Firmstrong CA-520, feet forward cruiser

Just bought one, see post at the bottom of this page. The latest version has an aluminum frame with steel fork (as of July 2015), purchased for $280 delivered to your door.

feet forward posture,
less than $300 when direct from "Beachbikes.net", (currently out of stock on Mens frame...perhaps due to Walmart adding them to their catalog?)
7-speeds at the rear wheel.
Can accept a large chainring (52T-60T, notice the front of the chainstay, near the BB),
enough room at the prow to accept a BBS02, and maybe even a Lightning Rods kit?
Gusset by the head-tube/top-tube joint.
Will likely accept 1-1/8th-inch forks (for front suspension and front disc brake).

I really like the Electra Townie, Trek Pure, Manhattan Smoothie, Sun Drifter 7, Rans Cruz, Raliegh Gruv, and Fuji Barnebey 7, but...I am pretty sure they are aluminum and they are all $450-ish+.

$350 at Walmart for 3-speed IGH http://www.walmart.com/ip/Beachbikes-Men-s-CA-520-3-Speed-Beach-Cruiser-Bike/34237223



Mens frames temporarily out of stock. I may have to get a womens frame, no problem since I will be adding side panels to cover the electrics inside the triangle anyways...

If it's steel it's the only one of the 9 crank forward I've seen that is. BTW, forks on those mentioned and several more are steel.


http://www.beachbikes.net/products/Firmstrong-CA-520-7-Speed-Matte-Black-Mens-26-Cruiser-Bike-230.html

"steel headset"

$244

Size:
15" Frame; 26" Wheels
Frame:
Forward pedaling design
Chain:
KMC Z-410
Freewheels:
Shimano 7 speed
Front Brake:
Alloy V hand brake
Front Hub:
Steel 36H
Grips:
Rubber
Handlebar:
Painted black, Comfort Cruiser Bend
Headset:
Steel
Kickstand:
Included; Steel
Pedals:
Rubber Block
Rear Brake:
Alloy V hand brake
Rear Derailer:
Shimano Tourney 7 spd
Rims:
Alloy Black 26" x 2.125 x 36H
Saddle:
Classic Padded Dual Spring Saddle
Seat Post:
Steel 25.4mm x 350mm
Stem:
Alloy Black
Tires:
Kenda All Black 26" x 2.125
Bottom Bracket:
One piece 24 tpi
Crankset:
Forged One Piece, 40T
Extras:
Black, Stainless steel spokes, all black components, Shimano 7 speed.

$20 adapter to convert "one piece" beach cruiser crank to the common 3-piece crank-set needed for BBS02 and LR kit, using 1.375 X 24 threads, ISO 6696

http://sickbikeparts.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=23&products_id=56


I don't know what the "520" means. If it was 420, it would be associated with cannabis. If it is an area code, the Arizona cities in 520 are:

Phoenix
Tucson
Scottsdale
Yuma
Flagstaff
Prescott

Looks like it could be good.
The walmart bike is different. It has no front brake, rear brake is a coaster, no gusset on the head tube, and says it's aluminum.

spinningmagnets said:

I really like the Electra Townie, Trek Pure, Manhattan Smoothie, and Fuji Barnebey 7, but...I am pretty sure they are aluminum and they are all $450-ish+.

Click to expand...

Other than the price, what disappoints you about a aluminum frame? BTW of them all I find the best fit on my Trek Pure.


Thanks for the education,

T

Ebay listing $284 shipped, "Steel Frame" 7 spd.

As mentioned lots of those crank forwards have models in their catalog that are steel.

Electra in particular has a Townie 3i that is all steel. My first ebike was a Crystalyte front mount on that same Townie. Combined with the front V-Brake and the rear coaster, it was my favorite combination. I traded it to another user here and am still kicking myself for it!

I looked at this Firmstrong because of the similar design language but read a lot of bad reviews about shoddy construction and realibility. Do yourself a favor and hold out till you find that Townie.

stiffi said:

As mentioned lots of those crank forwards have models in their catalog that are steel.

Electra in particular has a Townie 3i that is all steel.

Click to expand...

Odd, I was certain the 3i I road this Spring was alloy with a steel fork. After checking again, they list both 3i frames as "Frame Townie 6061-T6 Alloy Flat Foot Technology". "Fork High Tensile Steel Uni-Crown, Straight Blade"

I have a lot of time to kill at work (which is why I post here a lot), and I have access to welding steel, if I decide I want to experiment.

I'm sure I would be very happy with the quality of the Aluminum frames listed, but even if the CA-520 ends up being sketchy, I have to confess that the lower price frees up money for other experiments and bigger batteries.

Keep up the experiments! I find myself running into all sorts of great stuff you've catalogued in that brain and on ES!

Thanks!!

Before they were a new thing, now these are being imported by a variety of whole-salers. This company "bikebuyers.com, lists the Firmstrong CA-520 as $245 + $40 shipping, so $285 delivered to your driveway? (must assemble wheels/seat onto frame, etc...)

Just noticed, it comes stock with 36H rims...26-inch X 2.125, which have a smooth tread for the street.

http://bikebuyers.com/FS-CA520.htm

spinningmagnets said:

$20 adapter to convert "one piece" beach cruiser crank to the common 3-piece crank-set needed for BBS02 and LR kit, using 1.375 X 24 threads, ISO 6696

Click to expand...

I'd really like someone to buy one of these kits, fit it to a beach cruiser or some other similar bike with an Ashtabula ('large diameter', 'American style') BB shell and then try to fit a BBSxx drive. I want to know if it will fit.

Reason? I am aware from experience that the main gear case on the BBS drive (the thick circular case immediately under the chain wheel) has a circular recess on the back surrounding its join to the BB tube and extending out about 12mm or more. The recess is (from memory) about 4-5mm deep. When the BBS drive is fitted to a standard BSA BB shell it effectively shrouds the RH end of the shell with the main part of the case protruding back to the centreline of the bike by 4-5mm.

What this means is the the BBSxx drive won't fit:
- Moulton APBs and other Moulton suspended bikes with a suspension pivot 'ear' and bolt head immediately behind the BB shell
- some older lugged bikes with circular-section chain stays where the RH stay lug emerges from the BB shell too close to the BBxxx gear case
- maybe other bikes with similar bits of steel or aluminium in the wrong places adjacent to the RH end of the BB shell.

I have a 'postie' bike with a big basket on the front that I'd like to fit with a BBxxx. It has an Ashtabula crank. I'd like to know if this adapter provides any clearance at all for the BBxxx. It probably doesn't, but I thought I'd ask...

I realise that I could maybe resolve this issue by putting spacers on the RHS between the adapter and the rear face of the BBxxx gear case with washers on the other side under the 2x6mm bolts. However this seems likely to throw the chain line out to the right even more...

Any experiences with this adapter and the BBxxx out there?

Savvas.

I have :wink:

I used this http://www.ebay.com/itm/American-to-euro-BSA-aluminum-alloy-CNC-Bicycle-Bottom-Bracket-Adapter-/251742428628?pt=US_Bottom_Brackets&hash=item3a9d049dd4 It makes it about a 73-74mm and the BBS just fits. I had to relocate the rear derailleur cable from running under the BB to over it.

cjh said:

I have :wink:

I used this http://www.ebay.com/itm/American-to-euro-BSA-aluminum-alloy-CNC-Bicycle-Bottom-Bracket-Adapter-/251742428628?pt=US_Bottom_Brackets&hash=item3a9d049dd4 It makes it about a 73-74mm and the BBS just fits. I had to relocate the rear derailleur cable from running under the BB to over it.

Click to expand...

CJH,

You used that BB Adapter on the CA-520 with a BBS? I'm new to all this and am thinking about buying a bike and kit. Would be nice to know roughly how deep I'm getting in up front. I was looking at the Electra Cruiser 1 ($269 at REI) and thinking I could get a set of wheels with Alfine 11 on the rear, dynamo on the front, then add disk brakes and a BBS02 with a honking big battery. This bike looks like it might be an even better choice. Even more aggressively feet forward and it already has the cables. It looks like it still has a horizontal dropout so I wouldn't need a chain tensioner. What am I missing?

Anyone seen anything new in the cruiser flat foot frames?

unclfuzzy said:

cjh said:

I have :wink:

I used this http://www.ebay.com/itm/American-to-euro-BSA-aluminum-alloy-CNC-Bicycle-Bottom-Bracket-Adapter-/251742428628?pt=US_Bottom_Brackets&hash=item3a9d049dd4 It makes it about a 73-74mm and the BBS just fits. I had to relocate the rear derailleur cable from running under the BB to over it.

Click to expand...

CJH,

You used that BB Adapter on the CA-520 with a BBS? I'm new to all this and am thinking about buying a bike and kit.

Click to expand...

I didn't put a BBS on a CA-520, but it was on to a bike with an Ashtabula BB shell. I couldn't find anyone who had done it before but I couldn't see why it wouldn't work if there was enough clearance for the motor around the BB. It was a bit of a punt but as it turned out there was just enough clearance. It works fine but as I said, it makes the BB about 73-74mm total width using the kit I linked to which is the max you can go to for a BBS01/02.

IF it is a 68mm BB it doesn't have to become 73-74mm. There are quite a few kits. A 68mm BB can stay 68mm.
I made the mistake of assuming the most commonly recommended kit, from the greasy motors world was the only option.

One of several alternatives

You're right. I thought of making something like that afterwards and even suggested it to someone else here in another thread but didn't know there was a ready made option available. I would do that as it allows the use of the locking nut for added security.

tomjasz said:

Anyone seen anything new in the cruiser flat foot frames?

Click to expand...

Well um , yeah. Out of my budget though : http://www.3gbikes.com/bikes/menscruisers/bikes.html

Interesting bike. Something went whacky I I was looking at a different frame when I first followed the link. (broken in my browser)

Son just got the 7-speed step-through version of the CA-520. Purchased through Beach Bike Outlet (.com) for a total cost of $279.99. They had two colors available for this combination at the time, baby blue and mint green, they chose green. Took about two weeks to arrive at their home in a box.

BB is 68mm wide
seatpost diameter is 27.2mm
Head tube is approximately 9 inches long (228mm)
The crankset sprocket is a 40T
The largest and smallest sprockets on the 7-sp freewheel are 28T-14T
Tires are 26 X 2.125

The wheels, derailleur and brakes all came assembled. The seat+seatpost had to be inserted (very easy, of course), and the handlebars were hanging by the brake cables, so they also had to be inserted into the head tube and adjusted/tightened-down. Although the next statement is very subjective, he said it was surprisingly light for a steel frame.

If you search Google images for CA-520, there are two different step-through frames shown. On the one I would have preferred, the top tube and down tube follow each other on the same curve. I had hoped that the common dolphin battery case would fit between them. He said the top tube has the S curve like this:

Still a bummer if it's not steel. It would be sweet to weld it up into a longtail.

And since Extracycle is not made anymore, no easy bolt on to longtail. But if you weld, you could copy an Extracycle.
I have this idea I want to try. It would look like an extracycle, but just behind the pedals there would be a shock absorber. Rear suspension extracyle like attachment, that could bolt to any 26" frame. It would also be converting from 26" wheel, to 20" The whole thing would pivot on a square taper bottom bracket bolted to the dropouts.

I'm really developing an opinion, these stretched beach cruisers are all stretching the wrong end of the bike. Get that seat off the rear axle for a comfy ride!

spinningmagnets said:

Although the next statement is very subjective, he said it was surprisingly light for a steel frame.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the update! Did he confirm it is in fact steel?

Xtracycle has now pushed their new "FreeRadical" now called "The Leap" into 2016. I think that's what Dan is alluding to. There are a few old designs still floating around in stock with a couple of dealers. At least according to Xtracycle. I'm waiting for the new design. It looks to be far more useful and with many features.

Annoying news, family (in another state) just verified the entire frame is aluminum, but the fork is steel. The frustrating part is that the manufacturer may have actually felt switching to aluminum was an upgrade. Not horrible for $280 delivered to your door. I can find fairly nice big box store bikes (rhymes with MalWart) for $100 less, but the "feet forward" posture is rare enough that everyone is selling them at a premium.

The Townie is $400 at best, but it is actually built to a very high standard of quality with mid-grade components (as opposed to entry-level derailleurs, brakes, etc)

AARGH! I was afraid of that! (BTW The large men's KHS Is my new favorite after many miles. It is actually a bit taller than the townie or pure.) Still priced at $450, for the 7spd, at best.)

Thanks for the update! I'm anxiously awaiting "The Leap" from Xtracycle! I will convert my Trek Pure.