not even close to being rich. i just search for good deals.
my main point is that pretty much everyone who starts with a cheap bike, ends up replacing so many parts, it's cheaper in the long run to just start with a good bike in the first place.
i understand about the "entry level" aspect of buying a huffy, but with a little knowledge and some research, you could find a better vintage cruiser on ebay or craigslist.
another thing that bugs me, is reading post after post about people's problems with a cranbrook. if you know it's a cheap bike, why complain? spend a coupla hours on this forum and you'll see it's the least reliable, yet most popular bike here.
if it came from huffy with a motor on it, it'd be recalled, and there'd be a bunch of class action lawsuits.
even the original poster's intention with this thread is to find out what parts fit after his breaks, or to upgrade them before it happens.
a lot of people want to build bikes because they don't have cars and need transportation. and i've read so many threads about people breaking down on the way to work or school. that's not saving money, it's losing it.
it's sad to see so many people get so excited, only to fail. sure, there's a lot of members on here, but how many of them will be gone in a year because they never figured out how to keep their bike on the road? we're still in the "fad" stage, and it's gaining popularity. and i don't think these will ever catch on as more than just a toy, because too many people are building them out of toy bikes.
i mean, i'm trying. i'd like to make bikes that are reliable, safe, legal, and cool as %#$!, and in order to do that, i need to change people's perception of them. so i'm on a one man crusade to keep people from buying bikes at the same store they buy toilet paper and catfood at.
it's pretty much a lost cause.