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Women's cruiser bikes have found a near-cult following wherever there is short-distance bike commuting with little or no hills. They're not just "beach" cruisers anymore: they are just as popular in ski towns, small towns, college campuses and cities.
Women's cruiser bikes come in either the traditional women's step-through frame (great for riding in skirts and flip-flops) or with a top tube like men's bikes. Cruisers tend to have fun, swoopy, retro frame shapes reminiscent of newsboy's bikes from the 1950s and very wide, curved handlebars. They are often very brightly painted with bold colors and graphics, and sport such features as wide, comfortable "tractor" seats, front and sometimes rear baskets, bells or horns, and large platform pedals. Even the wheels make a statement, with colorful rims or whitewall tires. People love to "dress up" their cruisers with streamers, leather fringe and stickers. Cruisers are not performance bikes. The rider's position is low enough to allow a flat-footed stance when the bike is stationary. This is not efficient at all, and can be quite painful on the kneeds and difficult on hills! Some cruisers are geared with 3 to 8 gears, and some are single-speed. The single-speed cruisers often have coaster brakes (like children's bikes) as opposed to hand brakes. The 26" wheels are heavy duty, sturdy and very traditional in appearance (no bladed or paired spokes). Tires are wide - called "balloon tires" for pure comfort. Cruisers are very low maintenance - no fussy high performance shifters and derailleurs to mess with - just basic, heavy duty components built to take years of daily use and mechanical neglect. Cruiser's inefficiency is more than offset by the sheer fun of riding them - often with no helmet (at rider discretion), in casual shoes and street clothes, and a basket full of whatever the errand produced that day! "Cruiser rides" have become a popular summer evening recreational option in urban areas - people dress in costumes and ride their cruisers from bar to bar... fun times!
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