Originally Posted by mynameismark

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum & a big fan of beach cruisers, ever since I discover that everybody rides them along the beaches of Costa Rica. They were a revelation!!! So comfy & relaxing!
I'm from Europe (England originally but I moved to Germany) and living in a relatively flat city so it seemed the perfect opportunity to ditch my old mountain bike & buy a cruiser.

And so began my love/hate relationship with them.

I bought a 150€ cruiser off a guy on eBay Kleinenzeigen (kind of a no fees, no hassle eBay) and he delivered it to my door in his white van, hung around until I'd taken it once around the block, took my money & promptly drove off.
I was happy with my purchase until I realised the seat post was stuck so I took it to the local bike shop. They immediately showed me several problems (dodgy spokes, bent frame, worn out brakes, bare tyre etc...) All these things could have been avoided if I'd been more careful & less hasty (and known what to look for). Anyway, I think it cost an initial outlay of 50€.

It's been 3 years now & I've probably replaced everything (except the frame, forks & handlebars) at least once. I ride at least 5km a day so general wear & tear means I'm bound to have to put money into it. I'mm just not sure I want to anymore.
The frame is steel & weighs a ton. The twist shift gears & derailleur are slowly dying. The back wheel is slightly buckled & the brakes need constant tweaking.

So, I think I'm going to spend a fair chunk of money on a custom build.

What I'm after....

A black bike. No obvious labels.
A classic cruiser shape.
6-7 gears with twist shift.
Hydraulic disc brakes.
Nothing bling, steampunk of gonky (I had a Raleigh Chopper as a kid & maintain they're a kids bike!! Heeheheheh!)

So far I've found a couple of EU suppliers & like the look of Cruiser Shop - Europe. The trouble is, they can only help me with so much, mainly which of their parts are compatible.
As I want something with a 6-7 gear sprocket I need an XL frame & this is where my problems have started.

So, question...

The frame is paired with forks that have a 1 1/8" steerer diameter. The only handlebar stems that fit the forks hold slightly thicker bars to normal (25.4mm instead of the standard 22.2mm)
All the twist shifts I've looked at have 22.2mm clamps. Is there an easy fix for this? Some kind of adapter at the top of the forks or the handlebar clamp?

Another question...

Has anyone had experience with Cruiser Shop Europe? Are they fairly priced? Can you recommend good alternative supplier based in the EU (not the UK anymore....sniff!)
The main parts I'm looking at appear to be 3G which I gather is a US company.

I can't post any photos yet - I need to post 10 comments first.

Thanks for your help, in advance!