flatrockmobile

Which would be the better choice and why?
Mainly riding around a beach town and on a hard packed beach.

alloo

Who makes these bikes?

flatrockmobile

Firmstrong Urban Man, sixthreezero Around the Block.
I think they are both the same company and the bikes look similar. Just trying to see if anyone here has experience with them or knows if they are different in any way. Chinese imports I would think. Both get good reviews on the net.

coopman

They look very similar, as do most cruiser type bikes. Cruiser bikes are very rider-friendly bikes. You will likely be happy with whichever one you choose.

rhenning

The best choice is made after you ride them not by looking at pictures or on the net. Roger

flatrockmobile

I wish I could ride one first but none are available near me. Seem to be online only.

coopman

If you could find one in your area via craigslist, you could take it for a test drive. If not, I believe that sixthreezero has a fairly lengthy return policy on their bikes. Check their website for the details.

restlessswind

I just bought a Firmstrong Urban Deluxe on a phone order yesterday with them. They insured a 365 day satisfaction return policy, including return shipping. I say get the one you like the looks of best. That's what it really comes down to with most beach cruisers.
Give them a call, and have them answer all your questions. Yesterday, I spoke with a very nice lady named Karen. She even waived the shipping charge. She also was able to sell me a bike that showed as SOLD OUT on the website. (I'm assuming they just received a new shipment)

I was at a local bike show last week, and someone there said that Firmstrong/630 use higher end hardware/parts than Micargi. I had been on the fence for a while too, and I am now excited for my new toy to arrive! I also read some posts that they are used in rental fleets as well.

flatrockmobile

Thanks for the info, restless.
That's the stretch model, right? What's the tooth count on the front and rear?

alloo

I own a sixthreezero EvryJourney 7 spd. Good bike, but I like my Townie bikes better.

restlessswind

Yes it is. I think the ring gear is 40 and I don't know the cog, but that is an easy, cheap swap if it's too high a gear. My Electra Cruiser 1 has a 44 x 22 , and very easy to pedal

coopman

I had the rear cog on my Electra Cruiser 1 changed from a 22 to an 18. The bike was just too easy to pedal with the 22, IMO. It is a little harder to get going when starting from a complete stop, but I like it much better once I get up some speed. It's all about personal preference.

restlessswind

Yes, I want to change the gear too. It's too easy, and I can't get any speed, but I usually only ride it at bike parties

flatrockmobile

The other day, I picked up 2 Gravity EZ Cruz bikes from a lady that runs a bike rental and repair shop on the Beltline in Atlanta. These have been used and abused over several years but have been very well maintained and any repairs professionally done.
These are actually very comfortable bikes and suit my needs perfectly.
Tooth count is 44/22. I changed one rear cog to a 20t already and might go with 18t sometime in the future.
Thanks for the advice and help.

restlessswind

I received the Urban Deluxe Saturday morning.
It came 5 days after order. The flap on the bottom of the box was open, but miraculously, nothing escaped.
The chrome looks great. The front wheel was zip tied to the mid section of the bike, and the crank arm was twisted inside the wheel's spokes. One of the spokes was slightly bent, and the wheel was out of true. I was able to straighten up the wheel in about 20 minutes.The cones on the front axle needed to be loosened.(this seems to be common on even some high end bikes). The rear hub was perfectly adjusted. The chain was too tight, so I loosened the rear wheel and gave a little slack to the chain. The fender stay nuts are not locking. I will be replacing with lock nuts. The handlebar grips are straight up junk. Plastic chrome trim is cheap, otherwise, they could be fairly nice. I will swap out to some standard Electra finned grips when these start to break down. Won't be long. The bottom bracket loosened up after a 5 mile break in ride. I think I should repack it. These are all just minor knit-picked issues. My only real concern is that the stem (goose neck) is an extremely tight fit into the steerer tube. I forced it in, but it won't come out. I will need to use some brute force to get it out, and then hone the inside of the steerer. (and repack the headset)
Other than that, beautiful bike. Saddle appears to be a cheapie (thin spring wire), but it is surprisingly soft and comfy. Besides the steerer tube being tight, the fork unit actually seems very strong and decent quality. (I will hone it out with a brake cylinder hone attached to a hand drill.) Oh, the gearing is 40 x 18. I was able to climb over a railroad levee without walking it.

flatrockmobile

Looks very nice!

coopman

Looks like a sweet ride. Looks loooong and sexy. Congrats!

coopman

I see you put a bell on yours too. Everybody seems to love it when I "ding a ling" them when I pass by, especially the younger kids.

restlessswind

Thanks y'all. I like it. The bells do encourage smiles and friendly gesture. That one is a "Ding- Dong" I had laying around. I also use it repeatedly to rude drivers being jerks. We also ring other bikes in passing.
The kids really love the wheel lights too