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Skateboard vs Bike: Which One Should You Choose?

Fact checked by Michael Derosier

skateboard vs bike

With innovation and the constant evolution of sports, anything you can think of under the sun could be possible. But on top of these advancements, we can’t deny how skateboards and bicycles made the lives of children and adults alike more fun.

More about these sporting equipment, skateboard vs bike, how many people will choose one over the other? Which one has the better learning curve?

In this article, we will learn about the best uses of bicycles and skateboards. Also, we will identify which of these two is more fun. Here’s a snippet of their matchup.

Parameter of Comparison Skateboard Bike
Skills Requires skaters to stay grounded to balance Able to work with balancing wheels
Safety Challenging to stop in case of emergency; smaller wheels to counter road cracks Has brakes for easier stopping; bigger wheels dodge road obstacles better
Exercise More vigorous Smooth cycling is not very strenuous.
Maneuverability Needs appropriate body and foot movements Handlebards do it all
Difficulty More technical Easier to learn at a young age
Terrain Should have appropriate wheels Perfect for rough roads and wet weather
Fun level Versatile and more thrilling More relaxing
Convenience Easy to carry Needs a secure parking space

Bike vs Skateboard: Defined

1. Skateboard

Some who don’t understand the rich story of skateboards might think they’re pieces of short wooden slabs with wheels attached and pushed hard to move.

Skateboards might look simple, but they are more than that. Over the years, skateboarding companies have come up with many innovations to make the sport more exciting.

So, decks are often made of durable maple wood; trucks come from aluminum; and wheels root from urethane. Not only that, but these primary skateboard parts also have sizes to suit everyone attempting to skate.

Skateboards are not only for recreation. They can also be for competition and transportation.

2. Bike

skateboarding-calories

It could be challenging to imagine what bicycle skateboard riders and other people think about bikes. Perhaps, bikes are the last wheeled vehicle you can try before riding fuel-powered equipment.

Bicycles allow you to steer them using your hands and make them run using your feet.

And one of the reasons we call them bicycles is because they only have two wheels attached to a frame where the pedals, seat, and other parts are also present.

Like skateboards, the biking industry also had its breakthroughs by introducing electronic bikes to the public. Also, cyclists evolved from using these two-wheeled vehicles for transportation to competition mode.

Differences Between Bicycles and Skateboards

Now that we learned a bit about how skateboards and bicycles work and their structures, it’s time to compare them head-to-head.

1. Skills

What skills are necessary to ride a skateboard and a bike? Are these skills the same? Maybe, but they differ in application.

One of the essential skills of skateboarding is balancing. Riders don’t have much space to step on when driving a skateboard. Hence, they must keep themselves grounded against the board.

Similarly, bicycles require bikers to balance. Remember when your family used to install balancer wheels on both sides of your bicycle’s rear wheels? You knew those rollers needed to be removed some time. At that point, you have learned how to balance.

2. Safety

skateboarding-vs-biking

Is skateboarding more dangerous than biking? Whether bicycles or skateboards, no one wants to get injured using them. But while both pieces of equipment entail bruises along the learning process, we should accept that they differ in safety.

Bicycles have pre-installed brakes, often reachable by hand. So, in cases of emergency or simply coming to a complete stop, bikers can brake more conveniently.

Braking on a skateboard is also possible, however challenging. Why? Because skaters often have to stop by stepping their feet or sliding the skateboard’s tail against the ground. And that’s one thing making skateboarding dangerous, especially for the young ones.

Besides braking, skateboards and bicycles also have safety differences because of their wheels. How?

It’s not always smooth roads every day. There are times when you have to pass through road obstacles and potholes, and bike wheels are best for doing that. Contrarily, riding skateboards in these places may call for you to use more appropriate rollers designed to conquer road cracks.

3. Exercise

Like a mountain bike VS cruiser for exercise, physical activities like biking and skateboarding are also forms of exercise. They help riders lose weight, develop toned muscles, or improve their mental state. But between bikes and boards, which is a better form of exercise?

Is it skateboarding for exercise? Absolutely!

Skateboards gain the upper hand in this area. Why? What makes skateboarding a workout? Unless it’s an e-skateboard, your legs would push hard, land from jumps, and work on braking. At the end of a long skate ride, you’re more likely to get sore thighs, like many fitness enthusiasts.

skateboarding-dangerous

However, with a bicycle, you’re more often getting smooth rides. But such a thing doesn’t apply if you are in a BMX competition or some race uphill. With bike wheels, you can glide on the roads, even without having to pedal all the time.

4. Maneuverability

Longboard VS bike, which has better control?

Handlebars are the most significant advantage of a bicycle in this aspect. During a skateboard drive, skaters often lean their bodies and move their feet to shift the board’s direction.

But when steering, bicycle riders only use their hands to turn left and right through the handlebars.

One risk we can see from skateboards is the rider losing control of their speed or bumping into obstacles. On the other hand, bicycles allow more controllability for the driver.

5. Difficulty

We are now down to deciding which is faster to learn.

Several things make bicycles easier to learn than skateboards. One, most parents teach children at young ages to bike more than to skateboard. Second and as mentioned, you won’t always have to move or pedal when riding a bike. Generally, it’s often smooth sailing with a bicycle.

But what even makes a skateboard challenging?

Simple! Think of pushing, turning, braking, grinding, sliding, and more skills to master. And these moves don’t happen overnight. Plus, balancing remains a constant issue until you are able to imitate how pros ride skateboarding equipment.

6. Terrain

bike-vs-skateboard

Suppose you’re riding on a bumpy road. Which can go faster and safer? Bicycles.

Besides having a broader contact patch than skateboards, bike wheels are more flexible. They work on almost any road condition, wet, dry, or somewhere in the middle.

On the contrary, experience and wheels suited for the skating surface are necessary to get through uneven areas. Skateboards don’t deal with moisture well either.

7. Fun level

longboard-vs-bike

We can’t deny that both sports are fun. But which of them do Reddit people prefer more in this aspect?

Bicycles have long become a mode of transportation for many. But skateboards? Perhaps some people skate to commute. However, we more often see skaters in the parks.

Overall, we can say skateboards are more fun because of their versatility and added thrill and challenge to perform tricks and stunts.

8. Convenience

bicycle-skateboard

Which is easier to bring? It’s the skateboard. In fact, you can carry a skateboard on a bike.

But while skateboards are handy, you don’t always have to carry the entire weight of a bicycle to bring it. Meanwhile, parking your bike in public could be challenging unless it has a dedicated secured parking slot.

As for skateboards, you can carry them almost anywhere allowed. However, if you have bags and other items to transport, bikes will be more convenient.

Speed

Skateboarding VS biking, which is faster?

Unfortunately, bikes and skateboards do not run at the same pace. And often, it’s the bicycle that wins the race. However, external factors can still affect this claim.

For the record, skateboards have an average speed of around 5-12 miles per hour. On the other hand, bikes have a slight advantage with 10-14 miles per hour.

Note that the figures might change in the case of professionals working with upgraded equipment. But in such cases, bicycles are still more likely to win.

Pros and Cons

skateboarding-more-dangerous-than-biking

Of course, like any vehicle, these pieces of equipment also have drawbacks. See the highlights of the comparisons here.

Skateboards

Pros
  • More mobile and convenient to bring
  • Effective exercise (skateboarding calories may average 200 or more per hour)
  • More tricks
Cons
  • Slightly less safe than bikes
  • Slower than bicycles

Bicycles

Pros
  • Optimum maneuverability
  • Faster to learn
  • More speed than skateboards
Cons
  • Slightly challenging to carry and park

Cost

Sometimes, regardless of the features and subsequent benefits upon use, the price tags dictate whether we buy something. So, let’s see how the bike and skateboard cost.

Skateboards

skateboarding-for-exercise

  1. Element Cheetah Section Skateboard – $31.00
  2. Tony Hawk 31-Inch Skateboard – $49.99
  3. Santa Cruz Complete Skateboard – $98.96

Bicycles

pros-ride-skateboarding

  1. JEFFERYS JP8572 Amadeus 20-Inch Folding Bicycle – $176.00
  2. IDS Home unYOUsual U Transformer 20″ Folding City Bike – $219.00
  3. A11N SPORTS BELSIZE 20-Inch Belt-Drive Kid’s Bike – $399.99

As you noticed, bicycles are significantly more expensive than skateboards. But that is because of their parts, design, and innovation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is skateboarding better than biking?

Overall, it’s a matter of preference. Skateboards and bicycles excel in their own right.

For example, people who pick the one faster to learn will choose bicycles. But those who want to add thrill and challenge to their activities will most likely take skateboards.

Can a skateboard go as fast as a bike?

No. Skateboards and bicycles might meet halfway in speed, given specific setups.

But often and as mentioned, bicycles accelerate and move faster than skateboards. Don’t worry. The average speed km/h for skateboards is 19, while bikes can reach 22 km/h if not more.

Note that the differences between both pieces of equipment vary on external factors like the terrain condition, rider level, and more.

Is cycling harder than skating?

Despite being heavier equipment versus skateboards, bicycles are faster to master. Why? Here are a few reasons.

  1. Skateboarding often deals with tricks and other technical skating essentials.
  2. Most parents teach biking to their children more than skateboarding.
  3. By nature, bicycles are smooth mobile equipment.

Conclusion

Anything is possible under the sun. And just because some people don’t like the way you enjoy things does not mean you’re doing them wrong.

When it comes to a skateboard VS bike, picking one over the other does not cast you out or put you behind. Both pieces of equipment have their purposes. If you want to have some thrill on the streets, go for a skateboard. Contrarily, if you want to go fast, commute, or move around smoothly, bikes are for you.

If you should remember one thing, that’s to enjoy yourself with whatever vehicle you use.

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