Beach Cruiser vs Mountain Bike for pavement rides.

[Boyntonstu]

I gew up riding a Schwinn with the external front spring fork.

It rode fine on the very smooth streets of Brooklyn, N.Y,

Next I rode a non-suspension Raleigh with an oval chainring. It was OK but not great.

My next ride was/is a 20" "kids" mountain bike with spring forks and a hard tail.

The fork spring was designed for a much lighter rider and it is great.

To date, the smoothest ride.

My E-Bike is the 26" mountain bike with a spring fork and a rear suspension.

The rear spring is not under pre-tension because I backed out the adjuster.

This is the hardest riding bike that I ever rode.

I wonder whether a Womens 26" beach cruiser with wide tires at 35 psi would give a smooth ride.

 

[dogman dan]

Not a better ride than a real full suspension bike. One with real shocks. I'm talking like the front shock alone cost $500. I can tell your bike is not a good FS bike, it's a bike shaped object. A department store cheapie. You don't have 5" of rear wheel shock travel.

A beach cruiser can also have a nice ride, but it still suffers from the same problem almost all bikes have, the seat is positioned nearly above the rear wheel.

A long tail bike has the seat right in the middle of the frame, farther from the rear wheel. This allows the front and back wheels to roll over bumps going up and down while the seat just rocks slightly.

I have a very bad back, and I ride two kinds of bikes. Decent quality FS bikes, and longtails. Longtails for street.

For now, you might try some big beach cruiser tires on that mtb, and lower pressure.

 

[Boyntonstu]

Not a better ride than a real full suspension bike. One with real shocks. I'm talking like the front shock alone cost $500. I can tell your bike is not a good FS bike, it's a bike shaped object. A department store cheapie. You don't have 5" of rear wheel shock travel.

A beach cruiser can also have a nice ride, but it still suffers from the same problem almost all bikes have, the seat is positioned nearly above the rear wheel.

A long tail bike has the seat right in the middle of the frame, farther from the rear wheel. This allows the front and back wheels to roll over bumps going up and down while the seat just rocks slightly.

I have a very bad back, and I ride two kinds of bikes. Decent quality FS bikes, and longtails. Longtails for street.

For now, you might try some big beach cruiser tires on that mtb, and lower pressure.

I am taking your advice.

A long tail bike has the seat right in the middle of the frame, farther from the rear wheel. This allows the front and back wheels to roll over bumps going up and down while the seat just rocks slightly.

IOW The seat is midway between the tire/road patch.

Longtails. Any reasonably priced ones?

 

[Drunkskunk]

Longtails. Any reasonably priced ones?

Depends on your idea of reasonably priced. Craigslist is your friend, and a used cargo bike can be found for a few hundred. Another form could be a tandem bike. replace the rear seat with some kind of cargo rack if you don't want passengers.

Dogman modified a cruiser frame. If you have access to a welder, that would be a great way to go. I built a longtail frame, and can't stress enough how well that idea works.

Fatbikes ride smoother than many walmart full suspension BSOs (Bike-shaped objects). But if you're not into fatbikes in general, much of the benefit can be had from balloon tire cruisers.

 

[ecycler]

Good tires definitely make a difference too besides the suspension, and longer frames. Other than fat bike tires and motorcycle tires at lower psi, the largest size Schwalbe Big Apple tires provide the most supple ride I have found so far.

 

[OptimusPrime]

Two possible ideas, electrify the 20 incher you love or put balloon tires on the MTB and get a Thudbuster suspension seat post. I think I'd try the latter first. Put the fattest tires on the MTB that will fit and inflate them to the lowest pressure you can. That in conjunction with a Thudbuster outfitted with the appropriate elastomer should do the trick.

 

[dogman dan]

I'm too broke to buy a longtail, they do tend to be a bit pricy,, not because they are long, but because cheapo bikes are not made in that category.

There used to be an attachment that made most any 26" bike into a long tail, called the extracycle. Unfortunately, they don't make them anymore, they just make long frames now at extracycle.

But if you haunt e bay, craigslist, etc, you might find a used one.

The welding to lengthen a steel beach cruiser, or mtb, is fairly straightforward, if you want to go that route. It did take me a few projects before I felt my half assed welding was good enough to proceed with the long cruiser.

 

[LockH]

Had to look up your situation re "smooth" pavements:
http://www.brooklynrail.net/info_streetcar.html

Hehe... Local to me (Toronto) pavements are anything but "smooth" AND feature numerous street car/trolley tracks.

So I'm currently on a TRIKE (stance of that 3rd wheel) PLUS recumbent. (Not as far to hit the ground.)

So "beach cruiser vs mountain bike") Two designs that aren't even "in the running", for me. :wink:

Would at least be looking for wider tires.

 

[Boyntonstu]

Hey Guys!

You were right.

Seen here are Duro 2.125" $30 the pair shipped.

The white walls are nice too.

Smoooooth riding in comparison to what I had the day before.

Not 100%, but close enough to get over the ridges in the pavement at a stop sign that used to jar my teeth with MTB 1.95" tires..

 

[spinningmagnets]

I agree with dogman. Longtails rule the street. Those who don't like them, probably haven't ridden them.

I have a fat tire cruiser frame, 3.5 inch tires, and plan to go to 3.0 when they wear out. On a hardtail, it is vital to have a suspension seat-post....Suntour NCX and Thudbuster are the top two seen. I have tried both, and they are both excellent choices. If you spend the majority of your time at 20-MPH, then this configuration can be very satisfying. As you approach 30-MPH (or more?) suspension becomes more important. You might think this is for comfort, (which is of course a major benefit) but...proper suspension can avoid a wreck, and can also save your back and neck from serious injury from a very hard pothole hit, even if you don't wreck.

If you have fabrication skills, a longtail doesn't have to be expensive. The cheapest bikes are steel, and they make the best "parts donors". Take two frames of the proper type, cut and mate, then take to a muffler shop and have the guy weld them up for $40. Also, consider a fattish tire on a 20-inch rear wheel.

"DIY longtail, could it be this easy?"
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9673

 

[docw009]

Nice air horn. I ring my bell on the bike path and some people jump a foot in the air. Others are walking straight at you, holding their phones in front of their face and they have earbuds on. I dunno. I'll just keep slowing down for them.