Cheap Beach Cruisers vs. High End – On Sale Here w/ Free Shipping! – Peace Bicycles

Deciding whether to buy cheap beach cruisers aka low cost, or inexpensive vs high end? Where can I find something discounted? Do you really want to pay more to get something quality? Where to buy cheap beach bikes for sale near me? If these questions are bubbling in your head…

Here are some of the Beach Cruiser bikes we offer for sale online:

Our Diamond Beach Cruisers

What is a Cheap Beach Cruiser vs a High End One Anyways?

Beach cruisers are popular. You often see them in old movies, as well as real life, when on the waterfront. They are easy to spot, as many people know beach cruisers as “those bikes with the wide tires,” or “those bikes that are ridden by the beach.” While both these statements are true, in that beach cruisers do have these two qualities, finding a high end beach cruiser is much more than this.

In this article, we will show you how to identify a quality vs cheap beach cruisers. You will learn how to evaluate a bike’s frame to determine its quality, and the common features on a beach cruiser. At the end of this article, you will have enough information to identify, and purchase, your dream beach cruiser.

What Makes a Beach Cruiser “A Beach Cruiser”?

A beach cruiser has balloon tires, an upright sitting position, a wide saddle, handlebars that curve towards the rider, a frame which may or may not have an in-step shape, and a coat or skirt guard on the rear wheel. These are the typical features of a beach cruiser.

Not all cheap beach cruisers or high end ones have these features. We are actually one of the ones brands that offers fully equipped standard. And if your beach cruiser does not have some of these features, like a coat guard, and you want them, you can always add one yourself. Beach cruising is a mode of biking that is best fulfilled by this type of bike, where you can take your bike to the beach and ride it.

The definition of a beach cruiser is also not dependent on its gearing system. While many beach cruiser bikes feature one gear (a.k.a. are single-speed), others are not. You can purchase high end or cheap beach cruisers with multiple gears. How many gears you have is really just a personal decision.

How to Tell a Beach Cruiser’s Quality?

While there is a difference between various beach cruiser features, this is not the difference that matters. What separates good beach cruisers from cheap beach cruisers is not their features, but their make quality. Any bike company can build a beach cruiser. Many of them produce cheap beach cruiser – both in price and quality.

The simple test that you can do when purchasing: look at the beach cruiser frame. If a bike’s frame is high-quality, there is a very high chance that its accessories and features will be as well.

Why is this? Well, the frame is the largest, and most obvious bike part that a prospective customer can see. Defects to the frame will be glaring. You cannot hide any defects on the frame. It is impossible.

If the frame is good, it shows that the bike manufacturer takes pride in its bikes, and invest the time, effort, and money into creating quality products.

The inverse is also true. If a bike frame is lacking in quality, there is a high chance that the rest of the bike will as well.

Features of a High End Beach Cruiser Bike Frame

Not all bikes are alike. The features you gain from a bicycle depend on the manufacturer’s decision to include those features in the final product. Like how all of our bikes include front and rear lights, a rear rack or front basket, bell, and guard’s standard. Some cheap beach cruisers can be single-speed because this is the least expensive gear setup. Some high-end beach cruisers are multiple-speed because higher-geared internal hubs are more expensive. An even better determination of quality can be found in the manufacturing process itself.

Welding is a trade, much like professional cycling. It is easy to learn, and hard to master. Anyone, with enough time and effort can learn to ride a bike. However, becoming skilled enough at riding a bike to gain endorsements and win competitions is a different matter. The same is true with welding. Anyone can melt two pieces of metal together. The skill of a welder comes in their ability to ensure that the metal is welded well, and that it remain strong and durable.

The Power of Welding!

One might think that a visible weld is a sign of a bad bike frame. However, it may not be. While manufacturers do take immense efforts to ensure that visible welds are not present in their frames (for cosmetic purposes), sometimes visible welds do occur. A bike frame with a visible weld is not indicative of inferior quality, but it can be.

If you see a bike frame with a visible weld, look at other attributes of the frame. Is the bike frame uniform in shape? What about thickness? Are the paint lines clean? Is paint covering up any defects? Are the beads of the weld uniform? Is the bike frame smooth, or are there slightly jagged metal burs or edges?

The String Test

The String Test is a very simple test that you can use, in-store, to determine whether a bike frame with a visible weld is high-quality or not. Simply take a piece of string, stretch it, and place it next to various areas on the frame. The purpose of the string is to measure the straightness of the various areas of the frame.

If the frame warps, you will instantly be able to tell since the frame will not follow a straight line like the string is wanting to do. Any deviation in straightness will show you the existence of curved, dings, dents, and more that could occur in a low-quality weld.

Considerations Regarding the Weather

Not all bikes can brave the weather, but cheap beach cruisers usually lose. When thinking about weather-resistant bikes, people usually think of mountain bikes. While beach bikes would have some trouble adapting to mountain trails, they can certainly hold their own at the boardwalk.

The Valuation of Price

The perception of price can cause a customer to subjectively determine the quality of a product, prior to even testing the product out. However, while this may not be true in some instances, it is true in others.

Many factors determine a product’s final pricing, including the cost of labor and materials. If a bike is cheaper to produce overseas, it can sell for less than a bike produced domestically. This, however, does not mean that the foreign bike is of a lesser quality. In fact, the opposite may be true.

When considering the price of a beach cruiser, do not simply choose the least expensive, or most expensive one you can find. Instead, make a list of features you want in a beach cruiser, find manufacturers who sell the cruisers you like, and then inquire further with them.

The Puppy Series Beach Cruiser

Our Puppy Series uses high-end hi-tensile steel for its frame. The steel is professionally-welded, and it shows. Other bikes may break or fall apart due to their weld. Not ours. The benefit of using steel (our Dreamer style Dutch bikes use high-tensile steel as well) is that steel is the best for road absorption.

Our Puppy beach cruisers also feature a hi-tensile steel fork, robust front basket, 3 speed internal gears, small chain guard, front and rear lights, comfy saddle, and upright seating position.

What Does a Quality Beach Cruiser Look Like Then?

Beyond the frame, there are other parts and accessories that you should consider when purchasing a beach cruiser. Quality beach cruisers will feature the following parts and accessories:

• Strong Robust and Quality-welded Frame
• Quality Gear System
• Wide, Comfortable Saddle
• Upright Seating Position
• A Baggage System like Panniers, Racks, or Baskets

However, your beach cruiser may also include:

• Front and Rear Lighting
• Coat or Skirt Guard
• Single or Double Kickstand

In truth, cheap beach cruisers and quality ones come in all shapes and sizes. The only way to truly tell whether a beach cruiser is quality is to do some research.

When researching bike manufacturers, do not just look at the bike you want. Look at other bikes, bike parts and accessories, and merchandise that the manufacturer sells. Is there a consistency of quality? Do online reviewers enjoy the bikes? Are these bikes good for you?

Asking all these questions to yourself can help you pick out the perfect beach cruiser for your needs. Purchasing a quality beach cruiser is a big task. It is ok to wait before you find the perfect bike. Finding the best bike does not rely on price, or features. It all depends on how you “frame” the situation.

Please let us know if you have any questions! Feel free to leave a comment below and we’ll get back to you asap!