Is it easier to cycle or walk up hill?

[TimberWolf]

Is it easier to cycle or walk up hill?

[swamp]

Is it easier to cycle or walk up hill?

Cycle.

[TimberWolf]

Cycle.

Don't you find it easier to get off and walk up steep hills?

[TykeMerc]

Don't you find it easier to get off and walk up steep hills?

It depends on your definition of easier. If you're measuring the calories expended then walking is easier as you don't have to shift the weight of the bike. If not and the bike has low gears available then cycling is much "easier" in apparent effort expended as although you will expend more energy you will spend it over a longer time.

[swamp]

Don't you find it easier to get off and walk up steep hills?

Actually I want to change my vote.

I live at the top of a steep hill and whenever I cycle I usually push the bike up the last bit. I'm quite fit, by the way. My bike is really rubbish though, I could probably leave it lying around in Liverpool without fear of theft for at least two hours.

[TimberWolf]

Actually I want to change my vote.

I live at the top of a steep hill and whenever I cycle I usually push the bike up the last bit. I'm quite fit, by the way. My bike is really rubbish though, I could probably leave it lying around in Liverpool without fear of theft for at least two hours.

I sometimes think about this when I'm cycling or pushing my bike up hill. There are a lot of variables to consider and not mentioning them is part of the fun of the question, as we have seen fro some of the other threads. I'll assume we're comparing walking up hill pushing a bike with riding up a hill.

From a physics standpoint the energy required to lift you and bike up a hill is just mgh, regardless of whether you push it up or cycle. That's a minimum though, there is no maximum. I'll assume the same speed of ascent for each, so the same power will also be used. From a physiological point of view it would depend which muscle groups are used and how efficiently, so is not easy to figure out. Another tricky bit is to figure out whether the greater friction available in walking (you wouldn't slide downhill) is an advantage over a bike where a downward force is always felt as the bike wants to roll downhill. I think I have usually discounted that by the time I've got to the top of the hill. Overall I would guess given a low enough gear, the energy used is probably about the same. You'd probably need to measure how much oxygen is used to find out for sure. On the flat or downhill cycling is definitely more efficient than walking.

[Grinder]

Is it easier to cycle or walk up hill?

The clue is in the way the question is worded. There is no stipulation that the cycling must also occur uphill.

Therefore it is easier to cycle. Unless I misunderstood. Difficult to say with no commas.

[FSM with Cheddar]

I always loved the challenge of trying to get to the top of the hill without stopping.

When ever I pass someone pushing their bike, I just think they are a looser and have given up too easy.

[tyrannosaurusDrip]

What do you mean by easier?

Bikes have gears, so it can be relatively easy on a low gear but still requires the same abount of effort to get up the hilll.

Legs don't have gears yet.

[Mich the Tester]

I always loved the challenge of trying to get to the top of the hill without stopping.

When ever I pass someone pushing their bike, I just think they are a looser and have given up too easy.

You smug b@st@rd.













I do that too.