As much as I like the slow, relaxing ride of my beach cruiser, at times I wish it could go faster. I decided to do some research and experimentation to see if it is impossible to increase the speed of my bike and this is what I found.
How do you make a beach cruiser faster? Here are a few tips, tricks, and things you can do:
- Get a multi-speed beach cruiser
- Buy an electric beach cruiser – the lazy man’s solution
- Keep your beach bike clean
- Lubricate your bike for a smoother ride
- Adjust your seat for power
- Make sure your tires have enough air
- Make sure your brakes are aligned
If you are looking for a bike with maximum speed, a cruiser is not the right bike for you. Consider buying a road bike. However, if you love your cruiser like I do and want to improve its performance, this post provides a few tips to help it go faster.
What Is The Average Speed of A Beach Cruiser?
How fast can a cruiser bike go? The average beach cruiser speed typically ranges anywhere between 3 and 15 miles per hour. They were designed to be slow. If you pedal hard enough you can reach top speeds of around 15 mph and maybe a little more.
Road bikes can reach average speeds anywhere between 25 and 40 mph. During major races such as the Tour de France, higher speeds can be reached especially when traveling downhill. Your cruiser bike most likely won’t achieve those types of speeds but there are a few ways to prevent your bike from going slower.
How to make your cruiser faster
I’m not going to sugarcoat it. There is no real good way to make your cruiser go any faster than the average speed they are designed to ride. However, there are a few things you can do to make it easier to reach those top speeds.
#1 – Buy A Multi-speed Beach Cruiser
This is probably the easiest way to make your beach cruiser faster. Sell your single-speed cruiser for a multi-speed cruiser.
This will allow you to reach top speeds by simply changing gears. Take a look at my beach cruiser buyer’s guide to learn about my favorite multi-speed cruisers.
#2 – Buy An Electric Cruiser
If you want the lazy man’s resolution to reach higher speeds on your cruiser, buy one that has a motor. Some of the electric cruiser bikes can produce speeds over 25 mph.
#3 – Clean Your Cruiser
In order to experience optimal speed and performance from your bike, you must keep it clean. Any debris or dirt that gets lodged in your chain or gears can disrupt the overall performance of your cruiser. This can limit your ultimate biking speed.
Maintaining the hygiene of your bike is easy. Simply take a few minutes after each ride to wipe down your entire bike and clean your chain with this bike chain cleaning kit. Keeping your bike clean will help you to reach top speeds and enable your cruiser to last longer.
#4 – Lubricate Your Bike Chain
After cleaning your chain, it is time to lubricate it. Maintaining a smooth, operating bike chain is essential for a better ride.
Decreasing the amount of friction will also help you attain faster speeds with less effort. For best results, you want to slowly apply bike chain lube and wipe off any excess.
#5 – Adjust Your Seat
It’s amazing how the position of your seat can make a huge difference while pedaling. Having it too high or low can decrease the amount of pedaling power that you can optimally generate with your legs. Try adjusting your bike seat to your desired comfort and reap the benefits.
#6 – Adjust The Tire Pressure
Do you know what the average tire pressure of a beach cruiser should be? Since the wheels are so thick and wide, a good pressure range for your cruiser is between 30 and 40 PSI depending on your weight.
If you are heavy, I suggest filling your tires all the way to about 40 PSI. Having low tire pressure will increase rolling resistance, which reduces speed. To help you accurately inflate to the correct tire pressure, use a digital tire pressure reader.
#7 – Align Your Brakes
Stopping is the deceleration of speed. If your brakes are not aligned properly, they can decelerate how fast you are going.
Malfunctioning hand brakes on a multi-speed cruiser sometimes have a tendency to rub up against the wheels. This will make it difficult to pedal and prevent you from reaching higher speeds.
Final Thoughts
The easiest way to have a faster beach cruiser is to purchase a multi-gear cruiser or a cruiser with a motor. This will give you the flexibility to go faster if needed.
Otherwise, perform routine maintenance on your bike so it will keep performing efficiently. Keeping it clean and making the proper adjustments will ensure efficient pedaling thus making it easier for you to reach top speeds.