‘Electric Beach Cruiser’ sounds like an oxymoron.
Why would you need a 500-watt rear hub motor offering a top speed of 28 mph and the ability to engage the throttle or choose from 5 different pedal assist modes just to cycle recreationally on a beach, AKA, go cruising? The Dude, the king of lowkey, might ask the same question.
Turns out, there are many excellent reasons to add the Priority Bicycle e-Coast to your collection of wheels. Here’s why.
Biking at the beach sounds romantic, but, like booking an Amtrak journey across the country, the experience rarely matches the vision. Dragging a bike through dry, soft, unstable sand up to the packed beach near the surf is a CrossFit workout with the unfortunate aftermath that guarantees your bike contracts greyscale (i.e., rust) by the start of the next beach season.
There are electric bikes for commuters, shoppers, trail riders, and even road bikers, but until now, not one expressly for beach cruisers and the unique challenges of a water and salt-laden environment. Priority Bicycles, based in New York City, has finally and conclusively accomplished for the beach cruiser what they previously did for the urban commuter bike – built the authoritative (in this case, only) bike geared to solve a vexing biking challenge, but with enough suite a range of activities.
Priority introduced its first beach cruiser to the market five years ago. At just 26 pounds and under $600 (for a rust-proofed, belt-drive bike!), the Priority Coast was the ultra-low weight, no-brainer, easy-riding upright cruiser bike of the, well, coast. Priority, however, had designs on solving at least two other factors in the ultimate coast-riding experience, particularly for those who, first, want to ride their bike to the beach (if fortunate enough to live or vacation within range) and second, who want to take their bike onto the sand.
Regarding the former, my experience is a prime example. To take the e-Coast on trial runs along Charleston’s Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms, which afford roughly 10 miles of beachfront, I must traverse roughly five miles and cross one of two bridges with long arched inclines (to accommodate passing boats below). Those five miles, or roughly half an hour bike ride, is the average leisure ride in the US, meaning that just getting back and forth from the beach is an hour-long workout. The e-Coast eliminates this barrier with its ability to breeze by car traffic, making it far more likely that I’ll ride the bike to the beach and on the beach.
The latter, making headway through sand, is solved by the e-Coast’s 3-inch wide, not-too-knobby tires. Despite being oversized, the tires are just wide enough with appropriate tire pressure to plow through soft sand. When you’re ready to stop, whether to swim or hang out, the e-Coast sits upright rather than toppling into the sand with its double-leg kickstand. This kickstand is particularly valuable when loading up beach gear back onto the bike, whether a surfboard, towels, or leftover White Claws (don’t drink and e-bike on the highway, though!). At 56 pounds, the e-Coast comes in at a midrange weight for an electric leisure bike, making it well within reason compared to e-bikes that are 20 or more pounds heavier.
However, the key differentiating features of the e-Coast include its fuss-free maintenance and parts built for longevity. The e-Coast (and this applies to all Priority Bicycles) uses a carbon fiber-reinforced belt drive instead of a bike chain. The technology is already used in some motorcycles and has been in development for several decades. Maintenance-free, rust-proof, lightweight, and efficient, the drive belt also lasts longer than a metal bike chain, a technology that predates World War I. Think of it as the EV or PHEV version of a gasoline-powered vehicle (another technology from the same era as the bike chain.) It’s strong and silent, the Douglas Fairbanks of the World War I era, a silent film era (ok, that’s your last reference to the Progressive Era, kids). The frame is also rust-resistant, meaning your bike will look better in 20 years than your discarded Huffy after one season.
As aforementioned, the e-Coast boasts a powerful 500-watt motor. In comparison, the EU, UK, China, and Japan limit their e-bikes to half that at 250 watts. Logically, that higher capability pairs with a more expensive and heavier battery, yet Priority Bicycles offers great value for its weight and features at a relatively low $2,000 price tag.
The rear hub motor is dual-control, meaning it’s responsive to the throttle (like a motorcycle) or cadence pedal assist, giving the rider up to 20 mph. Riders should be aware that rear hub motors can complicate changing the rear tire but also realize that this option is generally cheaper than a mid-drive motor. For even greater speed, riders can reprogram their bikes to achieve up to 28 mph (referred to as a class 3 e-bike), though they’ll want to check local regulations and, of course, always wear a helmet.
The potential for speed brings up another enviable point about the e-Coast – the bike can serve as an about-town option, picking up groceries that can be strapped to the rear rack or fit into optional panniers. Priority Bicycles currently sells two types of panniers – a convertible, wax-treated backpack that can carry 20 liters of volume and up to 20 lbs. of cargo and a fully waterproof nylon and taped seam bag with 17 liters of storage space in a 22 by 12 by 6 in deep configuration. Regardless of the length of your trip, fully charging the 576-watt-hour battery should be sufficient, as its range can last from 20 to 60 miles, depending on use and conditions.
Other great features include an all-day upright ergonomic ride, including the hand grips, aluminum handlebars, an aluminum adjustable stem, and a super cushy seat that doesn’t tire (pun in there somewhere) the butt. Hydraulic disc brakes with an electronic cut-off for the motor help you stop quickly without fear of flying over your handles, while built-in lights with a break-sensing feature warn motorists behind you that you’re stopping.
The Priority Bicycle e-Coast comes in two frame styles, diamond and step-through, with colors ranging from white, indigo, and charcoal for the diamond and white, indigo, and mint for the step-through. The bike is currently priced at $1999. Priority ships to a cycle shop near you for final assembly and pick-up, making it a breeze to get your bike in one piece, ready to ride.
The e-Coast fits the needs of a range of riders, whether those who want a low-key coastal ride between breaks for waves or the shopper whose route doesn’t follow 100% green-marked bike lanes. Regardless, it’s the kind of bike The Dude Jeff Lebowski would be riding if The Big Lebowski debuted today – one requiring little to no maintenance or physical effort, year after year.
Source: Forbes
