I just finished my Varsity cruiser. It's an old Schwinn Varsity with 26" rims and a coaster brake. This is the bike I tried to build 31 years ago but failed miserably. Rode it on some dirt trails yesterday and was surprised how well it worked. Didn't have any ground clearance issues or weird handling. Might build a 5-speed rear wheel and install front & rear brakes for a vintage MTB. The rims are beautiful Araya DH.

Had I had the resources back then, mountain bikers would be riding and collecting Flying Merkels instead of Gary Fishers. Damn right I'm bitter.

Keep us posted- sounds like a fun project. Attached are pictures of my Jaguar cruiser and my Varsity. Jag had clearance issues. It still was a fun bike. Had the rims, derailleur, bars, and brakes off a GT Outpost.