Salt water kills bikes. If you've ever lived within five miles of the ocean, you know the drill: you buy a shiny new cruiser, ride it for a summer, and by September the chain looks like it was dipped in orange acid. It squeaks. It grinds. Eventually, the metal just gives up. This is exactly why the Priority Coast beach cruiser exists, and honestly, it’s kind of a marvel of engineering for people who are tired of throwing money away at local bike shops every two years.
Dave Weiner, the founder of Priority Bicycles, started the company because he was obsessed with making cycling low-maintenance. He worked in software logistics before this, and that "fix the system" mentality is all over the Coast. Most beach bikes are heavy, steel-framed tanks with oily chains. The Coast throws that entire blueprint out the window. It uses a Gates Carbon Drive belt instead of a chain. It’s made of aluminum, not steel. It’s light. It's fast.
It’s just different.
The Greaseless Reality of the Gates Carbon Drive
Let’s talk about the belt. This is the centerpiece of the Priority Coast beach cruiser experience. Most people see the lack of a chain and get worried. Is it going to slip? Does it feel weird?
The short answer is no. It feels smoother than a chain. Because there’s no metal-on-metal contact, the ride is virtually silent. You’re cruising down the boardwalk and all you hear is the wind and the tires on the wood. It’s peaceful. More importantly, you never have to grease it. You can literally ride this bike in a pair of white linen pants—the unofficial uniform of Hamptons or 30A vacationers—and never worry about a black grease stain ruining your day.
The Gates Carbon Drive is made of a stretch-free carbon fiber cord inside a nitrile rubber tooth belt. It doesn’t rust. It doesn't snap under normal tension. If it gets sandy? Just spray it with a hose. That’s it. In an industry where "low maintenance" usually means "we used slightly better paint," Priority actually delivered a mechanical solution that changes how you interact with the machine.
Why Aluminum Matters More Than You Think
Steel is real, sure, but steel is also a magnet for oxidation. Most cheap cruisers you find at big-box stores are "Hi-Ten" steel. That’s just a fancy way of saying heavy pipe metal that will bubble and flake the second it smells salt air.
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The Priority Coast beach cruiser uses an ultralight aluminum frame. It’s not just about the rust resistance, though that's the main selling point. It's about the weight. A standard beach cruiser can easily weigh 45 to 50 pounds. Trying to lug that up a sand dune or onto a car rack is a nightmare. The Coast clocks in around 26 to 30 pounds depending on the configuration. You can actually pick it up with one hand.
Think about that for a second.
You’re at the beach. You’ve got a cooler in one hand, a towel over your shoulder, and you need to move your bike. On a traditional cruiser, you're struggling. On the Coast, you just grab the top tube and go. It’s an underrated quality-of-life improvement that you don't appreciate until you've lived with it for a week.
Coasting with Internal Hubs
Priority didn't just stop at the belt. They also addressed the gearing. Most cruisers are either single-speed (which sucks if you have to go over a bridge) or they have external derailleurs that get gunked up with sand and salt.
The Coast uses a Shimano Nexus 3-speed internal hub. All the gears are sealed inside the rear wheel.
Nothing is exposed to the elements.
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You get a "low" gear for those annoying coastal headwinds or bridges, a "cruising" gear for flat ground, and a "high" gear for when you're actually trying to get to the fish taco stand before they close. It’s simple. It’s intuitive. You can even shift while standing still at a stop sign, which you can't do with traditional gears.
The Small Details That Actually Matter
I’ve seen a lot of "beach" bikes that use cheap plastic pedals or saddles that soak up water like a sponge. Priority went the other way. The pedals are wide and grippy, designed to be used with bare feet or flip-flops without hurting. The saddle is weather-resistant. The grips are "locking" grips, meaning they won't start sliding off the handlebars when your hands get sweaty or salty.
Even the bearings are sealed. The bottom bracket—that’s the part where the pedals attach to the frame—is a sealed cartridge. On a normal bike, sand gets in there and starts grinding like sandpaper. On the Priority Coast beach cruiser, it stays clean. It’s these tiny, hidden choices that make the bike last five to ten years instead of two.
Let's Address the Price Point
It’s not the cheapest bike. You can go to a warehouse club and buy a cruiser for 150 bucks. But honestly, that’s a "disposable" bike. You’ll spend another 100 bucks on a tune-up next year, and the year after that, the frame will be a mess.
The Coast sits in that mid-tier premium bracket. It’s an investment in not having to think about your bike. If you divide the cost over the five or ten years you'll own it, it's actually the cheapest bike on the market. It’s the "buy it once" philosophy.
Real-World Limitations
Nothing is perfect. I’m not going to sit here and tell you this is a mountain bike. If you try to take the Priority Coast beach cruiser on a technical trail or up a 10% grade mountain, you're going to have a bad time. The geometry is relaxed. It’s meant for upright riding. It’s meant for looking at the ocean, not staring at a GPS unit.
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Also, the 3-speed hub has jumps between gears. It's not a smooth, 11-speed road bike transition. It’s a clunk-click into the next phase. If you're a hardcore cyclist, it might feel "geary," but for a casual afternoon ride, it's exactly what you need.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Coast
If you’re pulling the trigger on one of these, don't just leave it in the rain. Even though it's rust-resistant, "resistant" doesn't mean "invincible."
- Rinse it off. After a ride on the sand or near the spray, hit the frame and the belt with fresh water. It takes 30 seconds.
- Check the belt tension. The Gates Carbon Drive is low maintenance, not no maintenance. Every few months, just make sure it’s not feeling loose. There are apps on your phone that can actually "listen" to the frequency of the belt when you pluck it to tell you if the tension is right.
- Adjust your seat height correctly. Just because it’s a cruiser doesn't mean you should ride with your knees hitting your chin. Get that leg extension right and the bike will feel twice as fast.
The Priority Coast beach cruiser is one of those rare products that actually solves a specific problem. It solves the problem of salt. It solves the problem of grease. It makes the actual act of riding a bike feel like a leisure activity again instead of a mechanical chore.
If you live near the water, or even if you just want a bike that looks cool and doesn't require a toolbox to keep running, this is the one. It’s the bike for people who just want to ride. No clicking, no rubbing, no rust. Just the sound of the tires and the salt air.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Measure your inseam: Priority offers the Coast in multiple frame styles, including a traditional "diamond" frame and a "step-through." If you have mobility issues or just prefer easy mounting, go step-through.
- Decide on the 3-speed: Unless you live in a place as flat as a pancake (like parts of Florida or the Jersey Shore), get the 3-speed version over the single-speed. The extra versatility for bridges and wind is worth the price jump.
- Order a front basket: The Coast is a utility beast. Adding a Wald wire basket or a woven wicker one makes it the perfect vehicle for coffee runs or farmer's market trips.