2700 bucks for a beach bike?

[OriginalGeek]

I love this Tommy Bahama bike but not THAT damn much.


OK, so it has an electric motor but still - I just don't see what makes this bike worth $2700.00

I mean, I could get a motorcycle for that! Except my wife won't let me.

But she'll let me get a bike. But not this one.

IS this a specific style I can look for or do I just gotta trawl through a million online pics of bikes?

[PoliticAverse]

1. Do you plan to use the bike you buy on the beach ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruiser_bicycle

'Beach cruisers' have large tires and need a frame with extra clearance for the tires.

The one you pictures is a cruiser with handlebars meant for a very upright riding position.

An example: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/snake_eyes.htm

[OriginalGeek]

2. well, mostly the neighborhood

but i might end up at the beach some days...

[PoliticAverse]

4. consider a cruiser bike with 2.1" tires and upright handlebars - ~ $250. n/t

[bluesbassman]

6. Hmmm. I have a feeling OriginalGeek might be a bit too tall for those tires.

This guy would fit though.

[OriginalGeek]

8. the sad part is

he probably looks more graceful than I will...

[PoliticAverse]

11. Ha ha - good one. n/t

[OriginalGeek]

7. That sounds wayyyy more my speed.

I'm not trying to be a biker - I just wanna get a little exercise and I like the looks of that style. I'm not even sure I need speeds - but I'll have to probably try some out to make sure. I haven't ridden a bike since high school.

[Ptah]

3. You could go with this modified version:

[OriginalGeek]

5. If those drums hold beer

I'm in!

[Ptah]

9. Those are for floating so you can pedal out to the surfers, bringing them a drink.

[OriginalGeek]

12. Yeah, I'd share my beer with surfers

They need beer too!

[OriginalGeek]

10. Schwinn Panther looking good

Still a little spendy at $440.00 msrp but much better than Tommy Bahama. Tommy's damn shirts are too expensive too.

[Major Nikon]

13. That much is not out of line to pay for a really good electric bike

I'm not familiar with the one you mentioned, but the high end electric bikes have some pretty sophisticated features. They have electronic controls that sense pedal input and apply battery power only as needed. Not only is this a big improvement over manual controls, it also saves battery power. There's also a lot of things like suspension, brakes, weight, and other factors which distinguish cheap bikes from expensive bikes.

The particular bike you listed looks like it has a lot of fluff like leather stitched handles and seat which you are undoubtedly paying extra for. It doesn't appear to come with lights like some electric bikes do.

[OriginalGeek]

14. I figured it was the Tommy Bahama name

even though that is a kick ass color lol...

But I'm not even looking for an electric bike just to toodle around the neighborhood. I just saw it while cruising the TB site because my wife wanted to buy a hat from them and it jumped out at me. Then I saw the price and just wondered what they could be doing to make it cost that much.

I have a friend that spends thousands on his biking stuff but he is wayyyyyy serious about it. I'm not even on the same planet as he is.

Golf and Bowling are the only activities I'm willing to buy special shoes for. Coincidentally, I can drink beer and smoke cigars while doing them too. (well, have to go outside the bowling ally now to smoke but still...)

[Major Nikon]

18. High end electric bikes are commonly used by people who use them to commute

If you're riding one every single day back and forth to work, that amount of money is not out of line. I have a friend who commutes on his bike. He started out with a regular bike that he converted to an electric bike. Now he has a really nice commercial electric bike. It wouldn't surprise me if he paid around $2500 for it.

[OriginalGeek]

20. while looking at the Schwinn cruisers

I noticed they have a couple electric models too and they are also in that same price range...

Since I seriously doubt Tommy Bahama has a bike plant somewhere I imagine someone is making theirs for them but I don't know who - I have no idea what brands are considered good and what are just marketing and/or cheap crap.

edit to add: It probably doesn't matter to me that much either - any cheap bike (or used as pointed out below) will do me unless and until I decide I like it enough to get more into it. Although I don;t wanna just throw away 250 bucks - I'f my research leads me to discover some have reputations for higher quality than others I'd probably seriously consider spending a little more...and I would also prefer American made in a union shop if I can find that.

[Iggo]

15. No, that's $2700.00 for the name "Tommy Bahama".

[OriginalGeek]

16. After looking around their site

I believe you.



I guess I'm not a 1%er - I thought a hundred and twenty bucks for a linen Hawaiian flowerdy shirt was ridiculous.

And I LIKE Hawaiian flowerdy shirts...but 20 bucks at Target for all cotton and they last a couple years is fine by me.

That Tommy ain't shy with the price gun.

[alphafemale]

17. Check Craig's List

Especially if you've got time to sit and wait awhile.

People sell lightly used high quality bikes there every now and then. Also if you are near a beach check with your local rental places. Great quality bikes. Highly used. But usually can be tuned up easily enough. They usually trade them out for cosmetic reasons.

[OriginalGeek]

19. Great ideas - thanks!

Yep. I'm in florida - I think i can find a beach around here somewhere...
(although you wouldn't have known it with the rain we've had for the last several days - but it's sunny and bright this morning)


I expect to be moving to a neighborhood in the next year or two that has bike paths away from the streets all throughout the different sections. So there's no huge rush although i would probably ride in my current neighborhood if I got it before moving...

[AnneD]

21. Hubby motorized a bicycle a few years back....

We loved it (until it got stolen).

He was driving alongside a a roadway when he was pulled over by the cops. They wanted to write him a ticket (he is Indian and dark so I think it was a DWB thing). They called dispatch and seemed rather disappointed when they discovered there was no law against driving 10 mph on a motorized bike on the side of the road. Maybe this is a career option for him.

[OriginalGeek]

22. NOT getting a ticket and

simultaneously sticking it to the man is double awesome day.


But that sucks it got stolen.

[AnneD]

23. Yeah...

we had a good laugh.

He told me it was fairly easy to do so maybe I can talk him in to motorizing our bikes. He is great repairing motocycles and has made extra cash by buying old cycles and fixing them up.