Retro Simplicity Catches On

Sun., May 7, 1995

-New York Times

The Schwinn Cruiser is a basic bicycle that doesn’t boast a lot of fancy attachments. With wide tires, one gear and a foot brake, this bike is not meant to haul a cyclist over a mountain.

But the Cruiser is gaining popularity among younger people who prefer retro simplicity to expensive parts.

One such bike owner, Bob Cerny, said: “You don’t need gears and all that in the city. It’s a perfectly strong bike, and nobody wants to steal it.”

The Cruiser was first produced in 1933 and was modified several times over the years. In 1993, Scott Sports Group bought the Schwinn Bicycle Co. and decided to reproduce the original Cruiser.

“We brought back all the old curves and the old bends,” said Gregg Bagni, the director of marketing at Schwinn.The low prices, about $200 for the basic model and $260 for the slightly fancier Cruiser Classic, add to the bicycle’s oldfashioned charm.

“It’s kind of an antitechnology bike,” Bagni said. “Everything doesn’t have to be made out of titanium.”

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