Firmstrong 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.

Great bike. Easy to assemble as ordered. Tires weather checked after one year. 3 speed hub works smooth and gearing works well for flat ground. Comfortable to ride as I’m 6’ tall.