A cruiser is a wonderful bike. The reason a mountain bike is recommended is that many, perhaps most, guys want something more agile and speedy than a cruiser. Also the bike that's comfortable for a ride around the block isn't always the bike that's comfortable at mile 40 of a 50 mile ride. Take it from someone who rode a metric century (62 mile ride) on a Trek Navigator cruiser.
At 435, "Speedy & Agile" are words that have nothing to do with me. I know myself, and if it's not comfortable, I just won't ride it. Also, I don't mind trading up when 50-60 mile rides become more than a distant dream.
I don't know about the bike you returned having a lockout or not on the fork. It sounds as if your saddle was too wide for you, and the bike wasn't fit to you properly. A good shop will fit the bike to the rider, and here this didn't happen. "Throwing your weight between seat and handlebars" sounds horribly wrong for a novice rider. How high was the saddle in relation to the handlebars? Level as in the photo below, or raised above the bars?
My saddle was too wide? My caboose is so big it needs it's own ZIP Code! I was thinking I needed something like a tractor seat! I tried raising and lowering the seat, but it was maybe a little higher than the bars *before* I got aboard. After that, I felt like was aiming for the earth's core! Thanks for the help BTW. I appreciate it.
