Claws First

I am looking for a relatively budget priced comfort/cruiser bike that is sturdy enough to take on a nasty country road (maybe someone here is familiar with Perris, California might know what I am taking about in those rural areas).

I think I have narrowed my choice betweenfeel free to add in, but provide a good reason to consider the new option)

Phat Rumble
Felt Cafe 3
Trek Navigator 1.0

The first two bikes are 3 speeds and the Trek is a 7 speed.

I am a guy that likes to simplify my maintanance, and I find having a single derailer appealing.

I would like some input on a 3 speed vs the 7 speed and how well you guys that that will work on a variety of terrain? I just might consider taking the bike on a long tour....

I would also like some advice on some racks/panniers. I plan on buying a Frost River Timber Cruiser back pack and would like to haul that on the bike.

Thanks.

coldfeet

Well the 3 speeds don't have a dérailleur, they are hub gears. Very little maintenance, but bit trickier to fix a flat. Have doubts about taking the cruiser, ( phat rumble ) on rough back roads, not sure how it would handle. How many gears depends on how much slope you have to deal with, how far you are going, and how fit you are.

I wouldn't personally, take any of them on a "long" tour. None of them are particularly rack friendly, don't see much in the way of mounting eyelets. not saying you can't do it, just that there are probably better options around.

Can you give a better idea of the sort of distance contemplated?

sd_mike

I'm riding to Perris, weather permitting, next Saturday. Well, the Orange Empire Railway Museum anyway. So, I'll be quite familiar with the roads from a bicycle perspective finally.

mijome07

Howdy neighbor. I'm here in Riverside. I suggest you get an inexpensive MTB. Want to make it simple? Stay in the middle ring (up front) and change gears in the back.

martianone

Take a look at a Jamis 2.0 commuter ?

AndrewP

3 speeds have too wide a gap between gears for comfortable pedalling. your feet are either moving too slow or spinning like windmills.

AdamDZ

Are you in a good health? A rigid mountain bike would suit you better perhaps. As you get stronger and start riding more you may find a cruiser/comfort bike inadequate and limiting. Mountain bikes are very flexible and you can get upright riding position.

Adam

LarDasse74

The 3 speed and cruiser bikes are probably not the best choices for long rides, esp. if there are hills. The Café bike is designed to ride... well, to the café; the beach cruiser is designed for cruising at the beach (boardwalk and bike paths).

The trek is better - called a comfort bike, and is best suited to road or bike path rides. My brother has one of the navigator models and he rides it everywhere. The limiting factor is going to be how the bike fits you... most people riding long distances prefer a slightly less upright posture, but it is up to you how you are comfortable riding. And if you get the bike, the fit can pretty easily be changed by swapping handlebars and stem later on. Adding a front derailleur, though, is a little more involved if you decide you need a wider gear range.

As mentioned above, why not consider a rigid mountain bike (trek 820) or a rigid hybrid bike (like the trek 7.1FX or 7000).

Above all, the two most important aspects of a bike's performance are (#1)the way it fits your body, and (#2)how often you ride it (ties in to #1 because uncomfortable bikes get ridden less).

Artkansas 

It's been a while since I've been to Perris, and as I remember, there are some good wide flat spaces, but also hills. I definitely wouldn't get the 3 speeds. The Navigator 1.0 might be okay as long as you stay on the flats, and might get you up the hills but it wouldn't be fun. If it were me, I'd try to find the extra scratch to get the Navigator 2.0.