The Next Street Cruiser By Jessica Yamaguchi on - Updated Oct 15, 2011
My Mother in law owns this 26” Next La Jolla Street Cruiser Bike. Every time I see her riding it I can't help but picture the wicked witch from The Wizard of OZ when she fly's by the window during the tornado! The theme song even starts playing through my head. I have ridden it a few times when we have gone to stay at her house for weekends. YES…I do hear the theme song when I ride it…I'm sure my mother in law pictures the same thing when she sees me ride it. It has been a joke since the day she bought it. It really does look like the bike the witch rides in The Wizard of OZ. Minus the basket…
I don't know much about bikes, I'm surprised I even remember how to ride one! But these are my findings for this bike…
This bike is probably the simplest, most basic bike I have seen since I was a little girl. There are no gears to shift, it has one speed and that is how ever fast YOU can peddle! The brakes are the good old fashioned ones...all you need to do is back peddle and you can stop.
It has an extra large cushioned seat that is very comfortable. The handle bars are placed high so that you are sitting straight up and not hunched over. I really like that about this bicycle. The frame is aluminum so it is very light weight but it is also strong. This is not the kind of bike that you would go mountain biking with or jumping. It is truly a cruise around kind of bike. It is best on smooth flat roads. Going up hill can be a challenge since there are NO gears to help make peddling easier. This bike also steers easily.
My mother in law bought this bike at Wal-mart she only paid $89.00 for it. I think that's a pretty good deal. She is extremely happy with it. It was exactly what she wanted. Simple, comfortable and low priced. I like it for all of those reasons as well…I'm not any kind of athlete so a simple cruiser is good enough for me! When my husband and I actually go to purchase our own bicycles, I will probably get one like this or very similar.
The only complaint about this bike is that it has no fenders on it so the dirt, mud, water...whatever all flys up your back. You end up with a mud stripe by the end of your ride. This I am told can be easily fixed by buying the fenders and putting them on. I don't know why my mother in law hasn't done this…maybe it's because I told her she reminded me of the wicked witch!
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THIS is my kind of bike! Unfortunately, I live in a hilly area. I could go down, but without gears on the bike, I'd be hitchhiking home! lol!
So funny-your description of your mother-in-law! You had me in stitches!
This sounds like a great bike. Thanks for sharing.
Any reputable bike shop could fit this with fenders. Glad your MIL is happy to be able to ride around. Great exercise!
Biking is great exercise that I would like to be able to do but I just don't live in that kind of area. This is the kind of bike I would need though. Just the standard. No gears to shift! Thanks for sharing.
Love the Wicked Witch story. Great pictures of the bike.
Cool bike...your right...it does kinda remind you of that bike. Great movie and this bike sounds like a good deal. I'm glad she found something she really liked.
LOL...." Every time I see her riding it I can’t help but picture the wicked witch from The Wizard of OZ when she fly’s by the window during the tornado!"...makes me laugh when i read that , anyway your MIL sure looks very cool on that bike of hers.
I think that you should think about getting her a basket for her bike for Christmas, complete with a little stuffed Toto! ha!
Oh, what a cool bike! I wish they have this in pink :)