Originally Posted by
Dahon.Steve
The right deparment store bike would be a beach cruiser! I've seen beach crusiers in Walmart and they are rock solid. Sure they weight a ton but the frame is solid with no suspension, no gears to fiddle and coaster brake for simplicity. These bikes are practically bomb proof and this is the type of bike needed by those improvished. Not the Magna Excitor XP3000!
A beach cruiser might be appropriate for an area that is relatively flat, but not for a place with long, steep hills like Charleston, or even lots of rolling hills like Lexington, KY. Something built along the lines of a beach cruiser but with a hub gear (even a three-speed would be better than nothing, but better a seven- or eight) would be needed for hilly terrain.