I think there is a stigma attached to the Beach Cruiser. A stigma that labels it as a bike that is limited and isn't ideal for most riders. I say not true, and believe more people would actually be better suited on a beach bike.
When Mountain Bikes and Road Bikes were introduced and they had fancy gears and complicated systems everyone who wanted a bicycle believed they needed those features. What happened to a life of simplicity? The same rings true for cell phones, it's true they are getting more advanced and in turn more complex and we can do more with them, but does that mean they are better? Different than before yes, but better, I don't believe so. More doesn't always mean better, even though that is how our society has started to value things. I think in terms of a bicycle, simple is better.
I will admit if you want to ride 50 miles each ride, compete in a cycling competition or scale a bunch 5,000 foot mountains, then yes a mountain bike or road bike is the best choice no doubt about it. But how many of us actually do that or want to do that? I know I don't, I want to ride around my neighborhood, ride by the beach, possibly ride to my friend's house, navigate around a college campus, or take a spin to the local market. A cruiser is the ideal bicycle for all of these activities, and why? Because simple is better. Simplicity equals happiness, it is a hard concept to live by in a world cluttered with complexity, stress and the concept of trying to keep up with the Joneses. But we don't have to keep up with the Joneses, we don't have to feel stress and we don't have to invite complexity into our lives, those are all choices. That is why Cruiser Bike...I choose you.
A cruiser is a simple bike, generally one speed (but this is a stigma because now cruisers come with 3 Speeds, 7 Speeds, or even 21 Speeds) and the braking system is generally a pedal backwards braking system called a coaster brake (another stigma because now cruisers have handbrakes, disc brakes or even roller brakes). One speed is still enough to take 80% of bike riders where they want to go. Where do people want to go when they ride their bike? For me, I'm not really going anywhere, I just want to get on my bicycle and go. I don't ride with a definitive purpose, I don't ride because I'm trying to get somewhere, I don't ride because I have to get exercise, I don't ride because I should, those are all the wrong reasons to do anything, especially riding a bike. As soon as a hobby, activity, or any action turns into a should, or I have to, the true purpose has been defeated. I ride because I want to, because I want to feel free to move under my own power, to relax, to enjoy the environment, to watch the world pass by me as I'm cruising, to feel happy, to feel stress free. No gears, no complicated brakes, no back pain, no leaning over....Beach Cruiser I Choose You.
When Mountain Bikes and Road Bikes were introduced and they had fancy gears and complicated systems everyone who wanted a bicycle believed they needed those features. What happened to a life of simplicity? The same rings true for cell phones, it's true they are getting more advanced and in turn more complex and we can do more with them, but does that mean they are better? Different than before yes, but better, I don't believe so. More doesn't always mean better, even though that is how our society has started to value things. I think in terms of a bicycle, simple is better.
I will admit if you want to ride 50 miles each ride, compete in a cycling competition or scale a bunch 5,000 foot mountains, then yes a mountain bike or road bike is the best choice no doubt about it. But how many of us actually do that or want to do that? I know I don't, I want to ride around my neighborhood, ride by the beach, possibly ride to my friend's house, navigate around a college campus, or take a spin to the local market. A cruiser is the ideal bicycle for all of these activities, and why? Because simple is better. Simplicity equals happiness, it is a hard concept to live by in a world cluttered with complexity, stress and the concept of trying to keep up with the Joneses. But we don't have to keep up with the Joneses, we don't have to feel stress and we don't have to invite complexity into our lives, those are all choices. That is why Cruiser Bike...I choose you.
A cruiser is a simple bike, generally one speed (but this is a stigma because now cruisers come with 3 Speeds, 7 Speeds, or even 21 Speeds) and the braking system is generally a pedal backwards braking system called a coaster brake (another stigma because now cruisers have handbrakes, disc brakes or even roller brakes). One speed is still enough to take 80% of bike riders where they want to go. Where do people want to go when they ride their bike? For me, I'm not really going anywhere, I just want to get on my bicycle and go. I don't ride with a definitive purpose, I don't ride because I'm trying to get somewhere, I don't ride because I have to get exercise, I don't ride because I should, those are all the wrong reasons to do anything, especially riding a bike. As soon as a hobby, activity, or any action turns into a should, or I have to, the true purpose has been defeated. I ride because I want to, because I want to feel free to move under my own power, to relax, to enjoy the environment, to watch the world pass by me as I'm cruising, to feel happy, to feel stress free. No gears, no complicated brakes, no back pain, no leaning over....Beach Cruiser I Choose You.
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