The past couple weeks, I’ve been looking at a lot of bicycles.
I’ve come to a couple of conclusions that I thought I’d put into writing.
Number one is that I have to have an upright riding stance. The Huffy Sea Trails I’ve been riding (pictured above) is better than the hybrid Trek 7000 I rode before, but I feel as though I want to sit up even higher. Last time I visited my Grandmother, Noel and I took her beach cruisers for a spin down to Walgreens about a mile away. I loved it, very upright no stress in my back or shoulders. That’s what I want.
Second observation is that I do not need — or want — more than three speeds. During our entire 8.5 mile ride last night, I did not leave the lowest gear. I’m not sure if it’s first or second because something in my shifting system is out of whack. But I thoroughly enjoyed tooling along at our slow pace. Which it turns out wasn’t all that slow since we covered the distance in about an hour including many many picture stops.
None of the hills that we hit last night were terribly steep. But we never really felt them. We just pedaled. Sometimes we pedaled a bit slower and more forcefully, and sometimes we coasted a bit. It was immense fun not worrying about it.
Not to mention that 3-speed internal hubs are extremely simple and reliable.
I had been thinking that I wanted a really fast road bike or a goat-like mountain bike. But that’s just not how I ride. I’m not into the adrenaline thing. And while I think long cross-country tours are really cool, I don’t see myself ever doing such a thing. I want to explore the back roads close to home. I want bikes to strap on the back of the camper or throw in the pickup to ride when we get where we’re going.
My thrill comes from poking along with my Beloved seeing the sights, or getting the groceries.
Thirdly, I still believe I want fatter tires. Last night our 26×1-3/8’s did okay. But I feel the balloon tires of a beach cruiser would add a bit more comfort and a lot more sure-footedness.
Finally, I want something that looks good! Something with some style! Know what I mean?
So to this end I spent last night trying to find all the beach cruiser style bikes with three-speed internal hubs that I can. And I have to say that I’m rather discouraged at what our options are, there just aren’t many good quality cruisers (that I can find).
The Trek Drift looks okay, especially in the “driftwood brown” scheme. But it has an aluminum frame and I prefer the steel and it also has no matching women’s frame. And I would really love it if Noel and I could get matching bikes.
I’d buy a Trek Calypso. I love the paint scheme, and the women’s frame is a perfect match. But it’s aluminum and it has a derailleur shifting system.
The Torker Boardwalk 3 is a strong possibility. Steel frame, internal 3-speed, matching women’s bike. My only caveat is that bright red paint, but it’s not necessarily a deal breaker.
My strongest candidate however may come as a shock to any “serious bicyclist” who finds their way to my humble blog. It is the Huffy Cranbrook. It has a steel frame, fat tires. Comes with metal fenders. I absolutely love the looks of it, and there is a (somewhat) matching women’s model. And it sells for only $75 at my local Wal-Mart.
I would ordinarily be pretty wary of such a cheap bicycle. But shortly after Noel and I were married I sold our car and bought us two Huffy mountain bikes to get around town on. One summer I commuted every day to work from Niceville, FL, to Destin, FL, on that $100 bike. The one way trip was about 15 miles. And it held up to that abuse without a single complaint. So Huffy bikes hold a place of respect in my heart.
The only problem is that it’s not a three-speed. I figured I could buy the appropriate hub and rebuild the wheel. Then I found these folks on Amazon who have done just that. They sell a 26-inch wheel with three-speed hub and all the necessary levers and cables, etc. All I have to do is swap the wheels out. Before going through all that trouble though, I intend to just ride it. I might find that I don’t even need the three speeds!
So it looks like there’s a nice, comfy beach cruiser in my bicycling future.
Though I feel a little funny, buying a $75 bike and throwing a $175 rear wheel on it. Oh … and let’s not forget my $100 saddle!
PS – Oh yeah, can’t forget, we have to get wicker baskets for them!
2whls3spds
Aug 08, 2010 @ 18:51:45
I would look for something else before buying the $75 Huffy Cranbrook. FWIW I have one of those and it is of very poor quality. The frame welds actually have holes in the welding beads. I bought mine as a disposable bike, to use at an industrial plant for a year. The plant has a fairly corrosive atmosphere and I did not want to subject any of my good bikes to it.
There are several brands of 3 speed cruisers out there if that is what you want. Nirve, Electra, Gary Fisher, Raleigh, etc. They are a bit more expensive but the cost is worth it.
I don’t know of any way to get a wider tire on a 26″x1-3/8″ rim, unless you rebuild the wheels with different rims. The 3 speed typically use a 590 ISO while the cruisers and mountain bikes use a 559 ISO. There is a much better selection of tire sizes in the 559 versus the 590.
There are different brands of tires available in the 590 and they do ride differently.
Aaron
2whls3spds
Aug 08, 2010 @ 19:00:06
Forgot to add..check out Torker’s full line of bikes. They are an excellent value for the money on a new bike. I have a couple of Redlines which are made by the same company as Torker. I would buy the Boardwalk before I would waste money on the Huffy Cranbrook. The Boardwalk should run around $360, or perhaps a bit less. Most bike shops can order them for you.
Aaron
Nick David Wright
Aug 08, 2010 @ 19:05:36
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I’ll keep it in mind.
Any thoughts on the Schwinn 3-speeds currently available? I’ve just now been browsing their site.
2whls3spds
Aug 09, 2010 @ 11:08:07
They are decent bikes for the money if you can find a dealer that stocks them. FWIW the bike shop Schwinns are a better quality than the ones you find in the big box stores, you typically won’t find those on a website.
I am still sold on Torker though.
Aaron 🙂
Nick David Wright
Aug 09, 2010 @ 14:35:05
I’ve been giving the Torker T-300 a closer look. But I’m a little put off by the lack of info that I’ve been able to find on the net.
2whls3spds
Aug 10, 2010 @ 08:20:53
What type of information on the Torker are you looking for? It is your basic 3 speed. I have a Redline R530 which is identical to the Torker T530. The bike is very well made, I would not have made some of the choices they did for things like seat post, saddle, and pedals, but I am particular about what I use. They are trying to please the general public. I am looking at the possibility of getting a Torker Graduate to use as an in town bike to leave at my parents house. (We live about 20 miles out on 40 acres.)
I can’t prove it, but I would not be surprised to find that the Torker, Redline and bike shop Schwinns are all made in the same plant in Taiwan.
Aaron
Nick David Wright
Aug 10, 2010 @ 09:07:46
Well, for starters I’ve found very few shops that list having the bike for sale. It seems Torker has some kind of policy against selling their bikes mail order?
Secondly, I can remember finding only one review of the bike. Pretty surprised by that. I figured the casual/commute/utility cyclist blogs would be all over a bike like this.
Actually, I’ve been kinda rethinking the whole cruiser thing lately. I realized that I’m almost happy with riding position of my Sea Trails, I just want to be a little more upright. So I think before investing in an entirely new bike, I might just try to find some handlebars that are just a little longer than the ones I currently have.
To be honest, if I had the money I’d be buying a Trek Belleville, or a Rivendell Sam Hilbourne. Those bikes are classy!
2whls3spds
Aug 10, 2010 @ 08:24:18
gotta quit hitting the send button so fast!
I have also been looking at the Torker Cargo-T, that one has been reviewed several times and has gotten rave reviews.
As long as you know what you want I don’t think you will go wrong with either the Torker, Schwinn or Redline bikes.
Aaron
2whls3spds
Aug 10, 2010 @ 09:33:24
A lot of bikes are not available via mail order, most likely because they want a dealer to make sure they are set up properly. Most bike shops also include a free tune up after a certain period of time. Mine offers free tuneups for the first year.
Torker has the advantage that any bike shop that has an account with Seattle Bike Supply (SBS) can order one, they don’t have to be a stocking dealer. City type bikes can be hard to find in this world of carbon fiber wonder bikes and over suspended machines. I know that my local Trek dealer has none of the more practical bikes on the floor and has no intent of stocking them, if you want a Belleville you have to order sight unseen. Handle bars are easy, Wald and Soma have some nice ones and that is a fairly inexpensive upgrade.
Aaron
Nick David Wright
Aug 10, 2010 @ 11:20:37
Ooo … I’d forgot that Wald sells handlebars. I love their baskets.
I was looking at the more expensive Nittos and such, but was real hesitant getting $60 bars for my beater bike. I like the sounds of the $6 Wald 872 much better.