Sub $300 cruiser, new?

[glennbo]

im goin to try this tank sealer. cheapest one i could find but it says it will stick to fiberglass where as kreem and the more expensive brands wont. check it out on e-bay or jeggs they even sent me a hat,stickers and a catalog for free thats what i call custermer service. total price with shipping 18 bucks

 

[F_Rod81]

Are you looking to have a bike that will last for years to come, or one that will just last for the summer? A good solid frame and wheels/tires are most important here. "Don't be cheap, cause it will just come back to bite you and you'll end up spending more to upgrade in the future. Almost any vintage cruiser will hold up to the task (schwinn, roadmaster, elgin, ect...) you should be able to find them locally or on ebay within in your budget. Newer high-end cruisers work well too, such as: Felt, Nirve, and Electras. Don't worry about a front brake, you can always have a bike shop lace up a front drum brake hub for a fair price. With the combination of a front drum brake the coaster brake will be just fine, just don't be a retard and be trying to freewheel the crank. Post some pictures and share your build progression with us.

 

[maurtis]

Mainly looking for something to tool around on the weekends and not plant me on my face from a wheel or frame failing.

I keep eyeballing the Nirve B1 since it can be had for $250 locally (Performance Bikes nearby can get them) and is a style I like. But whenever I tally up the parts list I always go back to the fact that I can cut the bill by about 20% by just getting a new Cranny or the like...

But, when it comes down to it, I am going to just go with my gut and save a little longer for the Nirve (or until a cheap, good quality cruiser shows up on CL).

As for the gas tank, I am really liking the looks of the top mount moped tank like the one Imperial Cycles sells, for a board tracker look. I think I will try to find one in a local yard, or eBay...

Thanks again all! When I start gathering the bike and parts, I will definitely put up a detailed build thread. While I am enjoying my weed eater friction drive bike, I am ready for something with a little more polish.

 

[familyguy]

go huffy! not the best bikes but perfect for a cheap platform 4 stroke kit... i too pick up bikes from CL, picked up a cranbrook yesterday brand new for $60, and 2 blue huffys ( same frame) for $50, the wheels are actually pretty strong, my last maber had close to 500 miles on a rag joint with no issues!

 

[maurtis]

Unfortunately, I made the mistake of letting my wife in on the plans, lol. Apparently *some* people do not think that buying a $250 bike to turn into a "toy" is all that reasonable. Who knew? heehee

So it looks like unless a screaming deal comes through on Craigslist, it will most likely be a used Cranny that i end up using. That very well may be the one I already have in the garage. I am ok with that. I definitely need to run the wheels to the LBS and have then trued, tightened, and bearings lubed.

 

[familyguy]

my wife is like yours, after i told her id commute to work with it, save $80-100 in gas a month, and with the money saved, the bike would be paid off in a few months...she got off my back ...

 

[maurtis]

Awesome! I wish I could use that... (Un)fortunately I only drive into the office once a week for meetings, the rest of the week I work from home. So my commute is up the stairs to the home office. That would be a fun ride on the bike, though... It would drive the dogs nuts!

 

[bandito]

OP its obvious your not a newbie................do what you want and quit wasting folks time.

 

[maurtis]

OP its obvious your not a newbie................do what you want and quit wasting folks time.

I appreciate your vote of confidence, but I really know very little about bicycles and how cheaper frames and running gear hold up to the stresses of being motorized. I am sorry you feel that asking those who have been there and done that for their opinion is a waste of time.

From reading through these forums, I have learned quite a bit from others asking questions that might otherwise be "common knowledge", hopefully someone else can read this thread and maybe it would help them make a decision on which platform to build off of.

 

[robbomberbomyea]

darn who peed in his cherios,,any way the cranny cheap bike agreed,i bought one new but not real happy with it.prefer my ol' schwinn i found on cl for under 50.also have much older huffy the scruffy huffy much better then the new china junk.

 

[maurtis]

Scanning CL yesterday, a Dyno Glide showed up, and in my neighborhood too! I just rode it home. The 24" wheels and geometry will take some getting used to. It feels tiny compared to my Cranny, but it rides great. So smooth. It does need paint, though...

Of course, two days ago I ordered a springer fork that will not fit the Dyno, so the Cranny gets it anyway, lol.

So after all the looking, I still ended up with a used bike. But I think I will be happy with it...

Thanks everyone for helping in my search, I really appreciate it!

 

[big kountry 75]

I know I' a newbie but from what I've seen the huffy crnbrook at the wallie world is a popular choice brand spanking new it's a $90.00 bike where I'm at.

 

[maurtis]

The Cranbrook is definitely a popular choice due to cost (new and used, got my black Cranny for $25) and availability. The issue is quality control and materials. Low quality components, low quality welds, etc. Some people have them last for thousands of miles, some develop cracks in the frames shortly after motorizing.