Firmstrong Bruiser Man Beach Cruiser Bicycle

I come from a mountain biking background, but have recently been leisurely cruising the rails to trails bike paths with my wife. I didn't really need a mountain bike, and the hybrids didn't really catch my attention much, but when I saw this bike I decided to order it. I was torn between it & the three-six-zero which was out of stock for like 6months. I was going to buy directly from beachbikes.com, however for some reason the shipping was cheaper on Amazon so I bought through Amazon. The sellers were very helpful throughout the process with email updates, and even instructions/videos on how to assemble your bike. I used to work at a bike shop, so assembly was a breeze on this especially since there were no handbrakes to adjust. I'm about 5'8, 185#, and the bike is perfect for me, or guys plenty bigger. When i straddle the top tube, there's not much clearance - but this is a tall & long bike. The "Chief" model would definitely be nice for BIG guys. It's about impossible to find a bike that's not made in China these days, so after trying to find one made in USA I opted for the Firmstrong. There's not many cooler looking cruisers, and it's nice to have the 1 top tube so you can put it on a car bike rack easily. Other brands/models have a second top tube that can get in the way. I was very impressed on how well the bike was made - very solid construction and seems like it'll last for years to come. The 3spd is nice - it shifts flawlessly from one gear to the next smoothly with no grinding. Low gear for intermediate hills - I wouldn't want to go up very steep hills for long periods of time. 2nd gear cruises around 10-12mph on flat ground with minimal effort, and you can really get moving in top/3rd gear maybe 20+mph zipping along. It's tough getting used to using coaster brakes like back when you were 9yrs old, so that's a transition. Seat is comfortable. I tried to hold out for the 7spd, but I couldn't find it in stock anywhere. I like the look of the 3spd more since it's got less cables, however the 7spd seems like the best deal since it's the same price, but has hand brakes & 4 more speeds. You can't really go wrong with either. Mine gets looks galore especially in a rustbelt city where you don't see many beach cruisers. Cons: No water bottle screws in the frame, so you've got mount one on the handlebars, use a backpack, or a basket. It'd also be nice if there was a quick release on the seat and front wheel - but you can add one to your seatpost if you were deadset on it. The bottom line: If you can find this in stock, buy it from beachbikes - they've got great customer service based on my one experience with them.

This is a great cruiser, and getting it from Beach Bikes makes the buying experience better. The bike is just what I wanted and Firmstrong does a great job with the details, it's well made and nicely executed. The paint and fittings are well done. One of the things I like best is this cruiser's lines, the long top bar provides a clean look. But look closely at the pictures as the back of the top bar, where it joins the rear stays behind the seat post, as the design will preclude the easy use of fenders, racks and other rear accessories. There is no screw hole or other way to attach common rear add ons without drilling and other modifications. (There are good attachment points at the bottom of the stays by the wheel hub and again by the crank hub as shown, but not at the end of the top tube.) I added a front basket for utility, and it still looks good. Beach Bikes makes getting going easy and proactively sent information on lubrication and gear settings so I could do this during assembly - very easy, but not included in Firmstrong's directions. Buying from Beach Bikes is the quintessential value add, do it if you can.

Package arrived with no damage and bike was very easy to assemble with great instructions. Based on appearance, the bike is great for the money. I haven't used it enough to comment on overall quality but the only reason my initial review isn't 5 stars is that the rear hub makes a clicking noise in 2nd and 3rd gear. It doesn't do this in low gear and I have adjusted the rear hub as indicated in the owners manual but it still makes the noise. Not a huge deal for me but may be for other folks. All of my other bikes have been mountain or road bikes so this is my first beach crusiser. My only point of comparison is a Mango that I bought for my wife 2 years ago. Supposedly it is aluminum frame but there isn't much difference in it vs the firmstrong from a weight standpoint and the mango was about $120 more. So far I am very satisfied.

I absolutely love this bike! We do alot of trail riding on old train track beds that have been converted into bike paths and we ride around town with friends to go eat - social rides. 3 speeds is prefect. 1 for hills, 2 for flat ground, 3 for downhill. Everyone else on the ride has an 18 speed trail bike - I have no problem keeping up. Plus no stress on my neck, elbows and hands - nothing but comfort and joy on this bike. Plus it just looks cool! Very classic with what I will call an old school muscle car look. Kind of a shame that my expensive road bike just sits there :)

** 5/2016 UPDATE, the wheels are really bad. As stated below I am big, I only ride my Bruiser on the street. At about 2 months in I broke about 6 spokes on the rear wheel. Dustin had his service desk replace the spokes promptly. I replaced them, trued up the wheel and was off. Within 3 weeks I busted 4 more. I put on about 30 miles per week. I have been a avid rider my whole life and I can say with no hesitation this should never happen. A wheel on my mountain bike after a year or two, maybe. But not a beach cruise at 2 months. Though I won't dump my bike (it is beautiful), I cannot in good conscience recommend this product to others. Though I already have and wish I had shut my mouth. At this point the manufacturer has informed me there is no "upgrade" option. They had no comment on the issues or quality of the current wheel. **I would not recommend riding anyone on the handlebars. Ride Free, Have Fun, Ride Safe. Original Post: I am blown away by my bike. I am 6'4", 260 lbs. I needed a daily work rider and didn't want to spend a ton. I have ridden my machine every day since it arrived. It fits me perfect, is comfortable and rides incredible well. I would consider myself a bike geek. I have/had lots of really nice bike brands from mountain to road and I would put my cruiser up against any cruiser manufacturer out there. Simple solid design and easy to work on. I added fenders, awesome.

Rarely do I write product reviews but this purchase warrants a full write up. Having just returned from New Orleans after having rented beach cruisers I decided that it was time to enjoy the full comfort of an easy riding bike. I looked at review after review (thank you product owners) and ended up with the Firmstrong Three Speed beach cruiser. Shipping was timely and all of the pieces and parts were well protected and undamaged. Assembly was a breeze. After literally 20 minutes I was riding around my neighborhood at night. The brakes were very responsive and the chain was attached firmly and securely. Shifting through the gears is a breeze and while a little more noisy in 2nd and 3rd gear it is still very quiet. I'm glad I opted for the three speed version as I do have some hills here in ABQ and the lone cable makes for a really clean look. The It did take some time to adjust the handlebars and seat height but once set this is one of the most comfortable bikes you will ride. Not only is it comfortable but it looks bad ass. The green rims really stand out against the matte black finish. I completed the bike with a rear rack and basket and matte black fenders and I get so many compliments on the bike. I have been riding nearly everyday to work since I purchased it and the few days that I haven't, I just rode around the neighborhood at night. This bike is a joy to ride and brought me back to cycling. I couldn't wait to post my review and picture. I'm very happy with the purchase. VERY HGHLY RECCOMENDED.

Love this bike and hoping to still love it after a replacement arrives. Enjoyed the bike’s size and the way it rides however, for the price I paid, the issues were unacceptable. After the first ride, the nut that secures the peddles in place kept coming loose and caused me to continually stop and tighten it to allow me to keep riding. This happened again on the second ride. On my third and final ride, I stopped and noticed a white grease leaking from the gear hub on the back wheel. This is the major factor causing me to return it and request a replacement. This sort of defect is unacceptable for having ridden the bike less than a handful of times. Hoping these issues are limited to this bike and not the model in general. If so, I will return and update my review to hopefully sing the praises I feel I could deserve.

First off I love the look of this bike it rides great, seat is comfortable and it assembles easily. The decals came of easily as well. The reasons I removed a couple stars are due to the way the bike is packed. It is easy to damage if the handler is not careful in keeping the box upright. The front rim can bend over the frame and crank which is what happened with mine. Can still ride but has a definite wobble to the front rim. When I went to the Firmstrong website they state they will not warranty shipping damage. So I will need to get it fixed on my own. A little frustrating but overall it's a good bike. On a sie note the internal hubs are a little noisy with a constant clicking sound. Not a huge deal but worth noting if you have never had one. In the picture the box on the frame is my bluetooth speaker in case you wondered.