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 days I 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=1 Update 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 n Bike is tremendous fun and a great value.

Others have sung this bike's praises, so I won't linger on them: It looks great (especially the orange, of course), rides smoothly, works great. I'll share a few caveats worth noting, though. Putting it together is simple, assuming you have at least a bit of mechanical aptitude. And I stress "a BIT." You don't need much, but if you're a total klutz you might ask for help. You need to attach the handlebars, pedals, and seat (and pump up the tires... and volume, if you're so inclined). You'll need some tools to put it together: at least a 14mm socket or box-end wrench, hex wrenches, and a small monkey wrench will be helpful for the pedals. You'll also need grease (not oil) for the seat post and stem. Instructions are clear. The only issue I had was the chain guard rubbing the chain. The instructions mentioned an adjustment screw, but in reality it was just the metal being slightly bent. Easy to fix. Peel off the ugly stickers on the front fork while you're at it. The bike is made of steel, so it's heavier than a modern road bike, but that's by design. It's meant to take more of a beating. It's not crazy heavy by any stretch, mind you -- just don't expect to be carrying it around with one hand for a long time. The tires are big and wide, but they don't have off-road treads. They're meant for cruising on streets on on the beach -- it's about medium-speed, long-term comfort, not racing. You can go off-road to an extent, but the lack of knobby tires tells you that dirt is OK, mud is iffy. Worth considering for you folks taller than about 5'7" is a "lay back" seat post that will give you extra room for your legs to pedal. I got this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JK9K9KI It's totally personal preference, of course, but worth noting. The bike does NOT have mounting screws for a water bottle holder, so this little jobbie does the trick (although you'll want to replace the bracket it comes with): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UQ7P6HE/ Essentially, that adds standard water-bottle mounting holes. If you have good enough taste to buy the orange model, don't forget the bell: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001SMOYBK Finally, if you're looking for accessories, read the reviews carefully. I found a LOT that were filled with comments from people who got the products free. To me, that's a warning that you're looking at junk. (I'm looking at you, Colorbasket!) Bottom line: Beautiful and comfortable and a great deal for the price.

I am reviewing the 3 speed bike. This is a good bike. It is solid and simple: no hand brakes that require adjusting and no need to adjust gear shifters. I am 5ft-10in tall and this bike seemed larger than I thought, but it is manageable. It is very smooth and comfortable. It really is as advertised. The only thing I do not like is the gear selection. The low gear is not low enough to handle much of a hill, but the description pretty much says that. It does seem a bit pricy. I had to do a little tuning of the front wheel spokes because the wheel was somewhat warped, but that is the case with any bike you buy unless you buy one from a bike shop and pay even more.

I had this bike on my wishlist for while and finally broke down and purchased it. Now I don't no why I waited as long as I did! This bike is well worth the price considering all you get. It is comfortable to ride, the seat is nice and bouncy, the shifter is easy to operate, and it has coaster brakes! I did order the fenders to install along with the initial installation. As far as assembly, well, that went very smoothly and quickly. It took me about an hour to assemble and to put on the fenders, but I also took a couple of breaks. I have already recommended this bike to several co-workers and am very happy that I made the purchase. I will admit that I haven't found a use for the first gear on this bike as I live in a relatively flat area. The second gear is good for slow, enjoyable rides, and third gear is great for cardio activity and to really get going...I have topped out at 20MPH. This isn't a racing bike, it is designed for comfort and fun. Personally, I think it looks great and it rides really well. Again, if you are looking for a nice, comfortable, fun bike, this is it.

Seat impossible to tighten!!! Frustrating! Didn’t put it together within 7 days so I do t image we can get any support!