The 12 Best Cruiser Bikes (2024)

From $400

Frame: Steel | Gears: Single-, three-, seven-, and 21- speed | Brakes: Coaster brake

Sixthreezero’s Instagram-ready cruisers are relatively affordable and come recommended by Hayley Shaw, co-owner of Newport Beach Bike Rentals. The store’s entire fleet is made up of these cheap and cheerful cruisers, which look great in vacation photos (hers is teal blue). They “have a fabulous crank,” she says of the bikes, meaning you can go farther. Though not as high-end as Electra cruisers, Shaw’s rental bikes have held up well to daily use on flat (yet sometimes rather sandy) bike paths: “Our first fleetlasted about three years. No maintenance, just some oil on the chain, fill up the tires, and wipe her down.” She adds that the bikes, which can be customized up to 21-speed, are surprisingly rust-resistant.

$1,000

Frame: Steel | Gears: Seven-speed | Brakes: Hand brakes

If you have bad knees or plan on biking off-boardwalk, a pedal-assisted cruiser bike might help. Alix Umen, co-owner of the Starlite Motel in Kerhonkson, New York, fell in love with Retrospec’s Beaumont electric cruiser while on a beach vacation — so she ended up purchasing a fleet for guests to use when exploring state parks and swimming holes. The bike’s battery is discreet, and its aesthetic is still “modern retro” enough to match the motel’s lovingly restored rooms. Plus, the pedal assist comes in handy on rail trails and back roads. Umen was a newbie to electric bikes and says Retrospec’s ones are great for beginners. “There’s not much to it, and the batteries charge in a couple of hours. I’m totally obsessed with them now.” She notes that the bikes have luggage racks that make it easy to haul a suitcase— or packed picnic — around.

$280

Frame: Steel | Gears: Single-speed | Brakes: Coaster brake

Several experts mentioned Retrospec’s relatively affordable nonelectric cruiser bikes. They’re a best seller at Rockaway Beach Cycles, as well as the stars of the store’s rental fleet. Grassini explains that customers are immediately drawn to the brand’s vintage styling and enjoy customizing their rides with baskets, banana seats, and other accessories. “We get people who come in here and fall in love with the color of a bike,” she adds. “Especially one customer who buys everything red — we call him Mr. Red.”

$300

Frame: Aluminum | Gears: Single-speed | Brakes: Coaster brake

Retrospec’s attractive beach cruisers are also beloved at Beachside Bike Rental in Redondo Beach, where owner Isaac Huerta says that their good looks always draw in customers. Aesthetics aside, “they’re super comfortable, especially as the seats are wide and cushioned.” He prefers the brand’s upgraded Chatham Plus bike to the entry-level model above, as it comes with wider tires and a lightweight aluminum frame as opposed to heavy steel. He also points out the bike does have stainless-steel spokes, which will hold up best against rust, and praises its no-slip grips and unusually solid kickstand. “The price is great for a very reliable bike,” he says. One note: Huerta has observed that some of Retrospec’s women’s cruiser bikes (notably in the pink colorway) lack a quick-release clamp on their seat posts. This means that you’ll need an Allen key to adjust the seat up and down, which is an inconvenience few riders will want to put up with. Luckily, he says, these quick-release clamps are affordable and easy to install yourself.

$500

Frame: Steel | Gears: Single-speed | Brakes: Coaster brake

If you really want to lean into — or rather, lean back into — a vintage aesthetic, Tuesday’s bikes are the cruisers of choice at Bike Palm Springs, where they feature in photos backdropped by retro motels and pools once swum in by Frank Sinatra. “A lot of influencers have reached out to us because of the style of the bikes,” Wood says, adding that he’snoticed that the cruisers are mostly for tourists coming to explore architecture and see the sights. Still, when it comes to any bike, looks aren’t everything — and he’s found that the Tuesdays can withstand “a good amount of wear and tear,” as well as that punishing desert heat.

From $499

Frame: Steel | Gears: Single-speed | Brakes: Coaster brake

Californian brand Linus goes slightly more minimalist with its European-style Dutchi cruisers. While these bikes still have that sloping, step-through frame, their tubes are thinner and sleeker than those of other cruisers. The colors are a little more Pantone. “People see them and just want to ride,” says Matt Wright, general manager of the Skyview Los Alamos, Hotel Ynez Solvang, and the Granada Hotel in San Luis Obispo. Linus bikes are available to rent for guests who want to pedal their way around wine country at all three resorts, where they’re a hit. “People immediately start taking pictures before they go down the hill,” Wright adds. Speaking of hills, these cruisers can be upgraded to three-speed for added efficiency.

$599

Frame: Aluminum | Gears: Three-speed | Brakes: Coaster and hand brake

Constructed from ultralight aluminum with sealed bearings to fend off salty air, the Priority Coast is a preppy cruiser that brings to mind coastal New England. You’ll find a fleet of these three-speed bikes at the White Elephant hotel in Nantucket’s historic downtown, where they’re beloved by staff and guests alike. “They don’t have a chain, they have a belt — so they’re just very easy to maintain with not a lot of parts,” explains the hotel’s managing director Bettina Landt. “I’ve never seen any of them rust, and rust is one of our biggest enemies on the island.” She says guests love the nostalgia of pedaling the bikes around cobbled beach paths at their own pace: “It’s not for the avid biker, necessarily, it’s more that leisurely cruise.”

From $869

Frame: Aluminum | Gears: Three- and seven- speed | Brakes: Coaster and hand brake

Vivelo’s La Donna is deliberately eye-catching. Think Miami’s Wynwood Walls but in bike form. Fully customizable, from the fork to the rims, these rainbow-hued bikes are handcrafted in the Florida capital’s art district by a small and dedicated team. Hudson Yards–based influencer Diana Ossers received hers as a gift from her husband, who customized it in her favorite colors and even had the company engrave their anniversary date on the bike’s frame. She says that her cruiser sparks constant compliments and conversations when she takes it down the West Side Highway or pedals to the flower market. “It’s an attention bike. Everyone looks at you.”

$399

Frame: Steel | Gears: Single speed | Brakes: Coaster brake

During a two-year stint living in Venice Beach, lifestyle blogger Kat Jamieson couldn’t help but notice that all the locals were getting around “on these amazing Solé cruiser bikes,” which feature a Dutch-style step-through frame that’s a little more subtle in its retro stylings. She picked one up for herself to explore her new neighborhood, often encountering the company’s founders (a group of “down-to-earth Californian guys”) when pedaling around. “I was looking for a neutral color, a beach cruiser I could ride on the boardwalk at night and to the beach during the day,” she says. “The style, the quality, the price was right.” Jamieson has since moved to Connecticut, and her Solé bike came too — she recently purchased one for her husband too.

$400

Frame: Steel | Gears: Single speed | Brakes: Coaster brake

Evans has quite the collection of single-speed bikes, but he says his favorite is this “old-school” cruiser. He’ll take his out on Thursday-night social rides in Denver, and loves the bike for its combination of functionality and classic, slightly rockabilly good looks. “It’s super retro [with] the arched dual crossbar,” he says. “It’s affordable, really sturdy, and easy to ride — feels like an old bike, but it’s brand-new.” In his past life as a bike-shop owner, he says he sold hundreds of Huntington cruisers “because they’re so slick and cheap.” You can expect your Huntington Beach bike to last a while, and should any maintenance or repairs eventually be required, Evans adds that the cost of parts is reasonable.

$400

Frame: Steel frame | Gears: Single speed | Brakes: Coaster brake

If you’re taking your beach cruiser to, well, the beach, Sun bikes was a brand mentioned by all the boardwalk experts we spoke with. “They’re built for a salt environment,” says Kulp of the “very traditional-style cruiser.” Sun’s cruisers are “really, really well-built bikes,” agrees Rocio Cabas of Blazing Saddles Bike Rentals and Tours on Governors Island. “They just last.” Sun-cruiser bikes are popular in Key West, where Eaton Bikes owner Chris Wild says they are the “mainstay” of his sales. “They come in gear options and lots of colors, a lot of which look and feel very tropical,” he says. “We sold three just today.”