Cruiser (bicycle)
The cruiser (English for "cruiser", or from the English word "to cruise" - roughly "drive slowly") describes a type of bicycle with a curved frame shape and balloon tires that was created in the USA .
General technical characteristics
- a frame made of steel or aluminum
- Tires: between 24 ″ and 26 ″ diameter and 2.125 ″ and 4.25 ″ wide
- Rims: between 25 mm and 100 mm width (custom rims also significantly wider)
- US-BB or BSA bottom bracket
- Gear shifting: usually hub shifts between 3 and 8 gears
- wide handlebar
- sprung and padded saddle
Advantages and disadvantages
Due to the short distance from the saddle to the center of the bottom bracket, the knees are more heavily loaded and the power development is less:
“The strongly lowered (plantar flexed) foot takes place in the m. gastrocnemius no pre-stretching for an effective contraction. In addition, the m. quadriceps only a small amount of force due to the unfavorable lever arm. "
Especially with stretch cruisers and custom bikes - due to the stretched frame - the "jackknife position" (strong bending of the legs and simultaneous forward bending of the upper body due to handlebars that are too short) can put a lot of strain on the arms and spine.
Especially on cobblestones and urban pavement, the balloon tires and the sprung saddle ensure less impact on the spine than on bikes with narrower tires.
history
The first cruiser-like bicycles were already available in the mid-1910s, so the "Indian Motobike" from Hendee already had a curved top tube, a wide curved handlebar and a dummy tank (as a storage compartment for the battery of the lighting system). The balloon tires were taken over by Schwinn from Germany in 1933 and introduced in the USA with the “B10E Motorbike” model. Just one year later, this model was revised and was available as the "Aero Cycle". Compared to the previous year's model, there were only visual changes, but these were style-defining for the next few decades: a curved, streamlined frame with a dummy tank and battery lighting. The cruiser had its heyday in the 1930s to 1950s, there were numerous different and z. Sometimes very unusual models such as the Monark “Silverking Hex-Tube”, which is made of aluminum and hexagonal tubes. Manufacturers from this time were z. B .:
Rare and well-preserved bikes from this period reach high three to five-digit amounts at auctions. With the "Bluebird" by Elgin from 1935, the equivalent of up to 12,000 euros can be achieved.
The decline of cruisers began in the late 1950s and early 1960s when European sport bikes became increasingly popular due to their lighter weight and better mountaineering skills. In addition, the cruisers lost market share to the "muscle bikes" intended primarily for children (in Germany these bikes were known as " bonanza bikes" in the 1970s ). They had smaller frames, oversized "Apehanger handlebars" and gear levers as well as banana saddles. The old cruisers got a second chance in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The old "clunkers" were heavy, but comfortable and practically indestructible. It was enthusiasts like Gary Fisher and Joe Breeze who, with their converted cruisers, chased down the " Repack " on Mount Tamalpais in California in the mid-1970s and thus laid the foundation for mountain biking.
today
Even before the retro wave , in the early 1990s, it was mainly GT revived with the "Dyno" -Cruiserreihe the market. Today the Electra Bicycle Company and Felt Bikes are the largest and best-known manufacturers of cruisers. However, there is increasing competition from low-cost providers from the Far East.
Manufacturer (selection)
- Electra Bicycle Company
- Felt bicycles
- Schwinn
- Nirve
- Project346
- Kustom Kruiser (formerly Dyno GT)
- Firebikes
- PG-Bikes (formerly pimpgarage; in bankruptcy - Regensburg District Court, file number 14 IN 240/13)
- Hawk Classic Bikes
- Ruff Cycles
Cruiser types
- (Beach) cruiser
The classic beach cruiser has a curved frame that is roughly the same size as a normal bicycle frame, 24 "or 26" wheels with 2.125 "or 3.0" tires, a soft, sprung saddle and a wide moon handlebar. The sitting position is relaxed and upright.
Example: Dyno Glide, Felt Taxi
- Stretch cruiser
Stretch cruisers are stretched cruisers. The frame is therefore longer and flatter overall. So you step forward very strongly instead of down. The seating position is just as upright and relaxed with a moon or apehanger handlebar as with a normal cruiser.
- Chopper
The choppers are based heavily on the motorcycles of the same name, so they have a very long double bridge fork and usually a wide rear and a narrow front wheel.
- Lowrider
Lowriders are usually pure show bikes. The frames are very small and the wheels rarely larger than 20 ". Lowriders serve as a display for the craftsmanship of the builder and are designed with great attention to detail.
- Semi-stretch cruiser
The semi-stretch cruisers close the gap between normal and stretch cruisers. They have a less stretched frame and are comfortable to ride even for people over two meters tall.
Example: Project346 Basman, Ruff Cycles Porucho
- Custom bikes
Custom bikes can belong to any of the aforementioned categories. A custom bike is individually designed by the owner (or on their behalf), using a standard frame or a complete frame can be built according to your own ideas. There are no limits to the owner's imagination.
literature
- In 2009 the book "Cruisers" by Johnny Fuego and Michael Ames was published by Gibbs Smith. The book, currently only available in English, shows the beginnings of cruisers up to current models on 158 pages and gives tips on how to customize your own bike.
- The free "Customized Magazine" has been published quarterly since the end of 2008. In addition to custom bikes and cruises, you can find reports on hot rods , rat rods, custom culture artists, shops and tattoo conventions.
See also
- Bonanzarad , a children's bike from the 1970s.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Study by the Sport University Cologne: "Comparison of bicycle tires of different types with regard to the vibration damping of cyclists" ( Memento of the original from February 22, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Website externum.eu. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
- ↑ Indian Motobike from 1916 . Website nostalgic.net. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
- ↑ Monark Silverking Hex-Tube from 1948 . Classiccycleus.com website. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
- ^ Auction of an Elgin Bluebird from 1935 . Bonhams auction house website. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
