How come when your on a Low Gear on a bike, you can get up hills easier?

Answer 1

Its to do with gear ratios. On a typical bike, you have 2 or 3 gears at the front, and any number on the back. Lets use 3 on front and 6 on back as an example, giving a total of 18 combinations.

Increasing the size of the gear increases the number of teeth on the gear. The more teeth on the gear, the less crank revolutions are required to create one revolution of the back wheel, thus it requires less effort to move the bike forward. When you use the smallest gear on the front, and the largest on the rear, the ration between number of teeth makes it even easier to pedal.

Answer 2

To correct the top two answers above, it takes a lot MORE effort to turn a small cog than a large one, hence the lower gears are larger cogs.
It's like using a lever, the longer the lever, the easier it is to turn, but the further you have to move it get the desired effect at the other end. So in a low gear, the revolution needed to make the bkie go forward is greater, not smaller.
As 'dsclimb1' is correct, you are in effect spreading the work over a greater distance.

Answer 3

The smaller the difference in gear size the easier it is to pedal.

It would be easiest to go up a hill when you're in the smallest gear in front & the largest cog in the rear.

Answer 4

because the revolution needed to propell the bike forwards is alot smaller than if it was in a higher gear. In a higher gear, to make you go faster the revolution is alot greater, meaning you cover more distance in less work, and it has the opposite effect for a lower gear, hence you can make it up the hill.

Answer 5

as JS says. you do actually use the same amount of energy, but spread over a longer period of time. So it feels easier than grinding away in a higher gear, which would get you there sooner.

Answer 6

To correct Tuffy, since they are only half right. The little ring on the Front makes it easier to turn the pedals with less force, while on the back the bigger rings make it easier to pedal.

Answer 7

In higher gears the wheels move smoothly,it gives backward pull on the vehicle due to gravity.What lower gear provides is more grip and ability to climb up.

Answer 8

The lowest gear is the easiest gear,you don't have any resistance with the lowest gear

Answer 9

its called physics, it takes less effort to turn a small cog with a big one, as oppose to two cogs of equal or nearly equal size.

Answer 10

because the chain is shorter and dangles more therefore its easier too pedle