Which low cost STEEL cruiser frame is best?
- Thread starter turbo1889
- Start date
That's where a companys good reputation for quality really starts to count for something; doesn't it?
one mans trash is another mans treasure. when it comes to motorbikes, i define cheap by quality, not price tag. something can have a low price tag and still be of decent quality, and we all know that something can have a higher price tag and still be junk. and what seems expensive to one person can seem inexpensive to another. quality can be user defined. just because you insist that it has to have the right price tag or the right value to be good quality does not make it true. and just because you insist that all low priced bikes are junk does not make it true either. you can define what is quality and value to you, and i will define what it is to me. talk to you're blue in the face, you wont change my mind.
No problem BBB... You stand behind that bike which is good. As long as it works for you all Is good.
Be proud of your bike!
My very first motorbike build was a 2007 Schwinn Jaguar purchased new for $150.
Every bike I've built since then has been a 'step up' from the last one; (& so shall yours BBB)!
My very first motorbike build was a 2007 Schwinn Jaguar purchased new for $150.
Every bike I've built since then has been a 'step up' from the last one; (& so shall yours BBB)!
I will always be proud of anything I build with my own two hands, be it a motorbike or whatever. even though I am keeping my frame, this will still be a complete rebuild otherwise. it will also be the most extensive rebuild I have ever done. Believe me, I am going to be very proud of it when it is done. And it will be a step up for me, because every single part I am choosing will be a quality part. so even if i do need a new frame someday, all the other parts I am collecting will go on any other bike I buy, as long as they are still useable.
It's all IN life, until death, and we all must die.....guaranteed.
Ride like your life depends on it......cuz it does. Enjoy every ride and have fun, cuz it could always be worse......and could end any second.
The timing of that thread showing up is very ironic, isn't it?
......it's def not a Firmstrong! Maybe they should change the name to Notstrong or Fairlybrittle?
Looks like there are basically five different options:
1. ~ Go with a cheap department store type bike and hope the frame holds up. At the very least with such a department store “pot metal” frame it seems it would be wise to get one that is not a cantilever type frame since the vast majority of frame cracks reported seem to crack on the cantilever tubes where they weld to the seat post stem. There are a few select department store type cruiser bikes out there (clearly the minority but they do exist) that use a standard bicycle double triangle diamond frame geometry with single top tube and standard seat stays that attach together to the rear of the seat tube or blend together into a single tube before connecting to the back of the seat tube rather then being welded to the side of it.
2. ~ Find an old Cruiser frame and build on it. For my needs that would mean spreading the rear triangle to accept a wider axle modern multi-speed spool and figuring out how to rig up some rear V-brake mounts. All that assuming I can find an old cruiser for a reasonable price, not much of a used old quality bike market in my area. It’s mainly new or newish high end stuff or department store yard sale specials.
3. ~ Go with one of the cheaper “bike store” bikes such as a 3G, Felt Slant, Sun Rev-7, or even a Workman’s. Once again though with the exception of the Sun Rev-7 for my needs that would mean spreading the rear triangle to accept a wider axle modern multi-speed spool and figuring out how to rig up some rear V-brake mounts and I’m not totally convinced that a Sun brand name bike is all that better then a Firmstrong, Micargi, etc. . . There are a few clues that it might be better quality from the pictures such as the fact that the rear derailer isn’t mounted on the axle but rather on the drop-out but it’s not a replaceable mount point but mounted directly into the rear drop-out.
4. ~ Find a good frame that is just the frame and build up on it. The only one of the recommended brands that I have found is the frame kit that Felt offers but it is an aluminum frame so I can’t (easily) weld to it and does not have V-brake mounts. Using Google shopping search I was able to find one place that is selling some frames made for choppers and low-riders but I don’t know how strong of frames they are and it does not say what material they are made from (assuming steel because of the price) and they do not have V-brake mounts on the rear triangle. Although one of them does have a wider rear drop out so I wouldn’t have to spread the rear on it. Was intending for a cruiser frame not a chopper but I suppose provided the geometry is right to fit my desired riding stance and body build it would work. Which leads me to the next option.
5. ~ Have a frame built to suit my needs. I don’t think my skills are quite up to the point where I could be sure of getting the necessary precision to make sure things like rear triangles and drop outs end up square and true. Welding a protection bar around the engine mount, a cargo rack, and/or a hitch doesn’t require the level of precision that making a frame does. If where end of a bar is welded to another is a 1/4” difference on one side from the other no big deal with the add ones I was planning on doing. But for the rear drop out positions it makes a whole lot of difference. Having a frame built completely from scratch is too expensive, however, If I can find one of those “Bike Hacker Dudes” (meant in the nicest possible way) one of those guys who has a back yard full of old bikes and is always cutting and welding parts from different bikes together to come up with unusual creations and alternate bike types – Alt-bikes or Franken-bikes as some people call them that was good and knew their stuff. I think I could have them take an old steel non-suspension MTB frame like an old Trek-800 series and have them chop off the old rear triangles behind the seat tube and rebuild the rear end so that the seat tube to bottom bracket angle was in the 60-degree angle range rather then the 70-degree angle range and then throw on a 29er and/or tall suspension fork to pull the nose of the bike up to match to give the more upright seating position of a Cruiser it would probably work pretty well. Especially if I could have him do the modifications to the tail I was intending to do myself anyway at the same time and with a custom “Hacked” tail build I could even do double V-brakes on the rear rim to give disk brake like stopping power (as I mentioned previously Staton-Inc axle mount motor kit is 100% non-compatible with disk brakes and must use rim brakes for the rear wheel) one set on above on the upper seat stays of the rear triangle and another set on the bottom chain stays and use the double brake lever from Sick Bike Parts for the rear brakes on the right hand side of the handlebars combined with a disk brake on the front with a standard single cable pull brake lever on the left side. Of course the issue with that is finding one of those guys willing to do the project and do a good job within a timely manner for only a couple Franklins considering I can get a bike store quality cruiser the whole bike for $300+
Here is a link to the Chopper type frames I found, anyone done a build on any of these? Or done business with the web-site that is selling them (they got some other components I’m interested in as well)?
http://www.bicycledesigner.com/bike-parts/bicycle-frames/cruiser-1.html
http://www.bicycledesigner.com/bike-parts/bicycle-frames/chopper-1.html
Also, truckd, from a couple of your posts I get the impression that you have done business with bikebuyers,com How did they treat you and are they okay to order from (Not talking about the particular bikes they sell but how there cust-service is)?
1. ~ Go with a cheap department store type bike and hope the frame holds up. At the very least with such a department store “pot metal” frame it seems it would be wise to get one that is not a cantilever type frame since the vast majority of frame cracks reported seem to crack on the cantilever tubes where they weld to the seat post stem. There are a few select department store type cruiser bikes out there (clearly the minority but they do exist) that use a standard bicycle double triangle diamond frame geometry with single top tube and standard seat stays that attach together to the rear of the seat tube or blend together into a single tube before connecting to the back of the seat tube rather then being welded to the side of it.
2. ~ Find an old Cruiser frame and build on it. For my needs that would mean spreading the rear triangle to accept a wider axle modern multi-speed spool and figuring out how to rig up some rear V-brake mounts. All that assuming I can find an old cruiser for a reasonable price, not much of a used old quality bike market in my area. It’s mainly new or newish high end stuff or department store yard sale specials.
3. ~ Go with one of the cheaper “bike store” bikes such as a 3G, Felt Slant, Sun Rev-7, or even a Workman’s. Once again though with the exception of the Sun Rev-7 for my needs that would mean spreading the rear triangle to accept a wider axle modern multi-speed spool and figuring out how to rig up some rear V-brake mounts and I’m not totally convinced that a Sun brand name bike is all that better then a Firmstrong, Micargi, etc. . . There are a few clues that it might be better quality from the pictures such as the fact that the rear derailer isn’t mounted on the axle but rather on the drop-out but it’s not a replaceable mount point but mounted directly into the rear drop-out.
4. ~ Find a good frame that is just the frame and build up on it. The only one of the recommended brands that I have found is the frame kit that Felt offers but it is an aluminum frame so I can’t (easily) weld to it and does not have V-brake mounts. Using Google shopping search I was able to find one place that is selling some frames made for choppers and low-riders but I don’t know how strong of frames they are and it does not say what material they are made from (assuming steel because of the price) and they do not have V-brake mounts on the rear triangle. Although one of them does have a wider rear drop out so I wouldn’t have to spread the rear on it. Was intending for a cruiser frame not a chopper but I suppose provided the geometry is right to fit my desired riding stance and body build it would work. Which leads me to the next option.
5. ~ Have a frame built to suit my needs. I don’t think my skills are quite up to the point where I could be sure of getting the necessary precision to make sure things like rear triangles and drop outs end up square and true. Welding a protection bar around the engine mount, a cargo rack, and/or a hitch doesn’t require the level of precision that making a frame does. If where end of a bar is welded to another is a 1/4” difference on one side from the other no big deal with the add ones I was planning on doing. But for the rear drop out positions it makes a whole lot of difference. Having a frame built completely from scratch is too expensive, however, If I can find one of those “Bike Hacker Dudes” (meant in the nicest possible way) one of those guys who has a back yard full of old bikes and is always cutting and welding parts from different bikes together to come up with unusual creations and alternate bike types – Alt-bikes or Franken-bikes as some people call them that was good and knew their stuff. I think I could have them take an old steel non-suspension MTB frame like an old Trek-800 series and have them chop off the old rear triangles behind the seat tube and rebuild the rear end so that the seat tube to bottom bracket angle was in the 60-degree angle range rather then the 70-degree angle range and then throw on a 29er and/or tall suspension fork to pull the nose of the bike up to match to give the more upright seating position of a Cruiser it would probably work pretty well. Especially if I could have him do the modifications to the tail I was intending to do myself anyway at the same time and with a custom “Hacked” tail build I could even do double V-brakes on the rear rim to give disk brake like stopping power (as I mentioned previously Staton-Inc axle mount motor kit is 100% non-compatible with disk brakes and must use rim brakes for the rear wheel) one set on above on the upper seat stays of the rear triangle and another set on the bottom chain stays and use the double brake lever from Sick Bike Parts for the rear brakes on the right hand side of the handlebars combined with a disk brake on the front with a standard single cable pull brake lever on the left side. Of course the issue with that is finding one of those guys willing to do the project and do a good job within a timely manner for only a couple Franklins considering I can get a bike store quality cruiser the whole bike for $300+
Here is a link to the Chopper type frames I found, anyone done a build on any of these? Or done business with the web-site that is selling them (they got some other components I’m interested in as well)?
http://www.bicycledesigner.com/bike-parts/bicycle-frames/cruiser-1.html
http://www.bicycledesigner.com/bike-parts/bicycle-frames/chopper-1.html
Also, truckd, from a couple of your posts I get the impression that you have done business with bikebuyers,com How did they treat you and are they okay to order from (Not talking about the particular bikes they sell but how there cust-service is)?
On my Felt "Slant" I run a Halo 135mm 48 spoke disc brake 9-speed cassette hub. No need to spread this rear triangle for this wide set-up. And again, this is a steel frame.
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Just sayin'
