When you're shopping for a cruiser bike, you want to know that you're getting the best bike for your rides. That's why you'll want to make sure the bike you have your eye on has these traits:

1. Simple Gearing — Most beach cruiser bikes have a single gear with no shifters, perfect for flat land cruising. Others have shifters with up to 3 speeds, which helps when it comes to cruising up hills and rough terrain. Whichever bike you go with, make sure the gearing of your cruiser works for your style of riding.
2. Quality Breaks — Beach cruisers traditionally have a friction brake on them (aka. a "pedal brake"), whereas others offer hand-operated caliper brakes. If you're running a friction brake bike, ensure it has a high quality hub to take lots of pressure. For hand brakes, ensure the calipers are high quality and ready to stop quickly.
3. Upright Seating Posture — Beach cruiser bikes are designed to help riders sit upright, easing back and shoulder tension. So if your cruiser isn't comfortable when you sit on it, it's not the bike for you. Look for the most comfortable cruiser that lets you sit upright with your shoulders at a comfortable height.
4. Smooth, Comfortable Ride — Cruiser bikes are equipped with cushioned seats and wide handlebars, which make it easy for you to lean back, relax, and ride. The thick balloon tires that beach cruisers are equipped with help these bikes withstand rough terrain. So when it comes to beach cruisers, make sure their tires are thick, and that the saddle and grips give you the comfort you need on your rides.

You may not see a beach cruiser on the Tour de France, but that doesn't mean the Switz Cruz won't give you quite the workout. In fact, because most are single speed bikes, you can find the right terrain and distance to ride for the workout you're looking for.

• Unlike other bikes with multiple gears to make riding easier, cruiser bikes only have a single gear. The steeper the incline and the longer the distance, the harder you'll need to work to ride.
• Moreover, their frames are generally heavier than road and mountain bikes. That means you'll be moving more weight on a cruiser without any more help. So not only will you get a good cardio workout with a bit of weight resistance, too.

Now, of course, in the interest in safety we should mention that cruisers are meant for casual riding under 10 miles at a time. If you're pushing for longer rides, consider using a cruiser with an electric conversion kit. This will allow you to turn a cruiser bike into an electric beach cruiser with all the same capabilities as before, only with a motor to assist pedaling as much or as little as you need.

The sky's the limit when customizing a beach cruiser. Unlike roadies and MTB's that have very few aesthetic and functionable upgrades, you can virtually rebuild a cruiser bike to your every spec. In fact, here are the most popular beach cruiser upgrades riders make:

• Lights- With safety in mind, one of the first upgrades any rider needs is a set of lights. From tail lights to headlights down to wheel lights, it's important to stay well lit when the sun starts setting.
• Wheels- These are the first major upgrades because they're easy to upgrade and instantly give your bike a bit of style and performance. Mag wheels, for example, look great and help reduce wind resistance. Heavy duty wheels, on the other hand, give bikes an added bit of safety and longevity out of their rides.
• Brakes- Adding brakes to a beach cruiser is going to increase its safety. Though the majority of cruiser bikes come with coaster brakes, their frames and forks often have ports for brake calipers pre-installed. So adding brakes to your bike- or upgrading them if you have some installed- will make your rides safer.
• Forks- These will add a bit of style and safety on the road. Springer forks, for example, have a shock to help absorb bumps and breaks on the road. However, swapping them out takes a little bit of mechanical know-how and extra parts, so only exchange your forks if you're sure you know what to do.
• Saddle- Exchanging your stock saddle with a new one can mean new looks or more comfort. The saddle from Flying Horse, for example, offers a backrest for extra comfort. Saddles like the BBR Tuning hairpin saddle give your bike a touch of retro flare.

And that's just the top 5 upgrades riders choose. That's not including upgrades to cranks, handle bars, or engine kits.

Switz Cruz bikes aren't just limited to the beach. On the contrary- their balloon tires are great to use over all sorts of terrain. They can handle themselves best on paved bike trails, sidewalks, and on low-impact roads. Even better, if your beach cruiser has fat tire wheels, you can on even rougher terrain, like sand and dirt trails.

Of course, like any bike, where you can legally ride a cruiser bike entirely depends on your area's bike laws.

Switz Cruz bikes use front disc brakes and rear friction brakes.

Friction brakes (also known as "pedal brakes" or "coaster brakes") are engaged by pedaling backwards. As you do, pads inside of the rear wheels hub come together, grab the axle, and reduce the speed of the rear wheel to come to a stop. They're the main reason why beach cruisers are so simple to use.

For fast speeds and downhill control, these bikes are also equipped with disc brakes for maximum stopping power.

One of the main reasons the Switz is so popular is because they can easily carry up to 300 lbs. Unlike road bikes with thin 700c wheels, the wheel base on beach cruisers can hold significantly more weight without dragging.

To carry more weight, beach cruisers with fat tire wheels can carry around 350+ lbs on all kinds of terrain. So if you're looking for a bike that can carry a good amount of weight without the complicated (and expensive) gearing of mountain bikes, a cruiser is just what you need.

They absolutely do! In fact, every Switz Cruz bike from BikeBerry comes with an industry-leading 1 year warranty against frame failure. They also come with a 6 month parts-exchange warranty against manufacturer defects.

Each cruiser bike also comes with BikeBerry's Lifetime Assistance. No matter how long it's been, if you run into a problem fixing your bike, need advice on what upgrades you need, or you need help finding your next bike, we're only a phone call, email, or text away.