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In this series, I'll talk about middleweight bicycles. A lot of people confuse middleweight
bicycles with balloon tire bicycles. They use a generic term, cruiser, which could apply
to a balloon tire bicycle, or a middleweight bicycle, but I'll show you the difference
between the two, and what makes it a cruiser, and not a cruiser. I'll talk about how to
identify a true middleweight bicycle, from a reproduction bicycle. I'll talk about the
design influences. The balloon tire bikes were designed like streamlined, art deco motorcycles.
The middleweight bicycles have more of a space age look to them. The rear racks will be more
pointed. The headlights will be integrated. Usually, you have double headlights. The tanks
are slimmer. The frames have thinner tubes, and are much lighter, and the gearing on the
bicycle is different, than on a balloon tire bicycle. The front chain ring on these cycles
is larger. I'll show you how to look at that, and how you determine the general gear ratio
of these cycles. I'll show you what manufacturers were successful, and what items were not successful.