Extremely New. Need Advice

[KoryWitkus]

I don't know what to start with i have a very limited budget but i have an idea at what i'm going to get.
I'm not sure what i want i want something that can take hills (i live in eastern kentucky) i can ride around on all day and can do fine with a lot of bumps. (not the smoothest roads and sidewalks.
i've been looking at cruiser bikes but i'm not sure how they handle the whole hill thing. I'm a big guy 270 6'2" Not sure if this is where this goes but just need some advice before i buy.

 

[Greg58]

First thing you need to look for on any bike is the spoke size, the larger spokes will hold up longer. A good beach cruiser or mountain bike will probably work for you, but bike type is a matter of choice. Some don't like coaster brakes, others are ok with them.

 

[maniac57]

I'd suggest a decent mountain bike with good V-brakes and normal size frame tubing.
Bolt a china two-stroke on it and buy a larger rear sprocket for the hills. Easily under $200 for the kit and sprocket.
Spend the rest of your budget on a HD chain and a quality brand bike with a large layout for your needs. Trek, Diamondback, Specialized, GT, Gary Fisher, Schwinn, etc. are all available for good prices used.

 

[KoryWitkus]

I have 150 to spend right now and im begging doing odd jobs for the rest i need the cheapest way i can go if possible.

 

[allen standley]

I concur with both above find bike with big spokes 12g min with a rag joint. Get a box of #41 chain from Tractor Supply $22. Your a big Guy. Safest method for you is a Sprocket adapter with a 48 or 50 t sprocket bout $100 from Pirate. CALL THEM Look at Bike berry they have them too. Rag joint tugs half the spokes 18 on left side only. Sprocket adapter mounts to hub (Coaster Brake or Freewheel) Tugs all 36 spokes. I have built bikes with 14 gauge spokes (most MTN Bikes) and used a sprocket adapter with no probs but I only weigh 150 soaking wet. BIG GUY BIG SPOKES BIG CHAIN gives lateral forgiveness
WITH ADAPTER. Gotta buy a good quality chain break there's another 25 or $30. There ya go for less than $150 BE SAFE.
BE SAFE. Good luck!

 

[MitchP]

A mountain bike with front shocks sounds like what you need. In terms of reliability, you really really really should at least get the spring pulley if not the KIP tensioner and the adapter.

Without these two items I was literally about to put my bike up for sale. They are not performance parts, they will just make your bike %1000 easier to ride and probably stop it from destroying your wheels. If you're smart with your shopping you can get a pretty decent set up for $400-500

Bike on craigslist or walmart: $100-$200
A kit: $150
Tensioner: $25
Adapter:$75
Tools, gas, oil, etc. : $50

Total: $400-500. I bought mine thinking it would change everything but being a beginner like you I didn't have the skill to make those cheap parts work and had to buy parts until it was running. So if you really have to have this to get around I would say, buy the bike you would use and ride it and take the bus if it's too far until you have enough $$ to do it right otherwise you could end being frustrated relying on one of these.

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

I concur with both above find bike with big spokes 12g min with a rag joint. Get a box of #41 chain from Tractor Supply $22. Your a big Guy. Safest method for you is a Sprocket adapter with a 48 or 50 t sprocket bout $100 from Pirate. CALL THEM Look at Bike berry they have them too. Rag joint tugs half the spokes 18 on left side only. Sprocket adapter mounts to hub (Coaster Brake or Freewheel) Tugs all 36 spokes. I have built bikes with 14 gauge spokes (most MTN Bikes) and used a sprocket adapter with no probs but I only weigh 150 soaking wet. BIG GUY BIG SPOKES BIG CHAIN gives lateral forgiveness
WITH ADAPTER. Gotta buy a good quality chain break there's another 25 or $30. There ya go for less than $150 BE SAFE.
BE SAFE. Good luck!

Lol, you spent all the $$ this big guy has. Where's the engine? Brakes? Tires?

Just my opinion allen, what you're expecting to build will cost MUCH more than $150. The Happy Time kit alone costs about $150, maybe more or less.

 

[allen standley]

Lol, you spent all the $$ this big guy has. Where's the engine? Brakes? Tires?

Just my opinion allen, what you're expecting to build will cost MUCH more than $150. The Happy Time kit alone costs about $150, maybe more or less.

OH NO me 5-7 you're correct.
Sorry Kory, at some point it slipped my mind completely your starting from scratch. I go to the Police auctions here locally and also hunt yard sales for my bikes. To be safe whatever you end up with get an adapter. It's a must have item for you.

 

[BigBlue]

I don't know what to start with i have a very limited budget but i have an idea at what i'm going to get.
I'm not sure what i want i want something that can take hills (i live in eastern kentucky) i can ride around on all day and can do fine with a lot of bumps. (not the smoothest roads and sidewalks.
i've been looking at cruiser bikes but i'm not sure how they handle the whole hill thing. I'm a big guy 270 6'2" Not sure if this is where this goes but just need some advice before i buy.

Kory, welcome to the forum. Your question is a typical question, especially in today's economy. A lot of people need cheap transportation for work or commuting. This forum is full of people in your situation and many had the same idea, but their expectations weren't met. They didn't take the time to properly setup their engines and spend the time to make adjustments and/or repairs or lacked the knowledge and/or tools.

In my opinion, I don't think your going to be able to ride the a bike all day and have a dependable mode of transportation with a stock kit setup. Running the Happy Time engine all day, up-down hills with your weight is going to take a toll on that engine. I am 6'2" and 265lbs myself. A shiftkit would help, but that is way beyond your current budget.

I don't think your going to be able to meet your budget of $150 and have a dependable ride. You'll need to save some money to allocate for extra parts and upgrades. A good used mountain bike would be good. I suggest a steel frame.

When your new to this hobby, like all of us were at one time, there is a learning curve to get the HT dependable enough that your not breaking down - hoofing it, thumbing a ride and/or calling someone to pick you up. I would suggest you take your time building your kit and properly setting it up, then ride it for locally several weeks to work out the bugs, before you decide to use it for your daily mode of transportation.

Knowledge and tools (or access) are necessary with this hobby. The knowledge is here and it is free for you to discover. Tools are essential for repairs and maintenance. Yes, there will be repairs because remember, you only paid about $150 for the kit. It ain't no Toyota, Subaru Honda and etc. A torque wrench and DMM (digital multimeter) are essential tools and can be bought cheaply or free from Harbor Freight. Garage sales are another good source of inexpensive tools and bicycles.

Browse the forum for build ideas and get to know the terminology before you take the plunge and ask questions. Just be open to other peoples suggestions and be specific what you are asking.

Here's a few guides to help you if you decide to go the Happy Time 2 stroke route:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GcesQihc7-mm3hJGf7UPiqOaRXZ8ekUT99QUZq2qXXE/edit

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aBeJuoS--VQWwXysc07rpscTUbPzgc93xjiQBgsyFjc/edit

http://www.grubeeinc.com/USA/2 cycle engine trouble shooting guide.html

Good Luck,

Chris
AKA: BigBlue

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

Lol, you spent all the $$ this big guy has. Where's the engine? Brakes? Tires?

Just my opinion allen, what you're expecting to build will cost MUCH more than $150. The Happy Time kit alone costs about $150, maybe more or less.

OH NO me 5-7 you're correct.
Sorry Kory, at some point it slipped my mind completely your starting from scratch. I go to the Police auctions here locally and also hunt yard sales for my bikes. To be safe whatever you end up with get an adapter. It's a must have item for you.

Lol, you spent all the $$ this big guy has. Where's the engine? Brakes? Tires?

Just my opinion allen, what you're expecting to build will cost MUCH more than $150. The Happy Time kit alone costs about $150, maybe more or less.

OH NO me 5-7 you're correct.
Sorry Kory, at some point it slipped my mind completely your starting from scratch. I go to the Police auctions here locally and also hunt yard sales for my bikes. To be safe whatever you end up with get an adapter. It's a must have item for you.

Sorry allen, not meaning to disrespect or belittle anyone. In my opinion, if you're looking for cheap, dependable transportation, a motorized bike is not it. It can be cheap to start off, but not dependable on the cheap.

Just my opinion, the cheapest way to get into this hobby is to buy someone else's bike they gave up on. Then spend the extra $$ making it dependable. I lucked out and bought a second hand Trek mountain bike which had a Mitsubishi TLE43, Staton gearbox and NuVinci hub. The only thing it needed was to fix the rear flat and rear brake. It cost me $200 plus less than $5 for the flat. Brakes will cost less than $20. I bet the seller didn't put 100 miles on the bike.

Now THAT is a cheap dependable, quality bike with expensive parts. The rear wheel is the Monster hub w/12g spokes. The seller easily put over $1,000 in the bike.

My advice? Place an ad in Craigslist for a used motorized bike. You'll more than likely come out ahead. My $200 motorized bicycle will be my backup commuter bike.

 

[robin]

Sorry allen, not meaning to disrespect or belittle anyone. In my opinion, if you're looking for cheap, dependable transportation, a motorized bike is not it. It can be cheap to start off, but not dependable on the cheap.

Just my opinion, the cheapest way to get into this hobby is to buy someone else's bike they gave up on. Then spend the extra $$ making it dependable. I lucked out and bought a second hand Trek mountain bike which had a Mitsubishi TLE43, Staton gearbox and NuVinci hub. The only thing it needed was to fix the rear flat and rear brake. It cost me $200 plus less than $5 for the flat. Brakes will cost less than $20. I bet the seller didn't put 100 miles on the bike.

Now THAT is a cheap dependable, quality bike with expensive parts. The rear wheel is the Monster hub w/12g spokes. The seller easily put over $1,000 in the bike.

WOWZER WHAT A STEAL ! IVE GOT A 40CC tANAKA ON A GIANT FRAME AND SPENT ABOUT 1500

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

Yeah. Each one ofl my builds cost close to $1K.

 

[MitchP]

Yeah. Each one ofl my builds cost close to $1K.

Mine too. I bought a skyhawk frame not knowing how much it would take to build a bike AND a moped. I had to get forks, brakes, etc.

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

Yeah, this hobby will "nickel and dime" you a lot. I bought 4 new chains and a derailleur in 6 months, before I solved my chainjumping problem. This bike has broken three derailleurs, two cassettes, a couple of 14g spokes, two engine chains and twelve 8-speed chains. Knock on wood, my new derailleur is now two months old, and my chain is a month old.

Lol, the cheapest expense is the gas and oil. I wore out one tranny sprocket and two snap rings. Chainrings don't wear out, nor do pocket bike trannies. Disc brakes have lasted all this time. I have adjust them, but haven't changed brake pads yet.The tires have lasted almost 2 years and show minimal wear. On my friction drive bike, I would've gone thru 12 rear tires by now.

KoryWitkus, are you sure you wanna go thru with this?

Can you afford to break stuff on your bike?

 

[tazman289]

I bought my skyhawk and had it shipped for 200 and got an old dunelt (cruiser) for 20 and got her looking New for another 50. I had to get a HD chain and a new filter but I have put around 500 miles with no problems this summer. Love my engine, looks great on the cruiser, no rag joint trouble (my friend had to adjust his wheel with the rag joint because the chain would slip and finally broke, works fine now). You may have to save for a bit because small things will get you with motorbikes. Mine is dependable but I would be nervous to have it as an everyday vehicle because it does need adjustments and working on at a fairly regular basis. Second hand bike would be another good idea. I would recommend a skyhawk if you were to order an engine. Hope you find an affordable fun ride