ttquattro

hi, does anyone uses a cruiser for commuting,? i am interested in buying the giant simple with 7 speed , anyone have this cruiser and if so i would like some opinions on it, thanks

amckimmey

Is there a real reason you want a cruiser? Style? Price? Physical limitation?

Is your commute long?

I have more of a cruiser style bar on my Kilo, It's a position really. Nice for climbing hills I feel.

Thing I have against the Giant Simple is the derailleur.

If it had a internal gear hub it would look nicer, and probably run nicer.

Gery Fisher has a nice Cruiser, well more dutch bike. Gery Fisher Simple City. I like the bike.

A cruiser bike would work fine I think. Something that's nice is that you can put on a front basket(I have one,It's nice)

daintonj

Depends how short your commute is. Cruisers aren't that common in the Uk but that looks like it would be awful to ride for any real distance. Also giant padded saddles usually aren't that great for distance cycling as they swiftly become quite uncomfy.

ttquattro

i just love the style, i have a giant city bike and also an atala retro bike ( a vintage bike replica) and tought a cruiser would be nice, but still i want also something usable.

CliftonGK1

It's not a true cruiser frame, but I set up a 1987 rigid frame MTB with 2.2" balloon tires, fenders, and swept-back cruiser bars. I've used it for commuting, and just for fun rides up to 30 miles.

bikebuddha 

You might get a kick out of this townies up Georgia's toughest climbs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPZuC....blogspot.com/
Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdAeJ....blogspot.com/

NormanF

I have a Gary Fisher Klunker styled after the Schwinn Excelsior. Its set up as a cafe racer. With Schwalbe Fat Franks it rolls quite fast. You could find something like it for commuting. The distance in my town is within 2 miles so I don't have to go very far to the park and places. YMMV.

Big_e

I like to commute on my Next street cruiser. Then again my commute is only 3 1/2 miles. It's an aluminum frame and about as limber as a mtb. I plan to get one of those real battletanks off of craigslist or bikebuyers.com.
Ernest

Sixty Fiver

It really comes down to what your commute is like and what your abilities as a cyclist are... I am not a fan of balloon tyred cruiser bikes as they just don;t suit my riding preferences. I like to be comfortable but I also like to ride fairly fast.

I no longer have the luxury of riding some of my bikes to work but when I could I'd just as likely be seen on my old '48 Rudge roadster as I would be on my stripped down fixed gear. Now that I work as a messenger I just won't subject some of mt favourite old bikes to that kind of abuse even though they could probably take it.

A Dutch / English styled bike would probably outperform an American style cruiser due to their often larger wheel size and narrower tyres which provide a better balance of comfort and speed while still retaining a very high level of comfort.

This bike only has 3 speeds but the gearing is such that seated climbs in steeper grades are not all that difficult and it is by far the most comfortable bike I have ever owned...and it is much faster than it looks.



An English 3 speed also offers a great deal of versatility and these can often be found in perfect shape for a fraction of what a new and comparable bike sells for.

tjspiel

A hotel I stayed at last year had Giant Simple Singles you could check out and take for a ride. The single had a coaster brake and my main beef with it was that there wasn't much stopping power. I'm assuming a 7 speed would have regular rim brakes so that probably wouldn't be an issue for you.

Otherwise I enjoyed the bike for a leisurely ride along Lake Superior. It's not something I'd enjoy commuting on every day (nor would I any cruiser). Call it personal preference. It would be a nice change of pace once in a while.

The other complaint about that bike in particular is that the suspension seat post squeaked. It kind of fit right in with my old cruiser stereotype so I wasn't bothered by it. The bikes were kept outside too and that might be why the squeak developed.

NormanF

The old balloon tires had a dead feeling to them. Schwalbe's balloon tires don't slow you down and they are comfortable. You'll discover you can ride quite fast on a pair of Big Apples/Fat Franks. The technology has been perfected since Schwalbe introduced them around the turn of the century.

The classic roadster/utility bike can be nimble when equipped with alloy rims and modern tires. My Raleigh Superbe has 700C wheels and rides on Continental Top Touring 700 X 32, which just fit under the stock fenders. The Pashley Guvnor I have now has alloy wheels in the 635 mm size. Tires I run on it are Schwalbe Delta Cruiser equivalent to 700 X 40 in the standard road size. At the moment, I'm waiting to outfit with an enclosed chainguard. My Raleigh Superbe is equipped with a 7 speed Shimano Nexus IGH. The Pashley Guvnor was a single speed Path Racer but it will receive in being upgraded into a high end Roadster, an 8 speed Sturmey Archer IGH. Both bicycles are sensibly equipped with Sturmey Archer front and rear drum brakes for sealed all weather braking performance.

The above type of bicycles are probably a better choice for loaded commuting, cycle camping and even touring applications.

pipes

I don"t commute but I put a LOT a miles on my Torker Boardwalk 7 speed crusier . ! I would use it if I had to commute no problem .

AsanaCycles

Hunter 29er

CliftonGK1

My utility/commuter cruiser:

CliftonGK1

The WTB Graffiti SF 2.2 tires I have on mine (see above) don't feel dead. They're certainly not as quick as the 700 x 28's on my brevet bike, but at top pressure they soak up the bumps and chatter while still remaining quick feeling.