Used Cruiser Bikes for sale

A cruiser is built for short, flat, comfortable rides. Seaside promenades, flat cycle paths, pottering around town at a leisurely pace. The geometry is deliberately relaxed. You sit upright, the pedals are slightly forward of the saddle, and the bars sweep back towards you. Everything about the bike says slow down.

This is not a bike for hills, for long rides, or for cycling to work if your route involves more than a mile or two of flat roads. The gearing is low, the weight is high, and the geometry is not designed for efficiency. Most cruisers in the UK are bought for leisure rides at the coast, for looking stylish, or as a summer second bike.

The classic cruiser is a single speed with a coaster brake. You pedal to go, and you pedal backwards to stop. Simple and reliable. The coaster brake takes a little getting used to if you have never used one, because the pedal position when you stop is not always where you want it to be.

A three-speed cruiser, typically with a Sturmey Archer or Shimano Nexus hub, adds a modest gear range for gentle hills. Still a beach bike, but with enough range to tackle the slopes of a British seaside town without walking up them.

Seven-speed cruisers with derailleurs are more versatile. Wider gear range for real hills, but more maintenance than a hub gear, and the aesthetic is a little cluttered compared to the clean lines of a classic cruiser.

Electric cruisers are a growing category. Pedal assist takes the sting out of any hill, and the upright position is ideal for older riders. Prices on the used market are starting to soften as more new electric cruisers come to market.

Under two hundred pounds you are in basic cruiser territory. Older single-speed beach bikes, often with some surface rust and tyres that need replacing, but fundamentally working bikes. Fine for occasional seaside rides.

Two hundred to four hundred pounds buys good quality used cruisers from Electra, Felt, Sun, Firmstrong and the other established cruiser brands. Chrome finishes, good tyres, clean paintwork. Most bikes in this range will need minimal work before being ridden.

Four hundred to seven hundred pounds covers the higher-end cruisers. Electra Townie models, boutique brands like Villy Custom, and the better Felt cruisers. Often with three or seven speed hubs, integrated lights, and leather saddle and grips.

Above seven hundred pounds is where electric cruisers and specialist custom builds sit. Pedego, Electra Go, and the newer electric cruisers from Trek and Specialized. For anyone buying a cruiser as a main bike, the electric option is often worth the extra.

Electra is the best known cruiser brand in the UK and worldwide. The Townie is their flagship, with the flat-foot geometry that puts your feet flat on the ground when stopped. Comfortable, well-built, and widely available used.

Felt makes some of the most visually striking cruisers on the market. The Claude, the Bixby and the Burner are all worth a look. Felt cruisers are often heavier than Electra equivalents but the ride feel is very pleasant.

Firmstrong, Sun, Nirve and Pure City are the American cruiser brands that appear less often on the UK used market but are still worth knowing about. Generally good value when they do come up.

Pashley is the British cruiser option, though strictly speaking Pashleys are more traditional roadster-style bikes than pure cruisers. The Princess and the Sovereign have the upright position and leisurely feel without the curvy American cruiser lines.

Steel rust is the main concern. Cruisers are often stored outdoors, used near the coast, and left in conditions that eat frames. Check the frame carefully under the paint, particularly at the bottom of the seat tube, inside the bottom bracket shell, and under the chainstays.

Coaster brakes. If the bike has one, test it properly. Pedal backwards and the brake should engage smoothly and firmly. Any sponginess or grinding is a rebuild job. Most coaster brakes are rebuildable but parts can be specific to the hub.

Tyres. Cruiser tyres are fat balloon-style tyres that age as much as they wear. Look for cracking, sidewall splits, and any soft spots. Replacement cruiser tyres are cheap and widely available.

Saddle and grips. Cruisers traditionally have sprung leather saddles and either rubber or cork grips. These wear visually but are usually fine mechanically. A new saddle or grips will transform the look of a cruiser for under a hundred pounds.

Bournemouth, Brighton, Blackpool, Southend, Scarborough, Skegness. Any of the flat seaside resorts that have a seafront promenade are natural cruiser territory. An hour spent riding along the seafront on a cruiser is a different kind of ride to anything else cycling offers.

Flat inland towns also work. Cambridge, Oxford, York in parts. The style of the bike suits the pace of these places, and a cruiser in Cambridge looks right at home.

Hills are the enemy. A cruiser in Sheffield, Bristol or Edinburgh will be walked up half the hills and ridden only on the flat streets. Choose the bike to suit the landscape.