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You aren’t ready for the Tour de Fat ‘till you’ve got your cruiser bike styled out |
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Written by Paul Raymore
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Tuesday, 24 July 2007 |
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Don’t have time to pimp out that old Schwinn single-speed cruiser you’ve had sitting in the back our your garage all these years in time for the Tour de Fat this Saturday? Or, worse yet, your mom or spouse convinced you to sell it at a garage sale for $5 this spring?
Well, no need to panic just yet, as area bike shops have some smokin’ new cruisers for sale, pre-pimped and ready to roll.
Cyclepaths
11073 Donner Pass Road, Truckee
530-582-1890
www.cyclepaths.com
The Cyclepaths Bike Shop in Truckee has been selling a lot of retro-style cruisers since opening their Truckee location, and this summer is no exception.
Cyclepaths is known for their selection of mountain bikes, but they also stock a couple of Felt cruiser bikes with one- and three-speed rear hubs (to help get you and your 40-50 lb. bike up those hills), and a kid’s size cruiser as well.
 Prices range anywhere from $250-$500+ for single-speeds to $350-$500+ for the three-speeds. And of course, all are customizable, with special seats, frilly baskets, different handlebars, streamers and more available to order right in the store or online at www.feltracing.com.
Olympic Bike Shop
620 North Lake Blvd., Tahoe City
530-581-2500
www.olympicbikeshop.com
Tahoe City, with its beach-town feel and lack of huge hills may be the perfect spot to ride a cruiser around, and the folks at the Olympic Bike Shop carry a number of Electra cruisers to meet the demand.
Check out their selection of cruisers, coasters, and Amsterdams — basically one-, three- or seven-speed beach cruisers, retro rides and highly-stylized custom bicycles.
According to Molly Schildhause, “We probably sell as many cruisers as we do mountain bikes.”
Prices range from $300 to $600, and like any good brand of cruiser bikes, Electra offers a huge range of accessories to trick out your ride however you see fit including lights, dice, surfboard racks, mud flaps and much more. Ask to take a look at the Electra catalogue in the store or check it out online at www.electrabike.com.
Factory Bike (aka Squaw Valley Bike Rental)
3039 Highway 89, Olympic Valley (at the base of Squaw Valley Road)
530-581-3399
www.factorybike.net
 For the best selection of customizable cruiser bikes in the area, head to the base of Squaw Valley Road at Highway 89 south and go see Matt Duniho or Ryan “Diggles” Scardigli at Factory Bike.
With over 30 different cruiser bikes for sale out front from Electra, Phat Cycles and Manhattan Cycles, Matt and Diggles can hook you up with the perfect ride to match your personal style, and ensure that you won’t be riding the same cruiser as everybody else in town.
“It’s something they can personalize,” Diggles said. “It’s not so much about the sport of bicycle riding, it’s more the activity. And transportation too.”
Prices start at $160 for simple, single-speed, coaster brake bikes, even choppers. But don’t expect to walk out of the store with just a bare-bones cruiser bike, as the allure of the thousands of accessories is too strong for mere mortals.
“Almost no bike leaves here new without at least like a cup holder or something on it,” Diggles said.
About $250 - $350 gets you into the fancier custom paint jobs and internally geared three speeds, including lightweight aluminum models. And $350 and up — it’s easy to spend up to $900 or more on custom parts and add-ons — steps you up to the hottest frame styles, paint jobs, and custom details, on three-speed, and even seven-speed internally geared bikes.
One thing is for sure: The popularity of cruiser bikes as stylish modes of transportation has skyrocketed in the last few years.
“We’ve been here for four years and you can’t even ride a mountain bike in Tahoe City anymore,” Diggles said. “We had a lady come in and tell us it’s social suicide to ride a mountain bike through Tahoe City. I though that was pretty funny.”
Photos by Paul Raymore/Tahoe World
Top to bottom: Ryan "Diggles" Scardigli of Factory Bike sits on a custom cruiser bike the shop recently built for a customer. Diggles and Factory Bike Owner Matt Duniho pose on custom cruisers outside the shop.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 24 July 2007 )
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