I had a bike as a kid – but I really have not biked in years. I got the idea yesterday that it would be fun to have some “beach cruiser” style bikes at our beach house. Bike around in our (flat) neighborhood, bike to the corner deli about 3/4 mile away, maybe bike to town, take the bikes and go to the state beach on the other side of town and bike on the bike trails and the park roads.
I am thinking I want a simple bike with one gear and coaster brakes. Am I crazy? Do I need more than that? What brand? Committed to shopping it local if I can and not Target, Amazon, Walmart. How much should I expect to spend? (And I am getting one for me and one for H who thinks this is a great idea.)
My off the top of the head budget is $1000 for two, including accessories and helmets. There’s no garage or potential storage area at the beach house, so they’ll be stored out of sight on the side of the house with protective tarps (fenced on 3 sides, not visible from the street)
I will leave bike recommendations to dmd and CF, our two resident bike experts. I’m concerned that tarps may not provide the best protection from the elements. Any chance you can splurge on a plastic storage shed, the kind that sits against the wall?
Summer plan is the tarps – winter plan is to transport to the real house! There’s no room for a plastic storage shed – that was my first thought. They could come inside if there was a big storm predicted – but part of the charm of a beach house is no basement, no attic, no garage!
I’m not a biking aficionado and only bike around my (very flat) town, into the village or to the library, or just around the neighborhood for fun. I bought a new bike a few years ago. It’s a Raleigh 10 speed and was approx $300. It’s perfectly find for the casual rider. I never use the highest gears, but that’s okay. I tested some of the old fashioned looking bikes - with bigger tires (the kind you’d imagine a basket on the front handlebars) and they were much heavier and cumbersome, imo.
A good friend and neighbor JUST posted a picture of her very cool looking beach cruiser and AWESOME basket she got for her birthday today! I’ll see if I can figure out what kind it is…
P.S. - Costco did have a beach cruiser model in store.
Go to your local bike shop(s) (local to your beach house) and ride what they’ve got in your price range. Ask them what people like. Do you want a step-through? Or are you willing to put your leg over a bar? Always remember you can change the seat. Personally, I don’t like fat-tire bikes but lots of people do and they’re certainly more stable on sand and dirt.
You may think your area is flat, but unless you’ve checked a topo map before saying that, I’d bet it’s not really that flat. A nice three-speed “city bike” might be your ticket. Or maybe not.
Also, if your plan is to transport the bikes for the winter (rather than put them in the kitchen, or whereever), make sure you can fit them in/on whatever decide you’re planning to use for transport.
I will say that I noticed the beach cruiser my friend just got has no speeds. How is that going to fare on the “adult” legs for more than very short jaunts???
The idea of coaster breaks after many years of hand breaks would scare me. Unless it’s truly flat and you won’t us it at your other home that may have hills, I’d advise getting some number of speeds. The local bike shops are usually pretty honest people, looking to hook people up with good bikes for their purpose. That should be your first stop. And DO NOT RIDE WITHOUT A HELMET! That’s my public safety announcement for the day,
You can get a nice (Trek, etc) entry-level 21 speed mountain bike for around $250-$300 or thereabouts. Those would be fine for general running around. They don’t look as cool as “city cruisers” but they’re very versatile and rugged and won’t break the bank. Add gel seat pads, helmets, pumps, etc for another $100-$150 and you’re well under budget.
Add me to the “good idea” camp. Stick with one speed and do not get gears if you plan on going on sand. I used to race bikes in Va Beach and had to clean the heck out of them every time I got near the beach.
Fat tube aluminum frames will not rust but many small parts are steel by necessity. Keep them covered as best you can. The only recent brand of cruiser I have ridden is custom and pricey. Yes to a basket.
I say go for the single speed beach cruiser. It’ll be great! It’ll be simple, you don’t have to think about it, you can ride a mile to the deli or ice cream, or go for a nice picnic. The fat tires will provide you with a nice cushy ride.
@dmd77 is right that drivers always say their area is flat, even when it isn’t. It’s a joke with cyclists. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told some stretch of road is flat, only to discover when I ride it that someone slipped some serious climbs in when nobody was looking. But if this is an Eastern barrier beach, it really is flat. Florida is flat too.
Shoreline Connecticut – east of New Haven and south of Rt. 1. It’s pretty flat. Our little section is practically barrier island – maybe barrier peninsula! And I really don’t want to play with hand brakes and gears …
You don’t need to play around with hand brakes and gears if you don’t want to. Single speed bikes are fashionable right now anyway. A cruiser bike is perfect for what you want. It’ll be fun, and simple.
We also have a summer place near the beach. I would not get a one speed. I have always used more than one speed coming and going where ever. A three speed is probably OK. The gears shift on newer bikes are a breeze to use. You can add baskets and carriers to pretty much any bike, so don’t worry about that. I agree with the idea of going to your local bike shop, telling them your budget and asking them to let you test drive a couple of bikes in that budget.
I’m a fan of single speed bikes with fat tires and coaster brakes–so are our kids. We finally got rid of D’s bike. S’s was stolen from our carport one night, probably to help a burglar make a getaway. Sadly, HI is not generally a safe place to bike, or I’d love to do it. We bought the kids’ bikes at the local bike shop, Schwinn, which brought back happy memories for H & me. The kids rode it for years and then lost interest when they started college.
Do you plan to ride on roads with traffic or sidewalks? I would never feel safe road cycling without handbrakes. On the other hand, I only find hand brakes comfortable while wearing cycling gloves. Maybe you can rent the bike you like from your local bike shop, and test your favorite routes.
Sadly, HI is not generally a safe place to bike, or I’d love to do it. We bought the kids’ bikes at the local bike shop, Schwinn, which brought back happy memories for H & me. The kids rode it for years and then lost interest when they started college.