Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Beach cruisers? or am I in the right place?

Hey gang,
Ive been lurking this board for a while, and Im starting a beach cruiser project... this is the right forum, right?

I've got the bike, an old huffy, and I have some new parts to get it rolling but I want to continue past that.

I was wondering what your thoughts on putting a rigid mtb fork with front bmx brake and going freewheel in the rear, or keeping the coaster and just servicing that.
I dont know much but I know I can do anything mechanical for this bike except lace/true a wheel... Im going to learn that soon too... I want to build another fixed rear wheel for it after I learn how to do it.

anyone else here have a ss/fg beach cruiser? or similar?

Cruisers are sort of inbetween topic wise. They get talked about here and in other forums. You might get more help in Recreational, Classic/Vintage or Mechanics.

If you have a coaster brake that works well, that may be all you need. You'd be safer with a second brake, of course, but most cruisers don't get ridden fast enough or on big enough hills to really need one.

I've got two cruisers. A single speed coaster brake with ape hangers and a 3 speed coaster brake with beach bars.

I'm all for the modernized bastardard cruiser.

old frame, 3 pc bmx cranks, rigid mtb fork with disk brake, mtb wheels etc

yeah Im basicly doing a copy of a few of the cruisers Ive seen on fgg. but Im doing my upgrades in stages :)

i've seen a couple of fixed cruisers on the FGG, all pretty cool. seeing as how fixed was the earliest bike style, the retro look is fitting.

but i don't know much about cruisers, fixed, freewheel, or coaster brake, just throwing in my thoughts that were triggered by the word "cruiser".

again i say:http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2004/b/power.jpg

bullhorns =/= cruiser anything.

i'd like to take this opportunity, prompted by above picture, to say that i cannot stand bullhorns that are angled up. i think it looks like ass.

also ... i have a cruiser. it has 36 inch wheels, look at my avatar.

i'd like to take this opportunity, prompted by above picture, to say that i cannot stand bullhorns that are angled up. i think it looks like ass.

also ... i have a cruiser. it has 36 inch wheels, look at my avatar.

baby, it depends on whose ass.:)

and your cruiser is definitely sex.:)

I've got the bike, an old huffy, and I have some new parts to get it rolling but I want to continue past that.

I was wondering what your thoughts on putting a rigid mtb fork with front bmx brake and going freewheel in the rear, or keeping the coaster and just servicing that.

I'd keep the coaster and service that. It'll be a fun challenge. If that doesn't work, you can get a new coaster brake wheel. As far as the MTB fork, you might have a little trouble finding a fork that will fit. Most modern MTB forks are 1 1/8" and threadless, while I'll bet that your huffy takes a proprietary-sized (less than 1") fork. You might have better luck if you swap out the headset and find a vintage threaded 26" fork. BMX brakes would work fine once you get that stuff sorted out though.

i'd like to take this opportunity, prompted by above picture, to say that i cannot stand bullhorns that are angled up. i think it looks like ass.

also ... i have a cruiser. it has 36 inch wheels, look at my avatar.

Can you easily get rims/spokes/tubes/tires for that thing?

Yeah, for true cruiser karma you need to keep the coaster brake. Discs, while a damn fine upgrade, are just too un-laid-back for a cruiser.

Those Coker 36's are banana.
Too bad they are only on that one kind of bike. I'd love to see one on a heavily modified frame. Maybe a tall bike.

I'd keep the coaster and service that. It'll be a fun challenge. If that doesn't work, you can get a new coaster brake wheel. As far as the MTB fork, you might have a little trouble finding a fork that will fit. Most modern MTB forks are 1 1/8" and threadless, while I'll bet that your huffy takes a proprietary-sized (less than 1") fork. You might have better luck if you swap out the headset and find a vintage threaded 26" fork. BMX brakes would work fine once you get that stuff sorted out though.
yeah the fork thing is kinda the hold up, Im not opposed to the coaster brake at all, I had one at one point...
Im going to end up running it for a while anyways either way. unfortunately my bike is so generic I dont even know where to start...

i'd like to take this opportunity, prompted by above picture, to say that i cannot stand bullhorns that are angled up. i think it looks like ass.

also ... i have a cruiser. it has 36 inch wheels, look at my avatar.


Salome, There is a guy in my town with one of those. He commutes on it. I thought I was drunk the first time I saw him on it. The scale is so odd. Nice bike though.

unfortunately my bike is so generic I dont even know where to start...
Always start at the easiest, most individual part: Handlebars. Then put on the banana seat.