By Jacob Harkins/staff photo by Anthony Camera

When most reminisce about their first balloon-tired beauty, they hearken back to childhood memories. Not me, your beloved, well, soon-to-be beloved, Kickstand Magazine editor.

Nope, I’m new to this scene, having cruised through town, roads and bike paths on a steel-framed road bike for the last decade. My younger years were spent on a Redline BMX with striped stem before graduating to a Giant Rincon mountain bike that lasted most of the way through college.

So yes, I am as green as a certain Muppet when it comes to the cruiser bicycle realm. Don’t hold it against me, and don’t fret our expertise. The half-dozen other members of this rag-tag bunch we call the Kickstand Magazine staff have years of cruising experience under their collective belts. We have guys who can McGyver the hell out of any bike, others who know how to orchestrate a massive weekly ride that’s more fun than a carnival, and a few who simply love the relaxed feeling of coasting through town on a bike that catches everybody’s eye.

Count me into the latter of that bunch now. But let’s be honest, you don’t really need years in the seat of a cruiser to understand the culture. It’s pretty straight forward, actually; cruisers like to have fun, ride bicycles as if they are still children, socialize, listen to music, and scoff at those who take themselves too seriously.

That’s what this magazine is all about.

It only took me a few moments speaking with the infectious Brad Evans (our leader) to realize I needed to be involved with this project. Sure, I knew nothing about cruisers, but Brad’s team did. Not to mention, you can’t really say “no” to a 40-something who is willing to wear a seersucker suit, a duct tape outfit or garage-sale-esque attire while riding a bicycle. In public.

So I said “yes” quicker than a cruiser coasting downhill to the neighborhood bar. I’ve now spent the last three months in the seat of one of these classically American two wheelers, first on a Schwinn, touring New Orleans, then a Giant Simple introduced me to my first community cruiser ride. Most recently, I’ve been riding the Trek Cruiser Classic featured in this issue’s Test Ride.

It’s commuted me to work, events, the store, coffee shops and around the neighborhood.

It’s been a helluva ride so far, and I don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. Because I really have fallen for the look of a stranger giving me a knowing nod as I roll by on one of these stream-lined beauties or the anger in a roadie’s face when I actually pedal faster. It’s only going to get more exciting.