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Many people’s favorite thing about cruisers is the huge “tractor seat” saddle that is soft and supportive, intended to be ridden in swimsuits or street clothes. Some cruisers are singlespeed, some have three gears and rarely seven. Frames come in very distinct traditional men’s and ladies’ styles. The ladies’ step-through design is great when riding in a skirt, but has also become common with the elderly who have a difficult time throwing a leg over a traditional men’s bike with a top tube. Frame materials are steel or aluminum. Front and rear baskets are common, as are fenders and handlebar-mounted beverage holders. Platform pedals allow the use of any type of footwear – or no footwear at all! Cruisers are heavy and not particularly maneuverable, but they’re sturdy, stable and solid, and easily ridden one-handed (important when carrying a cold beverage). “Cruiser Rides” are popular in many urban areas even thousands of miles away from the nearest beach – a mix of outlandish costumes and bar-hopping on customized, decorated bikes.
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Beach Cruisers are beautiful, utilitarian and… fun. Often brightly painted and sporting custom touches such as leather tassels on the handlebars, cruisers are as unique as their owners. They’re meant to be ridden relatively slowly and in a very comfortable upright position. The saddle is positioned low, for flat-foot contact with the ground when stopped. Handlebars are very wide and usually swept back – this is comfortable, the hand position is very natural, but the rider has to be careful not to jab the end of the handlebar into his/her ribs when making a very sharp turn!
