Picture this: You’re taking a chill beachside ride. You look to the side and take in a beautiful view of the water (and a nice, cool breeze). Sounds pretty appealing right? The beach is one of our favorite places to bike when we’re trying to start our mornings on the right foot or unwind after a hectic workday. 

Whether you’re a consistent or casual biker, riding on the beach can be fun, challenging, relaxing, and everything in between. 

Below, we’ll break down the best (and worst) bikes for beach riding and how you can get the most out of your beach biking experience. 

Let’s get into it! 

Beach Cruiser Bikes

It’s impossible to write about biking by the beach without mentioning beach cruisers. Beach cruisers aren’t made for the mountains or racing. They have a simple purpose, and their name gives away what they’re the best at — cruising. 

Specifically, these bikes are built to cruise alongside a beach, boardwalk, or even around the neighborhood. 

The wide tires on our traditional beach cruisers are typically 2.125 inches wide, which is typical of most beach cruiser bicycles. Beach cruiser tires are thicker than ordinary bike tires and far less likely to go flat and more comfortable. However, they’re not wide enough to be efficient on the sand itself.

Historically, classic cruisers have always been built with single-speed systems and coaster brakes—brakes that are activated by pedaling backward—to support a simple, no-frills riding experience.

Chatham comes with a variety of different specs to cater to every rider. Chatham can be found in either a steel frame or aluminum frame, designed with a top tube for more structural support or a step-through frame for easy on and off. 

If single-speed isn’t your preference, Chatham also comes in multiple different speeds which you can shift through with twist shifter handles.

Pull brakes are also available on Chatham for braking at the tips of your fingers.

Electric Beach Cruiser

All the benefits of a beach cruiser with a little extra boost.

Electric bikes in general make any ride easier, but an electric cruiser is the pinnacle of easy riding.

Chatham Rev is one of our most comfortable bikes, with a 350W motor, pedal assistance, and throttle to do all the work. 

Supported with soft comfort grips, a wide, cushy saddle, an ergonomic riding position, and cushioning 26 x 2.40 tires, all you’ll need to do is kick back and relax on this battery-powered beach rider.

Hybrid Bikes

Hybrid bikes are another great option for beach riding should you not own a specialized beach cruiser!

Hybrids are generally a cross between a road bike and mountain bike and are designed for general riding as they’re equipped with all the features needed to take on a variety of different terrains.

Our hybrid bikes are built for spontaneity and comfort—a must for beach riding.

Hybrids like Barron come with a padded, ergonomic saddle, a versatile 21-speed drivetrain, shock-absorbing suspension fork, lightweight aluminum frame, and upright riding position to make beachside riding a breeze no matter what.

Fat Tire Bikes

Fat tire bikes are exactly what they sound like: bicycles with wide, treaded tires. The tires on these bikes range from three to four inches wide. 

Remember, thinner tires make it tougher to ride along the sand, while thicker tires have more surface area and grip to roll over a variety of terrains without slowing you down. 

For example, if you decided to take your fat tire bike out for a beachside cruise, and sand had blown on to the path, you’d be able to breeze

However, before you invest in one of these bikes, know that there’s a reason they aren’t as popular as other models. 

Most fat tire bikes have only one speed, so they’re less versatile when it comes to  While this isn’t true for all of these bikes, it’s the case for most. 

Additionally, the bigger tires add more weight to the bike, meaning you’ll be pushing and pedaling a lot harder. 

Fat tire e-bikes are another great option for beach riding, especially if you want to relax with the benefit of large, treaded tires. For example, Valen Rev is a fan-favorite fat tire e-bike that’s a great option for beach riding. 

This moto-style electric bike comes with six levels of pedal assist, a powerful 750W motor, a twist throttle, and a 55 mile range, which makes it perfect for cruising up and down the coast.

City Bikes

Sometimes, you just really crave a beachside bike ride. For those of us that don’t have a beach cruiser, hybrid bike, fat tire bike, does this mean we can’t go to the beach with our standard city bike? 

Absolutely not!

If you use a city bike to exercise, get to school, or ride with friends, they’ll be just as great for biking on paved beachside roads. 

Beach cruisers are made specifically for comfort and leisure, while fat tire bikes are built for more intense riders. If you have a city bike, no worries! You can still cruise just as easily next to the beach as any other bike. 

It may be slightly less cushy than a pillowy beach cruiser saddle, but the result is the same: a relaxing ride next to the water. 

Mountain Bikes

Mountain bikes are made for off-road adventures.

Mountain bike tires normally have a width of 2.25 to 2.4 inches. This is smaller than a fat tire bike and bigger than cruisers and city bikes. Plus, mountain bike tires are durable and made for speed.

In terms of riding on a paved beach road, mountain bikes combine the attributes of city and cruiser bikes. The ride won’t be nearly as comfortable as a beach cruiser, but it still gets the job done. 

Mountain bikes don’t specifically excel at riding near the sand because that’s not what they’re meant for. They’ll work, but you’ll be better off riding with a city, fat tire bike, or beach cruiser since they’re better suited for pavement riding.

If you’re looking for more of a workout as you roll along the seaside, by all means use a mountain bike! Mountain bikes are heavier than most bikes, which means that, similar to the fat tire bike, you’ll be pushing and pedaling harder.

Retrospec: The Best Bikes To Ride on the Beach

Now that we’ve gone through multiple different types of bikes and determined which ones are the best for the beach, you might have decided it’s time for an upgrade. 

Look no further than Retrospec. 

Beginner or experienced, novice or rookie — whoever you are, we’ve got something for everyone. With a unique and bold style combined with convenient affordability, nobody does biking like Retrospec. 

We have all the gear you need to begin your cycling journey or take it to the next level, from the beach to the mountains to the city. Find a bike shop near you that carries our bikes here.

We believe in making nature second-nature. Hit the concrete — or sand — rolling, and we’ll see you out there!