I own a beach cruiser and use it often in commuting to work and shopping. I like that its comfortable to ride for long periods of time. Yes there are tumes when it sucks to pedal, and on particularly steep hills i do occasionally need to step off and walk but thats a pretty rare occurrence for me. I like the simplicity of the bike and the fact that it just feels more natural to ride. Most of the cycling i do is in areas that arent very busy, often the bike lanes are very wide and theres a decent amount of mixed use pathways. On the rare occasion i come across a busy intersection i just hop onto the sidewalk real quick to use the crosswalk which seems to be what most other cyclists here do anyways
I love my old 90s mountain bike. City-fied it with a rear rack for panniers, fenders, bell, slick tires. It's ugly but has gear ratios to carry groceries uphill home. After having a bike stolen, I feel uglier the better. Though beach cruisers would be nice for flat ice cream rides.
What's the problem with these bikes ? I have no experience with them, but they look a bit like the 'oma/opa fiets' roadster style bikes you see all over the Netherlands.These have also a bit more laid back seat position. And 'oma/opa' bikes are great ! Especially for daily, maintenance free, 'suit' use in cities. Easy going speed of 15-20kmh (10-13 mph), rugged as they don't have brake/gear cables to break (in the bike racks). with a sturdy coaster brake and single speed or internal gear hub, they are ideal for daily use. Almost all people in NL have used/abused them as student or adult. It won't get stolen easily and as junk/pub bike you can come home clubbing early in the morning, without your bike gotten stolen. They have been used 10-15km to go to highschool. At the famous 240 km long Frisian 11city bike tour I have seen them, with 3 gears and even a single speed ! How does cycling beach cruisers compare to an 'oma/opa fiets'? I am not sure about the high steer of this beach cruiser. If it isn't stiff/rigid enough, it might steer a bit wobbly. I would prefer a lower steer. But then again my brother biked a roadster with high steer, with cowboy boots, to his highschool 10km down the road.. I think it might depend on the quality they are made with, and since they were considered 'toys' , they may have not very good components...
Beach cruisers can be a very decent choice for commuting under certain circumstances. Where I live, it's semi-legal (and sometimes fully legal) to cycle on paths intended for pedestrian use (not calling them "sidewalks" because most are wide enough to be proper shared paths). In these conditions, when you don't need to go faster then 20 km/h or so and may encounter bumpy terrain (such as paving tiles or packed snow in winter), the comfort of a cruiser-style bike can be a blessing that outweighs the inefficiencies which become unimportant in these conditions. I switched to a "city cruiser" several months ago and I absolutely swear by the balloon tires. Wouldn't want to use anything else if the frame allows it. And 95% of my cycling is commutes. I don't do it recreationally at all.
I loved Hawaii when I went but definitely the saddest part was the prolificacy of cars and the lack of cycling. It is beautiful most of the time, why would you want to be in a metal box? Made me sad. Hawaii should be this carless oasis. I mean everything is within 20 miles. Good public transit with bike and pedestrian infrastructure is all it should need.
I came here to say this too. The only difference I see with the beach cruiser and a Dutch bike is that the seat is behind the pedals on a beach cruiser. He’s comparing it North American commuter bikes.
These seem to be closer to actual Dutch bikes than your own city (touring) bike., especially in regards to the riding position. If you lean on the handlebars it's not a Dutch bike :P
THANK YOU! Literally was thinking the same thing. My beach cruiser has coaster brakes, no gears and you sit upright riding it. Which is very similar to the Dutch bikes.
This is one I'll agree to disagree on. Cruiser bikes are some of the few types in NA to have a step-through frame, making mounting and dismounting easier. Single-speeds and coaster brakes mean the bikes are typically cheaper and involve less maintenance. Wider tires help in cities with poorly paved trails and roads. The handlebar shape is typically more relaxed than flat or aero bars. At the end of the day, it's different strokes for different folks. If someone is more comfortable on a cruiser, they'll use their bike more.
You just described everything I like about city bikes, but I agree they are still annoyingly rare in North American cities. Whatever gets people on a bike is fine by me.
i bought a cheap pos beach cruiser for my suburban commuter build pretty much just for the frame because it's so damn hard to find a step through frame here. hopefully it'll last long enough until i can either afford a good frame or build my own lol
The cruiser doesn't look too different from an Omafiets/Step-through bike besides the tires and the higher seat. I definitely prefer the sweep back handles of my Omafiets.
Sane here! I have a back issue where I can't ride leaning forward, and I can't lift my leg high enough to clear a crossbar. I wanted an "omafiets" but couldn't find one. The beach cruiser was the closest thing I could find 🤷♀️
@@themurdernerd Sorry to hear that. I am glad you found something. Where are you located? I know there are two places in Canada that import used Dutch bikes. I also know of few places that sell new step-through bikes and cargo bikes and ship them across Canada or the US.
Those big tires may not deliver your racing bike in sheep's clothing minimum resistance, but they do give a lot more confidence dealing with broken terrain including pavement making them very practical for city riding. Not to mention insulate from a lot of bumps in the road which can create fatigue with the bicycle as practical city transportation.
There is a perfect commute scenario for the beach cruiser: the small town commute. The distances you could definitely walk, but having the bike makes carrying your things easier, or gets you a breeze (literally using your bike as a fan replacement), or maybe you have one of those really long, skinny small towns built along one road. For suburbs, the traffic in North America is too fast, and for urban-core, responsiveness is a bit low. But, in my rural hometown, one of these would be perfect.
I agree. I live in a very small town and my hybrid beach cruiser is PERFECT. there's not many hills and I'm more for comfort than speed so it's perfect. I love that you sit more upright too so it's good for my back. I don't drive so my bike is my main transportation.
@@austinhernandez2716 yes but aside from the main roads through town, the traffic is pretty low. And even on the main roads there's sidewalks so you can bike on those
I added cruiser style handlebars to my hybrid bike and riding is so much fun. Just a chill vibe to my rides. I am slow as heck, but I was never a fast rider and hills are a challenge.
Yeah, the laid back vibe is exactly why I love my beach cruiser. I live in a small Missouri town, no beaches anywhere to be found, but it's also small enough I can bike from one side of the town to the other in 20 minutes or less. There's nothing here worth getting in a hurry over. I did decide to upgrade it with a 3 speed internal hub gear, though. The hills here aren't tall, but they're long. My trip from my apartment to the gas station is entirely uphill, so the 3 speed was a massive improvement for those wide rolling hills.
@@greg1268 It went well, it was a great drop in upgrade. I've since upgraded to a new bike with a 7 speed but that's mostly because I tend to carry a lot more weight now.
The experience is definitely what you make of it. I bought an overhauled cruiser from the bike shop down the street from me and I love it. A more expensive bike would probably give a smoother experience but compared to walking, it's great. I live a mile from downtown, a mile from my furthest class and 1.5 miles from the nearest grocery store, and it gets me to all of those much faster than walking and only a little slower than driving (when you factor in parking and traffic). The step-thru frame and the upright position help me integrate into pedestrian spaces fairly easily. I can go from riding to walking for a quick second and back to riding seamlessly, and I cruise down to a comfortable 4 mph if I get caught in a crowded pedestrian area. The upright position and frame also lets me ride with large instruments on my back (I'm a music student). Even though it's had a lot of new parts and tune-up, it still looks like an inexpensive, aesthetics-only Ebay bike to would-be bike thieves, so it's low theft risk (peace of mind), especially when there's more expensive brands parked nearby. It's also just pretty looking and I enjoy that : ) It's not the fastest bike, but it's at least twice as fast as walking for a fraction of the effort, and I can always just leave earlier. Hills around town are a bit of a workout but my body is adapting and I'm getting those lower body gains. There's no suspension so some of the older roads around town are a bit scary and I can't compete much with intense traffic so I avoid it (probably for the better). I might do one of those electric front wheel conversions just so I can have a boost when I need it or when I don't want to risk breaking a sweat in nice clothes.
There were a few months back in my messenger days where due to mechanical issues with my usual bike and a budget too tight to repair or replace it quickly, I rode a heavy steel single speed cruiser with a basket as my work bike. Climbing the local hills with it was a great way to impress other riders.
I'm seventy five. My wife and I LOVE our cruisers. We ride for exercise on beautiful wooded trails in Canada. What we love most is the way it makes us feel. Like kids free adventures on our first bike, Freedom, comfort and just having fun! And for us that is why we ride at all. But everybody wants something different and viva le Differeance!!
I ride my $140 walmart beach cruiser around st. John's newfoundland, hills and all. There's some work involved on those hills but if i choose the best route i can mitigate that. Also changed the tires for narrower more road worthy ones. But hands downy fave bike, and i have 3 lol, including an ebike.
I’m from Puerto Rico. No bikelanes, no good public transport. I commute to work on a Schwinn Discover (got the milk crate 🙂) and I got a New Belgium beach cruiser as a spare. I use the BC to go to the pool or gym (2.5km) and then come back home to switch to the hybrid Schwinn. Climate here is the same as in Hawaii. I concur with all your observations. 😎👍🏼🇵🇷
Another thing to consider. The Ebike beach cruiser. I just tested one out for my work commute. It's about a 14mile commute and was so easy, relaxed, and fun. With that you are getting the fun and great look of the beach cruiser, but also getting the power. I'm going to be getting one and I'm looking at the version from the Electric Bike Company and either the Model S or Model Y (probably the Model S because the battery is removable).
I have an EBC Model E, and if your commute is mostly small-town side roads or has good separated bike lanes, I strongly recommend it. It’s a bit heavy for speed on the few times I have to go on main roads, but other than that, the relaxed ride and electric boost makes my commute really pleasant.
as long as it has wheels and moves, I can make anything get me around town. While my car's been in the shop, I've been riding my tiny penny board 8 miles from my university to back home. When I picked up my beach cruiser that I left at the bike shop for repair on my 8 mile journey, riding on that cruiser felt like heaven. I haven't ridden any other kind of bikes, but the beach cruiser is so pleasant to ride every time. I feel so free and the ride is always scenic. It's a huffy cruiser, but I mean, it gets me around. It's got wheels, I'm blessed. However, I did test ride a bike for long distance travel that the bike shop guy recommended, and holy moly, the acceleration was unbelievable. It felt so effortless, like driving a sports car or something. I'm tempted to buy it, but for now, I'm humble with the beach cruiser. I put a little mirror on it and a cellphone holder and my mini boom box, I'm cruisin'!
I was one of the people who was confused about the difference between a Dutch style bike and a beach cruiser so watching this video was very informative. I bought one recently actually at Walmart and it is really comfy and the hills aren’t too bad to me. I think it’s still a good fit because the type of places where I need the extra mobility (mixed with traffic, bad infra) I’ve been taught to avoid anyway because of the danger, which leads to me riding mostly on side paths that feel safe and practical anyways. Also I’d like to say I’ve found this channel great for any North American looking to cycle/already cycling. Keep up the good work!
I love any bike that’s single speed and has only a coaster brake. It’s so clean and beautiful to look at. I will admit that my e-bike is pretty close to as complicated as it gets with full suspension, a nuvinci gear system, a gates belt and a Bosch motor. But I’ll always want a second bike that brings it all back to basics like this. I don’t think you can be a bike fan and not own one like that. I do agree about it not being ideal as an urban bike, but some people ride mountain bikes or road bikes as urban commuters. And while I wouldn’t do that myself, and it frustrates me to see rusty old supermarket mountain bikes being ridden around; those people would say they those bikes do the job for them. And at the end of the day, that’s what it’s about. And I’d definitely rather see people on beach cruisers than MTBs. That’s for sure. They’d at least be gradually moving in the right direction towards a Batavus or Gazelle type bike that I would ride.
What is the problem with MTB? Most commuter bikes are just MTB with suspension seatposts and adjustable stems. Mtb doesnt need to mean dual suspension with 2.3 wide tires. My 13" frame mtb hard tail is good for everything. I ride 1.9 wide 26" tires. Small frame has a super low step over height. High bottom bracket for rolling curbs. Bars can be swapped to any style. I dont get it. I can lower my seat and put on a long stem and riser bars, raise it up and use road bars, etc.
I have to agree, i have a priority continuum onyx which is almost entirely decked out as much as you can, same nuvinci CVT, gates carbon belt drive, an MTX rear rack, triangle bag, cruiser bars, and about a dozen trinkets and accessories. I have an awesome purple Schwinn beach cruiser, with almost nothing in comparison. It has a single speed and coaster brakes, fenders, and a front basket. Really is a great bike for short trips in my city and i use it all the time for trips to the convenience store or getting takeout.
You should try a beach cruiser with multi-speeds, a front wicker basket filled with snacks or a pet, and a handlebar mounted drink holder (pina colada) on one side, silly looking bell on the other, while wearing a straw fedora and Wayfarer sunglasses. That's living!
"There's enough snobbery and elitism in the bicycle world" - this is exactly what it is like in the UK too. Its all about sport and performance and having the expensive gear. It is a total turn off to people who just want a bike to get around at their own pace in their own time. I'm hoping a movement will spring up that is focused around everyday commuting that is not centered around sport and showing off how fit you are.
Great vid, Tom. I use 2 Huffy Cranbrook Cruisers as my primary form of transport. I only go 2-3 miles a day. They are perfect for my short-term flat-land commutes. However, your city bikes (including the Priority and Dutch style) definitely serve a purpose for longer term or urban dense commutes. They really serve 2 different purposes. Honestly, I think having BOTH types in my bike wheelhouse (no pun) is on my bucket list.
I bought my wife a 3-speed beach cruiser with fenders a few years ago. It has since been stolen, but it was a fantastic bike. Very comfortable and had a lightweight aluminum frame, so it was pretty easy to pedal. Last summer, I spent a few days on Coronado Island, and the hotel had complimentary beach cruisers to check out. I probably put 10-20 miles daily on bike paths and through traffic, continuously circling the island and bar hopping. The second day I even took the ferry across Downtown San Diego and road around a bit. In the city, I would have preferred my trusty gravel bike/commuter, but the beach cruiser did just fine. If people are commuting less than 3 or 4 miles each way and it's relatively flat, then I don't see any issue with using a beach cruiser as a commuter. With regards to tires, wider tires are not nessisarily harder to push. I have 700x48 Rene Herse tires on my gravel/commuter and they are pretty quick and comfy on bad roads. Every beach cruiser I've ever riden always rolls surprisingly well. I think it has more to do with geometry and gearing than the tires.
I bought an Electra Townie Go (ebike) for my partner and she thinks it is great. Granted, the 5-speed hub and Bosch motor make life easier, but it makes it vastly more usable. I agree that you can't ride it all that agressively, but it serves just fine as a recreational ride or grocery getter.
Yea, I have their Ace of Spades 5i. The more powerful motor and cool looks has been a blast to own. I keep up with my much younger friends and a lot less stiff at the end of a long ride.
I ride a Townie 7D, non electric 7 speed, and find I like it much better than my Trek Verve. The Townie is stable enough to be comfortable in the bike lanes of my midwestern city, has a very upright riding position which is more comfortable than the Verve's slightly forward lean. If the speeds I see on my bike computer are anything to go by, it is not that much slower than the Trek.
Honestly there's imo really something about the simplicity of a singlespeed bike. My favourite bikes I've ever owned/own are singlespeeds. You're never worried about being in the right gear to get somewhere as quickly as possible, because you're just never in the right gear! I'll always have at least one singlespeed because every now and then I need a break from practical bikes and ride something I can just ride totally relaxed without a care in the world.
I have an older Murray Beach Cruiser. I enjoy riding it around the community as an errand bike. It is heavy, slow and inefficient but very comforable. Also very reliable.
I have a step-through Townie Electra with 8 gears, and built-in headlight and taillights and racks for easy-peasy on/off metal baskets. It looks like a beach cruiser but it's a workhorse. In a flat city like Chicago it's my go-to. I use my touring bike or e-bike on long rides and/or hilly rides, especially on the way to work so I won't be all sweaty. FWIW - I'm 63 and I bike mostly for transportation. Love the channel. Thanks Shifter!
The Omafiets is kind of a cruiser in terms of the coaster brake and single speed (most commonly) only separates itself from it by a decent saddle height to regain some efficiency and a more easy on the knees pedalstroke. That, and 'jasbeschermers', a fully enclosed chain and lights make it far more practical. You could ride it recreationally just as well tho, and it also looks about just as cool. In that sense I get your point that in this comparison the Omafiets just does everything a cruiser does, and more, and some things it does more are rather important for actual daily commuting.
Thanks so much Philip. I appreciate your continued support. And your comment about Oahu having better bike lanes is totally true. I'm working on a video about that for release soon.
I got my first beach cruiser recently. Funny enough it was after a visit to see some family on kauai. I liked the rusty patina look of the bikes there. It reminded me of “clunker” repack race bikes. So when I got home to socal looked around for a bit didn’t take long as a ridiculous amount of cruiser bikes get scrapped here. Found a matte green one with the most perfect patina a neighbor was looking to give away. I cleaned it up clear coated it unseized all the rusty bits and tricked it out with a 3 speed hub, a generator light set, and some mountain bike tires. After riding it for a while I came to that same sort of realization you spoke about with just wanting to take your time and well cruise along. Always looked at cycling more as transport and less as fun although I do enjoy it this experience of the cruiser bike opened my eyes to enjoy it more.
I don't get the hate. I used to have one with an internal 3 speed gearhub and it was fine, even on moderate hills. With an IGH it's almost literally an omafiets.
@@cmmartti I had a Priority Coast. I don't want to argue semantics, I will agree that the geometries might be different but I think many exaggerate those differences.
yeah id imagine having a beach cruiser to do your hotline in nyc would be a challenge to say the least but I gotta say going from a fixie to my 2006 diamondback drifter chopper with a 20x4 rear tire here in Vegas, I've been more than satisfied, rear wheel eats up a lot of the unkept roads where im at and brooks saddle is cherry on top not to mention throwing a front basket on it made it a very fun booze cruiser. overall id say go for a beach cruiser if you don't wanna take your riding super seriously because youre gonna get where you're going eventually anyways and in style may I add, gotten a lot of compliments on mine :) coaster brake is even better for that clean look too.
Looking at this bike, it reminds me a lot of the bikes I see around here in the Netherlands. For a while, I had a Gazelle citybike (I think it was a 'Heavy Duty'?), the geo of which looks very comparible to the beach cruiser shown in this video. In my opinion, a comfortable citybike is the best kind of citybike.
This was a fun video. About 10 years ago I started commuting to the city a few days a week on the bus and wanted a simple cheap and easy to maintain bicycle so I didn't have to walk to and from the bus stop. I got a beautiful kulana Riviera men's cruiser for only $10 at a thrift store and rode that thing about 100 mile per month for three years! It was a lot of fun. I do have to admit that as my need to ride further and more often I modified the bike with a 7 speed rim brakes and flat bars to make it more efficient. I still have the bike and hope to someday turn it into a lowrider bike to Cruise my neighborhood.
Greetings from Belize! Beach cruisers are the most affordable bikes we have here. They are very popular and people use them as method of transport. One thing i dont like doesnt have mud guard.
I got a cheap walmart beach cruiser as my first singlespeed coaster bike and I loved it so much, I converted my 15 speed mountain bike to singlespeed. It makes it so much simpler to maintain now. I'm even in the process of turning a Huffy Cranbrook into a klunker bike (AKA a proto-mountain bike made from a cruiser/ newsboy bike frame, BMX bars, different seat, offroad tires and sometimes a lower sprocket ratio. First created in the 60s and 70s from junked bikes). So I really like cruiser bikes, since they're super simple and you'll never wreck a derailluer when going down a muddy trail. Just be prepared to not brake too hard or you will end up skidding your tires to the point of having flat spots, and feeling like you're riding in an old pickup truck with bias-ply tires on a cold morning. Which I guess helps with the whole 'vintage bike' vibe of everything creaking and hopping.
Growing up in Virginia Beach in the '70s and '80s, all the cool kids had beach cruisers. It had to be a Huffy and it had to be black with white wall tires or you were a nobody. I didn't have one but my sister had a pink and white one. In my junior year, I was overweight and really unhappy about it. One day after school I got on her pink bike and started riding. I rode 14.5 miles. I got absolutely addicted to riding that bike and would not miss a day no matter how bad the weather. I would go no matter what. This video brings back great memories. Now I have a whole lot of bikes and I'm still addicted to riding.
My sixthreezero everyjourney that I used all through winter here in Montréal is laughing at those "limitations" . Slapped on some winter tyres and the bike just goes, and it goes quite comfortably. 7 gears, fenders, carrying rack. My preferred city commuter.
Love beach cruisers! I've done several RAGBRAI's with a seven speed cruiser. Rear rack and panniers. Recently narrowed up the tires. Glad you liked it! Keep the great videos coming!
My Cruiser is older than I. 1957 Schwinn Tiger. With many modifications. An old MTB fork with plenty of rake it totally transformed the ride as the original fork is quite floppy. The extra cantilever brake up front is a life saver. Of course aluminum 26 × 2.125 wheels with a Bendix Red Band 2 speed kick back coaster brake ( you do get used to it) . Full fenders and wide swept back handle bars with handle bar tape going from the stem to the grips on the end . Yes , I commuted with it...a five mile trip downtown Madison using as many dirt trails as I could find along the way...so smooth. It is a blast to ride and still have it😊. Stolen a few times and like a good horse 🐴 she always came back home. Once time she came back to the shop I woked at for tire service...the help at the front end of the shop convinced the person to leave the bike and go on his way quietly...
First time EVER where I actually liked the background music in a TH-cam video!! Hawaii-type appropriate, oh and thank you for dialling down the volume during the narration. 👍
You should try a beach cruiser ebike. These are great for that enviroment as you only need power on a couple hills and roads. And all the other time is relaxed commuting without the sweat
Cruisers/townies are the bike equivalent of a nice walk. I LOVE how they feel on a ride, all my other bikes are conducive to getting my heart rate to 180bpm.. this slows you down to enjoy the air, scenery and vibe ❤️
I ride a 1951 BF Goodrich made by Schwinn (with an internal three speed hub and 26x2.35 Fat Frank tires that have very low drag) I ride it everyday where I live in the Appalachian mountains and I out pace guys on ten speeds, so its not really about the type of bike but the set up because some tires have more drag and every cruiser is going to have a different feel and handling. I would recommend trying an older cruiser out they feel way different than the modern bikes and I prefer the feel of the classic cruisers.
I would have liked to see you test the bike with a surf board. The cruiser is clearly perfect for it's environment. Along a beach with people in vacation mode it is preferable for bike riders to be on a bike that is designed to ride slowly and with a chill mindset.
What kind of bike was at 2:04? Looks amazing! I had a 24 inch 7 speed bike with back basket that was such a joy! Its was so small and manuverable, perfect for crowded streets and sidewalks. A non folding 20 inch with back basket would be perfect for grocery shopping, and wold fit anywhere!
3:51 That doesn’t look particularly “upright” to me. That’s a pretty sporty hybrid. Swap in some drop handlebars and you’ve got yourself what’s pretty much a road bike.
Just want to say, Kudos to you for exploring and discovering how you actually respond now to something you've been reactive to in the past! We all have 'em, those "irrational reaction" areas. Good for you! And thanks for the information about beach cruisers and "city bikes"!
Good review. For riding on the sand, the beach crusier is so fun! certain beaches allow biked on the sand. I travel to Hilton Head Island in SC, and the beach riding there is so fun. A big tired, single speed with coaster brake is the bike for that, without a doubt. These bikes have their place, as you concluded in the video, pure recreation.
That portion of you biking along the Ala Wai canal was part of my bike commute when I lived in Waikiki. I commuted from Waikiki to the U of H Manoa. I didn't feel safe doing that bike commute. I usually don't bike with a helmet, but I started wearing one there.
I have a beach cruise type bike, but it's more dutch style where I sit upright and I commute with it! it's a little heavy, but I can get where I need to go and it's a cool color! Plus its got 7 speeds so I have no trouble with hilly areas
One new thought I have watching this is how beach cruisers are compatible with pedestrians. People that are walking sometimes complain about bikes zooming by(even more so as more bikes are electrified). The elderly and kids can be startled by fast bikes. Much of the bike infrastructure in the US, where it exists, is multi use trails. While the road biker tend not to use these as biking for transportation increases, more people are riding faster on the multi use trails. More problems of having walkers and bikers on in the same place are bound to increase. I don't think that beach cruisers are a practical or likely solution to this but is it interesting to see a bike design that specifically works for a mix of pedestrians and riders.
I bought a 3-speed Electra Sparker couple of months ago, and had zero regrets so far - it works great for my daily commute in downtown Calgary. The only thing I still need is a pair of pannier bags, so I could get rid of my backpack.
Loved your video. Thank-you. Hope you're having (had) a really nice vacation. I would point out that the BC's semi-recumbent position may not be what you're used to, but it should give you mechanical advantage over your more race bike geometry city cruiser. The Beach Cruiser has very similar geometry to my Day 6 Samson which has 12 speed shifters and mechanical (soon to be hydraulic) disc brakes. I'm much happier on my Day 6 in traffic.
Actually nice to see you one a beach cruiser. I have a number of them and here in Florida, they have their place! Thank you Tom! Oh, the Priority Continuum Onyx is actually sitting on my porch via FedEx. Time to bring it in and see what it's all about. A friend offered me his e bike today, so I'll swing up and grab that for a month or so and see what that's like. All this interest is due to the interest you sparked in me, particularly on the SE Bikes Tripel. Love that thing!
Low maintenance, low intimidation factor, low snob factor, and usually low cost. What is there to hate? Back before bicycling became a sub culture of serious enthusiasts, funding the escalating ladder of (not always useful) technology, the "beach cruiser" was simply a bicycle. Frankly the only serious difference between a cruiser that's practical or not is probably seat height.
I'm a bit surprised to see you describe the city bike as "Dutch style" as from all the pictures and videos I've seen, the swept back handlebars look much more like the Dutch Omafiets (including the ones you show in this video). I think it even looks like you lean forward in the "city bike" and sit upright in the cruiser in this video. Isn't easier to be aware of your surroundings in the cruiser? It sure looks like it, but maybe I'm wrong. I've been strongly considering a 3-speed cruiser style bike (just moved from deep in the suburbs to a more urban environment and want to start biking for quick errands) as it seems to be the closest thing to a Dutch style bike readily available in the US. I'm with you on the fenders, etc. but I'm noticing plenty of cruisers have many of these features as well.
There's a lot of overlap and nuance in these bikes, but the main difference between a beach cruiser and what I'm calling a "city" or "Dutch" bike is efficiency. City bikes have a bit more of an upright riding position, have skinnier tires and generally take a bit less work to propel forward. Cruisers are definitely easier to find in North America, and I think you can find a blending of these features in a lot of bikes.
@@Shifter_Cycling I see what you're saying on the tires, but I still think the cruiser is more of an upright position like I see on NotJustBikes' videos vs what you show as a "city" bike here is leaned forward for a more athletic riding position (though not leaned all the way forward like a road bike). In fact if I remember correctly NotJustBikes made a point that Dutch bikes eschew efficiency for the sake of comfort. I will grant that the Netherlands is exceedingly flat, so perhaps these fit best in flatter cities. I imagine having more gears matters a lot more in Pittsburgh or San Francisco than in Amsterdam.
@@NateGifford I'm in the UK and for me one of the big differences is the handlebars. Yep both are swept back to the user, but on a roadster the actual grips are horizontal or pointed downwards slightly. In this video (and in pictures) most cruisers seem to be above the horizontal and in this video you can see a large rise in height too (not quite ape-hangers but getting that way). I would imagine that affects how the bike handles and feels. Maybe fitting different tyres and a North Road handlebar (I have no idea if that works from a stack and reach pov) on a geared cruiser could get you close to the classic roadster feel. BTW the Detroit Bikes A (or B) Type (google it) looks closer to a roadster style bike than the cruiser in this video to me - just needs some mudguards (fenders in US terms).
I highly recommend the evryjourney bike from sixthreezero! It's a hybrid beach cruiser. They are pricer but are definitely more reliable and better made than Walmart bikes. I have the 7 speed standard one and it's great for commuting.
I have a Northwoods Rockpoint 7-Speed trike, which is based off of a Cruiser Bike. I’ve had it for 3 years & love it. I use it very regularly since I don’t drive & have found very practical. I have also switched out the problematic Grip or twist shifter for a simple, reliable, & more precise Shimano button/ lever operated shifter as well as adding new handlebar grips , rechargeable LED Taillights, & a Zealot Rechargeable LED Headlight / Bluetooth Speaker. Prior to this , I had a Schwinn Clairmont 7-Speed mens cruiser bike which I used a lot & was very practical. Being that I’m a fan of the cruiser bike & the way it rides, I will be purchasing a Kent Seachange Single Speed Mens Cruiser Bike for simplicity and just plain riding in addition to my trike.
I've lived in the suburbs all my life and from ages 10 to 17 I used a beach cruiser for almost everything. Rode it to school until I got my driver's license at 16. Used it for exercise as I got heavier. Grocery and pharmacy runs when it wasn't time for a full shopping trip. Had I not been a dumb kid and taken better care of it, I would still be riding that bike today. Sure, it could've used a couple more gears to make hills easier, but it did everything I asked of it without issue. Plus, the coaster brakes made it super easy to make skid marks, which is always fun.
I love my Manhattan Smoothie cruiser, 7 speed, mechanical brakes, upright seat style, riser handlebars, 26” x 1.95” wheels, step-through frame and the pedals are a full 9” forward from the seat post giving a really relaxed ride. Easy to get over 20 km/hr, can take the hills, and it’s my main commuter for urban rides, running errands, etc. Not a big ticket purchase compared to many models, but a day on it is a very good one indeed. Seems mine is like a cross between a beach cruiser and an upright. Would recommend trying one out.
This is the perfect bike for people who bike to the store, library, etc. I'm 71 and I love this bike. It is so comfortable to ride all day. Like a Dutch or Mamachari bike.
I can't believe my wife and I just left our Honolulu vacation last Friday and here you are posting a video from there. Thank you so much for your work. I got the bug to start riding to the office this past summer, but my hands would go numb on my mountain bike 5 mins into my 2.5 mile ride. So I've slowly converted that mountain bike into a cruiser of sorts. I got a cushy saddle, and a 300mm stem which I admit looks ridiculous. I put some road tires on it and presto! Awkward, weird, 21 gear, road bike/cruiser. But, my weight is off my hands and I'm sitting upright. And my feet are under me rather than in front of me, which I like better for power when I need it. I've watched so many of your videos for inspiration and motivation. Keep up the great work!
Swept back or riser handlebars would help alot. I think many of them look better then straight also. There are many angles and degrees of rise to choose from.
I put a 28" cruiser handlebar, cushy seat, and fenders on my 29" mountain bike. I call it beertruck and it is so fun to run errands on. I need gears where I am so single speed wouldn't work.
Somehow I thought Dutch (upright) bikes and beach cruisers are from the same family… but that’s probably because I spent more time (3 years) in super bike-friendly Japan where “cruisers” are fairly common, and I just thought Dutch bikes are the same (spent just 1 week in Amsterdam), except obviously they’re just a different scale because of the generally different size of the people riding them. I did have what you call a “city bike” while my wife had more like a cruiser when we lived in Japan.
I think there are some advantages to bigger tires- especially suspension for rougher roads. If you read some of the articles on the René Herse blog you can read about how wide tires do not make for slower riding. For a beach cruiser, what makes it slower is more likely the pedaling position, weight, and upright position leading to more air resistance. The tires are likely also heavy, but there are plenty of light wider tires out there. I have 42 mm tires on my commuter (a cross bike), and would happily put bigger ones if they fit. The ride is so much smoother compared to when I had the original 35 mm tires on it.
I agree. I have one bike with skinny 28mm tires which feels really sketchy on many of the rough spots in streets. So my main bike is my old mountain bike with wide tires. I was really shocked at how surprisingly fast it is, once up to speed. And it gets up to speed quickly. Plus I never worry about rough roads anymore.
I did live in Huntington Beach (Surf city) in the 90s. I along with a friend developed a 'beach cruiser' that satisfied all your arguments. It kept the rider position but added what is now called a 1x drive train and reduced the tire size to 26x1.95. The frame geometry was more like a 90s MTB. We researched having it produced in Taiwan but realized the way the market worked, the company would produce our frame 8 hours a day and then produce their version to undersell us in the market place. So the project never got off the ground.
I really enjoy your bike videos. I am a recovering roadie and am now 72 with not so good eyesight. So, the days of suffering on uncomfortable bikes to coax a bit more speed out of my carbon fiber wonder bike are ancient history. Ten or twelve mph seems fine now. Balance also can be an issue. Trikes just seem too low to the ground. The beach cruiser you tested did what it was supposed to do. If only it climbed better and had disc braks. I found my solution. A Serfas eDash step thru cruiser. Easy on and off. A 350 motor gets me the halp I need for the hills in my area and there is a 7 speed cassette. The battery will get you easily 40 to 50 miles if it is flat where you ride less if its hilly assuming you actually use the pedal assist and give yourself a workout so as not to deplete the battery too quickly. Got mine recently at just over $1000. Pretty reasonable considering the cost of eBikes.
I live in northeast Texas I have a Kent Margaritaville beach cruiser every day I have it really low geared for hills and inclines but still have a consistent speed of about 10 to 15 mph maybe even 20 mph depending on the weather
As I didn't like the original riding position, I had to modify my 2003 Trek Woody to become a more friendly city commuter. Five speed internal hub was first to come. Then more sporty slim seat and regular straight handlebar. And a huge mud guard. I've added panniers on the rear rack and proper lights front and back. Spring fork and baloon tires do the job :) I've been riding downtown Honolulu and few other places in Hawaiian Islands many years back and I loved it. Great memories. Greeting from 🇵🇱
I've not tried a beach cruiser, but from what I've learned when looking for bikes: pick one that suit you. Last time I needed a new bike, I found one that I thought looked nice, and tried it, but it just felt wrong to bike on. Picked another bike, and that one felt much better, and ended up being the one I actually bought.
You often see really bad geometry on beach cruiser bikes... they're not all created equal... The classic bikes of the 50's and 60's that they are supposedly modelled on, but not really, didn't suffer from this wierd geometry, so it's probably more often a result of a no name manufacturer slapping something together and getting it out the door as fast as possible....
My bike isn't classified as a cruiser, but it does have swept back bars and a relaxed riding position. I live in the american suburbs but I'm very comfortable on a bike and I plan my routes very carefully to minimize my use of main roads. I have a 3 speed IGH that I would take over a derailleur any day, and I have nice fenders and a rack that came with the bike. Sixthreezero makes some nice bikes!
Your disdain for beach cruisers really surprised me because early on in my bike journey I basically thought they were the American equivalent of dutch bikes. Although they're not my own preference, one of the benefits to the laid back beach cruiser geometry is that you can have full or near-full leg extension while still being able to comfortably plant both feet on the ground at a stop -- no tip-toe-ing required. For a lot of people, that's a big deal.
I got myself a hybrid bike several years back so I could keep up with my kid and that was kind of my gateway into cycling around town for utility. It was a great change and it's been arguably good for my health, but I'm a pretty big guy (with a pretty big gut) and all that compression on my stomach can sometimes make pedaling a chore, and it does weird things to my lower back. Then I came across a beach cruiser for like $10 at a garage sale and I figured I'd pick it up for my wife so we could ride together and, well, /she/ never started using it but when I have ample spare time I'll use it for errands around town. The springy seat, balloon tires and upright position are all a lot easier on my lower back, and since I'm leaning back I don't have to work so hard to pedal it.
9:02 yup, live in a totally flat town, so the lack of upward mobility doesn't affect me. I can't go as fast as other bikes, but being able to sit up straight after a long day is worth it
How has no one mentioned that horror movie poster of an ad at 2:55? I think the marketing department should have taken a second attempt at drawing that one up. As for the cruiser commuting: I don't live in a city, but for my first electric bike, I went with a beach cruiser design. It lets me pack more on the bike, is a really relaxed ride, is easier to get on and off, and even with only seven gears, the steep hills around me are made bearable thanks to the electric motor. Edit: Oh yeah, the larger tires also let me swap out mountain bike knobbies to go on some of the easy, local gravel trails.
I personally own a hybrid beach cruiser (sixthreezero evryjourney brand) and use it to commute around my small town (with few hills) as I do not drive. I'm more for comfort rather than speed so it's perfect for me. It's a 7 speed and since you sit more upright I have no back pain. I have 2 back panniers and a front basket, so if I arrange everything just right I can carry a lot. I love my bike. It's given me more freedom to get around and definitely easier than walking everywhere or having to depend on the bus that rarely runs in time or often doesn't even show up at all.
I got a Jamis Boss Cruiser. and the gears broke so I made it a single speed with a freewheel and a handbrake. I've put over 1500 miles on it. it's rugged , dependable, comfortable and like you said fun 😊
I grew up in So. Cal., and still live here. I like the way the cantilever frame looks. I live in a hilly area, and a heavy single speed bike is not very practical. I did have a Schwinn Panther from the 1990's with an aluminum frame, mountain bike geometry and a drop out with a derailleur mount. I ran it with a 3 x 9 drivetrain that was geared a little higher than the usual mountain bike ratios.It served me well as a commuter. I wish I still had it!
I agree they leave something to be desired, but one thing you didn't mention is availability. Omafietsen you have to go to a special shop or buy online, probably imported from Europe, but you can literally buy a cruiser from Walmart (ironically enough)
What I don't understand is the assumption that if your bike is your main source of transit, then you must live in a city. I live out in the country and my bike is my main mode of getting around and I'd say having a bike is more important in rural areas because we don't have public transit out here and everythings farther to walk to. If you don't have a bike, then its an hour walk to the nearest store so unless you're rich and can afford a car then you're not going to have a good time but if I had the kind of money to afford a car, I'd have money to move to the city but as long as I'm stuck out here a bike is vital.
In the last five months, I've put roughly 2,500 miles on an EBC Model E cruiser style eBike. At age 60, I did my first mountains-sea 100 mile ride going from Corona, CA to roughly where the Queen Mary is docked in Long Beach, CA. I have found the cruiser style bicycle to be practical and comfortable and capable for me. This all said, my eBike can manage 400 lbs of passenger and gear, has front suspension, basket, rear rack, panniers, a 7 spd, and a suspension seat post. Personally, I enjoy it. It is also capable of cruising at 20 - 25 mph or 10 - 15 mph without using the e-motor. I also upgraded the tires and the gears to more personally suit my needs.
I recently put 650x47c wheels/tires on a city bike and gotta say the increased comfort trumps any argument about rolling resistance. Just got a frame that can take 700x50, building with a 5 speed igh to be my new commuter/shopping bike. Can’t wait!
My bike is a beach cruiser mixed with Dutch-style functionalities and conceived specifically for cities in Brazil, where I live. I use it for commuting (in a very urban, non-beach city) and for fun, and I love it. It's step-through, it has an internal hub with 3 gears, thick tyres, upright steering position, racks in the front and back, and it looks so good! I get compliments on it all the time. I guess it's an "urban cruiser", if that makes any sense.
What's your experience with beach cruisers? Do the fun and comfort make up for its other inefficiencies when riding in a city?
I own a beach cruiser and use it often in commuting to work and shopping. I like that its comfortable to ride for long periods of time. Yes there are tumes when it sucks to pedal, and on particularly steep hills i do occasionally need to step off and walk but thats a pretty rare occurrence for me. I like the simplicity of the bike and the fact that it just feels more natural to ride. Most of the cycling i do is in areas that arent very busy, often the bike lanes are very wide and theres a decent amount of mixed use pathways. On the rare occasion i come across a busy intersection i just hop onto the sidewalk real quick to use the crosswalk which seems to be what most other cyclists here do anyways
i have one that i concerted to center drive electric and also added a 6 speed in hub rear wheel. it is now my favorite way to get around town
I love my old 90s mountain bike. City-fied it with a rear rack for panniers, fenders, bell, slick tires. It's ugly but has gear ratios to carry groceries uphill home. After having a bike stolen, I feel uglier the better. Though beach cruisers would be nice for flat ice cream rides.
What's the problem with these bikes ? I have no experience with them, but they look a bit like the 'oma/opa fiets' roadster style bikes you see all over the Netherlands.These have also a bit more laid back seat position. And 'oma/opa' bikes are great ! Especially for daily, maintenance free, 'suit' use in cities. Easy going speed of 15-20kmh (10-13 mph), rugged as they don't have brake/gear cables to break (in the bike racks). with a sturdy coaster brake and single speed or internal gear hub, they are ideal for daily use.
Almost all people in NL have used/abused them as student or adult. It won't get stolen easily and as junk/pub bike you can come home clubbing early in the morning, without your bike gotten stolen. They have been used 10-15km to go to highschool. At the famous 240 km long Frisian 11city bike tour I have seen them, with 3 gears and even a single speed !
How does cycling beach cruisers compare to an 'oma/opa fiets'?
I am not sure about the high steer of this beach cruiser. If it isn't stiff/rigid enough, it might steer a bit wobbly. I would prefer a lower steer. But then again my brother biked a roadster with high steer, with cowboy boots, to his highschool 10km down the road.. I think it might depend on the quality they are made with, and since they were considered 'toys' , they may have not very good components...
Beach cruisers can be a very decent choice for commuting under certain circumstances. Where I live, it's semi-legal (and sometimes fully legal) to cycle on paths intended for pedestrian use (not calling them "sidewalks" because most are wide enough to be proper shared paths). In these conditions, when you don't need to go faster then 20 km/h or so and may encounter bumpy terrain (such as paving tiles or packed snow in winter), the comfort of a cruiser-style bike can be a blessing that outweighs the inefficiencies which become unimportant in these conditions.
I switched to a "city cruiser" several months ago and I absolutely swear by the balloon tires. Wouldn't want to use anything else if the frame allows it. And 95% of my cycling is commutes. I don't do it recreationally at all.
I loved Hawaii when I went but definitely the saddest part was the prolificacy of cars and the lack of cycling. It is beautiful most of the time, why would you want to be in a metal box? Made me sad. Hawaii should be this carless oasis. I mean everything is within 20 miles. Good public transit with bike and pedestrian infrastructure is all it should need.
underrated comment
I'm working on a video about my experience riding in Honolulu. You can probably take this comment as a spoiler alert.
I came here to say this too. The only difference I see with the beach cruiser and a Dutch bike is that the seat is behind the pedals on a beach cruiser. He’s comparing it North American commuter bikes.
Yes, but the hills on the big island are brutal. I also wished there was bike infrastructure there too.
@@RandySwag There's a lot more differences than this
These seem to be closer to actual Dutch bikes than your own city (touring) bike., especially in regards to the riding position. If you lean on the handlebars it's not a Dutch bike :P
My commuting beach cruiser is definitely more of an upright dutch bike and it's so comfortable. I have back pain and this style doesn't make it worse.
Swap out the giant balloon tires and this thing seems borderline indistinguishable from an omafiet.
@@ztl2505 Errm no, they'd be very different still
VINDICATION. The way he talks about his sporty hybrid has always bugged me
THANK YOU! Literally was thinking the same thing. My beach cruiser has coaster brakes, no gears and you sit upright riding it. Which is very similar to the Dutch bikes.
This is one I'll agree to disagree on. Cruiser bikes are some of the few types in NA to have a step-through frame, making mounting and dismounting easier. Single-speeds and coaster brakes mean the bikes are typically cheaper and involve less maintenance. Wider tires help in cities with poorly paved trails and roads. The handlebar shape is typically more relaxed than flat or aero bars.
At the end of the day, it's different strokes for different folks. If someone is more comfortable on a cruiser, they'll use their bike more.
You just described everything I like about city bikes, but I agree they are still annoyingly rare in North American cities. Whatever gets people on a bike is fine by me.
i bought a cheap pos beach cruiser for my suburban commuter build pretty much just for the frame because it's so damn hard to find a step through frame here. hopefully it'll last long enough until i can either afford a good frame or build my own lol
The cruiser doesn't look too different from an Omafiets/Step-through bike besides the tires and the higher seat. I definitely prefer the sweep back handles of my Omafiets.
Sane here! I have a back issue where I can't ride leaning forward, and I can't lift my leg high enough to clear a crossbar. I wanted an "omafiets" but couldn't find one. The beach cruiser was the closest thing I could find 🤷♀️
@@themurdernerd Sorry to hear that. I am glad you found something.
Where are you located? I know there are two places in Canada that import used Dutch bikes. I also know of few places that sell new step-through bikes and cargo bikes and ship them across Canada or the US.
Those big tires may not deliver your racing bike in sheep's clothing minimum resistance, but they do give a lot more confidence dealing with broken terrain including pavement making them very practical for city riding. Not to mention insulate from a lot of bumps in the road which can create fatigue with the bicycle as practical city transportation.
Yeah. Though I commute on skinnies because if your tire pressure is set about right they are fast as hell and have minimal dampening problems.
There is a perfect commute scenario for the beach cruiser: the small town commute. The distances you could definitely walk, but having the bike makes carrying your things easier, or gets you a breeze (literally using your bike as a fan replacement), or maybe you have one of those really long, skinny small towns built along one road. For suburbs, the traffic in North America is too fast, and for urban-core, responsiveness is a bit low.
But, in my rural hometown, one of these would be perfect.
Love this. Great point.
I agree. I live in a very small town and my hybrid beach cruiser is PERFECT. there's not many hills and I'm more for comfort than speed so it's perfect. I love that you sit more upright too so it's good for my back. I don't drive so my bike is my main transportation.
But small towns don't have bike lanes
@@austinhernandez2716 yes but aside from the main roads through town, the traffic is pretty low. And even on the main roads there's sidewalks so you can bike on those
I can't make it up a hill on my single speed cruiser but other than that it's a fun ride😊
I added cruiser style handlebars to my hybrid bike and riding is so much fun. Just a chill vibe to my rides. I am slow as heck, but I was never a fast rider and hills are a challenge.
There's no doubt these bikes are fun to ride, and if it works for you, then why not go for it!
Yeah, the laid back vibe is exactly why I love my beach cruiser. I live in a small Missouri town, no beaches anywhere to be found, but it's also small enough I can bike from one side of the town to the other in 20 minutes or less. There's nothing here worth getting in a hurry over. I did decide to upgrade it with a 3 speed internal hub gear, though. The hills here aren't tall, but they're long. My trip from my apartment to the gas station is entirely uphill, so the 3 speed was a massive improvement for those wide rolling hills.
How was that upgrade to perform? im thinking about doing that.
@@greg1268 It went well, it was a great drop in upgrade. I've since upgraded to a new bike with a 7 speed but that's mostly because I tend to carry a lot more weight now.
The experience is definitely what you make of it. I bought an overhauled cruiser from the bike shop down the street from me and I love it. A more expensive bike would probably give a smoother experience but compared to walking, it's great. I live a mile from downtown, a mile from my furthest class and 1.5 miles from the nearest grocery store, and it gets me to all of those much faster than walking and only a little slower than driving (when you factor in parking and traffic).
The step-thru frame and the upright position help me integrate into pedestrian spaces fairly easily. I can go from riding to walking for a quick second and back to riding seamlessly, and I cruise down to a comfortable 4 mph if I get caught in a crowded pedestrian area. The upright position and frame also lets me ride with large instruments on my back (I'm a music student). Even though it's had a lot of new parts and tune-up, it still looks like an inexpensive, aesthetics-only Ebay bike to would-be bike thieves, so it's low theft risk (peace of mind), especially when there's more expensive brands parked nearby. It's also just pretty looking and I enjoy that : )
It's not the fastest bike, but it's at least twice as fast as walking for a fraction of the effort, and I can always just leave earlier. Hills around town are a bit of a workout but my body is adapting and I'm getting those lower body gains. There's no suspension so some of the older roads around town are a bit scary and I can't compete much with intense traffic so I avoid it (probably for the better). I might do one of those electric front wheel conversions just so I can have a boost when I need it or when I don't want to risk breaking a sweat in nice clothes.
There were a few months back in my messenger days where due to mechanical issues with my usual bike and a budget too tight to repair or replace it quickly, I rode a heavy steel single speed cruiser with a basket as my work bike.
Climbing the local hills with it was a great way to impress other riders.
I bet your legs got a good workout on those hills too
I'm seventy five. My wife and I LOVE our cruisers. We ride for exercise on beautiful wooded trails in Canada. What we love most is the way it makes us feel. Like kids free adventures on our first bike, Freedom, comfort and just having fun! And for us that is why we ride at all. But everybody wants something different and viva le Differeance!!
I ride my $140 walmart beach cruiser around st. John's newfoundland, hills and all. There's some work involved on those hills but if i choose the best route i can mitigate that. Also changed the tires for narrower more road worthy ones. But hands downy fave bike, and i have 3 lol, including an ebike.
Lord Tunderin Jesus flip flops in Newfoundland.
@@mariaansley1519 a little late to reply to this but uuumm...no...lol
@@doolsification Lord thundering Jeesus I replied to your comment when you made it two months ago. Now it's really too late for flip flops. 😎
I’m from Puerto Rico. No bikelanes, no good public transport.
I commute to work on a Schwinn Discover (got the milk crate 🙂) and I got a New Belgium beach cruiser as a spare. I use the BC to go to the pool or gym (2.5km) and then come back home to switch to the hybrid Schwinn.
Climate here is the same as in Hawaii.
I concur with all your observations.
😎👍🏼🇵🇷
Beach cruisers are actually making a comeback in E-bikes. Pedal when you're chill, throttle when you want to go faster!
They are and very much overpriced.
@@treydrier3169Not if you convert your current cruiser, which is what I'm researching rb
I love all bikes, but beach cruisers have a special place in my heart. They’re just incredibly comfortable, casual, and fun.
Another thing to consider. The Ebike beach cruiser. I just tested one out for my work commute. It's about a 14mile commute and was so easy, relaxed, and fun. With that you are getting the fun and great look of the beach cruiser, but also getting the power. I'm going to be getting one and I'm looking at the version from the Electric Bike Company and either the Model S or Model Y (probably the Model S because the battery is removable).
I have an EBC Model E, and if your commute is mostly small-town side roads or has good separated bike lanes, I strongly recommend it. It’s a bit heavy for speed on the few times I have to go on main roads, but other than that, the relaxed ride and electric boost makes my commute really pleasant.
as long as it has wheels and moves, I can make anything get me around town. While my car's been in the shop, I've been riding my tiny penny board 8 miles from my university to back home. When I picked up my beach cruiser that I left at the bike shop for repair on my 8 mile journey, riding on that cruiser felt like heaven. I haven't ridden any other kind of bikes, but the beach cruiser is so pleasant to ride every time. I feel so free and the ride is always scenic. It's a huffy cruiser, but I mean, it gets me around. It's got wheels, I'm blessed. However, I did test ride a bike for long distance travel that the bike shop guy recommended, and holy moly, the acceleration was unbelievable. It felt so effortless, like driving a sports car or something. I'm tempted to buy it, but for now, I'm humble with the beach cruiser. I put a little mirror on it and a cellphone holder and my mini boom box, I'm cruisin'!
I was one of the people who was confused about the difference between a Dutch style bike and a beach cruiser so watching this video was very informative. I bought one recently actually at Walmart and it is really comfy and the hills aren’t too bad to me. I think it’s still a good fit because the type of places where I need the extra mobility (mixed with traffic, bad infra) I’ve been taught to avoid anyway because of the danger, which leads to me riding mostly on side paths that feel safe and practical anyways.
Also I’d like to say I’ve found this channel great for any North American looking to cycle/already cycling. Keep up the good work!
I love any bike that’s single speed and has only a coaster brake. It’s so clean and beautiful to look at.
I will admit that my e-bike is pretty close to as complicated as it gets with full suspension, a nuvinci gear system, a gates belt and a Bosch motor. But I’ll always want a second bike that brings it all back to basics like this. I don’t think you can be a bike fan and not own one like that.
I do agree about it not being ideal as an urban bike, but some people ride mountain bikes or road bikes as urban commuters. And while I wouldn’t do that myself, and it frustrates me to see rusty old supermarket mountain bikes being ridden around; those people would say they those bikes do the job for them. And at the end of the day, that’s what it’s about. And I’d definitely rather see people on beach cruisers than MTBs. That’s for sure. They’d at least be gradually moving in the right direction towards a Batavus or Gazelle type bike that I would ride.
What is the problem with MTB? Most commuter bikes are just MTB with suspension seatposts and adjustable stems. Mtb doesnt need to mean dual suspension with 2.3 wide tires. My 13" frame mtb hard tail is good for everything. I ride 1.9 wide 26" tires. Small frame has a super low step over height. High bottom bracket for rolling curbs. Bars can be swapped to any style. I dont get it. I can lower my seat and put on a long stem and riser bars, raise it up and use road bars, etc.
I have to agree, i have a priority continuum onyx which is almost entirely decked out as much as you can, same nuvinci CVT, gates carbon belt drive, an MTX rear rack, triangle bag, cruiser bars, and about a dozen trinkets and accessories. I have an awesome purple Schwinn beach cruiser, with almost nothing in comparison. It has a single speed and coaster brakes, fenders, and a front basket. Really is a great bike for short trips in my city and i use it all the time for trips to the convenience store or getting takeout.
You should try an Electra Townie for that full cruiser feel.
Yep. Just bought a 9D. Fun!
You should try a beach cruiser with multi-speeds, a front wicker basket filled with snacks or a pet, and a handlebar mounted drink holder (pina colada) on one side, silly looking bell on the other, while wearing a straw fedora and Wayfarer sunglasses. That's living!
"There's enough snobbery and elitism in the bicycle world" - this is exactly what it is like in the UK too. Its all about sport and performance and having the expensive gear. It is a total turn off to people who just want a bike to get around at their own pace in their own time. I'm hoping a movement will spring up that is focused around everyday commuting that is not centered around sport and showing off how fit you are.
Sadly anybody looking to get a bike in the UK is immediately gonna get bombarded by GCN, the UK based bane of the normal cycling world.
Great vid, Tom. I use 2 Huffy Cranbrook Cruisers as my primary form of transport. I only go 2-3 miles a day. They are perfect for my short-term flat-land commutes. However, your city bikes (including the Priority and Dutch style) definitely serve a purpose for longer term or urban dense commutes. They really serve 2 different purposes. Honestly, I think having BOTH types in my bike wheelhouse (no pun) is on my bucket list.
I bought my wife a 3-speed beach cruiser with fenders a few years ago. It has since been stolen, but it was a fantastic bike. Very comfortable and had a lightweight aluminum frame, so it was pretty easy to pedal. Last summer, I spent a few days on Coronado Island, and the hotel had complimentary beach cruisers to check out. I probably put 10-20 miles daily on bike paths and through traffic, continuously circling the island and bar hopping. The second day I even took the ferry across Downtown San Diego and road around a bit. In the city, I would have preferred my trusty gravel bike/commuter, but the beach cruiser did just fine. If people are commuting less than 3 or 4 miles each way and it's relatively flat, then I don't see any issue with using a beach cruiser as a commuter. With regards to tires, wider tires are not nessisarily harder to push. I have 700x48 Rene Herse tires on my gravel/commuter and they are pretty quick and comfy on bad roads. Every beach cruiser I've ever riden always rolls surprisingly well. I think it has more to do with geometry and gearing than the tires.
I bought an Electra Townie Go (ebike) for my partner and she thinks it is great. Granted, the 5-speed hub and Bosch motor make life easier, but it makes it vastly more usable. I agree that you can't ride it all that agressively, but it serves just fine as a recreational ride or grocery getter.
Yea, I have their Ace of Spades 5i. The more powerful motor and cool looks has been a blast to own. I keep up with my much younger friends and a lot less stiff at the end of a long ride.
I ride a Townie 7D, non electric 7 speed, and find I like it much better than my Trek Verve. The Townie is stable enough to be comfortable in the bike lanes of my midwestern city, has a very upright riding position which is more comfortable than the Verve's slightly forward lean. If the speeds I see on my bike computer are anything to go by, it is not that much slower than the Trek.
I loved my beach cruiser, looked cool was a nice comfortable riding style, great for a chilled ride.
If you raised the seat enough to allow for proper leg extension, the pedaling might have been a bit more efficient.
Honestly there's imo really something about the simplicity of a singlespeed bike. My favourite bikes I've ever owned/own are singlespeeds. You're never worried about being in the right gear to get somewhere as quickly as possible, because you're just never in the right gear!
I'll always have at least one singlespeed because every now and then I need a break from practical bikes and ride something I can just ride totally relaxed without a care in the world.
100%😊
I have an older Murray Beach Cruiser. I enjoy riding it around the community as an errand bike. It is heavy, slow and inefficient but very comforable. Also very reliable.
I have a step-through Townie Electra with 8 gears, and built-in headlight and taillights and racks for easy-peasy on/off metal baskets. It looks like a beach cruiser but it's a workhorse. In a flat city like Chicago it's my go-to. I use my touring bike or e-bike on long rides and/or hilly rides, especially on the way to work so I won't be all sweaty. FWIW - I'm 63 and I bike mostly for transportation. Love the channel. Thanks Shifter!
Gotta love those alleys and sidestreets when the weather is good.
The Omafiets is kind of a cruiser in terms of the coaster brake and single speed (most commonly) only separates itself from it by a decent saddle height to regain some efficiency and a more easy on the knees pedalstroke. That, and 'jasbeschermers', a fully enclosed chain and lights make it far more practical. You could ride it recreationally just as well tho, and it also looks about just as cool. In that sense I get your point that in this comparison the Omafiets just does everything a cruiser does, and more, and some things it does more are rather important for actual daily commuting.
Thanks Tom, love your channel!
Thanks Josh. I appreciate your continued support!
It'd be awesome to live in a flat, laid back town where that was practical. Maybe one with separated bike paths to everywhere.
You just described every city, town, village, and points in between in the Netherlands. And yes, it’s exactly as great as you might imagine. 🥰
Put gears on
Beaches are flat because they are at sea level. Move to a beach town.
Thanks!
Thanks so much Philip. I appreciate your continued support. And your comment about Oahu having better bike lanes is totally true. I'm working on a video about that for release soon.
I got my first beach cruiser recently. Funny enough it was after a visit to see some family on kauai. I liked the rusty patina look of the bikes there. It reminded me of “clunker” repack race bikes. So when I got home to socal looked around for a bit didn’t take long as a ridiculous amount of cruiser bikes get scrapped here. Found a matte green one with the most perfect patina a neighbor was looking to give away. I cleaned it up clear coated it unseized all the rusty bits and tricked it out with a 3 speed hub, a generator light set, and some mountain bike tires. After riding it for a while I came to that same sort of realization you spoke about with just wanting to take your time and well cruise along. Always looked at cycling more as transport and less as fun although I do enjoy it this experience of the cruiser bike opened my eyes to enjoy it more.
I don't get the hate. I used to have one with an internal 3 speed gearhub and it was fine, even on moderate hills. With an IGH it's almost literally an omafiets.
@@cmmartti I had a Priority Coast. I don't want to argue semantics, I will agree that the geometries might be different but I think many exaggerate those differences.
@@xbmarx I'd say it's the opposite. People who think they're almost the same haven't ridden enough Dutch bikes. They really are very different.
yeah id imagine having a beach cruiser to do your hotline in nyc would be a challenge to say the least but I gotta say going from a fixie to my 2006 diamondback drifter chopper with a 20x4 rear tire here in Vegas, I've been more than satisfied, rear wheel eats up a lot of the unkept roads where im at and brooks saddle is cherry on top not to mention throwing a front basket on it made it a very fun booze cruiser. overall id say go for a beach cruiser if you don't wanna take your riding super seriously because youre gonna get where you're going eventually anyways and in style may I add, gotten a lot of compliments on mine :) coaster brake is even better for that clean look too.
Looking at this bike, it reminds me a lot of the bikes I see around here in the Netherlands. For a while, I had a Gazelle citybike (I think it was a 'Heavy Duty'?), the geo of which looks very comparible to the beach cruiser shown in this video. In my opinion, a comfortable citybike is the best kind of citybike.
This was a fun video. About 10 years ago I started commuting to the city a few days a week on the bus and wanted a simple cheap and easy to maintain bicycle so I didn't have to walk to and from the bus stop. I got a beautiful kulana Riviera men's cruiser for only $10 at a thrift store and rode that thing about 100 mile per month for three years! It was a lot of fun. I do have to admit that as my need to ride further and more often I modified the bike with a 7 speed rim brakes and flat bars to make it more efficient. I still have the bike and hope to someday turn it into a lowrider bike to Cruise my neighborhood.
Greetings from Belize! Beach cruisers are the most affordable bikes we have here. They are very popular and people use them as method of transport. One thing i dont like doesnt have mud guard.
I got a cheap walmart beach cruiser as my first singlespeed coaster bike and I loved it so much, I converted my 15 speed mountain bike to singlespeed. It makes it so much simpler to maintain now. I'm even in the process of turning a Huffy Cranbrook into a klunker bike (AKA a proto-mountain bike made from a cruiser/ newsboy bike frame, BMX bars, different seat, offroad tires and sometimes a lower sprocket ratio. First created in the 60s and 70s from junked bikes). So I really like cruiser bikes, since they're super simple and you'll never wreck a derailluer when going down a muddy trail. Just be prepared to not brake too hard or you will end up skidding your tires to the point of having flat spots, and feeling like you're riding in an old pickup truck with bias-ply tires on a cold morning. Which I guess helps with the whole 'vintage bike' vibe of everything creaking and hopping.
Growing up in Virginia Beach in the '70s and '80s, all the cool kids had beach cruisers. It had to be a Huffy and it had to be black with white wall tires or you were a nobody. I didn't have one but my sister had a pink and white one. In my junior year, I was overweight and really unhappy about it. One day after school I got on her pink bike and started riding. I rode 14.5 miles. I got absolutely addicted to riding that bike and would not miss a day no matter how bad the weather. I would go no matter what. This video brings back great memories. Now I have a whole lot of bikes and I'm still addicted to riding.
Thanks
Wow, thanks Marie! What an amazing show of support for this channel. I really appreciate it.
My sixthreezero everyjourney that I used all through winter here in Montréal is laughing at those "limitations" . Slapped on some winter tyres and the bike just goes, and it goes quite comfortably. 7 gears, fenders, carrying rack. My preferred city commuter.
This was my first and current only bike and im in love with it
Love beach cruisers! I've done several RAGBRAI's with a seven speed cruiser. Rear rack and panniers. Recently narrowed up the tires.
Glad you liked it! Keep the great videos coming!
My Cruiser is older than I. 1957 Schwinn Tiger. With many modifications. An old MTB fork with plenty of rake it totally transformed the ride as the original fork is quite floppy. The extra cantilever brake up front is a life saver. Of course aluminum 26 × 2.125 wheels with a Bendix Red Band 2 speed kick back coaster brake ( you do get used to it) . Full fenders and wide swept back handle bars with handle bar tape going from the stem to the grips on the end . Yes , I commuted with it...a five mile trip downtown Madison using as many dirt trails as I could find along the way...so smooth. It is a blast to ride and still have it😊. Stolen a few times and like a good horse 🐴 she always came back home. Once time she came back to the shop I woked at for tire service...the help at the front end of the shop convinced the person to leave the bike and go on his way quietly...
Thanks! I hope you had a nice holiday in Hawaii.
It's an amazing place. Thanks so much for the support.
The angle of the seat tube is amazing. It makes the comfort of the ride.
First time EVER where I actually liked the background music in a TH-cam video!!
Hawaii-type appropriate, oh and thank you for dialling down the volume during the narration. 👍
You should try a beach cruiser ebike. These are great for that enviroment as you only need power on a couple hills and roads. And all the other time is relaxed commuting without the sweat
Promotion of cruisers and dutch-style bikes would be a great way to get more people pedalling. When did we loose touch with comfortable riding?
Cruisers/townies are the bike equivalent of a nice walk. I LOVE how they feel on a ride, all my other bikes are conducive to getting my heart rate to 180bpm.. this slows you down to enjoy the air, scenery and vibe ❤️
I always thought beach cruisers were odd but then i rode one! It was amazing! I could rest my wrists on the bars and just go!
I ride a 1951 BF Goodrich made by Schwinn (with an internal three speed hub and 26x2.35 Fat Frank tires that have very low drag) I ride it everyday where I live in the Appalachian mountains and I out pace guys on ten speeds, so its not really about the type of bike but the set up because some tires have more drag and every cruiser is going to have a different feel and handling. I would recommend trying an older cruiser out they feel way different than the modern bikes and I prefer the feel of the classic cruisers.
I would have liked to see you test the bike with a surf board.
The cruiser is clearly perfect for it's environment. Along a beach with people in vacation mode it is preferable for bike riders to be on a bike that is designed to ride slowly and with a chill mindset.
What kind of bike was at 2:04? Looks amazing! I had a 24 inch 7 speed bike with back basket that was such a joy! Its was so small and manuverable, perfect for crowded streets and sidewalks. A non folding 20 inch with back basket would be perfect for grocery shopping, and wold fit anywhere!
3:51 That doesn’t look particularly “upright” to me. That’s a pretty sporty hybrid. Swap in some drop handlebars and you’ve got yourself what’s pretty much a road bike.
Just want to say, Kudos to you for exploring and discovering how you actually respond now to something you've been reactive to in the past! We all have 'em, those "irrational reaction" areas. Good for you! And thanks for the information about beach cruisers and "city bikes"!
I like step-threw cruisers. 21 speeds, disc brakes, rear rack, and different handle bars n tires make a great commuter/road bike.🍻
I enjoyed this, good comparison / discussion, glad you're at peace with this !
Good review. For riding on the sand, the beach crusier is so fun! certain beaches allow biked on the sand. I travel to Hilton Head Island in SC, and the beach riding there is so fun. A big tired, single speed with coaster brake is the bike for that, without a doubt. These bikes have their place, as you concluded in the video, pure recreation.
Yeah, fat tires for sand.
That portion of you biking along the Ala Wai canal was part of my bike commute when I lived in Waikiki. I commuted from Waikiki to the U of H Manoa. I didn't feel safe doing that bike commute. I usually don't bike with a helmet, but I started wearing one there.
I have a beach cruise type bike, but it's more dutch style where I sit upright and I commute with it! it's a little heavy, but I can get where I need to go and it's a cool color! Plus its got 7 speeds so I have no trouble with hilly areas
One new thought I have watching this is how beach cruisers are compatible with pedestrians. People that are walking sometimes complain about bikes zooming by(even more so as more bikes are electrified). The elderly and kids can be startled by fast bikes. Much of the bike infrastructure in the US, where it exists, is multi use trails. While the road biker tend not to use these as biking for transportation increases, more people are riding faster on the multi use trails. More problems of having walkers and bikers on in the same place are bound to increase. I don't think that beach cruisers are a practical or likely solution to this but is it interesting to see a bike design that specifically works for a mix of pedestrians and riders.
I bought a 3-speed Electra Sparker couple of months ago, and had zero regrets so far - it works great for my daily commute in downtown Calgary. The only thing I still need is a pair of pannier bags, so I could get rid of my backpack.
Loved your video. Thank-you. Hope you're having (had) a really nice vacation. I would point out that the BC's semi-recumbent position may not be what you're used to, but it should give you mechanical advantage over your more race bike geometry city cruiser. The Beach Cruiser has very similar geometry to my Day 6 Samson which has 12 speed shifters and mechanical (soon to be hydraulic) disc brakes. I'm much happier on my Day 6 in traffic.
Actually nice to see you one a beach cruiser. I have a number of them and here in Florida, they have their place! Thank you Tom! Oh, the Priority Continuum Onyx is actually sitting on my porch via FedEx. Time to bring it in and see what it's all about. A friend offered me his e bike today, so I'll swing up and grab that for a month or so and see what that's like. All this interest is due to the interest you sparked in me, particularly on the SE Bikes Tripel. Love that thing!
Low maintenance, low intimidation factor, low snob factor, and usually low cost. What is there to hate?
Back before bicycling became a sub culture of serious enthusiasts, funding the escalating ladder of (not always useful) technology, the "beach cruiser" was simply a bicycle.
Frankly the only serious difference between a cruiser that's practical or not is probably seat height.
Another great video. Glad you came here to Hawaii. Can't wait to watch your video about our bike infrastructure.
I'm a bit surprised to see you describe the city bike as "Dutch style" as from all the pictures and videos I've seen, the swept back handlebars look much more like the Dutch Omafiets (including the ones you show in this video). I think it even looks like you lean forward in the "city bike" and sit upright in the cruiser in this video. Isn't easier to be aware of your surroundings in the cruiser? It sure looks like it, but maybe I'm wrong.
I've been strongly considering a 3-speed cruiser style bike (just moved from deep in the suburbs to a more urban environment and want to start biking for quick errands) as it seems to be the closest thing to a Dutch style bike readily available in the US. I'm with you on the fenders, etc. but I'm noticing plenty of cruisers have many of these features as well.
There's a lot of overlap and nuance in these bikes, but the main difference between a beach cruiser and what I'm calling a "city" or "Dutch" bike is efficiency. City bikes have a bit more of an upright riding position, have skinnier tires and generally take a bit less work to propel forward. Cruisers are definitely easier to find in North America, and I think you can find a blending of these features in a lot of bikes.
@@Shifter_Cycling I see what you're saying on the tires, but I still think the cruiser is more of an upright position like I see on NotJustBikes' videos vs what you show as a "city" bike here is leaned forward for a more athletic riding position (though not leaned all the way forward like a road bike). In fact if I remember correctly NotJustBikes made a point that Dutch bikes eschew efficiency for the sake of comfort. I will grant that the Netherlands is exceedingly flat, so perhaps these fit best in flatter cities. I imagine having more gears matters a lot more in Pittsburgh or San Francisco than in Amsterdam.
@@NateGifford I'm in the UK and for me one of the big differences is the handlebars. Yep both are swept back to the user, but on a roadster the actual grips are horizontal or pointed downwards slightly. In this video (and in pictures) most cruisers seem to be above the horizontal and in this video you can see a large rise in height too (not quite ape-hangers but getting that way). I would imagine that affects how the bike handles and feels. Maybe fitting different tyres and a North Road handlebar (I have no idea if that works from a stack and reach pov) on a geared cruiser could get you close to the classic roadster feel.
BTW the Detroit Bikes A (or B) Type (google it) looks closer to a roadster style bike than the cruiser in this video to me - just needs some mudguards (fenders in US terms).
I highly recommend the evryjourney bike from sixthreezero! It's a hybrid beach cruiser. They are pricer but are definitely more reliable and better made than Walmart bikes. I have the 7 speed standard one and it's great for commuting.
@@Claire_Loves_Music Thank you! I have my eye on the 3-speed with the internal hub now.
I have a Northwoods Rockpoint 7-Speed trike, which is based off of a Cruiser Bike. I’ve had it for 3 years & love it. I use it very regularly since I don’t drive & have found very practical. I have also switched out the problematic Grip or twist shifter for a simple, reliable, & more precise Shimano button/ lever operated shifter as well as adding new handlebar grips , rechargeable LED Taillights, & a Zealot Rechargeable LED Headlight / Bluetooth Speaker. Prior to this , I had a Schwinn Clairmont 7-Speed mens cruiser bike which I used a lot & was very practical. Being that I’m a fan of the cruiser bike & the way it rides, I will be purchasing a Kent Seachange Single Speed Mens Cruiser Bike for simplicity and just plain riding in addition to my trike.
I've lived in the suburbs all my life and from ages 10 to 17 I used a beach cruiser for almost everything. Rode it to school until I got my driver's license at 16. Used it for exercise as I got heavier. Grocery and pharmacy runs when it wasn't time for a full shopping trip. Had I not been a dumb kid and taken better care of it, I would still be riding that bike today. Sure, it could've used a couple more gears to make hills easier, but it did everything I asked of it without issue. Plus, the coaster brakes made it super easy to make skid marks, which is always fun.
I love my Manhattan Smoothie cruiser, 7 speed, mechanical brakes, upright seat style, riser handlebars, 26” x 1.95” wheels, step-through frame and the pedals are a full 9” forward from the seat post giving a really relaxed ride. Easy to get over 20 km/hr, can take the hills, and it’s my main commuter for urban rides, running errands, etc. Not a big ticket purchase compared to many models, but a day on it is a very good one indeed. Seems mine is like a cross between a beach cruiser and an upright. Would recommend trying one out.
This is the perfect bike for people who bike to the store, library, etc. I'm 71 and I love this bike. It is so comfortable to ride all day. Like a Dutch or Mamachari bike.
I can't believe my wife and I just left our Honolulu vacation last Friday and here you are posting a video from there. Thank you so much for your work. I got the bug to start riding to the office this past summer, but my hands would go numb on my mountain bike 5 mins into my 2.5 mile ride. So I've slowly converted that mountain bike into a cruiser of sorts. I got a cushy saddle, and a 300mm stem which I admit looks ridiculous. I put some road tires on it and presto! Awkward, weird, 21 gear, road bike/cruiser. But, my weight is off my hands and I'm sitting upright. And my feet are under me rather than in front of me, which I like better for power when I need it. I've watched so many of your videos for inspiration and motivation. Keep up the great work!
Swept back or riser handlebars would help alot. I think many of them look better then straight also. There are many angles and degrees of rise to choose from.
@@tthomas184 Oh yes! I forgot that. I replaced the handle bars as well. 😁
Bike at 1:19... no front brake??
I put a 28" cruiser handlebar, cushy seat, and fenders on my 29" mountain bike. I call it beertruck and it is so fun to run errands on. I need gears where I am so single speed wouldn't work.
Somehow I thought Dutch (upright) bikes and beach cruisers are from the same family… but that’s probably because I spent more time (3 years) in super bike-friendly Japan where “cruisers” are fairly common, and I just thought Dutch bikes are the same (spent just 1 week in Amsterdam), except obviously they’re just a different scale because of the generally different size of the people riding them. I did have what you call a “city bike” while my wife had more like a cruiser when we lived in Japan.
I think there are some advantages to bigger tires- especially suspension for rougher roads. If you read some of the articles on the René Herse blog you can read about how wide tires do not make for slower riding. For a beach cruiser, what makes it slower is more likely the pedaling position, weight, and upright position leading to more air resistance. The tires are likely also heavy, but there are plenty of light wider tires out there.
I have 42 mm tires on my commuter (a cross bike), and would happily put bigger ones if they fit. The ride is so much smoother compared to when I had the original 35 mm tires on it.
Yeah, I ride 42mm rh tires, and wouldn’t describe them as slow in a million years
I agree. I have one bike with skinny 28mm tires which feels really sketchy on many of the rough spots in streets. So my main bike is my old mountain bike with wide tires. I was really shocked at how surprisingly fast it is, once up to speed. And it gets up to speed quickly. Plus I never worry about rough roads anymore.
I did live in Huntington Beach (Surf city) in the 90s. I along with a friend developed a 'beach cruiser' that satisfied all your arguments. It kept the rider position but added what is now called a 1x drive train and reduced the tire size to 26x1.95. The frame geometry was more like a 90s MTB. We researched having it produced in Taiwan but realized the way the market worked, the company would produce our frame 8 hours a day and then produce their version to undersell us in the market place. So the project never got off the ground.
I really enjoy your bike videos. I am a recovering roadie and am now 72 with not so good eyesight. So, the days of suffering on uncomfortable bikes to coax a bit more speed out of my carbon fiber wonder bike are ancient history. Ten or twelve mph seems fine now. Balance also can be an issue. Trikes just seem too low to the ground. The beach cruiser you tested did what it was supposed to do. If only it climbed better and had disc braks. I found my solution. A Serfas eDash step thru cruiser. Easy on and off. A 350 motor gets me the halp I need for the hills in my area and there is a 7 speed cassette. The battery will get you easily 40 to 50 miles if it is flat where you ride less if its hilly assuming you actually use the pedal assist and give yourself a workout so as not to deplete the battery too quickly. Got mine recently at just over $1000. Pretty reasonable considering the cost of eBikes.
I live in northeast Texas I have a Kent Margaritaville beach cruiser every day I have it really low geared for hills and inclines but still have a consistent speed of about 10 to 15 mph maybe even 20 mph depending on the weather
As I didn't like the original riding position, I had to modify my 2003 Trek Woody to become a more friendly city commuter. Five speed internal hub was first to come. Then more sporty slim seat and regular straight handlebar. And a huge mud guard. I've added panniers on the rear rack and proper lights front and back. Spring fork and baloon tires do the job :)
I've been riding downtown Honolulu and few other places in Hawaiian Islands many years back and I loved it. Great memories. Greeting from 🇵🇱
I've not tried a beach cruiser, but from what I've learned when looking for bikes: pick one that suit you. Last time I needed a new bike, I found one that I thought looked nice, and tried it, but it just felt wrong to bike on. Picked another bike, and that one felt much better, and ended up being the one I actually bought.
You often see really bad geometry on beach cruiser bikes... they're not all created equal...
The classic bikes of the 50's and 60's that they are supposedly modelled on, but not really, didn't suffer from this wierd geometry, so it's probably more often a result of a no name manufacturer slapping something together and getting it out the door as fast as possible....
"Let's see if my anger is justified." Says the man with a soothing non-aggressive tone.
My bike isn't classified as a cruiser, but it does have swept back bars and a relaxed riding position. I live in the american suburbs but I'm very comfortable on a bike and I plan my routes very carefully to minimize my use of main roads. I have a 3 speed IGH that I would take over a derailleur any day, and I have nice fenders and a rack that came with the bike. Sixthreezero makes some nice bikes!
Your disdain for beach cruisers really surprised me because early on in my bike journey I basically thought they were the American equivalent of dutch bikes. Although they're not my own preference, one of the benefits to the laid back beach cruiser geometry is that you can have full or near-full leg extension while still being able to comfortably plant both feet on the ground at a stop -- no tip-toe-ing required. For a lot of people, that's a big deal.
Yes, the closer you get to retirement the more these things matter.
I got myself a hybrid bike several years back so I could keep up with my kid and that was kind of my gateway into cycling around town for utility. It was a great change and it's been arguably good for my health, but I'm a pretty big guy (with a pretty big gut) and all that compression on my stomach can sometimes make pedaling a chore, and it does weird things to my lower back. Then I came across a beach cruiser for like $10 at a garage sale and I figured I'd pick it up for my wife so we could ride together and, well, /she/ never started using it but when I have ample spare time I'll use it for errands around town. The springy seat, balloon tires and upright position are all a lot easier on my lower back, and since I'm leaning back I don't have to work so hard to pedal it.
9:02 yup, live in a totally flat town, so the lack of upward mobility doesn't affect me. I can't go as fast as other bikes, but being able to sit up straight after a long day is worth it
How has no one mentioned that horror movie poster of an ad at 2:55? I think the marketing department should have taken a second attempt at drawing that one up.
As for the cruiser commuting: I don't live in a city, but for my first electric bike, I went with a beach cruiser design. It lets me pack more on the bike, is a really relaxed ride, is easier to get on and off, and even with only seven gears, the steep hills around me are made bearable thanks to the electric motor.
Edit: Oh yeah, the larger tires also let me swap out mountain bike knobbies to go on some of the easy, local gravel trails.
I personally own a hybrid beach cruiser (sixthreezero evryjourney brand) and use it to commute around my small town (with few hills) as I do not drive. I'm more for comfort rather than speed so it's perfect for me. It's a 7 speed and since you sit more upright I have no back pain.
I have 2 back panniers and a front basket, so if I arrange everything just right I can carry a lot. I love my bike. It's given me more freedom to get around and definitely easier than walking everywhere or having to depend on the bus that rarely runs in time or often doesn't even show up at all.
I got a Jamis Boss Cruiser. and the gears broke so I made it a single speed with a freewheel and a handbrake. I've put over 1500 miles on it. it's rugged , dependable, comfortable and like you said fun 😊
I grew up in So. Cal., and still live here. I like the way the cantilever frame looks. I live in a hilly area, and a heavy single speed bike is not very practical. I did have a Schwinn Panther from the 1990's with an aluminum frame, mountain bike geometry and a drop out with a derailleur mount. I ran it with a 3 x 9 drivetrain that was geared a little higher than the usual mountain bike ratios.It served me well as a commuter. I wish I still had it!
I agree they leave something to be desired, but one thing you didn't mention is availability. Omafietsen you have to go to a special shop or buy online, probably imported from Europe, but you can literally buy a cruiser from Walmart (ironically enough)
Can you do a video on the advantages of a 24 inch adult bike? Its very small, light and tight cornering!
What I don't understand is the assumption that if your bike is your main source of transit, then you must live in a city. I live out in the country and my bike is my main mode of getting around and I'd say having a bike is more important in rural areas because we don't have public transit out here and everythings farther to walk to. If you don't have a bike, then its an hour walk to the nearest store so unless you're rich and can afford a car then you're not going to have a good time but if I had the kind of money to afford a car, I'd have money to move to the city but as long as I'm stuck out here a bike is vital.
In the last five months, I've put roughly 2,500 miles on an EBC Model E cruiser style eBike. At age 60, I did my first mountains-sea 100 mile ride going from Corona, CA to roughly where the Queen Mary is docked in Long Beach, CA. I have found the cruiser style bicycle to be practical and comfortable and capable for me. This all said, my eBike can manage 400 lbs of passenger and gear, has front suspension, basket, rear rack, panniers, a 7 spd, and a suspension seat post. Personally, I enjoy it. It is also capable of cruising at 20 - 25 mph or 10 - 15 mph without using the e-motor. I also upgraded the tires and the gears to more personally suit my needs.
I recently put 650x47c wheels/tires on a city bike and gotta say the increased comfort trumps any argument about rolling resistance. Just got a frame that can take 700x50, building with a 5 speed igh to be my new commuter/shopping bike. Can’t wait!
My bike is a beach cruiser mixed with Dutch-style functionalities and conceived specifically for cities in Brazil, where I live. I use it for commuting (in a very urban, non-beach city) and for fun, and I love it. It's step-through, it has an internal hub with 3 gears, thick tyres, upright steering position, racks in the front and back, and it looks so good! I get compliments on it all the time. I guess it's an "urban cruiser", if that makes any sense.
that´s so nice to hear (and see) for a cruiser fan.