Recommendations for a lightweight cruiser bicycle?
October 25, 2009 3:45 PM Subscribe
I need recommendations for a relatively lightweight cruiser-type bicycle. I have an Electra Townie, and I like everything about it except the weight (about 35 lbs.) Is there a lighter alternative out there? I'm ideally looking for something that has raised handlebars, a comfortable saddle and easy-to-change gears (good for a bike novice.) I'm not looking for a single-speed.
People usually use the word 'cruiser' to refer to a certain kind of bike, and those bikes are typically relatively heavy (and they traditionally have only one gear). Have you considered something more like a hybrid bike?
posted by box at 3:58 PM on October 25, 2009
posted by box at 3:58 PM on October 25, 2009
Not to be snarky or sarcastic, but will you ride it or weigh it? When you add your weight plus the weight of whatever you want to haul around, going from a 35lb bike to a 25lb bike ends up being a weight reduction of a few percentage points. My supposition when folks ask weight questions is that they think getting a lighter bike will drastically improve their cycling experience. The only way it could really matter is if you live in a fourth floor walkup or something, and have to haul it up and down the stairs.
posted by fixedgear at 4:00 PM on October 25, 2009
posted by fixedgear at 4:00 PM on October 25, 2009
When I was choosing my (cruiser) bike, my lightweight alternative was the Ridgeback Avenida - I say lightweight in comparison with the Pashley Sonnet Bliss, which I ended up buying instead. While i'm not sure of the exact weight, it was a hell of a lot less than the Pashley, anyway!
posted by ukdanae at 4:09 PM on October 25, 2009
posted by ukdanae at 4:09 PM on October 25, 2009
Response by poster: Fixedgear: I'm a petite woman and I can't physically lift the Townie (it has balloon tires, which makes it even heavier.) I'm reasonably athletic, but I also have a really hard time pedaling the bike up hills. When I ride my friend's Trek 1.5, which is obviously much lighter, even steep hills are no problem at all.
posted by zembla3 at 4:10 PM on October 25, 2009
posted by zembla3 at 4:10 PM on October 25, 2009
The hill thing is probably more a function of gearing than of weight--freeride bikes, and expedition touring bikes, weigh a ton, and they can be ridden up nearly anything.
When it comes to physically lifting it, though, you've probably got a point. If weight is a concern, then I think you might have to move away from cruiser bikes.
posted by box at 4:14 PM on October 25, 2009
When it comes to physically lifting it, though, you've probably got a point. If weight is a concern, then I think you might have to move away from cruiser bikes.
posted by box at 4:14 PM on October 25, 2009
Hybrid. Flat bars, wide range gearing, skinnier (700c) tires. Part of the reason that cruisers - and Townies in particular - don't climb real well is the seating position. In the case of the Townie the 'flat foot design' is great for bike paths and boardwalks but rotten on hills.
posted by fixedgear at 4:18 PM on October 25, 2009
posted by fixedgear at 4:18 PM on October 25, 2009
Drop by your local bike shop and check out a Felt Cafe. I just replaced the Electra Townie in my Xtracycle with a Felt Cafe 8 and not only is lighter but it handles even better. Felt claims the Cafe is better than other "flat foot designs" (there's even an illustration in the catalog compares theirs to the Townie). Plus my 8 has a single chainring up front and a nice 8 speed in back.
I live in a relatively flat place but the Cafe does really well on the few hills I encounter.
posted by jdfan at 4:36 PM on October 25, 2009 [1 favorite]
I live in a relatively flat place but the Cafe does really well on the few hills I encounter.
posted by jdfan at 4:36 PM on October 25, 2009 [1 favorite]
Earlier this year I got a Raleigh Route 4.0, which isn't a cruiser, but fairly lightweight and is easy to ride. The seat is my particular favorite feature, since it's super comfy and is also very easily to adjust. It is a 24-speed hybrid bike, but I only usually use 8. I had to learn how to use the gears though. It's not cheap, but it seems that it will last for years.
posted by greatalleycat at 5:08 PM on October 25, 2009
posted by greatalleycat at 5:08 PM on October 25, 2009
I have a lightweight small-wheel folding bicycle. Dahon makes a lot of varieties of folding bicycles, and there might be one that fits your needs. They may, however, be more expensive than you want.
I don't have nearly as much problem going up hills with my current bike as I did with my big-wheel hybrid I had in the US. However, the little bike also does feel a little bit less stable (smaller wheels make for smaller gyros), and I probably can't go as fast as on the bigger bike.
posted by that girl at 5:19 PM on October 25, 2009
I don't have nearly as much problem going up hills with my current bike as I did with my big-wheel hybrid I had in the US. However, the little bike also does feel a little bit less stable (smaller wheels make for smaller gyros), and I probably can't go as fast as on the bigger bike.
posted by that girl at 5:19 PM on October 25, 2009
A heavier bike rides much differently because of the difference in the sprung load ratio (your own weight is effectively sprung load, and if you do not have a suspension system it is effectively your only sprung load). Sprung load ratio pretty drastically effects ability to control a bicycle.
Regarding hill climbing: an upright bicycle like an Electra Townie has the pedals significantly in front of the seat, instead of under it, thus preventing you from using your body weight to power the cranks as you go uphill. You probably don't need a lighter bike, but one that is less upright, thus allowing more climbing power. Try various frames to find a good cruising comfort / climbing ease balance.
posted by idiopath at 5:19 PM on October 25, 2009
Regarding hill climbing: an upright bicycle like an Electra Townie has the pedals significantly in front of the seat, instead of under it, thus preventing you from using your body weight to power the cranks as you go uphill. You probably don't need a lighter bike, but one that is less upright, thus allowing more climbing power. Try various frames to find a good cruising comfort / climbing ease balance.
posted by idiopath at 5:19 PM on October 25, 2009
I can sympathize on the weight-to-carry issue - I have to haul mine up stairs every time I leave/enter my apartment, and my current 35lb stupid-heavy hybrid is frustrating as heck, and I'm a thin-but-not-tiny guy. If you're willing to move away from the cruiser genre and look at a hybrid with comfort-oriented features, you can cut down a lot of weight - huge weight is sort of part of what defines a cruiser in my book.
I ended up not buying one, but I was really impressed with a look I gave the Jamis Commuter series (I linked to the lowest-end one, but I was looking at the 2 and 3 mainly.) They're not cruisers, they're hybrids, but ones with comfort-oriented handlebars and seats, and they weigh a good bit less than your current bike - the Commuter 2 has fenders and a guard on the gears (not a full chainguard) and still weighs in at just under 27 pounds.
That said, difficulty getting up hills isn't a matter of bike weight - Even for a very petite woman, the difference between a heavy and light bike is rarely going to be much more than 10 pounds, which is probably well under a 7% difference in total bike-plus-rider weight. It's all about gearing; I drop pretty low for hills, and I crawl up them slowly, but without exerting much effort. Most cruisers I've seen - and many hybrids, admittedly including the Jamis models I linked to - have only one front gear or at most two, and neither of them is particularly small. Usually, for difficult hills, I find myself using the innermost, smallest gear, which you may not have.
posted by Tomorrowful at 5:25 PM on October 25, 2009
I ended up not buying one, but I was really impressed with a look I gave the Jamis Commuter series (I linked to the lowest-end one, but I was looking at the 2 and 3 mainly.) They're not cruisers, they're hybrids, but ones with comfort-oriented handlebars and seats, and they weigh a good bit less than your current bike - the Commuter 2 has fenders and a guard on the gears (not a full chainguard) and still weighs in at just under 27 pounds.
That said, difficulty getting up hills isn't a matter of bike weight - Even for a very petite woman, the difference between a heavy and light bike is rarely going to be much more than 10 pounds, which is probably well under a 7% difference in total bike-plus-rider weight. It's all about gearing; I drop pretty low for hills, and I crawl up them slowly, but without exerting much effort. Most cruisers I've seen - and many hybrids, admittedly including the Jamis models I linked to - have only one front gear or at most two, and neither of them is particularly small. Usually, for difficult hills, I find myself using the innermost, smallest gear, which you may not have.
posted by Tomorrowful at 5:25 PM on October 25, 2009
Yeah, I went from a nice steel '70s Raleigh Record Ace that I had tweaked and hot-rodded, to an Electra Townie 21D. The RRA was nice and light and nimble, but didn't have the gearing to handle the local hills. The Townie 21D has mountain bike gearing, so now I can zip up pretty much any of the local ski-jump steep hills.
In your case, I would go to a local bike shop, and have them fit you to a "fitness bike" - halfway between a race bike and a hybrid. More upright, affordable, comfortable and controllable than a "roadie," while smaller, lighter and more nimble than a hybrid or cruiser. I would specifically ask for a compact double crank if you're having trouble with hills. Another option would be to go with a mountain bike, and put street tires on it.
Don't be afraid to ask to take different bikes for a test ride, either. Now is really a good time of year to go bike-shopping... after summer but before Christmas.
posted by Slap*Happy at 7:29 PM on October 25, 2009
In your case, I would go to a local bike shop, and have them fit you to a "fitness bike" - halfway between a race bike and a hybrid. More upright, affordable, comfortable and controllable than a "roadie," while smaller, lighter and more nimble than a hybrid or cruiser. I would specifically ask for a compact double crank if you're having trouble with hills. Another option would be to go with a mountain bike, and put street tires on it.
Don't be afraid to ask to take different bikes for a test ride, either. Now is really a good time of year to go bike-shopping... after summer but before Christmas.
posted by Slap*Happy at 7:29 PM on October 25, 2009
As others have pointed out, it's the position of the pedals on the Electra that make hills hard. A hybrid might work; you also might take a look at a touring bike like the Surly Long Haul Trucker or the Jamis Aurora. Another possibility is to get a Kogswell P/R frame and have your local bike shop build it up; the Kogswell is designed for a front load, like a basket. A touring bike will have a bunch of low gears for easy hill climbing--they're designed to move you, the bike, and 50-100 lbs. of gear around.
Don't worry about ease of shifting. Modern indexed shifting systems are easy to use. You might need a little time to learn how best to operate them, but it's not hard.
By the way, the balloon tires are not a significant source of additional weight. Most cyclists would benefit from wide tires run at relatively low pressure. Only racers really benefit from narrow, high-pressure tires.
posted by brianogilvie at 8:16 PM on October 25, 2009
Don't worry about ease of shifting. Modern indexed shifting systems are easy to use. You might need a little time to learn how best to operate them, but it's not hard.
By the way, the balloon tires are not a significant source of additional weight. Most cyclists would benefit from wide tires run at relatively low pressure. Only racers really benefit from narrow, high-pressure tires.
posted by brianogilvie at 8:16 PM on October 25, 2009
Nthing the hybrid. I just bought a Globe Vienna (made by Specialized) and I'm tickled by it.
posted by Thistledown at 10:49 PM on October 25, 2009
posted by Thistledown at 10:49 PM on October 25, 2009
« Older Can an extrovert and introvert prosper together? | How to install tile on oily surface? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by scruss at 3:51 PM on October 25, 2009