bike - Cruiser bicycle
Photograph by Thirteen Of Clubson Flickr.
These bikes usually feature a lower center of gravity, suspension forks, hot bike Bike MS rod paint jobs, and large rear tires. Comfort bikes have such features as fenders, suspension seatposts and forks, and large padded saddles with giant springs.
Within two years, other bicycle manufacturer in the USA introduced competing balloon-tire bikes. In 1934, Schwinn successfully re-styled the B-10E, renaming it the Aero Cycle. The bikes, noted for their durability and heavy weight, were the most popular bicycle in the United States from the early 1930s through the 1950s Schwinn developed the Cruiser at a time when U.S.
bicycle sales had declined sharply due to the Great Depression; adults purchased few bicycles, which were seen as luxury products intended largely for sport or recreation. Several manufacturers, such as Schwinn, Phat Cycles, and Electra, offer “chopper” style bikes in their cruiser range.
The resulting bicycle could endure abuse that could damage other bicycles. These models featured three-speed gearing, taller wheels, narrower tires and lighter weight (35-40 pounds) The cruiser also ceded market share to muscle (or lowrider) bikes featuring banana seats, oversized shift levers, and ape-hanger bars inspired by West coast motorcycle customizers — which in turn gave birth to the modern BMX bike, while the cruiser went into a steep sales decline. By 1972, a new wave of lightweight derailleur-equipped bicycles led a wave of new consumer interest in recreational bicycling, resulting in the bike boom.
Cruiser bicycles, also known as beach cruisers, combine balloon-tires, upright seating posture, single-speed mechanicals, and straightforward steel construction with expressive styling. A similar trend is the sudden appearance of “chopper” bicycles over the past couple of years, in response to the surge of interest in custom motorcycles.
Derailleur-equipped sport bikes or ten speeds inspired by European racing bicycles soon dominated the adult market. While largely obsolete by the late 1960s, the cruiser remained popular for utility and recreational use at the beach, where they soon earned the title of “beach cruisers.” In the late 1970s and early 1980s, cruiser frames formed the basis of the newly-developed mountain bike. During the mid Seventies, a group of enthusiasts in Marin county, California began racing bikes down the fireroads of local Mount Tamalpais, in a race they called “Repack” because the ride was so grueling that riders had to repack their coaster brakes with grease after each run. The late 1970s and early 1980s saw the emergence of interest in collecting old bicycles, and prices for balloon-tired classics climbed The release of the film Pee-wee s Big Adventure highlighted the main character s cross-country search for his lost cruiser bicycle. Cruisers’ comfort, style, and affordability (compared to mountain and racing bikes) have led to renewed popularity in recent years Three other contemporary bike trends are related to cruisers. All of these features are copied from cruisers, but redesigned to look more like regular road or hybrid bikes. .
Their combination of substantial weight (some models weighing over 50 pounds), single speed mechanicals, and wide tires made the bicycles primarily suited to flat terrain — and were popular with paperboys and bicycle couriers. Competing firms including Roadmaster, Columbia, Shelby, Monark, and Huffy used styling features and distinctive models to attract buyers — including a Donald Duck bike with quacking horn, cowboy models named after Gene Autry or Hopalong Cassidy, and details such as fringed saddlebags, capgun holsters. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, bicycles imported from Great Britain and Continental Europe became popular, especially lighter and more nimble sports roadster models or English racer . For decades, Latino car enthusiasts have been lowering the suspension on older American cars to build “lowriders.” Their younger siblings have begun building their own custom “lowrider bikes.” Lowrider bicycles are usually built on old Schwinn Stingray or other “muscle bike” frames, but the entire lowrider look of “old school” accessories such as springer forks and bullet headlights is in the cruiser tradition.
In response, Schwinn conceived a sturdier, affordable bicycle designed for the more resilient youth market — originally marketing the Schwinn B-10E Motorbike — which resembled a motorcycle but carried no motor — in 1933. Schwinn adapted features from the Henderson and Excelsior motorcycles his company had built during the 1920s, including a heavy “cantilevered” frame with two top tubes and 2.125-inch wide “balloon” tires from Germany.
Lowrider bike magazines and catalogs also feature cruisers and are a great source of accessories for cruiser owners.
