The beach cruiser is the bike of Florida's beach towns: a heavy steel or aluminium frame with a long curve, wide balloon tires, swept-back handlebars and often just one gear. It is built for rolling slowly along a flat path with the sea on one side, and it is very good at exactly that. Today you can rent one with pedals only or with an electric motor.
What is a beach cruiser?
The beach cruiser grew out of the heavy American bicycles of the 1930s to 1950s, and it kept their look: a curved top tube, wide fenders on many models, a big padded saddle and handlebars that sweep back to meet you. The design priorities are comfort, durability and simplicity rather than speed.
A traditional beach cruiser has:
- One gear, or a small number of gears inside the rear hub.
- A coaster brake on many pedal cruisers: you stop by pedalling backwards, with no hand brakes at all.
- Balloon tires, usually 26 inches and wide, run at modest pressure for a soft ride.
- An upright riding position with your weight on the saddle rather than your hands.
Electric or pedal beach cruisers?
Rental shops in beach towns often offer both, and they ride quite differently.
Pedal beach cruisers are lighter, simpler and cheaper to rent. On a flat path with no wind they are lovely. Their limits show with a headwind off the water, a bridge, or a ride longer than a few miles, because one gear and a heavy frame make hard work of anything but flat, calm riding.
Electric beach cruisers add a battery and motor, and usually hand brakes and a few gears as well. The motor removes the headwind problem and makes longer rides easy. The trade-off is weight, often 55 to 70 pounds, and a higher rental price. If you want the electric version with more modern features, our cruiser e-bike guide covers it in depth.
As a rule of thumb, if your rides are short and the route is sheltered, a pedal cruiser is enough. If the ride is more than a few miles, crosses a bridge or runs along an exposed stretch of coast, go electric.
Coaster brakes: what to know
If you have not ridden a bike with a coaster brake since childhood, it takes a minute to adjust. You brake by pushing the pedals backwards, which means you cannot set the pedals where you want them before you stop and start. Practise a few stops in a quiet spot before you head onto a busy path. Many electric beach cruisers have hand brakes instead; ask the shop which yours has.
Where to ride a beach cruiser in Florida
Beach cruisers belong on flat paved paths near the water:
- 30A. The Timpoochee Trail along 30A is one of the best beach
cruiser rides in the state. See our 30A rental guide.
- Key West. Flat, compact and full of bike racks; our
Key West guide has the details.
- St. Augustine, Fernandina Beach, Marco Island and the Gulf beaches. Short distances and plenty of
places to stop.
On the sand itself, a beach cruiser's tires sink. If you plan to ride on packed sand where it is allowed, rent a fat-tire e-bike instead. Our guide to renting e-bikes at Florida's beaches covers the beach towns shop by shop.
Caring for a beach cruiser in salt air
Salt and sand are hard on bikes. If you rent for a week, a few habits keep the bike, and your deposit, in good shape:
- Park it in the shade or under cover when you can. Heat and salt spray are both hard on batteries,
chains and saddles.
- Keep it out of standing water and the surf. Salt water and electrics do not mix.
- Lock it properly to a fixed rack through the frame, not just the wheel. Our
deposits and card holds guide explains what you pay if it goes missing.
- Tell the shop about any problems straight away rather than at the end of the rental.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The most relaxed, comfortable ride | One gear makes headwinds hard on pedal models |
| Simple and tough | Heavy, especially electric models |
| Cheap to rent in pedal form | Coaster brakes take getting used to |
| The classic beach-town experience | Not suited to sand or long distances |
Frequently asked questions
Are beach cruisers good for long rides?
Pedal beach cruisers are best for short, flat rides of a few miles. Electric beach cruisers can go much further comfortably, but for long trail days a commuter e-bike is lighter and quicker.
Do beach cruisers have hand brakes?
Many pedal beach cruisers have only a coaster brake, worked by pedalling backwards. Most electric beach cruisers have hand brakes. Ask the shop which your bike has before you ride.
Can I ride a beach cruiser on the beach?
Only where bikes are allowed on the sand, and even then the tires sink in soft sand. Many Florida beaches do not allow bikes on the sand. On packed sand where riding is permitted, a fat-tire e-bike works far better.
Should I rent an electric or a pedal beach cruiser?
For short, sheltered rides, a pedal cruiser is enough and costs less. For anything longer, windier or hillier, including bridges, an electric beach cruiser takes the effort away.
