Why does pedaling up hill feels harder than walking up the same hill?
In: Physics
When you go up the hill the energy you need to increase in altitude depends on the mass and elevation.
Riding a bike on flat ground is easier because the friction is low but when you go up a hill that does not help, the problem is that you move up so against gravity.
So lifting you up is the same work walking as riding a bike. Let assume you walk and push the bike up the hill beside you so it mass is not relevant.
You tend to move at a higher speed with a bike so you have to do a bit more work at a short time so the power output is higher, how hard the sake feels to you depends on the power output.
If you ride a bit at walking speed or a road with less include but a longer path so the time the top is the same as walking then the power.
For bikes, there is another factor, the cadence that is the number of revolutions per unit of time you move the pedals. You like to be at 60-80 rpm.
Power = cadence* force so if the cadence is lower you need to press down your feet harder. This is often the problem why riding up a hill. The gearing os so that the pedals move very slowly at a low speed and as a result, your legs cant press down the peddle hard enough.
If the gearing is so that the cadence is too high most of the energy is spent moving the left not pressing down the pedals.
So if you have a bike that has gears so you can have a cadence of 60-80 RPM the power you need to go up the hill is the same as if you walk and push the bike. So for example a mountain bike can be used to go up the hill with the same work as if you walk.
At low speed on a bike the balance will be a problem and that can be a limit you too,
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