Most of us know that a Mountain bike is designed to be ridden off trails, so it doesn’t need high speed like a road bike, gravel bike, or electric bike. But it doesn’t mean mountain bike doesn’t have speed at all. Like other (gravel, road, or trail bikes) mountain bike also has speed but are a little lower than them. And that is good for a mountain biker to control the bike over rugged trails. So how many speeds does a mountain bike have? What is the speed you need on a mountain bike or what is the top speed of a mountain bike? Have more questions in mind like this related to mountain bike speed?
Many of my readers asked me about the speed clarification after I shared my last article on what gear to use on a mountain bike. So I decided to write another article to give some basic answers revolving around mountain bike speed. Hope this article also helps my reader and I can write some more articles like this.
What Is The Top Speed of a Mountain Bike?
The maximum speed of a mountain bike depends on various factors, including the type of bike, the weight of the rider, riding position, the kind of terrain, gear ratio, and the bike’s geometry. Some more factors, including the tire size and shape, frame materials, suspension, and gears, can also influence the speed of a bike. Because these factors play an essential role in the rolling resistance and overall speed of the mtb bike. The tire width affects the rolling resistance the most. unlike road bike tires, MTB tires are wider, and wider tires have better rolling resistance than narrower tires.
The top speed of a mountain bike is 35mph to 38 mph. This is the top speed most riders could reach with 2” knobby tires and high gear (3×9). But it’s not the same if you ride with different tires widths and gears, as we said above.
Mountain bikes typically have three types of gearing: low, medium, and high. A low gear allows you to travel at a slower speed of over 15mph while still having some level of control, making it perfect for gravel roads.
A medium gear can provide a bit more speed over 18mph and is ideal for faster rides on smooth terrain. It allows you to ride at a comfortable pace and still have enough power to go over obstacles or hills.
The high gear means higher speed, over 25 to 30 mph, and is best used for downhill terrain. When riding at peak speed, be prepared for a lot of wind resistance and reduced control.
How Many Speeds Does a Mountain Bike Have?
Mountain bikes come at various speeds, from slow to fast, to satisfy everyone’s needs. If you are a beginner rider you should try a slow-speed MTB bike, and if you intermediate rides, middle speed will be good for you. And if you are an expert and want to explore rough terrain, choose the high speed.
A mountain bike has multiple speeds starting from 1 to 40+. If we multiply the chainring ( 1x, 2x, 3x) with the gears ( 4 to 12 gears), the minimum speed is 4, and the speed limit is 36.
But these days, some manufacturers are designing high-quality MTB bikes with a single speed that are best for starter riders to ride on flat ground, and cruise neighborhoods. Some experienced riders are customizing their MTB bike with 40+ gears to maximize their biking experience. So if you want you can get a bike with 1 speed as well as 40 speed.
How many speeds do you need on a mountain bike?
The speed you need for mountain biking depends exactly on your needs. If you can ride a low-speed mountain bike comfortably on rugged mountain trails, that’s your need. But if it seems hard to pedal, your need is high speed.
An adult needs 21 to 27 speeds to ride a mountain bike. These are perfect to handle uphill, downhill, and flat roads as well. If you are a slow rider, you need 21, and if you are faster or experienced, you need 27 speeds.
These are the average speeds for most riders (intermediate), but they may differ for others like entry-level riders or experienced riders. Entry-level riders’ speed need is 16 speeds, while experienced riders’ need is up to 36 speeds for downhill mountain bike riding.
Because entry-level riders will ride in neighborhood and flat terrain slowly and will more likely to focus on the scenery and appreciate the environment ride. So 16 speed ( low speed) is the need for them. But the experienced riders need higher speeds for an adrenaline rush. They are skilled and experienced enough to handle the fastest speed bikes and ride them over paved roads to challenging trails, so their needs are high.
Ultimately to find your right need, try different speeds and find what feels comfortable and allows you to reach your destination safely.
How To Know How Many Speeds Your Bike Has?
It’s very simple to know how many speeds your bike has. Generally, we have mountain bikes with 3 chainrings. Smaller 1x chainring, 2x chainring and 3x chainring in the front. And have multiple rear gears, including 4 to 12 gears in the rear cassette.
If you want to know how many speeds your bike has, identify what chainring you have in the front, then multiply with the rear gear.
For example, if you have a 1x chainring in the front and 6 gear in the rear, your bike speed will be 6; if the chainring is 2x, it will be 12, and if it’s 3x, it will be 18 speed. So no matter if you have 6 or 9 gears in the rear, just multiply it with the chainring and get to know your bike speeds.
What Is The World Record For Fastest Bike Speed?
The American Denise Mueller Korenek grabs the world record for faster bike speed. She wanted to break her own riding record at 147mph, which was declared the fastest women’s record. She wanted to beat the men’s record (167mph) and make an overall record for the fastest bike speed. And she got what she wanted after two years in 2018 ( fastest woman on a bike in 2016, 147mph).
In 2018, Mueller Korenek made a new record of 183.932mph cycling speed which is the world’s fastest bike speed record. The previous fastest bike speed record was 167mph by Fred Rompelberg.
Irony Mueller-Korenek says, “ Technique and guts are what you need to make such a successful record.” It doesn’t come so quickly. She had to work a lot physically to get in shape and be the fastest human being (not as a woman but as a human) on the bike. Her bike was a custom bike, and she made this record at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in September 2018. So far, it’s the world record; this cyclist wrote her name in the World Guinness book.
How Many Chains Links On a 24-Speed Mountain Bike?
Chains on a mountain bike can make or break the ride. How many chains link on a 24-speed mountain bike? Many cyclists are curious to know about it and for a good reason. Because the number of links will decide how fast the bike can go.
Usually, a 24-speed mountain bike comes with 116 chain links. This chain link size is suitable for 21, 24, and 27-speed mountain bikes.
116 links allow a more stable and comfortable ride. It also helps in increasing the speed and efficiency and makes it easy to cover more ground in a short time.
I am Ryan Ford, a mountain biking enthusiast who loves to explore the outdoors. I also like to go on adventures with friends and anything else that involves being outside. I love my bike because it gets me out of the house and gives me an opportunity to enjoy nature.