lbj273

I am wanting to start on a hybrid bike build/conversion for riding with my wife and her new Specialized Roll. I am currently riding a Fuji Sunfire SX from 1994 that has a 19" frame that is too small for me. I really like the upright position the Roll puts you in and want to emulate that, I also love the frame style of beach cruiser style bikes and would love to start with an old Schwinn frame. However I'm not sure which models in particular I should be looking for to serve as the base for my build. I am 6'4" with long legs and I will be utilizing donor bikes and used parts as much as possible to keep the cost down.

So to get started the big things I would love assistance with would be:

1. What is a not super rare cruiser bike that can serve as a good platform to work with?
2. What parts could be upgraded to modern components to help save weight?
3. If the base bike doesn't have gears, what is an affordable set of components to use? Would it be more economical to take this from a donor bike?

Thanks in advance for any assistance, I'm looking forward to getting my hands dirty and making myself a custom bike!

hokiefyd 

Hi there -- it sounds like a fun project. You will have some hurdles, though. It sounds like you're looking for something that's going to ride more like a modern bike (with modern brakes and a modern drivetrain). You may have trouble fitting these to a typical beach cruiser.

Brakes: most "beach cruisers" used rear hub brakes only (coaster brake), where you back-pedal to stop. The highest speed most beach cruisers ever go is about 5 mph, so good brakes were never a high priority. Most frames will accept a caliper brake, but the reach will be pretty long, which may mean you'll have to use an old school stamped steel MTB or BMX type brake, like these. If you're lucky, you could find a frame with braze-ons for cantilever brakes. In this case, you could run traditional cantilever brakes or linear pull brakes.

Drivetrain: many "beach cruisers" used a single speed hub. With few rear hills to contend with in most coastal towns, a wide gear range is not something most beach cruisers have. Some newer ones have a rear derailleur, possibly even with a brazed-on hanger. None of this precludes you from installing a rear derailleur, but you'll have to be aware that provisions for a rear shift cable may not be on the bike, so you may need to buy some clamp-on cable stops for that. Alternatively, you could use an internally-geared hub, like a Shimano Nexus or Sturmey-Archer, assuming you want a choice of rear gears.

Good luck!

lbj273

While looking for inspiration I've stumbled across some hybrid Cruisers frames with BMX parts and it's very close to what I had pictured this ending up as, with the changes I want being ease of use/comfort changes of a comfort saddle and some gears rather than the single speed many of the bikes in this style are.

I don't have enough posts to add images or links yet but when I do I'll post some pics I'm using for inspiration.

lbj273

I may have found my donor bike, it's not a vintage Schwinn but it is a Schwinn nonetheless. It's a Schwinn Clairmont, which is a model from between 2011 and 2016 as far as I can tell, however it has a 7 speed as well as already fit with brakes which minimizes the amount of things I need to do up front.

My concern is that it is a 19" frame (I had the owner measure the seat tube) and I'm worried that will be too small for me as the 19" Fuji Sunfire mountain bike I'm riding currently is too small for my 6'4" frame. From what I've read this size frame on a cruiser is a fit for people up to about 6'2", will changing the bars to BMX bars with less sweep help the bike fit? Would a laid back seat post work to help give my legs some room if the bars alone don't?

hokiefyd 

Sure, you could get a seat post that has some setback to it (mounts the seat behind the centerline of the post) and BMX bars with less sweep will also help. You can also change the stem to a longer one for more reach. I presume it has a 1" quill stem, but you could use a stem adapter for a threadless stem and really dial your fit that way.

Here's a link to the Schwinn Clairmont at Walmart. It looks like a good starter for a cruiser-style frame.