Originally Posted by
Ridefreemc
I'm looking at an SE Bikes cruiser (they use Touch Down Geometry - not as far back) or a Phat cruiser and they both come with pedal forward positioning. Many years ago I rode a standard beach cruiser, and again most recently, but have no experience with the setback seat positioning. Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of this? How it rides/feels?
I don't think the other posters are talking about crank forward, they're talking about townies/cruisers. We have a first gen Giant Suede back when they were fairly lightweight, my wife's first bike.
https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/SearchListingDetail.aspx?id=93048&make=683&model=56763
Pros: Easy on the knees, good ab workout, higher quad workout, fun on the flats. I could easily cruise at 12-14mpg.
Cons: Steering is slow and sloppy, standing up pedaling requires serious skill, nor a good climber. No room for rear racks or bags.
I modified the bike a bit to make it a little cooler, faster. 7 speed cassette is minimum required as I see it, I wish we got ours with a d-crank up front, there are tmies when I could have used the extra gears. I've done 30-40 rides with hills, small panniers on the front. Overall, a fun ride, but withyn limits.
I normally ride road bikes but this crank forward is a nice change of pace. However, riding one of these will not make you 'bike fit' for road bikes, different muscles in play.
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