Picking a Beach Cruiser
Beach Cruisers are the most common term for bicycles with overstuffed seats, wide tires comfortable handlebars and enjoyable bicycle riding. In the last four years beach cruiser bicycles have made an enormous come back as the bicycle of preference. People accessorize these bikes with baskets, bells and lights to add extra flare.
Since these bikes are purchased for comfort it is most important that the buyer be able to determine the correct Beach Cruiser Bicycle for themselves. First let me say that all the hocus pocus that many bicycle retailers go through in "fitting" customers for bikes is really not necessary. Here are a few tips I give when customers ask what bike is right for them.
First, is the bike for a lady or a man and is that "gender" look important to you. This may seem fundamental but many manufactures have developed a generic look that will pass as either a man or women's bike. These bikes are excellent in that they do not have the generic drop shown in traditional women's bicycles nor the rigid cross bar those traditional men's bicycles had. These generic bikes typically come in colors such as Red, Orange, Black, Dark Blue and Chrome. However, for older customers or people with arthritic or other limitations a beach cruiser with a deep dip in the cross bar may allow them access without the pain of throwing a leg over the bicycle when first getting on.
Second, is the Beach Cruiser going to be ridden on flat surface or up and down hilly terrain? As a store owner I see many customers fixated on a multi speed beach cruiser for no apparent reason. Multi Speed bicycles are more difficult to assemble, more difficult to maintain and more likely to fail earlier in the life cycle of the beach cruiser. For this reason if you are riding on a flat surface the great majority of the time purchase a single speed beach cruiser with a coaster brake.
Third, is whether you will need fenders on your beach cruiser? For me I like the look of fenders. However, if you purchase a beach cruiser with fenders be sure it has a kick stand and always use that kick stand. Most fenders are made of light weight steel and do not hold up under constant dropping of the bicycle. As to the practicality of fenders you really only need them when you will be riding during or after a rain storm and will require protection from water being thrown by the motion of the tires.
Finally, most people between the height of five foot two inches and six foot two inch will ride a 26 inch bicycle. To know if this size bike is right for you measure your pants inseam. It should be more than 26 inches and less than 35 inches for a comfortable ride on a 26 inch bicycle. If you are shorter than 5 foot I would recommend a 24 inch bicycle with a 17 inch frame or smaller.
If you have questions about this article or general beach cruiser questions you can reach the author, Jake Storey, at Justbicycles where Jake fits and recommends over 100 beach cruisers, located on the web, at http://justbicycles.com
Jake Storeyz works at Justbicycles making peoples dreams come true.
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