29% of the population in the United States lives on the coast. If you are a coastal citizen, or if you plan on taking a trip to the coastline soon, you should take advantage of the joys of beach cruising.
There have been a lot of breakthroughs in bicycle designs over the years. What has emerged for coastal bikers is the functional and fun beach cruiser bike.
With specialized design features such as fatter tires and a unique bike frame, beach cruisers are your ideal pleasure craft for pedaling down the sand in style.
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What Is Beach Cruising?
Beach cruising is the process of taking a bicycle for a spin immediately adjacent to or on the beach. Some people prefer to cruise on the hard-packed sand of the beach.
Others prefer to traverse back streets or boardwalks immediately adjacent to the beach itself. Both can be defined as beach cruising.
Whether you choose to take your bike for a spin on or off the sand, you will need some special equipment.
Enter the Beach Cruiser Bike
Some characteristics are common among beach cruiser bikes. The beach cruiser bike is an essential piece of recreational equipment for any cyclist that enjoys spending time on the coast.
If you would like to see some prime examples of top-of-the-line equipment, check out these beach cruiser bikes.
Beach cruiser bikes have some special features that make them stand out from other types of bicycles:
Unique Tires
Most beach cruisers have fatter tires with some enhanced traction. This is useful for navigating your bike over sandy terrain.
Tires on many beach cruisers are kept at low pressure as well to enhance their traction in soft sand, and also to provide a more cushioned ride for the cycler.
Special Bike Frame
The frame of beach cruiser bikes is designed for maximum comfort. It is heavier than the frame of road bikes allowing you to cruise over soft sand in style.
The crossbar of the frame is also lower allowing you to stretch out and enjoy a truly unhindered riding experience.
Simple Gears
Most beach cruiser bikes are fixed gear bikes. This means you don’t have to switch gears as there is only one gear to choose from.
You engage the brakes most on a fixed gear by pedaling backward. This causes the brake pad to stop the turning of the back wheel.
Some beach cruisers have multiple gears controlled by a paddle shift. These types of bikes often have up to three gears, and their braking system is often a handle-bar-mounted lever.
How to Go Beach Cruising
Going on a beach cruise is very simple. All you need to do is find yourself a stretch of beach and buy a beach cruiser bike.
Your ideal beach will be flat, have easy access (over dunes and other natural features), and be devoid of crowds. You also will want to find one that has some harder-packed sand to avoid getting stuck.
This makes low tide your opportune time to go beach cruising. At this time the water will have receded giving you a larger beach to work with. Hard-packed sand will also be more available for you to ride on.
Go For a Beach Cruise
The only things you need for beach cruising are the right bike, a nice stretch of beach, and a motivated attitude. If you have all three, the time is right for a nice beach cruise.
Get yourself to the coast and buy a beach cruiser today. That way you can enjoy a nice long bike ride next to the waves. For other great articles like this one, make sure to check out our website!
