TEST RIDE

Not many bikes get this much attention, good and bad. Our lawyers made us say this: “We are in no way condoning the use of marijuana” by promoting the Irie beach cruiser, nor is its manufacturer, America’s Bike Co.”
That said, we think you’ll have a whole lot of fun on this comfortable and colorful, three-toned cruiser with “oak” leaves painted on it. And it just happens to be the cruiser featured on Showtime’s hit sitcom “Weeds” this summer, so this bicycle has that ‘15 minutes of fame’ thing going for
it (we had the privilege of testing one of the eight used in the actual “Weeds” filming). Kind bud pedigree aside, this cruiser is just plain fun.

PROPS:

This is a statement cruiser as the Irie has the classic, sleek lines you’d expect of a great retro bicycle, not to mention it really stands out with its Rastafarian-inspired paint job.

SHLOPS:

The ride is a bit stiff so you’re going to feel every bump and pebble in the road. Basic upgrades to the base components wouldn’t hurt either (a quick-release seat post and a more durable stem would be worth the extra couple of bucks).

BOTTOM LINE:

A great ride if you want to get noticed, but realize that you’re buying into the affordable category, so durability may be an issue in aggressive skid contests.

THE SPECS

Sizes: Men’s 19”

Frame: Steel

Fork: Tensile steel

Seat: Padded Dual
Spring Saddle

Brakes: Coaster

Tires: Kenda 26”

Components:
Optional Fenders; $20 for the set, alloy crank and fenders, bullhorn style handlebars.

MSRP: $250

americasbikecompany.com

QUOTABLES

The Techie: “The kind of bike that gets noticed in the, ‘I like your bike so I’m going to take it’ kind of way, which actually happened.”

The Publisher: “Everybody’s got
something to say about it.”

The Random Rastafarian: “Nice
bike, mon” — (we swear we didn’t make
up this cliché).

The Literate One: “If it’s good enough
for ‘Weeds,’ it’s good enough for us.”

Seeing Eye Editor: “Don’t Bogart
that bike.”