Beach Cruiser Conversions Experiences: Positive or Negative?

[bdc43]

Hi Guys,

Just wondering what your experiences have been converting a beach cruiser (classic and/or new). As I had mentioned in a previous thread I am seriously considering upgrading to a new bike since my current ride is starting to show it's age and maintenance is becoming a pain (not to mention rides becoming rougher). I've always had a bit of a soft spot for beach cruisers, especially the classic balloon tire ones. I was recently at the LBS which carries the Manhattan brand and took a Flyer Deluxe 6 for a spin. It's a six speed with Shimano derailleur and twist grip shifter, side pull brakes both front and rear, etc. so you basically get the comfort of a cruiser but the practicallity of a mountain or hybrid. It's a sweet looking bike but the guy at the bike shop said it's built as sturdy as the old time cruisers, especially when it comes to the headset, bottom bracket and front hub which are not made out of the highest quality components. I guess he was concerned how it would hold up to an electric conversion. Although I use my current bike to run errands and commute to work occasionally, I don't put as many miles as most forum members who ride 365 days a year in any kind of weather so it could possible hold up to at least a few years use. I haven't decided on the bike yet, still thinking it over. I just wanted to see what other memebrs have experienced with their beach cruiser conversions especially in daily use. I know beach cruisers, especially modern ones, are not really built for commuting but I'm sure there are some of you out there who use them as your "daily driver" so to speak. I'm curious to know how they've been holding up...are some models of better quality than others and if so, which brands/models would you recommend? I would be extremely interested in hearing any forum members who have converted a Manhattan Flyer Deluxe 6....how is the bike holding up to daily use...what type of kit do you have on it...etc.

 

[bdc43]

Whoops! Made a typo in the above post: it should read ..."the guy at the bike shop said it's NOT built as sturdy as the old time cruisers..."

I'm sure the you've all figured that out by now, though

 

[jateureka]

Is there a reason why you want one to convert rather then buying a ready made one?
Several makes/ models of beach cruser style e-bikes.
In Australia we have the Pedego, Dillenger and eZee Cadence just to name a few.

http://www.pedegoelectricbikes.com/

 

[wineboyrider]

I have Wal bike cruiser aluminum frame with a 9c front motor regen, lyen 9 fet controller, and rear coaster brake. I love the low maintenance and lightness of this bike..http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kent-La-Jolla-26-Men-s-Cruiser-Bike/17206784

Granted my commute 2.5 miles to work 2.5 miles home for lunch 2.5 miles to work 2.5 miles home with almost no stops.

 

[Eskimo]

I am very happy with my cruiser conversion. I think my cruiser is originally "Yosemite", made long time ago. It"s all steel, ashtabula crank. Axel distance is 124cm, which is great compared to my MTB"s 108cm. Fork angle is less steep too. It looks good and is very comfortable on a longer rides too.
About downsides i would say, it"s quite tailheavy. You almost sit above the rear wheel. Then if you attach pannier on the rear too (battery even?), it gets very tailheavy, rear wheel spokes start to give up. I have to check and tighten my rear spokes every 20km or so. It"s aluminum rim. For C of G reasons front motor is good for cruiser. Three speeds are enough for me with it.
Cruiser is slightly slower, less efficient too, more drag and you make less pedaling power when you sit totally upright i think, but with motor this is no biggie.
For your neck and arms cruiser bike is very friendly. That laidback-feel kinda works with motor drive, they are made for each other. Other cyclists wanna overtake you more when you ride a cruiser.
With cruiser it"s bigger surprise for them that you are not actually riding slowly all the time.

 

[Beachcruzer]

If my ES handle isn't a dead giveaway, I'll say it again: Beach cruisers make great conversions. That's doubly true if your main use is running errands around town rather than a long commute. The cruiser geometry is better suited to a motor-assisted vehicle than most other classes of bicycle--slack angles that are stable at speed, an upright riding posture that's comfortable and gives you good visibility, fat tires that absorb a lot of road shock. It's not the most efficient pedaling position, but it is a very comfortable riding position. And with the equivalent of five fully doped Lance Armstrongs at the end of your thumb, who needs efficiency?

Here's a shameless plug for my cruiser. http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=34030 I've since built a badass dual-suspension eBike on a high-end downhill frame pushing 100v and 40 amps. I still ride the cruiser most of the time.

The thing I love about my cruiser build is its simplicity. It sounds like you really liked the Manhattan you test rode, but my advice is to pick up an old school cruiser on Craigslist. Don't get one with gears, because, number one, you don't need them (I live in a very hilly town and with the hubmotor I just don't need to downshift, ever) and number two, once you start adding a bunch of extra stuff to a beach cruiser it stops becoming cool and starts becoming like the Pedego that jateureka linked to. I test rode one of those and you definitely will be better off with a DIY build, at half the price and double the performance.

Adding a set of rim brakes, to the front at least, would be prudent. I haven't bothered to on my cruiser yet (V-brakes and new fork in the garage waiting to be installed) but yeah, front brakes would be smart. The rear coaster is remarkably effective though. Wineboy's setup with regen in the front and the rear coaster is elegant and effective. I put all my power components up front--front motor, batteries in a basket, controller mounted under the basket. This sounds nuts (I thought so too when I first tried it) but it handles very nicely. It just feels solid at speed, like a motorcyle. And because the cruiser riding position puts so much rider weight on the rear wheel, it's actually quite balanced this way.

Lots of cool cruisers on the Sphere. Have a look around and good luck with your build.

 

[The fingers]

Nearly two years commuting on the cruiser to two different jobs 7 and 10 miles each way. More comfortable than the mountain bike.

 

[spinningmagnets]

I seem to remember that its difficult to find a cruiser frame with a 1-1/8" head tube, which would allow a wide selection of suspension forks and also disc brakes. Most seem to have the one-inch head tube. Does the Electra Townie qualify as a beach cruiser? Nicobie has an awesome eTownie.

Great battery triangle though. Since the actual majority of Ebikes are rarely used at any speed higher than 25-MPH, I think they make great conversions.

 

[dogman dan]

It would also screw with the fork angle, to put anything more than a cheapo 1" steel suspension fork on a cruiser. So if you want a shock fork, go the mtb route for sure. Or something like a townie. You get a frame designed for a shock fork. ( no doubt somebody makes a fork you could use, like a springer)

Some cruisers make great ebikes, others so so. For example, ideally you have brakes, so if you put a rear motor on a "classic" coaster brake cruiser, you have a bit of a problem with how you will stop.

The ideal cruiser is going to be one with a 7 speed rear freewheel, and v brakes. Then you have gears, rear motor is fine, the dropouts will be 135mm, and you can stop well. Not much else you need at that point. If you wish to upgrade the cranks, you can get a square bb to fit it.

You can of course, put a front motor on a classic coaster brake bike. I'd recommend in that case, getting a slower motor, something in the 20 mph at 48v range such as E-Bikekits trike motor. Perfect for "cruising" and the efficiency of the slow motor in stop and go riding is the cherry on top. Perfect for the beach sidewalks, where you wouldn't want to pass the thong girl so fast you never got to see it.

 

[maurtis]

I love beach cruiser frames, I built my 66cc gas build on one and am planning my hub motor build around one. That bike topped out at 39.7 MPH (1988 Schwinn cantilever framed cruiser with beehive springer front end) with no signs of wobble or instability at any speed. I love the relaxed riding position and look of them. While your LBS guy may be right about the new cruiser frames not being built as sturdy as the old Chicago Schwinns, that Manhattan (KHS) should be fine. If you have concerns about the front hub not being up to snuff, buying a new hub to have laced into the wheel, or a new wheel altogether is easy.

The first frame that I came across that I liked for my build was a 2000-ish Schwinn Heavy Duti. LOVE the frame, but after getting it home I found that the terrible paint job was masking some cracks in the frame at the rear supports where they met the seat post. Since the rear dropouts were bent, either it was in a very bad wreck or the cracks were from someone trying to widen the dropouts (which I had planned to do myself).

A couple days later a 1999 Schwinn Cruiser Supreme popped up on CL for $50 in great shape. It already had 135mm rear dropouts and was set up for a 6 speed hub, already set up to run a 3/32" multispeed chain, had cantilever brakes front and rear (even though I am using a 90mm drum for the front), and was not in need of frame repair. The downside was the frame was not as beefy as the Heavy Duti and overall was about 2" shorter in length. But I felt the tradeoffs were worth it.

So if you plan on the majority of your riding to be on the street or smooth bike paths, I think that a beach cruiser would be fine. I think going with an LBS multispeed cruiser (like that Manhattan) is a fine choice!

BTW, here is a picture of my Cruiser Supreme next to the Heavy Duti. I really wish the Heavy Duti did not have the frame issues... I may just have to keep it and get it stripped and rewelded for a future build...

 

[dogman dan]

Bing, the green one on the left. Definitely still built strong enough, but it's true, the old steel ones were crazy strong. We invented bmx on them 40 years ago, along with every other kid in America with an empty ditch or dirt pile handy.

 

[bdc43]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for all your input!

@jateureka

The reason I'm looking for a stock bike and not a factory built ebike is because I already have an electric kit installed on an old mountain bike (Nine Continent, 35 Amp controller, 48V Lipo pack) and I'd like to swap it over to the next bike I get. Since it's a rear hub kit equipped with 6-speed freewheel, a bike equipped with an external 6 speed cassette instead of either a single speed or internally geared hub would enable me to use the kit I already have. Hence, the reason I was attracted to the Manhattan Cruisers Flyer Deluxe 6 in the first place; all the other cruisers I've looked at are either single speed or internally geared hubs , making a front wheel hub motor setup the only option. Given the choice, I would rather use what I already have then go through the extra expense of purchasing another kit.

@maurtis

Nice rides you have there! Thanks for the vote of confidence for the Manhattan and you're right, most of my riding is in an urban environment, although there are only a couple of bike paths in my city that are paved....all the others are gravel, although well maintained (no potholes and ruts reminiscent of a mountain bike course). I must admit the bike was pretty darn comfy when I took it for a test ride. I realize you do have to sacrifice some efficiency for comfort when it comes to cruisers, and I'm willing to accept that. My current bike is 28 years old and although it's still in decent shape, it's starting to show it's age, especially with regards to ride comfort : at a certain point, there's only so much adjusting and maintenance you can do....it's time to move on. One thing I did notice when I was checking out the Manhattan, is the tires are only rated for 50 PSI max, whereas the Serfas I have on my mountain bike are rated 65 PSI max. I wonder if I shoul switch to higher pressure tires and if so, are they available with whitewalls ? I'd like to keep the retro look if I could...I'm a sucker for classics!


Once again, thank for all the great tips everyone. I haven't made a final decision just yet...I told the LBS guy I would have to give it some thought before I decided on a purchase or not, and he was cool with that.

 

[Hwy89]

You will love it.
My first conversion was a Wilderness Energy front kit on a cheap Walmart mountain bike. I was having so much fun my wife wanted one too, so I put another kit on a Schwin cruiser for her. Wow, talk about a world of difference in comfort. Whenever I can, I ride her "Cadillac bike" and leave that mountain bike at home.
I just bought a cruiser for myself and I'm getting the parts together for a conversion.
When you have a motor comfort can trump efficiency.

 

[Racer_X]

My first build is the Schwinn Heavy Duti. To add to what other people have said above Beach cruiser are the the perfect newb starter bike. Beach cruiser are simple bikes that are easy to convert and easy to maintain. It is my favorite bike to use in bad weather because it is tough. The long wheel base, sitting position and the wide handlebar grip gives you excellent control at high speed and works great as a small cargo bike.

 

[The fingers]

One thing I did notice when I was checking out the Manhattan, is the tires are only rated for 50 PSI max, whereas the Serfas I have on my mountain bike are rated 65 PSI max. I wonder if I shoul switch to higher pressure tires and if so, are they available with whitewalls ? I'd like to keep the retro look if I could...I'm a sucker for classics!

I like the Electra Hotster 26x2.25 whitewalls with flame tread. I keep them @60#(rated for 65#) and they ride smooth and corner well with added floatation on soft shoulders. They also have cool Hello Kitty tread models and come in blackwalls too. 8)

 

[maurtis]

I like the Electra Hotster 26x2.25 whitewalls with flame tread. I keep them @60#(rated for 65#) and they ride smooth and corner well with added floatation on soft shoulders. They also have cool Hello Kitty tread models and come in blackwalls too. 8)

Nice! If my Cyclops Pros do not work out, I am grabbing some Hello Kittys!

 

[bdc43]

Was perusing the "Motorbicycling" forms and one of the members mentioned that Innova makes a 26" whitewall tire that's rated at 65 PSI.

 

[bdc43]

For those of you unfamiliar with the Manhattan Cruisers Brand, here's an exact pic of the bike I tried out at the LBS:

http://www.manhattancruisers.com/10_flyer6_m_green.htm

 

[jateureka]

I seem to remember that its difficult to find a cruiser frame with a 1-1/8" head tube, which would allow a wide selection of suspension forks and also disc brakes. Most seem to have the one-inch head tube. .

yes, I have the Electra Sparker Special which has a 1" threaded fork and I want to upgrade to disc brake front (non-suspension). Searching ebay has only found one set of forks but they won't ship to Australia http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/11110313...AX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_273wt_1196

Then I stumbled on this 1" threadless CrMo one on Jenson http://www.jensonusa.com/Bicycle-Rigid-Forks/Dimension-Cross-Fork Just means I also need a threadless headset and stem.

The Pedego electric beach cruiser has threaded fork and disc brake but not sure if it is 1" or 1 1/8"


Edit: Pedego beach cruiser uses 1" threaded fork with disc brake