Alt Bike Culture - Cruiser and Comfort cycles

I was looking at Raleigh bikes and came across these so called two types I have never heard of before: Cruiser bikes and Comfort bikes:

http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/cruiser/
http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/comfort/


I checked Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruiser_bicycle) but did not find anything related to the use of cruisers. Like FS MTBs are for mountain biking, road bikes are for paved roads, Hard-Tails are for trails (not rocky mountains) and hybrids you already know. What are Cruisers and Comforts for anyway ?

A "cruiser" is basically modeled after a type of bicycle which was popular in America in the 20th century. The typical cruiser comes with a cantilever type frame, such as with the Raleigh cruiser in your link. Cruisers are study bicycles, made for older children and teenagers, and were used by generations of newspaper delivery boys.

I have quite a few bicycles of different types; tourers, racers, fixed-gear, etc. But I do most of my commuting on my Schwinn Cruiser. It's comfortable, easy to ride, and it turns a few heads. My Schwinn is a newer model which is equipped with a 7 speed rear hub, which makes negotiating hills quite a bit easier.

Surprisingly, I don't have any "comfort" bikes. Functionally, they aren't any different than a cruiser, they just lack the styling that a cruiser possesses.

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj268/Frontman7/OlyTokyo049.jpg

I was looking at Raleigh bikes and came across these so called two types I have never heard of before: Cruiser bikes and Comfort bikes:

http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/cruiser/
http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/comfort/


I checked Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruiser_bicycle) but did not find anything related to the use of cruisers. Like FS MTBs are for mountain biking, road bikes are for paved roads, Hard-Tails are for trails (not rocky mountains) and hybrids you already know. What are Cruisers and Comforts for anyway ?

Cruiser, Beach cruiser are basically derived from the bicycle styles created by companies such as Schwinn, Elgin, D P Harris' Rollfast, H P Snyder's store brands like Wards Hawthorne, Western Flyer and many others that were modeled for boys and girls of all ages after early motorcycles. They were enormously popular with kids who loved Indians, Harley-Davidsons and other motorcycles yet could not drive one.

The genre had two variants, prewar with a straight lower bar and the tank was long like a motorcycle gas tank and postwar where the Schwinn B-6 design became the iconic design although often without a tank. No doubt you have seen dozens and never connected the dots...they are found in Kmarts to this day.

If you scan through my thread Tempest--the Grey Bike Grows Up or search You Tube or Google, you will be overwhelmed with them.

Comfort bike is a phrase I don't care for but cruiser is misused to describe every other bike on Craigslist...it's a bait word. If your bike doesn't look like the stereotype or maybe it's a nuclear mutant RETRO bike then comfort bike might work.

In my opinion wimpy socialists who hate bikes come up with those kind of names.

A "cruiser" is basically modeled after a type of bicycle which was popular in America in the 20th century. The typical cruiser comes with a cantilever type frame, such as with the Raleigh cruiser in your link. Cruisers are study bicycles, made for older children and teenagers, and were used by generations of newspaper delivery boys.

I have quite a few bicycles of different types; tourers, racers, fixed-gear, etc. But I do most of my commuting on my Schwinn Cruiser. It's comfortable, easy to ride, and it turns a few heads. My Schwinn is a newer model which is equipped with a 7 speed rear hub, which makes negotiating hills quite a bit easier.

Surprisingly, I don't have any "comfort" bikes. Functionally, they aren't any different than a cruiser, they just lack the styling that a cruiser possesses.

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj268/Frontman7/OlyTokyo049.jpg

That is a BEAUTIFUL place to park a Schwinn:D

Are these comfortable ac compared to Hybrid or Hard-tails for Indian roads and traffic conditions:

http://hitxp.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/c1.jpg

http://inlinethumb63.webshots.com/43454/2204931920102347975S600x600Q85.jpg

Cruisers were just the general-purpose bikes of years past in the US. The equivalent in India would be the single-speed roadsters. The roadsters have narrower tires, so they're not identical, but not that much different in function. If you're planning to use one in India, check that the tires and tubes are easily available. The bikes themselves may not be readily available there.

The cruisers in the US were produced at a time when most of the bicycle market was for kids rather than adults. Even to this day, most cruisers have fairly small frames, and if you're very tall, will require the seat to be raised quite a ways to ride.

Primary market for comfort bikes is people that want a reasonably high quality bicycle, but don't want the bent-over position associated with road bikes.

Primary market for comfort bikes is people that want a reasonably high quality bicycle, but don't want the bent-over position associated with road bikes.

I too don't like road bikes for their bent-position. I prefer comfort more than speed. If I am right road bikes are for speed and efficiency, not for comfort. Thats why I like to ride a Hard-Tail on those roads I have shown.

Cruisers were just the general-purpose bikes of years past in the US. The equivalent in India would be the single-speed roadsters. The roadsters have narrower tires, so they're not identical, but not that much different in function. If you're planning to use one in India, check that the tires and tubes are easily available. The bikes themselves may not be readily available there.

The cruisers in the US were produced at a time when most of the bicycle market was for kids rather than adults. Even to this day, most cruisers have fairly small frames, and if you're very tall, will require the seat to be raised quite a ways to ride.

Primary market for comfort bikes is people that want a reasonably high quality bicycle, but don't want the bent-over position associated with road bikes.

I'm 5 feet 9 inches and while I don't think a Schwinn B-6 type frame is all that SMALL, what I do find is it's easy to get the right leg extension to allow for good power in my stroke. Whomever would say these are FAST have of course never met ME. I LOVE SPEED.:speedy::thumb:

Are these comfortable ac compared to Hybrid or Hard-tails for Indian roads and traffic conditions:

http://hitxp.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/c1.jpg

http://inlinethumb63.webshots.com/43454/2204931920102347975S600x600Q85.jpg

Gadfry...those little 3-wheel? vans more or less ARE your cruisers, taxis and what not. What a big mess! :)