One speed women's cruiser bike recs

August 16, 2020 4:01 AM

Looking for recommendations for a women's one speed cruiser. I'm looking most at Huffy and Firmstrong. This is for a person who needs a bike that's easy to pedal and not too heavy. It shouldn't feel too physically effortful to ride short distances and should be very comfortable. Also: Would prefer < $ 350. Thank you...
posted by nantucket to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (8 answers total)

Best answer: There isn’t really an overlap of “not too heavy” and Huffy. That said, there are a number of bikes that are in the space of the one speed city bike, such as this Linus that is a little more expensive (400 ish) but will get you a much better bike.
posted by rockindata at 5:04 AM on August 16, 2020 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Public is another option that will give you much more bike for just a little more money.
posted by rockindata at 5:08 AM on August 16, 2020 [1 favorite]

I think it would help if you said more about the prospective rider, where she lives (hilly vs. flat), and what sort of riding she hopes to do.
posted by jon1270 at 5:29 AM on August 16, 2020 [1 favorite]

If you want a one spreed step through frame bike the likes of Huffy or Firmstrong, virtually anything you find with those requirements will suffice. Ease of riding will most be determined by ability of rider, hilliness, bike fit, and possibly gearing.

I'll give you an example. About three years ago, I ended up in New Orleans for about two weeks. To get around, I walked to Walmart and bought a Huffy women's 26" wheel beach cruiser. i'd anticipated this, and had brought a simple toolkit and lock. I probably would have bought a men's bike, but they didn't have any, and I find the step through women's frame has some practical advantages, so I got it. It worked out perfectly, cost under $100 out the door, and in this case, didn't need any significant work to be made rideable. Just adjusted the seat height and I had wheels. The whole region is pretty flat, so gearing wasn't a problem.

If you know someone who can give the bike the once over, Walmart is fine. A bike store that sells cruisers is a better bet if you don't. There are dozens of brands that are equal to Huffy and Firmstrong, I wouldn't hesitate with anything comparable. You can certainly pay significantly more, but what will you get? Some things that matter, and some things that probably will not. The things that really matter will be better quality seat and pedals. These things I find is where corners are cut, and the cheaper seat and pedals are more prone to failing/rotting/falling apart long term. Though in the short term, they'll be fine. Everything else, believe it or not, will likely work fine for years.

As far as weight goes, there's always a tradeoff between price, durability and weight. I've found weight to be something you worry about if you ride a performance oriented bike. An expensive performance oriented bike. With a regular person bike, the weight savings of going expensive aren't as dramatic, but give you something nice to brag about.
posted by 2N2222 at 8:47 AM on August 16, 2020 [1 favorite]

Is the weight a concern about riding the bike or moving it around when not riding (like carrying it into a house for storage or something?). I’m asking because those cruisers are just going to be heavy bikes. I’d also suggest looking at low-end Linus or Public bikes, if they’re available in your local stores. A city bike or step-thru might be less expensive and more rideable.
posted by bluedaisy at 9:12 AM on August 16, 2020 [2 favorites]

Best answer: As the one-time owner of a very cute Huffy beach cruiser, I sounded a lot like your intended bike user. Let me say first that we came to call this bike The Worst Bike In The World. Due to its weight, it was NOT easy to pedal, it was NOT easy to wrangle anywhere, and it was NOT comfortable. It was a fucking struggle.

For not much more than that I got a single speed 1970s steel mixte frame off Craigslist that I could pick up with one hand and pedal very easily. The Linus recs upthread are nice too, as is Public.

Please step away from the beach cruisers. They are cute but clunky and they look so fun! but mine was SO unfun.
posted by fiercecupcake at 1:16 PM on August 17, 2020 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks so much everyone! Follow up, if I may?: Trying to locate the brands mentioned here and one more sign of the current dystopia seems to be a bike shortage. Does anyone have a lead on where to buy a 24 - 26" woman's one speed step through or Dutch style, Public, Linus or equivalent? , I'm in a small city with three small bike shops and no one here has anything like this; looking online and can't find one in stock...so any suggestion for an in stock or soon to be restocked online source would be amazing.
posted by nantucket at 9:15 PM on August 17, 2020 [1 favorite]

Since the initial COVID lock-downs, bikes have been in short supply everywhere. It's toilet paper all over again. My wife and I were both looking for bikes for months this spring. "Retail Arbitrage" scammers have taken to buying the two or three cheap bikes that make it to a Walmart or Dicks each week and flipping them ("brand new") on Craigslist for 2-3x the price. Legit bike stores have very thin inventory and waiting lists.

The assorted people I talked to during our quest said COVID caused a huge bump in demand with so many people home/looking for outdoor activities while simultaneously causing massive supply disruptions with shutdowns and slowdowns all along the supply chain.

We eventually found something for both of us but it took a combination of luck, budget flex, and a willingness to drive to multiple stores on bike delivery days (Sundays and Wednesdays at Academy Sports). An added bonus is that I feel a little extra pressure to ride now.
posted by the christopher hundreds at 7:22 AM on August 18, 2020 [1 favorite]