Hill climbing - 20 inch wheels better?

I have read that a bike with 20 inch wheels will be lower geared and therefore better at climbing hills than an equivalent powered 26 inch wheeled bike.

 

I don't have that many hills where I live, but I'm still deliberating about buying a folding, 20 inch wheeled bike, so that it would be easier to take on holidays. Otherwise we would need a cycle carrier that would take 4 cycles.

You'd be lucky to get anything more than two electric bikes on a carrier.

 

There's a few variables that decide on climbing power. If you put a 26" wheel motor in a 20" wheel, it'll climb better, but go slower, but I'd have thought that manufacturers would put a higher speed motor in the 20" wheel, which cancels out the difference.

We have two children's bikes, one mountain/step over bike and I'm intending to buy a step-through electric bike for myself.

We have two children's bikes, one mountain/step over bike and I'm intending to buy a step-through electric bike for myself.

perhaps there's another reason why a smaller (lighter) bike might suit you - I have a fiat panda and a thule easybase - the towbar can take 60kg max, the easybase weighs 15kg, theres just enough capacity lefgt for a few heavy bikes and a heavy lock without risking insurance issues

if you have to take 4 bikes on holiday, get two 20" e-folders and two normal cycles. The two e-folders can easily go inside the car. E-folders tend to have the 8-Fun SWX motor, not very strong but the smaller wheels compensate for that, they climb 10% hills OK, maximum speed around 15mph. For a bit more oomph, the Zephyr-CDN has slightly more powerful crank drive. If you have a big 5 doors then go for the Zephyr-B, they climb anything. Two of them will fit inside a Range Rover (you may need to rotate their handlebars).

Edited February 7, 201511 yr by trex

Sadly, my budget won't stretch to two ebikes. No Range Rover either. I have a Peugeot 308 SW. I could stretch to a used non-electric folder and either a folding or non-folding ebike, so then I would only need a cycle carrier for a max of three cycles.

Have you thought about a roof carrier for the lighter ones?

Cycle carriers are definitely something I need to look into!

Smaller wheels accelerate faster and more easily - it's one of the reasons why ordinary Bromptons work so well in stop/start traffic.

 

I reckon that ease of acceleration translates into better hill climbing.

 

No doubt my AVE MH7 20" Bosch bike climbs well.

 

Better than my Rose Bosch 29er, although the comparison is slightly skewed because the Rose has a hub gear, which in turn means it has the max 200 per cent assist motor.

 

Derailleur geared Bosch bikes have max 250 per cent assist.

I go up and down hills all day long on my 20" Volt Metro with a electric guitar on my back and two heavy locks and it copes even the steepest hills and will cruise up medium hills quite happily just by using the throttle. Like most folders it can fit into a standard car.