Why Is My Mountain Bike Hard To Pedal

It’s possible the chain is not adjusted correctly. It could also be that the bike is too heavy for you to pedal.

The chain may be too tight or too loose, or it could have a kink in it. The bike may also be too heavy for you to pedal and needs to be adjusted accordingly.

How do I make my mountain bike pedal easier?

Get more ‘aero’ by adjusting your position. Clean your bike. Clean and lube your chain. Adjust your tyre pressure. Check brake adjustment. Remove excess weight.^[1]

How do you fix a hard pedal on a bike?

Check your brakes if they rub or not. Check wheels bearings health. Test if the axle bolts are tightened too much on not (cup and cones). Check your chain health. Verify your bottom bracket. Readjust and recheck your tire’s pressure. Your pedals should spin freely.^[2]

Why does my mountain bike feel slow?

Slightly flat tires are the most common reason your bike feels slow. Rolling resistance increases dramatically when pressure is too low for your weight. Note that even if your tires don’t look flat, they might still be far softer than is ideal.^[3]

Why is my mountain bike so slow on the road?

Mountain bikes are slower than road bikes and gravel bikes because they typically have larger tires, less aerodynamic body position, longer frame geometry, heavier bike weight, suspension, and even slower gearing.^[4]

Should MTB pedals spin freely?

Decent quality pedals should not spin “freely”. They should have damping because of grease. They should, however, spin smoothly.^[5]

Why does my bike skips when I pedal hard?

These include worn out or misaligned derailleur pulleys, old or malfunctioning shifters throwing off the indexing in some gears, or broken/bent teeth on one or more cassette cogs. Build up of dirt and grime on drivetrain components will also cause shifting issues, including skipping chains.^[6]

Is a stiff bike good?

Both Sturdy and the representatives from Specialized confirmed that in blind tests, riders have failed to pick out a stiffer frame when directly asked. Instead, many find they’re faster on a bike with more give – sometimes even attributing this to ‘more stiffness’. Because ‘stiffness’ and ride quality are subjective.^[7]

How stiff should MTB brakes be?

If you can barely squeeze the lever, the cable is too tight and if the lever easily touches the handlebars, then the cable is too loose. Your brake lever should ideally squeeze 3-4 cm before tightening up.^[8]

Why is my back wheel stiff?

It might be that the hub is seized up from rust. You can check if it is the brake or not by loosening the caliper and spinning the wheel. If it spins freely it is the brake not the hub. If it is the hub you might need to get it regreased.^[9]

Is 18 mph fast on a bike?

The majority of riders can average a speed of about 15 mph on a one hour ride. A good speed for a beginner is 10 mph, but you should be able to get to 15 mph pretty quickly. If you start training every once in a while, you could get your average up to 18 mph, but training on a regular basis could get you to 22 mph.^[10]

What’s a good average speed on a mountain bike?

What Good Mountain Bike Average Speed? In general, for an average cyclist, 17 mph is considered a good average speed for a mountain bike on road, while on trails speed can drop dramatically to 14 mph due to the hard riding condition on these paths.^[11]

Is MTB harder than road cycling?

Based on the factors I was able to test, I found a 51% increase in the effort needed to ride a mountain bike on a grassy, leafy trail with obstacles, compared to a road bike on a paved surface. Remember, that assumes a mountain bike course with grades and turns that are similar to what one would ride on the road.^[12]