Cranbrook Specs (sorry guys)

GoldenMotor.com

IamTheBear

New Member
Oct 6, 2010
77
1
0
north florida
Ok so i know the cranbrook topic has been beat to death, but people including me are gonna keep buying them. The more people that buy them also the more people that start turning them into something else. So i was wondering if the collective minds would come together to kind of make a spec list of sizes for the bike. Based on true knowledge and what has been fit to it. I.E. northshorezoom.com fit 20" forks on a 24" frame. Could this be done with the cranbrook?
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
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living the dream in southern california
here's the specs;

tubing material: salvaged lawnchairs.

dimensions: varies depends on breakage. as the lawnchair tubes crack, the frame sags, giving it a lower stance.

wheel construction: rim material are old hotwheels tracks, superglued and painted with 99cent store chrome spraypaint. hubs are a beercan and salt shaker composite, and spokes are thrift store wire coat hangers.

Front Fender Construction: Unknown, due to them falling off before tests can be completed.

the successful build rate is 3:1000. (give or take. i think Dave31, Houghmade, and Bikeguy Joe have managed to keep them running for longer than 6 months.)

the TTF (Time To Failure) rate is an average of 20 minutes, or 20', whichever comes first.

the rear wheel failure percentage is 100%.

and finally, the chinese workers at the Huffy plant's motto is "American's will buy anything."
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
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living the dream in southern california
depends. if there's a case of crushed beer cans scattered around the lawn in front of you and then the lawn chair folds up, you might need a stronger bike to carry around that beer belly...

thank folks, i'll be here all week...:)
 

IamTheBear

New Member
Oct 6, 2010
77
1
0
north florida
it's not a beer belly it's a homebrew belly. i admit i went into this cheap and got an over time check to buy the motor but i see the flaws in the bike. already destroyed the rim remade the tensioner. want new forks but what size, kick back seat post(i'm 6'2")
 

Sgt. Howard

Active Member
Sep 28, 2010
186
58
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69
Okanogan, WA
I've been riding mine since August, almost every day to work and back- 14 miles roundtrip. Here lately I have not as it is too dark when I need to start out and my headlight simply is not up to snuff. My 12 year old jumped a curb with it trying to learn how to ride the thing- no damage, and he's a hefty 132 pounds!! This was with the twin .50 caliber ammo boxes I used as panniers... I do NOT advise that. Looks cool, WAY too much weight- regardless, there has been no failure of the bike itself. The rear hub with it's rag attatchment set-up is a nightmare, I will be tweaking the frame and dishing the wheel to the right to give the chain clearance. I certainly do not advise this thing to anybody building for the first time, the Schinn is a better rig- but I am making mine work and have not been dissapointed by it's performance.
And yes, the next one will likely be based on a Worksman- no argument. The Cranbrick is sturdy enough- the Worksman is simply a better bike for the job.
the Old Sgt.usflg
 

David D.

New Member
Sep 12, 2010
146
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California
Well yea they are cheap....no matter the quality, it gets people interested in motor biking... now whats wrong with that? I am thinking without WM and china we would not be here talking about our latest creations......i love it!
 

David D.

New Member
Sep 12, 2010
146
0
0
California
Well yea they are cheap....no matter the quality, it gets people interested in motor biking... now whats wrong with that? I am thinking without WM and china we would not be here talking about our latest creations......i love it! oh the specs....was half asleep....what specs?
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
i got interested in motored bikes after seeing one on the street. didn't see it long enough to tell what kind it was, but i never once thought, "wow, a bike with a motor? lemme go get the cheapest, most unreliable bike i can find, and go really fast on it!"
 

David D.

New Member
Sep 12, 2010
146
0
0
California
You must be rich:) some people have to save and do without food just to buy their first bike.....all i really meant was for some its an issue and without the entry level guys we would not have near the number of members here that we do.... and yea for me the price WAS important.... but now i am saving for a new felt... brnot
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
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living the dream in southern california
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.
 

David D.

New Member
Sep 12, 2010
146
0
0
California
Could not agree more...if people would listen it would be very different...in reality we are wasting our time , let them make our same mistakes and if they live through it they will know what we tried to tell them... most will never admit it though...people buy their toilet paper there for one reason, and its not the quility of the TP.... none of us are immune to this thinking, heck what i have spent building a few cheap bikes would have paid for that felt i was dreaming about.... have a great day, going back out to my shop now and work on that 53' schwinn corvette...nice quality starting point for what i hope will make a good bike:)
 

sparrow69

New Member
May 12, 2010
74
0
0
Detroit
Funny thing is, I've never even seen a cranbrook. I've got two bikes that I'm building, ones on a Micargi Leopard which is becoming a trike, and the other is a Schwinn.
The Micargi I picked up for 40 bucks, found it on craigslist, it had been assembled and ridden only once, So it was a steal. The Schwinn I bought with my refund check.

There are deals out there, you have to be patient and keep looking for them. Every once in a while you'll find what you want at the price you want. The better the deal, the longer you'll have to look, but sooner or later, you'll find it.
 

IamTheBear

New Member
Oct 6, 2010
77
1
0
north florida
well everything i own with a motor i own always breaks so i am used to adversity. like really blazer with a blown tranny 2 dead riding mowers, Broke string on the push mower, putting new bushings on the 72 super beetle,threw a rod in the bus, i meant everything. so breakage is destiny. Truthfully people getting into any new hobby or lifestyle don't go out and pay top dollar. Along with many mistakes made by new people that don't happen with seasoned vets lends itself to many of the issues experienced.

So now back to the true matter at hand were can us poor boots find the parts we need, what size parts, what size parts can be made to fit, and what names should we stay away from so while we look and save money this super cheapo bastard bike doesn't go from something that could fail us to something that could possibly need a doctor to remove from us after a 30 MPH crash
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
i'm done preaching, too. no one cares. i mean, i'll still drop in on cranbrook threads just to add some sarcasm, but there's nothing i can do against the yellow menace,and their plan to transform good americans into kamakaze bike pilots.
 

fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
7,440
4,877
113
British Columbia Canada
I've seen times as hard as 1929 myself but always managed to find a way through it. I would buy cheap tools only until I got enough work done to buy good ones.
Guess if a cheap bike is an absolute neccessity thats the way it is but if you don't need to or use it longer than you need to, we'll feel your pain when you tell us about the accident but not nearly as much as you will.

Steve.