Bike Building

J

jt1111

New Member
Hi all, I am trying to figure out what the most cost effective way is to build up a bike. I know that I want a cruiser frame and I would like it to have a 4 stroke with an SBP shift kit, but in reading about all the cruisers that are out there, they kind of sound like POS's. I am very concerned about being on a bike that is falling apart while traveling 30 to 40 mph. I am wondering if there is a good quality cruiser with gears option or would it be best (or even possible) to buy a mountain bike and move the parts over to a cruiser frame. Any insight would be appreciated.
 
I know you don't want to hear this...but going 30 to 40 mph on a bike , a bike that wasn't designed for this might not really be a good idea. Although a number of members have done it...not for me. And with that I'll back out.
 
Regardless of style, most budget bikes have similar issues - simply check the welds & frame integrity (you can use the search here to see if a particular model has had failures), but the most commonplace problems are cheap, single wall rims & poor brakes - which most budget bikes have, no matter if a mountain bike or cruiser, though the stock metal fenders most cruisers come with are hazardous, with their mounts known for fatigue cracks & failures. If you're gonna run them, you should upgrade the mounting hardware.

It may be more cost effective to find a strong cruiser frame you like & simply pick up a good, strong wheelset & brakes that to purchase a mountain bike to strip out as the lower cost ones won't have any better components than the cruiser *shrug*

35mph is a pretty normal sustained top speed for the majority of motorized bikes BTW, if you've good wheels, good brakes and a strong frame and do periodic maintenance/safety inspections it'll be fine :)
 
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Thanks guys, let me say that I am not out to see how fast I can go. I am an experienced road and mountain biker and have often travelled at speeds above 40 or 50 mph, downhill of course. So I have a clear understanding of how fast this speed is on a bicycle, which is why I posted this question regarding how to make a cruiser safe at speed. Sounds like getting a good frame, knowing that I will replace the rims and brakes, and dealing with the fenders is what I need to think about.

Brakes are pretty easy, v-brake or disc. But what about wheels. What should one look for with a wheel set. What width, features etc.

Also, I am curious about the chain, I would think that a heavy duty one would be required. Thanks again in advance for any thoughts.
 
jt, good to see that u have "a clear understanding".

Motor assist puts you into circumstances similar to when you were travelling downhill, all the time!

Then, with the additional factor of traffic competing for your space, there's really nothing safe about it ! So all we do, is the best we can. :-)

The Worksman wheels are quite good, and used by the better builders.
I'd like to have front and rear disks, but only have one, ready to install on the front. Each daily trip seems to bring some occasion I find myself wishing I'd already installed it!

With you r experience, you should be able to set up a mab very nicely.
rc
 
If OR is the state of residence, the DMV regs are actually fairly well defined, IE: "motored assisted" and offer a pass to under 35cc/24 MPH two wheelers that not many states do, requiring little in the way of legal paperwork. The next category is "moped" <50cc/<30 MPH and as such are required to be titled and registered.
Oregon DMV Pocket Bikes & Similar Vehicles

I agree with Al Fisherman above, plus higher speeds just make you a cop magnet.

Velocity wheels has a reputable name in motored bike circles.
 
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Thanks for the insight. Honestly I don't know what speed I will be traveling. I hear you in encouraging caution. I think we are all on the same page here. My concern is that I see all these bikes being built that are built on what I perceive as crappy bikes that should not be traveling very fast. I would not take them down a street at 20 why would I put a motor on them (make them heavier) and then go that fast.

I am looking for this bike to be a commuter and I travel about 18 miles per day to work. I can ride my bike but there are hills and it take me about 1:15 minutes each way to ride. That is too long, so I am looking at ways to use less fuel then driving a car and take less time than riding a bike.

In looking at the oregon regs, it looks like a 50 cc bike would be classified as a moped, so there is some red flags there. Does anyone actually register these bikes?
 
jt1111 said:
Thanks for the insight. Honestly I don't know what speed I will be traveling. I hear you in encouraging caution. I think we are all on the same page here. My concern is that I see all these bikes being built that are built on what I perceive as crappy bikes that should not be traveling very fast. I would not take them down a street at 20 why would I put a motor on them (make them heavier) and then go that fast.

I am looking for this bike to be a commuter and I travel about 18 miles per day to work. I can ride my bike but there are hills and it take me about 1:15 minutes each way to ride. That is too long, so I am looking at ways to use less fuel then driving a car and take less time than riding a bike.

In looking at the oregon regs, it looks like a 50 cc bike would be classified as a moped, so there is some red flags there. Does anyone actually register these bikes?
Click to expand...

Some do but that's also kinda what I was pointing out as a favorable thing about OR and the pass they give to <35cc motor assist. Moving up a class and getting it registered as a moped means dealing with VINs, MCOs and DOT safety equipment among which things like stop and directional lights and speed rated tires, etc. may be required.

I know of a couple of guys from OR who are really happy with a GEBE belt drive and 35cc Robin engine, one who does just about your commute daily.
 
jt1111 said:
Thanks for the insight. Honestly I don't know what speed I will be traveling. I hear you in encouraging caution. I think we are all on the same page here. My concern is that I see all these bikes being built that are built on what I perceive as crappy bikes that should not be traveling very fast. I would not take them down a street at 20 why would I put a motor on them (make them heavier) and then go that fast.

I am looking for this bike to be a commuter and I travel about 18 miles per day to work. I can ride my bike but there are hills and it take me about 1:15 minutes each way to ride. That is too long, so I am looking at ways to use less fuel then driving a car and take less time than riding a bike.

In looking at the oregon regs, it looks like a 50 cc bike would be classified as a moped, so there is some red flags there. Does anyone actually register these bikes?
Click to expand...

Hey JT, sounds like your situation/need is similar to mine. Although I only have to travel about 7 miles one way to work. ( takes about 45 minutes ) There sure are times when after a hard day, and I am no longer feeling my oats, that some engine assist would sure come in handy! And yes, I also have quite a few hills to travel in between here and there in the mountains of WNC. So, I decided to take the time to go completely through my engine, checking, cleaning, and replacing questionable components. To HOPEFULLY make my HT a little more reliable. From what I have found out, these little engines need all the help they can get, to avoid.....:-||
 
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Huh maintenancenazi, I was under the impression that the motors, at least the 4 strokes, were pretty reliable. It sounds as though you are not able to use yours as a commuter. The main issue for me is time. I have a hard time justifying 2.5 to 3 hours on the bike everyday, when I can make the same distance in 30 to 45 minutes in a car. My time will not always be so tight, but I suspect it will be for the next couple of years. The bike will have to prove reliable before I would really be able to use it as a commuter.
 
Oops sorry Jt, didn't see in your original post you were looking at 4 strokes, I had 2 stroke on the brain! But yea, Im totally with you about the economy and time management issues. With a 4 stroke I would imagine that you would be ahead of the game, at least in terms of reliability. I realize that I may be tilting at windmills here, trying to get a 2 stroke HT motor reliable. But I kind of like a challenge!
 
Yeah, I am not going to mess with the whole 2 stroke thing. It is just not attractive to me. Noisey, dirty, although I hear that if you use synthetic oil they burn cleaner. I am sort of into the eco aspect of the bike. I think a 4 stroke will burn cleaner. Only downside that I can tell is that it does not look as cool, but I can live with that.
 
For a good solid commuter, one that performs day in day out with a modicum of maintenance, a number of factors need consideration: engine, drive train AND the original bicycle. It might cost a bit more up front but if your bike is not a fake motorcycle and you expect to do the hard miles of a daily commute and not be fixing the thing all the time or broke down, go for function over form. Good solid commuter MABs are really few and far between to what you'll find represented but there's a few out there even though they don't get much notice.
 
Ok, I agree, probably best to spend a little more up front and get something reliable. It may slow the process for me as I will have to save up for a bit longer, but still probably best. I have been looking at the Felt cruisers. Obviously lots of them been converted here. Look like really nice bikes and starting points. My question is in regards to the rims and whether or not they need to be replaced. I think I am likely to get new hubs with drum brakes and maybe some gears for the back. All that starts to add up on the price, but I think I will be happier, lots of hills here.

If I can use the rims, it makes the price a lot more reasonable than say a schwinn and having to buy wheels.

I think it is required, at least for me, to have a good braking and wheel set up. Most of the felt bike don't come with great brakes, so I will have to deal with that.

Oh by the way, (sorry about the random questions) how good are the archer drum brakes. Is that a reasonable idea or should I use v-brakes/disc brakes? I want to do my best to not end up wrapped around a car.
 
A further consideration, maybe you have your mind made up or want to go new, but........

OR is bikelandia, at least parts of it anyway. Have you given any thought to buying used? I say that in the interest of maybe saving a few bucks on the project budget and perhaps even getting something better than new. I'm a real fan of mid 80's to mid/late 90's chromoly mountain bikes, great rugged frames with good geometry. Sometimes you can find them for very reasonable prices. Most of the breed had canti or V brakes, which maintained well should be wholly adequate. Just a thought, and if you need brands to look for just ask.
 
Happyvalley, I am open to doing a mountain bike. I do like the look of the cruisers a bit better, but there are some nice mountain bikes out there. Utility is number one, actually safety is number one, utility second, style third. I have been lurking around craigslist here locally looking for cruisers or mountain bikes for about a month. Sort of slim pickings here in southern oregon. People seem to think their bikes are worth lots of money. I would be very interested in suggestions of mountain bikes to look for that would fit a 4 stroke and be a good value. That might just be the best way to go. I gave away a perfect one about 5 years ago which I would love to have back, but such is life.

Do let me know what brands you recommend. I am a biker, both mountain and road, so I have a good idea of what the good brands are as well as components, but I would be very interested if you have specific suggestions. Thanks.
 
On an older mountain bike what size frame does it have to be to fit a 4 stroke in the frame. I see lots of nice looking bikes, but it looks to me like the inside of the frame is too small for a motor. thanks
 
That's a good list of priorities and hey, maybe you really want a cruiser but know many cruisers come stock with coaster brakes, so upgrades are a good idea there. BTW, you're assessment in the OP of many cruisers is spot on and I'd suggest to just stay away from the box store variety. Steel is good, engine vibration for in-frame mount can do a number on lesser frames. Felt and Worksman are mentioned as decent frames by some, though I've never owned them.

S. OR may be tougher and a bit out of reach but I just spent 10 minutes on the PDX CL and came across a bunch of bikes for short money.

Specialized Stumpjumper (mid 90s) - $250 OBO
Deore and Continental Town&Country's!
TREK 950 Commuter MTB Very Nice 20 Inch Frame
That Trek is a '93, the only year they used lugged chromoly

Gotta be others, the Sunday listings are 4 pages deep and it's still early PST, lol. Ever get up the northern end of the valley?

Anyway, you're a biker so you probably know what's up with quality though. As a cyclist you also know fit is important as well, especially for a lengthy commute. What I target is early Dbacks, Bridgestones, Specialized Stumpers, Proflex, some Treks. The mid 80 to mid 90 geometry had level top tubes and open front triangles if you want to mount in-frame. I prefer rack mounts but that's just me. The in-frame 4 strokes are wide and require adapting the BB spindle so the pedal tread or "Q" factor is altered making pedaling awkward IMO.
 
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Awesome, thanks. So why do you prefer the rack mount system. It seems to me that the weight of the bike would be all messed up. The little subaru motors are supposed to be really sweet, but I have sort of thrown that idea out because of the weight issue and I thought it would be useful to have saddlebags.

PDX unfortunately is about 4+ hour drive from here, so I could make a special trip up to buy a bike, but there is expense and time associated with that, not too sure the wife would be too stoked about that. Maybe we can make a trip out of it, but for now I am going to look in the Ashland/Medford area.

Thanks for the list of bikes above, I will look them over to get an idea of what you tend to think works well. Furthermore, thank you much for the detailed information, it is very much appreciated.
 
Oh one more thing, is aluminum definitely out? Seems like everyone prefers steel, but some of the cruisers that I have seen are aluminum.
 
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