Here are the two new Huffy Cranbrooks!

[maniac57]

I'm eager to assemble these cruisers! My engine kit's should be here late this week and I plan to document the build this time. More pics coming soon!

This tree seems to be sprouting bike parts! (I use it as a rack for junk bikes)

 

[bigbutterbean]

I have a Cranbrook myself, purchased in 2010. Its a great price for the frame, which in my experience is a good, solid steel frame. I am 6 ft 2 and weigh about 275lbs, and this frame has held up to me for 2 years and still going strong. The wheels may be another matter. I stripped the bearings on my back rim and replaced it with a heavy duty steel rim with 12g spokes and a Shimano clone hub. That wheel is bulletproof. I didnt have any problems with my front wheel, but I replaced it with a Worksman front wheel because I wanted a front drum brake and got it for a steal at $35. One thing I did notice about the front wheel when I went to service it, it has loose bearings which I replaced with cartridges. All in all, its a decent frame that is easy to upgrade, and hopefully not too expensive depending on which parts you decide to go with. Good luck!

 

[maurtis]

On the other side of the coin, my 2002 Huffy Cranbrook frame developed two small cracks in about 400 miles. Maybe quality has risen since then, the welds on the Crannys I see at Walmart are definitely better than mine were.

I did replace my wheels with 12g Weinmanns with a Shimano rear coaster, though. It stopped much better than whatever was originally used.

 

[maniac57]

The engine kits arrived late today so I'll post build pics sometime in the next week or so...

 

[atombikes]

Shame about the Cranbrook wheels. I was just looking at one of these during lunch at Walmart, it is on clearance. I noticed that the Huffy Cranbrook has really wide painted steel rims, which seems like would be a good choice for a low dollar motorbike? The comparable Schwinns seem to have really narrow rims by comparison.

 

[bigbutterbean]

Shame about the Cranbrook wheels. I was just looking at one of these during lunch at Walmart, it is on clearance. I noticed that the Huffy Cranbrook has really wide painted steel rims, which seems like would be a good choice for a low dollar motorbike? The comparable Schwinns seem to have really narrow rims by comparison.

I still feel that it's a decent frame for the price. Since I was able to find most of the components I have upgraded on my bike for free or really cheap, I have spent more time than money upgrading it. I already had the rear wheel that I put on this bike, and got my Worksman front wheel with drum brake for $35. Most of the other components I have installed were from bike found at yard sales, thrown away, or abandoned. I feel like this frame was a good choice at a decent price.

 

[KCvale]

Ohh my...
I take it you didn't read anything here or elsewhere about Huffy bicycles for motorizing before not just buying one but two Cranbrooks to motorize?

Are you just going with pretty light low power motor kits like a 38cc rack mount hub-rubbers or 400W 12V electrics for neighborhood riding?
Most any bicycle will hold up to that for awhile and be fun.

But if you bought 66cc motors you plan to spend an extra $60 on each replacing the entire back wheel right?
Or are you just building cheap Christmas toy bikes that are fun you play with hard a lot for awhile but broken and discarded by summer?

Huffy's and every other $100 'Bicycle' at Wallyworld aren't adult bicycles, they are cheap Chinese kids toys designed to need replacing every Christmas.

If you want real rides my professional advice is take them both back and then go to a real bicycle shop and buy one good $200+ real bicycle for your first build.
See how they go together and what they take to maintain, get a feel for how you and the other party usually ride, then build another better one so you can ride together.

I have built 50+ bikes, mostly high end, and seen that many more I didn't build for repairs the last 3 years so I have just documented first hand what you want and what to stay away from, and for you the bottom line is don't start with a frigg'n cheap bike and a Huffy Cranbrook is the worst for anything but a short lived 'pretty toy'!

 

[bigbutterbean]

Ohh my...
I take it you didn't read anything here or elsewhere about Huffy bicycles for motorizing before not just buying one but two Cranbrooks to motorize?

Are you just going with pretty light low power motor kits like a 38cc rack mount hub-rubbers or 400W 12V electrics for neighborhood riding?
Most any bicycle will hold up to that for awhile and be fun.

But if you bought 66cc motors you plan to spend an extra $60 on each replacing the entire back wheel right?
Or are you just building cheap Christmas toy bikes that are fun you play with hard a lot for awhile but broken and discarded by summer?

Huffy's and every other $100 'Bicycle' at Wallyworld aren't adult bicycles, they are cheap Chinese kids toys designed to need replacing every Christmas.

If you want real rides my professional advice is take them both back and then go to a real bicycle shop and buy one good $200+ real bicycle for your first build.
See how they go together and what they take to maintain, get a feel for how you and the other party usually ride, then build another better one so you can ride together.

I have built 50+ bikes, mostly high end, and seen that many more I didn't build for repairs the last 3 years so I have just documented first hand what you want and what to stay away from, and for you the bottom line is don't start with a frigg'n cheap bike and a Huffy Cranbrook is the worst for anything but a short lived 'pretty toy'!

You say all this, and yet, my Huffy Cranbrook is over 2 years old. I also didnt spend $60 on my rear wheel. I spent $45 and already had the wheel before I bought the Cranbrook. I have a 66cc engine, hi-hi head, and Arrow Cycles expansion chamber.

 

[bigbutterbean]

Oh yeah, and I paid $75 for the bike, $45 for the rear wheel, $35 for my Worksman front wheel with drum brake, and $35 for my Worksman seat. The rest of the parts I upgraded with were free, so I have $180 in the bike itself. Its not much less than the $200 you recommended spending on a bike at a bike shop, but its still less.

 

[dmb]

i see more and more of these cheepie bikes with real nice candy colored paint job's. and kid's riding around after christmas. in 1965 a schwinn stingray cost $75 alot then. oh yea i'm a fat ass like butterbean but like all fatass's i alway's invest in a big ass seat, easier on the butt crack you know. glad to know you can haul your self down from speed. i too use good brake's to haul my fatass down from speed. being i weigh 4 times the weight of the kid on the cranbrook and twice the speed 20 mph 48cc ht in a dyno beach cruzer

 

[bigbutterbean]

You can call my bike cheap all you want, but then, you dont have to drive it do you?

 

[KCvale]

Oh yeah, and I paid $75 for the bike, $45 for the rear wheel, $35 for my Worksman front wheel with drum brake, and $35 for my Worksman seat. The rest of the parts I upgraded with were free, so I have $180 in the bike itself. Its not much less than the $200 you recommended spending on a bike at a bike shop, but its still less.

Come on Bean, I am not dissing you or anyone else that is a Huffy fan as they used to be the best bikes made, but look at what you said you had to do for heavens sake and in your numbers you never considered all the time, frustration and money to get the parts and do it for free!

My point here to all new builders is simple, put your money in the bike first.

Agree or disagree that's up to you, just please Bean, this is a new builder all excited about building 2 new bikes, stop telling newbies that a piece of **** bicycle to start with will work just dandy and last just fine and you can prove it please because that is just flat out bull****, this guy will will be dumping money and disappointed as **** in a month with 2 of them and you know it.

 

[Dan]

Woea dear folks. We are all friends and can have different experiences with the same gear.
If any of us, my self included, share our own thoughts, we should leave it at that. Arguing the semantics and particulars only leads to fussing.

Cracks me up but we, here on the forum could not get 100% of the community to agree that round wheels work best. (much less the cheap V. expensive bikes, master link V. solid, Dyno oil V. synthetic or Oh Lord, super oil)

Is all good and fun to discuss......

 

[2door]

Whadayamean? I've had great luck with my octagonal wheels. Round wheels are for weaklings.

Tom

 

[Dan]

Snork! Tom, I was just thinking about some dumb thing I posted about "nanana, I love master links. When I need one, I buy 2. I give them out as Christmas presents" in (fun) rebutlle to some one. Was yrs back and I forget but you replied with some thing like "WTF is wrong with you?" Then Mrs Tom came home and you pretty much hung up on me.

was too dang funny

 

[fatdaddy]

Yeah, I got a Black Friday Wallyworld special Cranbrook last year. After doing a little research I found out that the 2010-2011 Cranny had MUCH better welds than before and 12 guage spokes. (12 guage minimum is a MUST.) The only major mod I did is switch the forks for Schwinns cause they had the cantilever bosses for the front brakes. Now, I've only been riding this for a year, but so far no big problems. I am also looking to upgrade my rear wheel to a moped setup, not because of problems, but because it has drum brakes. Coaster brakes SUCK at 35mph.
Huffy when I was a kid were the toughest bikes around. Then they got sucky, Then they got better again in 2010-2011. Don't know about the 2012.
fatdaddy.

 

[bigbutterbean]

Looks like I am not the only one who has been happy with my Cranbrook.

 

[fatdaddy]

It's been great so far Big. I guess if I were rich I would MAYBE have bought a more expensive bike. But for the money, a steel frame, 12 guage spokes and steel rims, you can't ask for more for around $100. But ANY bike you get is just a platform to start a build with. Even an expensive bike you would want to change SOMETHING here and there.
fatdaddy.

 

[bigbutterbean]

I concur, fatdaddy. The frame itself is what was most important to me, and for the $75 I paid for my bike, the frame was worth it.

 

[fatdaddy]

I concur, fatdaddy. The frame itself is what was most important to me, and for the $75 I paid for my bike, the frame was worth it.

You got just a little better price than I did. (I want my $10 back!)
fatdaddy.