Frame just about done - New Frame/Bike Suggestions

JDUBWEB

JDUBWEB

New Member
Hello All!

I made it a year after my first build (lost count with the minor tuneups, etc) but I got about 1500 miles on the bike. I was putting a new rear rim on my cruiser and the frame literally snapped in half on the bottom, horizontal bar going back to the rear wheel. While Im always up for repairs, I put on a 1" Electrical Steel tube and JB Welded it into place. Bike works again, but I noticed a number of stress fractures on the frame in various places. This scares me. So, in the not too distant future I will need to strip this down and mount it on a new bike frame. I know steel is the way to go and I have heard that mountain bikes are the best, but personally, I dont like the forward lean. That said, would I be better off looking for used frame on Craigslist or something or would I be better off purchasing a new frame on an inexpensive steel framed bike from Walmart or something. Any and all advice is welcome. Thanks!

rmfla
 
I'm workin on a '73 Schwinn Suburban, all you need for it is a new back wheel witha small flange and a smaller rear sprocket because of tight clearances, and it is all steel, or it's aluminum filled with lead LOL
 
I am inclined to go with a strong frame as the starting point on a build. None of these bikes were intended to have vibrating motors on them or traveling along at higher than peddling alone speeds for mile after mile. So my thinking is to go with well made over pretty paint and shiny thin chrome. Chrome won't keep you safe. I'd look for a fat tired heavy bike from the 60's or earlier and made in the USA. Half the time we end up changing the wheels on a newer bike because they're cheap and don't hold up. The fenders are thin and poorly mounted. The handlbars don't feel right, so we get ones that do. Maybe a better seat. If this sounds like you, why not look for the right frame and then build it with good parts... new heavy duty wheels from bikeworldusa made a huge difference on my old Schwinns. Everything else is old stuff and not all of it Schwinn. I let my eye tell me what is right and what isn't. I have a 63 American that is getting 1940 Elgin fender skirts and an Indian motorcycle fender light. Frames alone on ebay (there are some great old ones) are pretty reasonable since it is just the frame, so collectors are turned off. But for a bulder they are just the thing. They ship pretty cheaply, too. Anything made by Cleveland Welding is good. Old Schwinns speak for themselves. Look around and think about it. You and your bike are going to spend a lot of time together, so you might as well pick a friendly one you like to hang out with.
Silverbear
 
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