Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Is anybody primarily riding a BMX Cruiser?

Hi,

(Not sure if it's quite the right forum for this, if not I apologize. The BMX subforum specifies 20" so this doesn't apply there.)

Is anybody around here riding a BMX cruiser as a primary "getting around" bike? I'm sure that if I had to ride 20+ miles a day to be at an office by 8AM, it would be no fun, but for getting around the inner city it works great. (That being said, I ride it 20 miles per day all the time, and feel fine.)

I prefer them to fixed-gear track bikes, perhaps, because of my skateboarding background: I like to be "standing" while travelling and I like to coast.

I also like the smaller size/better maneuverability, and that I can push it around like a scooter very easily. To me this is worth having to pedal a little harder to go a little slower.

Honestly I'd say my reasons are similar to what a fixed enthusiast would cite: I feel most intimately connected to this kind of bike, and it's very simple to operate.

Currently I ride a "Shadow Conspiracy x Invisible Man", as sadly my Floval Flyer was stolen (lifted over the top of a Bus Stop sign). I've got the tires inflated as much as possible. It may see an upgrade to grips and cranks in the near future.

Interested in any responses,
rs

i rode a 20" for 9 months here until finally giving in and recently getting a bike more suited for cruising around on

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/353386941_d4df2a8d5e.jpg

You mean like this? I don't really use it to get around primarily. It's more for group rides and critical mass and stuff like that. The rear wheel is a 20 inch Hookworm, the front is 26 inch Hookworm and its got a freewheel and front brake only. People seem to enjoy it. The seat is brown courderoy taken from an old pair of pants that no longer fit.

The fram I bought for five bucks, it originally didn't have a tank or the springer fork. The bike is powdercoated gloss black and looks much better in person than it looks in the photo.

This is my "cruising around" bike.

I used to ride my old Torker 280 into work sometimes,
about six or so miles. It's just fun to ride, so when the
weather was nice and I had some extra time to get to
work, I would hop on.

I don't have one now, but sometime I will buy this:

http://img.timeinc.net/bmx/content/images/volume_26/volume_26_big.jpg

26"

No but I would like one, but I live about 12 mile from the center of the city center. What I would really like is an inspector gadget type bike. One that is a fixed gear most of the time to get me to town and around town but then when I see a nice ledge or bank switched into a 20" or 24" bmx for me to bust some moves, then you wisper the magic word and it returns to back to the stelthy fixed gear!

I am actually considering converting my "Shadow x Invisible" 24-inch to Fixed, but that could well be a profoundly stupid idea.

It would make it easier/funner to start/stop quickly at intersections (I live in the middle of a big city), but pedal strike might start setting in -- as well as other ergonomics issues I haven't foreseen.

I need a bike that I can pedal with only the force of my mind. That would solve the problem.

rs

i used to, but after building up and riding my first conversion with a pretty big road frame, the 24" cruiser just felt too cramped for me, so i sold it. i'd love to pick up a 26" cruiser though. bunny hops were a breeze!

it was a robinson frame, profile chainring, torker cranks, s&m bars, sun rims/gt mohawk hubs:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d37/k3nho/robinson4sale001.jpg

http://www.firemansbikes.com/FM24sml.jpg

A 'big' 24" .......

www.firemansbikes.com

I am. It does make a great downtown bike. Every now and again I need to make a longer trip though, and my knees do kill me. But yeah, definetly fun. Friends of mine ride cyclocross and mtb, and I can keep up with effort. I have quite a large sprocket, which helps. It's in the sig.

I use to ride a 24 and still do sometimes then my wife bought me an new OM flyer which I like alot
but it wasn't until I got in to track bike that I really started riding every day.
and can't seem to find time for the bmx so much
but much to alot of peoples dismay on this forum I ride my track bike like a bmx.
and love it maybe you should give it another shot. get some rises and a tight geometory and it fun as hell.
but I would kick a kitten in the head for a original OM flyer.

I don't have one now, but sometime I will buy this:

http://img.timeinc.net/bmx/content/images/volume_26/volume_26_big.jpg

26"

yea I love that thing too, I have some major lust for that bike as well

i used to, but after building up and riding my first conversion with a pretty big road frame, the 24" cruiser just felt too cramped for me, so i sold it. i'd love to pick up a 26" cruiser though. bunny hops were a breeze!

it was a robinson frame, profile chainring, torker cranks, s&m bars, sun rims/gt mohawk hubs:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d37/k3nho/robinson4sale001.jpg

Nice chainring :D.

http://velospace.org/files/Picture030.jpg

http://www.firemansbikes.com/FM24sml.jpg

A 'big' 24" .......

www.firemansbikes.com


Nice...Mongoose Kos Cruiser redux. I rode with the Kosmala brothers, in the...er...70s, and distinctly remember those guys going over to 24" and 26" rigs; VERY early cruiser-class experiments.

Nice chainring :D.

http://velospace.org/files/Picture030.jpg


oh man that thing is HUGE!

I still ride my cruiser a few times a year. I quit racing 11 years ago now and I just can part with my 24"

I still don't understand how you can ride those things with the saddles so low.

you just don't sit down ;)

Yep, I end up sitting on the seat about 10 seconds per every hour I ride.

rs

you just don't sit down ;)

I'm still confused...why would you not want to sit?

with a freewheel, you can just stand on the pegs and with big bars you aren't even that hunched over.

gives you better visability and it's pretty easy on everything but the knees.

some will say it's more comfortable to sit- and sure. and they'll also say when you're biking you should be excercising, a la spinning or going fast... but i really see both of those points as two way streets.

When I was originally looking for a replacement for my Hoffman Condor BMX, I originally started looking at 24" cruisers. That led to me looking at single-speed 26" mountain bikes and deciding I'd replace the knobby offroad tires with more street friendly tires with lower rolling resistance. Once I got to that point, I wondered why I was looking at tires for mountain bikes that'd work best for road riding instead of simply looking for road bikes with road tires instead. Suddenly, I had a geared and fixed gear road bike in my apartment and am really glad I didn't choose otherwise..

Your miles may vary.

I pretty much only sit on mine when I am coasting down a hill.

Plus, standing is better for me since I am brakeless.

I'd really like to get one of these for an everyday bike. Could someone recommend something in the 300-600 dollar price range?

I'd really like to get one of these for an everyday bike. Could someone recommend something in the 300-600 dollar price range?

What I ride: Diamondback Viper. Cheaper than the hardcore BMX bikes, simpler too, and pretty much made to be (and respected as) a neighborhood utility bike.

free agent and redline make some pretty basic bmx cruisers starting around $200 or 250.

FYI, Pedro's bike from Napoleon Dynamite was a Volume "Sledgehammer" which is a 26" cruiser. I think they retail for $399.

http://www.cerrotorre.jp/catalog/2006/images/b_0607_01.jpg

FYI, Pedro's bike from Napoleon Dynamite was a Volume "Sledgehammer" which is a 26" cruiser. I think they retail for $399.

http://www.cerrotorre.jp/catalog/2006/images/b_0607_01.jpg
Dude that's not it. No shocks or pegs. Not lucky.

Dude that's not it. No shocks or pegs. Not lucky.

Yeah it is. The one in the movie was tarted-up a bit.

Yeah it is. The one in the movie was tarted-up a bit.
http://www.interstate80.info/grounded/napoleon16.jpg
NFW, dude. Check that top tube.

slap fight!

http://www.interstate80.info/grounded/napoleon16.jpg
NFW, dude. Check that top tube.

Hm. Ok I could be wrong. I just know he says "it's a Sledgehammer" in the movie and Volume Bikes' own website says it. Beats me. Either way, it's cool.

Movie was already on DVD when that bike was made availabe.

I don't have one now, but sometime I will buy this:

http://img.timeinc.net/bmx/content/images/volume_26/volume_26_big.jpg

26"

I owned that and soldit already. I rode it for work one day while living in boston.

Super super fun to ride on ramps with, especially if you want a full upper body workout.

the brakes are super squishy though, but a new brake lever makes a pretty good difference.

I'm using this to ride about 6 miles RT and it's also my cruising around bike. I'm a short big boy and I needed a good cromoly frame to handle the weight (5' 6", ~260 lbs)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v203/rfdominguez/Redline/RedStand.jpg

It was a PITA to get that rear wheel in it. I had the LBS install a Nexus Inter-4 hub (a bit of a faux pas here?) into the original rim, it has a coaster brake. It's got the 24" Hookworms and they are nice and smooth. I'm taking bunnyhops on it whenever I need to ride the sidewalks around town (off, not on . . . yet).

I just attached my Streamlight Stinger flashlight on there along with all the requisite lights to make it safer to ride at night. Those apehangers are a gonna get wrapped in tape soon.

The other modification I made to it was to change that OEM seat. It's fine when you go the first mile, but that thing becomes a literal PITA finishing the ride. The seatpost was as long as it was gonna get, but I had to have another inch or two to make it more rideable. I found a great gel seat similar in shape to the OEM seat. It's black and the seat rails along with the extra padding added the bit of extra height I needed to make it the perfect cruiser. I'm really getting a kick out of it now. I now ride it as much as possible.

I'll post more pics when I'm done with the bar tape and such.

How much clearance do you have between the stays and that rear tire?

I love those tires. So nice.

I love those tires. So nice.

Seriously. Maxxis Ringworms 4 lyfe.

Here's my bike. Her name is Ginger.

"Shadow Conspiracy X Invisible Man" limited edition frame
Shadow Conspiracy fork
Shadow Conspiracy hubs, sprocket
Shadow Conspiracy "Interlock v2" chain
Shadow Conspiracy seat, clamp, seatpost
Shadow Conspiracy headset, handlebars, stem, bar ends
Shadow Conspiracy Finger Banger grips (chopped)
"Invisible Man" rims
Kenda K-Rad 24x1.95 65 PSI tires (going to 95 PSI, 24x1.75 airless soon)
"Invisible Man" 3-piece cranks (upgrading to Profiles when these wear out)
Redline pedals
Kink heavy pegs

http://www.whiteballoonsin1978.org/blakeinpartytown/Ginger_Mar2007_34view.png

How much clearance do you have between the stays and that rear tire?

Not much, let me tell you!

I think I have maybe a 1/4" all around. It's enough wiggle room I think.

I'm also trying to figure out how to put front brakes on it. I know it's doable, but it's gonna be tight.

And the reason it was such it was a PITA to get that rear wheel in is because the rear stays are set at 110mm, while the hub is 130mm. Have you ever tried bending cro-mo? Not fun. And I still don't have the stays parallel enough. I gave up and just made sure the wheel wouldn't worm it's way in/out.

I've always wanted one of those Invisible jammies. Nice ride ryansupak. Ultimate would be the BMW cruiser made for Supreme.

Ryan: Ginger is rad.

Here's mine:

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/kjohnnytarr/S5000939.jpg