one gear<\/strong><\/a>, which is unlike what you get from an actual cruiser bike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And lest we forget, BMX bikes have low seats<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>which make them uncomfortable to pedal for an extended period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll get into more details in a few. But first, let\u2019s make sure you understand what cruising on a BMX means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does It Mean To Cruise On BMX Bike?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cruising <\/em>on a BMX bike means riding like you normally would a beach cruiser bike. <\/strong>Apparently, you\u2019re riding from one point to another without doing any type of trick or stunt.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"bmx<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

For what it\u2019s worth, cruising on a BMX bike could be as simple as commuting to work or simply doing a general cycling exercise. If anything, cruising is just the general cycling that most people do on standard bikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The one thing that\u2019s clear about cruising on a bike is you don\u2019t need to put too much effort into it. Even if you were into it for exercise, you wouldn\u2019t want the pace to be nothing more than leisurely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that this is clear, let\u2019s dive deeper into why it\u2019s such a bad idea to use a BMX bike for cruising, even if you\u2019re constantly getting that inner push to do so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 Reasons Why BMX Bikes Are Not Good for Cruising<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are three reasons why I wouldn\u2019t recommend using a BMX bike for cruising, even if it\u2019s a model with 26-inch wheels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. BMX Bikes Generally Have Low Seats<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

BMX bikes seats are in a lower position for a number of reasons, one of which is to give riders more clearance so they can perform tricks and stunts without the seat getting in the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The seat isn\u2019t in such a low position so that you can use it for cruising. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"bmx<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The problem with a lower seat is that it doesn\u2019t give you the proper leg extension necessary to ride a BMX the exact same way you\u2019d ride a cruiser bike. There\u2019s simply no enough power to pedal extensively while seated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If anything, the only way you get the best input into the pedal is when you\u2019re in a standing position. But you can\u2019t stand on a BMX bike for long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My suggestion is you leave BMX bike for bmxing, because you get tired a lot faster when you ride when standing. And even if you think you can go against the odds, think of the time when you need to ascend or descend when seated low and you get the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. BMX Bikes Can\u2019t Ride Uphill<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If there\u2019s one thing that\u2019s for sure, it\u2019s that you can\u2019t ride a BMX uphill and be comfortable about it. I\u2019ve tried pedaling one uphill myself, and it\u2019s the one bmxing mistake I never want to repeat again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The whole climbing experience was 100% horrible<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BMX bikes have a gearing ratio that\u2019s good for tricks and stunts but bad for everything else. There\u2019s only one gear, so climbing uphill is going to be hard, especially if the trail is steep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Add to this the low seat and a short frame, and you can be certain that you will use more power to pedal a BMX bike uphill than you need to ride a different type of bike<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The demand for more pedaling energy also makes the experience further worse. And if I\u2019m being honest, the last thing you want to experience is joint injuries because you weren\u2019t willing to bring yourself to the reality that you can\u2019t use a BMX bike for cruising. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. BMX Bike Require More Force to Pedal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The low seat on a BMX bike doesn\u2019t give you sufficient leg extension. That\u2019s why you will need more energy to pedal the bike, which means the worst cycling experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will get full pedaling power when you\u2019re in a standing position. But then you can\u2019t be standing for an extended period either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So When Can I Use BMX Bike for Cruising?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can cruise on a BMX bike for short distances just fine. So if you\u2019re planning to cruise for 60 minutes or less, you should be fine. They seem to be quite great when dealing with trickier terrains and trails with some jumps along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But things start to get a little more uncomfortable for a ride that you take past the one-hour mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course the duration isn\u2019t cast in stones. Some people seem to be able to cruise for more than an hour just fine. But it\u2019s definite that the experience will start to get more uncomfortable somewhere along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be clear, cruising on a BMX bike isn\u2019t going to be nearly as comfortable as using an actual cruiser bike. And we\u2019ve looked at why already.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are The Best BMX Bikes For Cruising?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First, I wouldn\u2019t recommend a BMX bike for cruising. I wouldn\u2019t buy one for this very purpose myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, that doesn\u2019t mean there aren\u2019t BMX bikes that you can buy and use for cruising. There are a few options that are quite good for this very purpose, although you should keep in mind that they\u2019re only good for short distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Made of a lightweight aluminum frame for optimal performance, the Redline Bikes Roam BMX Bike<\/strong><\/a> is one of the top cruising BMX around. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Redline<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

You can even upgrade it to a cruiser bike if you wish, and that kind of flexibility makes it a good option to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another great BMX bike that you can use for cruising is the Eastern Bikes 00-191664 Growler<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Featuring a chrome alloy frame and fork, this 26-inch BMX bike is lightweight and cruises quite smoothly thanks to the low rolling resistance wheels. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Eastern<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

It\u2019s also the first BMX bike that has mechanical disc brakes, which are better than the linear pull up brakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are BMX Cruiser Bikes?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In my opinion, the phrase cruiser BMXis one of the mostly misunderstood concepts in biking. To be clear, just because it\u2019s a cruiser type of BMX doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s as good as beach cruiser bike is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the thing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cruiser BMX bikes are in no way cruiser bikes in their entirety. We appreciate that brands make them in such a way that they are adaptable to various uses. But they still can\u2019t hold up to being good enough like actual cruiser bikes are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The difference between standard BMX bikes and cruiser BMX is the size of the wheels. Cruiser BMX bike wheels can be either 24 or 26 inches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides that small difference, these bikes share the same features that make cruising for longer extremely difficult. For instance, the frame is short and the seat is inarguably low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I haven\u2019t come across a cruiser BMX that\u2019s agile enough to move around a track for long. Even these are stunt bikes that are only quite great for rolling and jumping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is It Possible To Covert A BMX Into A Cruiser Bike?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can convert a BMX bike<\/a> into a cruiser bike. But you won\u2019t be able to adjust it to the level where you can cruise on it for an extended period.  Which is to say you won\u2019t get the best riding experience from a BMX as a cruiser bike<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still want to convert your BMX into a cruiser bike?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n