What is a Beach Cruiser Bicycle?

Actually beach cruiser bicycles have been around for many years. If you are not familiar with this of bicycle, you probably will recognize them as what might be called a "vintage" type of bicycle. You could trace their origin back to the 1930's era. If you live in any coastal region, you probably realize that beach cruiser bicycles were very popular back in the 1940's and 1950's and many refer to them as old-fashioned.

Today's beach cruiser is closely related to a standard cruiser bike. They normally have wide balloon type tires, a very comfortable soft seat, the simple frame provides for an upright riding position and generally has a standard single speed operation. Somewhere around 1960, the beach cruisers started to fall in popularity. This was probably due to the influx of new types of bicycles such as road bikes and mountain bikes. The newer style bicycles offered multiple speeds with lighter weight frames making them more similar to the racing style bikes.

Somewhere around the 1990's, maybe due to a change in lifestyle, the old fashioned beach cruiser bicycle began to make a come back. The newer buyers use the cruiser style bicycles on college campuses, in oceanfront beach communities are even pop up in city areas. It seems as if with the world racing to embrace new technology, the simplicity and ease of use of the beach cruiser bicycle is much appreciated as a diversion.