When we talk about cruising, what comes to mind is a form of enjoyment and relaxation. Cruising is defined as moving around leisurely or traveling for pleasure. However, riding bicycles is a significant way of cruising, relaxing, and obtaining pleasure. Now, the question is, are BMX bikes good for cruising?
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Are BMX Bikes Good For Cruising?
BMX bikes are not good for cruising. Many other features and characteristics make it acceptable for riders but not cruising. Research proved that BMX bikes are built for sporting events such as bike race and freestyle, which involves stunts and maintaining balance.
This article will explore why BMX bikes are not most suitable for cruising and answer questions as regards the conversion of a BMX bike for cruising.
Reasons Why BMX Bikes Are Not Good For Cruising
BMX bikes are unsuitable for cruising; they are built to fit gaming and sporting activities, making them the most unpreferable cruiser. They are built, so that much effort is put into pedaling, and the moment leisure and relaxation are absent, cruising can no longer exist. What are the significant reasons why BMX bikes are considered not good for cruising?
The Reasons are not far-fetched from the structure of the bike, its features can not help you have the desired posture for cruising compared to other bikes suitable for cruising.
Low Seats
Generally, BMX bikes are known for their very low seats, and the implication of these low seats is the inability to have the proper extension of legs needed for pedaling. How then do people ride on them? To be able to pedal well, riders of BMX Bikes ride by standing on the pedals simultaneously, which requires lots of strength given riding.
It is therefore not possible to sit on these bikes and pedal well, and standing will be a tiring posture which eliminates the exact purpose of pleasure and leisure.
Lack of Standard Tires Needed for cruising
Cruiser bike doesn’t have thick tires that allow riding on beaches, pavements, and urban riding, 26″ tires, also known as balloon tires. BMX bikes, on the other hand, have only 20″- 24″ tires which are only needed for tricks and stunts.
Possibility of Attaining Injuries
Standing while pedaling causes sprain to the legs and knees. Knee Injuries will be more prominent when a BMX bike is taken to cruise on hills. They have a small size, and due to their enormously low seats, much strength and effort is required to ride, and climbing hills can lead to a knee injury which is said to be pure torture.
BMX Bikes Are Not Customizable
There are some essential things that people like to attach to their cruiser bikes to suit their lifestyle and comfort, such as lights, saddlebags, and fenders, but BMX bikes do not give room for the attachment of these things.
What Makes A Good Bike Cruiser?
As opposed to BMX bikes, a good bike cruiser has features that allow for pleasure and comfort, and these are key to cruising. Here are some features and characteristics that make up a good bike cruiser.
Huge and Padded seats
A good bike cruiser should provide a large seat that is padded. When riding a cruiser bike, bikers can effortlessly ride with a good seat. Most importantly, great comfortability comes with a large seat and, at the same time, padded.
Comfort
A significant factor to look out for in a cruiser bike is the comfort it gives the rider. A big padded seat will make a rider feel at ease.
Durable Frames and Customizable
Cruiser bikes have larger durable frames made of steel; BMX bikes, on the other hand, are made of aluminum. Also, cruiser bikes are customizable.
Balloon – Style Tires
A good bike cruiser should have durable balloon-style tires, also known as 26″ tires. These tires are thick compared to the tires of BMX bikes, and they allow cruiser bikes to withstand unsteady surfaces. They are bikes with simple designs.
What Is a BMX Cruiser Bike?
A BMX cruiser bike has slightly larger wheels. Compared to the other BMX bikes with 20” wheels, BMX cruiser bikes are either 24″ or 26″. This might seem contradictory to one of the reasons why a BMX bike is not suitable for cruising, and one may be prompted to ask if the BMX cruiser bike is suitable for cruising since it is specifically called a “Cruiser” bike. Your curiosities will be clear as you read further.
Are BMX Cruiser Bikes Suitable For Cruising?
On seeing the word ‘Cruiser,’ the mind may be channeled to think that this particular type of BMX bike will be suitable for cruising. Are they suitable for cruising?
The answer is No; a BMX cruiser bike is not suitable for cruising. Although it has larger wheels that fit into a quality of good cruiser bikes, BMX cruiser bikes still have a low seat, which means the proper extension of legs needed for pedaling won’t be achieved unless the rider stands on the pedal. BMX cruiser still maintains the small size of BMX bikes which cannot be customized to suit riders’ preferences.
Can BMX Bikes Be Converted For Cruising?
BMX bikes, as aforementioned, are not made to suit comfortability or cruising, but if necessary, they can be converted to be slightly convenient and suitable for cruising. A BMX Cruiser bike, for example, provides larger wheels that use durable balloon-style tires, making pedaling easy.
The low seat is another important feature that needs to be changed to transform a BMX bike into a cruiser bike. You can purchase a larger padded seat and fix it in place of the smaller seat to make sitting more comfortable.
You can also adjust the height of the seat. Though you can’t raise it to the same height as cruiser bikes, it can enhance the proper extension of your legs. Research advises that rider stands on the pedal for a while for relief before sitting again.
BMX bikes have rear gears that allow them to jump from high, but a cruiser bike uses a coaster brake. In case of conversion, a BMX bike with a brake can be sought; nevertheless, U-brake can be attached to the back wheel to ensure more safety.
How To Choose A Cruiser Bike?
There are certain things to look out for when considering a cruiser bike. These features will determine how suitable a cruiser bike will be for its rider. Here’s a list of things to check before choosing a cruiser bike
Bike Size
No stated or generally accepted size of a cruiser bike fits all and sundry. A Cruiser bike’s size can be determined by the age of the rider and, most importantly, the height of the rider. You can check the chart below for a guide to choosing a cruiser bike.
| Age of Rider | Height of Rider (feet) | Frame size in inches |
| About 10 | 3 – 4 | 12 |
| Up to Adult | 4 – 5 | 15 |
| 10 – Adult | 5 – 6’3 | 18 |
| Adult | Above 6 | Extended frame |
Comfortable Seat
Another essential feature to look out for is a comfortable seat. It is advised that the seat should be large and padded. A comfortable seat will support the lower body.
The Wheel Size
You should check the wheel size of your bike, but it’s necessary to know your leg length first because it’s the leg length and your height that determines the wheel size suitable for you.
Other Features Include:
Gearing
Gears are also called speed. Some cruisers have just one gear, but a good cruiser should have 3 to 7 gears. This will give more freedom to go up and down hills.
Brakes
A good cruiser bike should have a coaster brake as they are easy to use and effortless to maintain.
Price and quality
The price of a cruiser should be considered according to the bud likewise the quality.
What Are BMX Bikes Suitable For?
BMX is an off-road sport bicycle designed explicitly for completing jumps, tricks and stunts. They are not good for cruising and commuting since they’re single-speed in design, with short frames and seats.
They’re suitable for riders who are fun performing tricks such as bunny hops, tail whips, and 180s. You can ride BMX on a wide variety of surfaces, and mostly, people use them for vert riding.
Final Verdict
BMX bikes are majorly built for racing as well as stunts and trick riders. So, if you’re looking for an off-road bike that is fun for stunts performance, not cruising, BMX is the most suitable one.
