The Cruiser Bicycle

Many of us can remember our youth back in the 50's which included riding a comfortable bicycle designed for easy riding along flat roads. We had no idea that we were riding what was to become known as the classic cruiser style bicycle. We only knew that it was comfortable and never broke down. Somewhere around the late 1960's they all but disappeared from the scene with the influx of mountain bikes and multi-speed road bikes.

The old-fashioned cruiser style bicycles are made with heavy frames and usually have only one speed which is fine for flat terrain such as roads and even beaches. But the introduction of racing style road bikes lured many younger riders away from the cruisers. As more riders turned toward bicycle touring or off road riding, they turned to the modern forms of road bikes, mountain bikes and even new hybrid bicycles.

Today the cruiser bicycle has enjoyed a nice comeback. The modern riders of cruiser style bicycles use them on college campuses, for local commuting, in oceanfront beach communities and even in city areas. They known for comfortable, leisurely riding and are built with an eye toward simple riding and style. While Schwinn is probably the largest manufacturer of cruiser bicycle models just about every well known bicycle make offers a variety of cruiser bicycles today. The new style cruiser bikes come equipped with 7-speed transmissions hand control brakes which has added to the versatility and comfort afforded by these classic bikes. There is no doubt that if you desire a comfortable upright ride and travel relatively short distances on fairly level terrain, the cruiser bicycle might be exactly what you need.