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Crusier on unpaved trails?

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Crusier on unpaved trails?

Old 03-05-18, 03:28 PM
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RickH
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Crusier on unpaved trails?

Hi All,

I am very much a newbie to bikes. I am almost 51 and just started riding (about 10 months ago) for the first time since I was a teenager! I am now up to 10 to 20 miles on one day each weekend. I bought a Sun Baja Cruz 7 speed with 3.5 inch wide tires (when I bought it, I knew even less about bikes than I do now). My intention was always to ride on pavement and some light trail riding. I live in a very flat area (Virginia Beach). Knowing what I know now, maybe I would have bought a hybrid. However, I love the Baja Cruz, and being ignorant at the time I bought it that it isn't really "supposed" to be used on trails, I have been riding it off road a fair amount. It seems to do just fine. The wide tires have a bit of tread on them, and it seems to do just fine in mud, over small tree roots, etc. Do any of you use your cruisers off road a bit, or do you mostly stay on pavement? I am not sure if I want to switch to some other bike at some point or not. The Baja Cruz is very comfortable, and I have been very pleased with it so far (even as I work my way up to longer and longer trips).

Rick
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Old 03-06-18, 05:39 AM
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I see your 3.5" and raise you a 1/2 inch. My cruiser goes through anything.

More seriously, I would think your bike is better suited for off-road than pavement. The big tires are going to be slow as molasses on the road.
You could probably ride more miles faster on a lighter bike with smaller tires.

But I wouldn't worry about getting a different bike, as long as you're enjoying this one and you're not frustrated with the mileage or slowness. Then just get a second bike. Remember the ideal number of bikes is n+1.
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Old 03-06-18, 09:28 AM
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Cool! Those are both awesome bikes! There is a little resistance riding on pavement, but it's a good workout. I have done 20 miles on pavement. I've been tired, but I could definitely go a bit farther. I'm still trying to build up my endurance. The bike is a bit slow, but I don't mind. It rides very nicely!
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Old 03-06-18, 10:27 AM
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When I got my Electra 7d years ago I started riding it on the beach....but I had to go bigger! That Sun Baja Cruz would have been better for me to start out on. I love riding down dirt roads, trails, and miles of beaches!

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Old 03-06-18, 11:22 AM
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The founding fathers of modern mountain bikes started with modified 1950s Schwinn cruisers in the hills of California. So yeah, they are up to the task.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klunke...Mountain_Bikes

I say, keep doing what you are doing. As long as the bike fits you well and you are having fun, carry on. Over time your desires may change. You might want a different fit, or riding position, or more speed, or suspension. My suggestion is, don't look for a "needed" change. Just ride, ride, ride, and and everything you need to know will make itself apparent to you through a natural process. Someday you may want to make some minor tweaks to your current bike, or you may discover that you'd like to try an entirely different angle. The miles will answer most of your questions.
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Old 03-06-18, 11:24 AM
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So, what do you think they rode on the farm roads in the 50's?
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Old 03-06-18, 03:54 PM
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Originally Posted by mtb_addict
I thought they had to reinforce the frame, to withstand the abuse of downhill. Didn't Joe Breezer experimented with frame design. I thought he later said diamond frame is the best. Not sure how a modern cantilever frame would stand to real harsh punishing trail riding.
Note...

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet
The founding fathers of modern mountain bikes started with modified 1950s Schwinn cruisers
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Old 03-07-18, 08:22 PM
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Originally Posted by SquidPuppet
I say, keep doing what you are doing. As long as the bike fits you well and you are having fun, carry on. Over time your desires may change. You might want a different fit, or riding position, or more speed, or suspension. My suggestion is, don't look for a "needed" change. Just ride, ride, ride, and and everything you need to know will make itself apparent to you through a natural process. Someday you may want to make some minor tweaks to your current bike, or you may discover that you'd like to try an entirely different angle. The miles will answer most of your questions.
Great advice! Thanks!
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Old 06-08-18, 10:27 AM
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ed h
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Originally Posted by SquidPuppet
The founding fathers of modern mountain bikes started with modified 1950s Schwinn cruisers in the hills of California. So yeah, they are up to the task.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klunke...Mountain_Bikes
Some of the earliest mountain bikes were modified 1930s Schwinn bikes. Some cool looking bikes on this website: Alan Bonds CLUNKERS
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Old 06-09-18, 06:38 AM
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Originally Posted by fietsbob
So, what do you think they rode on the farm roads in the 50's?
An unicycle.
That's what Gertrude and her brother, Horace rode to school.

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Old 06-11-18, 06:25 PM
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Originally Posted by jimmie65
I see your 3.5" and raise you a 1/2 inch. My cruiser goes through anything.

More seriously, I would think your bike is better suited for off-road than pavement. The big tires are going to be slow as molasses on the road.
You could probably ride more miles faster on a lighter bike with smaller tires.

But I wouldn't worry about getting a different bike, as long as you're enjoying this one and you're not frustrated with the mileage or slowness. Then just get a second bike. Remember the ideal number of bikes is n+1.
that looks silly fun!
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Old 06-22-18, 06:06 PM
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I took my 19xx's Goodyear down into the salt mines of Hutchinson Kansas a few years ago, and then last year, I put a rack on it, and some junky panniers, and rode the thing from Ottawa, Ks. to Lawrence, Ks. and back. I have also ridden a "local" rail to trail plus through Wichita, Ks. with the grand total mileage at just over 34 miles. Am running 26x2.125 whitewall knobbies aired up to 65 pounds. 44 tooth in front, 19 tooth in back, single speed coaster. This bike is a blast to ride. Both on and off road. By the way, I don't know how much it weighed, but I couldn't lift it up to get it in the back of the truck with the loaded panniers, I had to get into the truck to pick it up! I am planning to do it again this year. Bottom line is this, Air the tires up to 65, (modern tires can take it), and your ride will still be soft enough for a beach cruiser, but hard enough to be a non drag ride. And ride wherever and whenever you want. Oh yes, I am just shy of 50.

Last edited by Iron Horse; 06-22-18 at 06:09 PM. Reason: Add pic!
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Old 06-23-18, 08:13 AM
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Originally Posted by n0+4c|u3
Airing the tires to the point of being so hard they remove the comfort level afforded by using a cruiser tire is counter productive.
Get a high pressure slick or skinwall knobby if you want that kind of ride.
65 psi in 2.125 tire**********??? A knobby**********????

My fillings would rattle out of my teeth and I'd need a kidney belt.
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Old 06-23-18, 08:21 AM
  #14  
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I am carrying alot of weight if you didn't notice. What works for me may not work for you. That was a suggestion to get started, not an order. Depending on what kind of riding the OP wants to do offroad will determine what pressure he'll want to use. Personally, I would really not like getting a pinch flat 20 miles from home when I hop over that branch laying on the road/trail and land on the rock wrong on the other side just because I had only inflated my tire to 35 pounds. That nice cushy seat takes most of the remaining bumps out of the rest of it. Double sprung and gel filled.
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Old 06-23-18, 08:34 AM
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Good morning squid!
The knobs on the whitewall overlap very nicely so there is very little vibration. Only if you are riding in the 13-15 mph range do you notice it, and even then it is mild enough for me that I consider it inconsequential. If you are ever in this neck of the woods, come on over. I will let you try it out!
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Old 06-23-18, 11:11 AM
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Originally Posted by Iron Horse
Good morning squid!
The knobs on the whitewall overlap very nicely so there is very little vibration. Only if you are riding in the 13-15 mph range do you notice it, and even then it is mild enough for me that I consider it inconsequential. If you are ever in this neck of the woods, come on over. I will let you try it out!
Thank you for the offer, but I'm a slick tire guy. I don't even like road tread. I like my tires 100% bald for silence, grip, and schmooooothnes.
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Old 06-24-18, 11:13 AM
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Originally Posted by n0+4c|u3
I had gathered such, but it's not polite to say unless the person in question brings it up.
So, you air a tire up to it's highest static pressure, then you plop your posterior down on it raising it's now non-static (active) pressure to what?
MY point being in my original post is that you either need to lower the pressure in your tires so that your weight doesn't cause the tire to exceed the maximum pressure the tire can handle, or to buy tires that can take what you are doing to them. Clear enough?
MY point was, I was explaining what has worked for me and my bicycle​​ for the OP. I do not NEED to do anything. What I am doing to MY bike, I have done for 30 years. ZERO problems. I will probably continue to do so until I die or until I can no longer ride. End of discussion.

To the OP, my apologies for hijacking your thread. I hope you can find what best works for you. Have a great year, and enjoy your ride.
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Old 06-24-18, 11:54 AM
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Originally Posted by n0+4c|u3
if you run through a patch of wet pavement you'll have a safety margin a slick doesn't have.
There is a lot of discussion and debate about whether that is true or not. I find it all fascinating.

Bike tires having a round profile vs a flat car tire, bike speeds vs car speeds, etc.

My analysis of the subject of tire grip is that the hard and sharp little nibs on the asphalt bite into the soft rubber of the contact patch. The road bites the tire, the tire does NOT bite the road, it conforms to being bitten. Therefore, the more rubber available for the road to bite into, the better the bike's cornering grip. Tread is the absence of rubber. In my experience this holds true whether the road (teeth) is wet or dry.

Standing water (puddles) and painted road lines are a different story. There are no teeth available and all bets are off, treaded or slick. Avoid leaning and braking or on your head you will go.

Knobbies for off road function in the opposite fashion. The knobs are the teeth that dig down into the soft surface and bite it, the soft surface reshapes itself and complies to being bitten to provide vehicle grip.

That's why knobbies SUCK at cornering on asphalt and slicks will put you on your ass on sand, dirt, mud or grass. I have the scars to prove that both are true.

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Old 06-24-18, 12:38 PM
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Slicks grip better in wet city road conditions than treaded tires. They're wonderful on dry asphalt as well. I have slightly treaded tires on my bikes because I ride in areas that have sand, and some loose rocks & dirt. I'd go 100% slick if I stayed away from the back roads in my home area.
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Old 06-24-18, 01:55 PM
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Originally Posted by n0+4c|u3
If those road nibbles can't touch the tire because of hydroplaning, off on your butt you go..
And that is exactly where all the debate becomes interesting. I'm sure we can agree that hydroplaning only occurs on standing water. Wet asphalt is not enough.

Some engineers claim that the round shape of a bike tire makes the front of the contact patch pointed, so by virtue of it's shape it is already displacing the water to the left and right. Unlike a car tire contact patch which is a straight wall and wants to ride up on a plane like a boat on top of the water. The solution for the car is tread to evacuate the water. The same engineers claim that that the combination of that and a bikes low speed make it virtually impossible to hydroplane. The same engineers say that is why airplanes have round slick tires, to improve braking grip in dry, and prevent hydroplaning on standing water. When asked why cars don't use round profile tires they answer that by saying that a rounded profile and sidewall would be to unstable for a car when cornering, something that airplanes only do at a turtle pace and bikes negate by virtue of leaning into the corner.

Jobst Brandt had a pretty impressive engineering resume. He was also a a huge bicycle fan. I think you'd enjoy reading this if you haven't already.

Tires with Smooth Tread by Jobst Brandt
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Old 06-27-18, 03:34 PM
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Oh boy. Slicks vs. treads. This is a can of worms. This should be a topic of it's own.

As for the original post, cruisers are great for trail riding. The only problem comes when some guy with multiple speeds goes flying past you. Keep in mind that there is a minor trend toward simpler trail ringing bikes because trying to keep up with all the latest mountain bike stuff is expensive and you are always chasing after something better. The goal is to ride and enjoy. Cruiser do great off road. It can be more of a challenge when you only have one speed and a coaster brakes, but that also makes it interesting.
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Old 06-28-18, 08:12 PM
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I have to ride down and then climb my mountain in order to find a paved road. While not jumping boulders the dirt road is still pretty rough with some large stones and ruts. So far no wipe outs and the springer front end really helps with the bumps and ruts.
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Old 07-07-18, 12:02 PM
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Now I won't be so hesitant to ride down the dirt trails to the beach. Thanks guys.
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