two and a half years ago I got a schwinn windwood from a big box store. I was suing it to get from my shop down to a little town a mile a away and rode it a few miles a week. Then I started riding it further when I figured out that it really isnt much slower than my commuting bike. Important part here, after two hundred miles the bottom bracket started getting some play in it. This will need to be addressed soon, but in the mean time I bought a felt cruiser. Very smooth drive train and good components. A friend bought a new huffy cranbrook a year a go for recreation and has had the same problem I had with the windwood. I do love the single speed simplicity and low pressure fat tires though.


I ride the cruiser into work everyonce in awhile, I have a very short commute these days, so it is not a big deal. But buying a cruiser may not mean saving a lot of money on a bike. If I could do it over again I would buy an old schwinn cruiser in good condition ( I am so sick of "vintage" being abused) before buying a new one for $125. How old? I really cant answer that question to the year, but pre 90s at least.