Firmstrong Urban Man

Perfect for a big guy. I'm 6' tall and 290 pounds, I'm 40 years old. I Have been wanting to get physically active, outdoors and I love bicycling. Problem is, most bicycles are not made for a big guy. This bike is rated for 300 pounds. I have searched for YEARS to find a bike that could carry me with out bowing the frame, bending the rims after a short ride or popping the chain. This is MY bike.Let me tell you the pros-1. Coaster brake means fewer cables and less adjusting, honking, squeaking and just general BS associated with bikes.2. 36 spoke rims, front and back, heavy gauge steel great for carting 300 pounds of Me with out a lot of maintenance.3. NEXUS 3 Speed Internal gear hub- this means I get some gear reduction for mechanical advantage on the hills and a nice 'around town' gear for when I need power. This is WAAAAY better than a single speed bike (unless you are a teenager or live on flat ground, skip the single speed) and unlike derailleur style bikes, the chain is fixed on 1 front sprocket and 1 real. The chain does not change gears, the hub does and all your troubles go away (unless you are a serious mountain climber and need all those gears)4. Surprisingly, this bike is light. It's just about 38 pounds, fully assembled.5. The beach cruiser style is a nice upright position with plenty of knee room, no knocking the handle bars or odd body position.6. The seat is serious comfort, 2 springs, nice and wide and the Firmstrong logo in white looks classy as hell.check out the pics I have added.7. The detail in the hand grips is beautiful. Nice simple leather wrap with baseball glove stitching over foam. See the pics.8. It's just a damn good looking bike. Retro classic style, with just 1 cable for the rear hub, the lines are clean and maintenance is near nothing.I have a 31 inch inseam. The bike I bought has a 17 inch frame. I was a little sketchy on the size, at first, but standing flat footed and straddling the bar, it's a comfortable height. I raised the seat up high and the handle bars, too. When the pedal is down, my leg is fully extended so I'm getting the most out of every crank, no short changing.Update 1:10 days in...I have been riding an average of 15 miles per day, I have ridden every day since I got it Aug 1, 2016.I started out in a beach town, all flat riding. I use it for commuting around town and for playing Pokemon go so there is a lot of on and off, sudden stops, close quarters turning, speed up and slow down. Pokemon go beats the hell out of a bike and this bike can take it (so far).The seat remains comfortable for hours of riding and my body is okay because the body position is nice and natural.I have been back home in suburban New Jersey for 3 days and have used it to commute to work. Lots of hills, bridges, steep inclines that take 1 to 3 minutes to ascend in the easier gears. I'm VERY glad for the 3 speed over the single. Potholes are rough, the frame is stiff with no shock absorption. Because I'm big, I go on and off curbs where there is a curb cut or access ramp. Otherwise I get off the bike and pick it up. I do not want to wreck that back rim.On my suburban terrain, I'm not struggling to keep an 11 mph pace and it's plenty fun and comfortable for my 4 mile each way commute to work and home, plus a lot of time in the parks, bike paths and paved trails where we ride with the kids for leisure.10 days in and I'm pleasantly surprised, I'll keep you posted.UPDATE 2:35 daysI changed the tires to Orange Kenda (the same it came with, just orange instead of white wall and added Slime Nail Proof tubes), For commuting to work, I added an Ibera Pak Rak Commuter Bag and some safety lights.I have ridden this bike, now over 500 miles, the wheels are solid, the spokes are good and tight. The frame is holding up nicely and the seat remains comfortable. Nothing appears to be deteriorating.Here is the Amazon link to the RakPak https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LBHDP9O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1Update 3: a little over 1,000 miles, now, about 50 days in.I have done 50+ mile riding days and routinely commute to work on this bicycle. I have gone to New York City and tested this bike in traffic, up hills that I would rather forget, down steep hills and busy sidewalks.1 flaw I'm starting to find, now, is the rear wheel. The spokes are starting to break. I went to the bike shop to have 2 spokes changed and broke another one on the way home. All on the rear, where the weight is.The repair is about 35 dollars at my shop, that included 2 spokes that were 2.00 each so the cost is in the labor.If I'm goi g to be commuting year round I can see I will need to get into a serious bike upwards of 1,000 dollars but if you are going to the park or riding around down the shore, leisure, and not doing 500+ miles a month commutes, this nBike is tremendous fun and a great value.

Very happy with new bike. Can adjust the seat and handle bars to fit my 6’ frame. Bike rides very well and shifting works great. Bigger tires ride good too.

This bike is gorgeous. Make no mistake, this was one of the primary reasons I selected it. The retro cruiser frame with its smooth lines and curves in a shiny black finish definitely draws attention, especially with the bright chrome accents and the white-wall tires. Everywhere I go people stop to comment on this bike. I wanted a bike that functions well but also had character and elegance, and that's what I got with this bike. It really is a beauty.Note: to really spruce up the bike, as well as to help protect against splashes, I invested in a pair of chrome fenders. I was not disappointed. They completed the bike's look, and help minimize mess during/after rains. The set I purchased: B002KVOV2AThe other reason I purchased the bike, besides its cool look, was for riding. Shocking, I know. I had previously used a similar bike, an old '67 Huffy Corvair. I was reluctant to replace the old bike because of its style, its smooth ride, and its reliability. I bike a couple times a week in an urban setting, (Chicago) and while liked how balloon-tire cruisers handle potholes and irregularities in streets, the fixed gear and back-pedal breaks of the old bike weren't very good for fast starts/stops in a city in traffic, and was tiring to keep up with traffic with for long street rides. I wanted a bike with similar comfort, but more breaking control and faster speeds with less pedaling for extended rides. It was difficult to find a cruiser with shifters and hand breaks, but this bike was the perfect match, particularly for comfort.The balloon tires are even fatter than those of my old bike, lending even better cushion against the ever-present potholes in Chicago's streets. The speeds adjust to match the preference of the rider, so I do not have to pedal non-stop as I did on the fixed gear cruiser. The size is a nice step up for me as well...at 6'1" my old bike, even at highest seat position, did not allow for my legs to extend properly during pedaling. Not so with this bike. Make no mistake, this bike is BIG. This is a good thing, particularly for riders of the long-limbed variety. This is a great bike for smooth, comfortable riding and control.The downsides:The biggest downside, which was easily corrected, was that the ring washer for tightening the pedal shaft was not properly tightened. This meant that ball-bearings that kept the pedals smoothly, but tightly rotating were slowly falling out if the bike was jostled. I caught it in time, tightening the ring with a screwdriver, and though with a few bearings missing the pedal housing is a little loose, it's certainly still fully functional.The bike is of the heavier variety, so if you have to carry it you'll have a workout. I added a rack, fenders, and baskets so I am aware mine is heavier for that, but just bear in mind this will be something to think of if you need to lift the bike often. I haven't weighed mine, but if you are looking for a light bike for fast rides, thus might not be the bike for you. It never is too much of an issue keeping a good speed, but this is more geared toward comfortable rides than fast ones.The chain guard brackets are not very rigid or strong, so if it is bumped the guard can rub on the chain during riding. so be careful about the chain guard, and be prepared to carefully bend it back into proper position should it be bumped at all.The bike seat is very comfortable, but oil the springs on the mount, as the seat was creaking as much as my old '67 within weeks of my purchase.The shifters work decently, but do not always 'catch' as you change speeds, so it requires a quick switch/switch back for the gear shift to 'take' at times. It doesn't affect performance, just a minor nuisance.Though minor, the sticker accents are very obviously just that. Stickers on an otherwise VERY classy bike.All in all, I have been very pleased with this bike. It is extremely comfortable and capable, and works well for riding about town in an urban setting. (And looks darned good while doing so.) I affixed a basket rack and three baskets for grocery runs, and fenders for other weather situations, and have been quite happy with the bike. Getting it where I wanted it took some tuning here and there, but now that it's where I want it to be, the bike is a joy to ride. The price point for such a bike is also very affordable. I got more than my money's worth on this purchase. Will this be the last bike I purchase? No. I can tell the quality, though good, won't be able to stand up to decades of wear like my previous cruiser, but for this price and for the added comfort and convenience, this is well worth the money spent.Edit July 18th, 2015: Two years of use, and the bike itself held up far better than I expected. I was contemplating adjusting my review to five stars, when the bike seat broke as I was riding it. The seat was easily replaced, but for simple street biking at my weight (175 lbs) I would not have expected the seat to be the first part to go.