Does a Bicycle Require Less Torque to Maintain Speed Than to Start Moving?

[fisico30]

Hello Forum,

let say we are on a bicycle at rest and in the lowest gear. We start pedaling and the bike moves. The applied torque on the rear wheel is equal the ground frictional torque and the bike moves forward by action reaction...

Once we reach a certain speed on the bike, is the torque that we need to continue to apply the same as the torque we needed to apply to set the bicycle into motion or less?
It feels like it would be less but I am not sure why?

We surely need to keep on pedaling, otherwise the friction in the bearings, ground/tires would bring us to a stop.

thanks
fisico30

 

[JHamm]

When you start you are overcoming friction as well as air resistance AND providing an additional acceleration, once in motion only the first two are required so less force is needed.