# Schwinn 20” beach cruiser ?’s



## Sunset~ave_schwinn (Oct 8, 2021)

So I’ve been referencing to everyone’s threads over the years and this is my first time starting one. lets see how it goes.
I recently have been wanting to get my 8yt old son a 20” beach cruiser since I’ve gotten “bit by the bike bug” again but every time I see one I hesitant due to the price haha, so I bought him a 20” 77’ typhoon instead, we seen my friends mini cruiser and it looks legit except the fork looks like a reg. Sting-Ray fork. All the minis I’ve seen look like they have longer forks off of a 24” bike or a 78’ scrambler because the bigger gap between the tire and the forks also look like they have a less pronounced curve.  I have an extra 24” 63’ schwinn that I was thinking of use The sprocket, fork, and I 24” cruiser haddle bars s2 rims and a spring seat the fork is what’s confusing me to make the 77” into a replica, i feel that’s what schwinn did to make there’s? Here’s pics to look at to better under stand want I’m looking at...The blue 20” is what I’m going for..View attachment 1492152
The red is my son’s, also would the chain guard still work with a 24”/26” sprocket or do the minis have a special guard?
View attachment 1492153The blue 82’ 24” is mine. To see if the fork looks the same as the blue mini...thanks in advance to whoever nails my questions haha


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Oct 8, 2021)

Sunset~ave_schwinn said:


> So I’ve been referencing to everyone’s threads over the years and this is my first time starting one. lets see how it goes.
> I recently have been wanting to get my 8yt old son a 20” beach cruiser since I’ve gotten “bit by the bike bug” again but every time I see one I hesitant due to the price haha, so I bought him a 20” 77’ typhoon instead, we seen my friends mini cruiser and it looks legit except the fork looks like a reg. Sting-Ray fork. All the minis I’ve seen look like they have longer forks off of a 24” bike or a 78’ scrambler because the bigger gap between the tire and the forks also look like they have a less pronounced curve.  I have an extra 24” 63’ schwinn that I was thinking of use The sprocket, fork, and I 24” cruiser haddle bars s2 rims and a spring seat the fork is what’s confusing me to make the 77” into a replica, i feel that’s what schwinn did to make there’s? Here’s pics to look at to better under stand want I’m looking at...The blue 20” is what I’m going for..View attachment 1492152
> The red is my son’s, also would the chain guard still work with a 24”/26” sprocket or do the minis have a special guard?
> View attachment 1492153The blue 82’ 24” is mine. To see if the fork looks the same as the blue mini...thanks in advance to whoever nails my questions haha



I'm not quite sure of your question. You have a 20 inch cruiser for your son and you would like to fit it with a 24 inch set of forks? I would think the 24 would work fine as long as head tubs are same length. Often BMX bikes have a longer fork to give the crank more clearance. I'm not sure the S-2s will work with the fenders. Everything you suggest will work if I'm reading it right. Good luck


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## Robert Troub (Oct 8, 2021)

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> I'm not quite sure of your question. You have a 20 inch cruiser for your son and you would like to fit it with a 24 inch set of forks? I would think the 24 would work fine as long as head tubs are same length. Often BMX bikes have a longer fork to give the crank more clearance. I'm not sure the S-2s will work with the fenders. Everything you suggest will work if I'm reading it right. Good luck



It is a difficult post to read/understand....


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## Sunset~ave_schwinn (Oct 8, 2021)

Yea sorry it is a lot all at once, ok I’ll start with the main questions. Does anyone know what fork size or what model fork was used on the 80’ schwinn 20” Cruiser? Hers a picture from the web.


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## coasterbrakejunkie1969 (Oct 8, 2021)

Sunset~ave_schwinn said:


> Yea sorry it is a lot all at once, ok I’ll start with the main questions. Does anyone know what fork size or what model fork was used on the 80’ schwinn 20” Cruiser? Hers a picture from the web.
> 
> View attachment 1492223



The clearance on the 20 inch balloon makes me think 24/26. To be honest I'm not sure. @Xlobsterman  he should know


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## Sunset~ave_schwinn (Oct 8, 2021)

Thanks I’ll try to reach him


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## koolbikes (Oct 8, 2021)

I'll try to answer this loaded question the best I can...
The  20" S-2 wheel model CC2 "Schwinn Cruiser" is a Balloon Fork not Middleweight to accept the wider wheels. The Fork is taller and wider on these bicycles 12" from inside curve to axle mount, almost 3" wide ...as a Sting-ray is middleweight and only 11" from curve to axle mount and not as wide, 2 1/2".
The 1975 to 1978 Schwinn Scrambler used this same Balloon Fork as 1979 they went to Tube Forks. See photo of my 20" Schwinn Cruiser Fork.


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## koolbikes (Oct 8, 2021)

My December 1980 20" Schwinn Cruiser with its original Taller & Wider Fork.
The photo of the Schwinn Cruiser you had posted appears to me that it's bent outward, Not a 24" or 26" Fork.


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## Xlobsterman (Oct 9, 2021)

coasterbrakejunkie1969 said:


> The clearance on the 20 inch balloon makes me think 24/26. To be honest I'm not sure. @Xlobsterman  he should know




My 1982 dealer catalog provides this info! 

But in a recent message thread, there were people who didn't believe the printed documentation Schwinn had in their catalogs? So I will provide you with this info, and take it for what it is worth to anyone who chooses to view it.........................


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## Xlobsterman (Oct 9, 2021)

koolbikes said:


> My December 1980 20" Schwinn Cruiser with its original Taller & Wider Fork.
> The photo of the Schwinn Cruiser you had posted appears to me that it's bent outward, Not a 24" or 26" Fork.
> 
> View attachment 1492383




What is the 4 digit date code on the head badge of this bike?


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## koolbikes (Oct 9, 2021)

The original head badge had been removed, frame is stamped MRxxxxx, Dec. 1980, it's an early one as the front hub is not the large flange style.


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## Xlobsterman (Oct 9, 2021)

koolbikes said:


> The original head badge had been removed, frame is stamped MRxxxxx, Dec. 1980, it's an early one as the front hub is not the large flange style.




Schwinn never issued the 20" Cruiser until the 82 model year. IMO, your bike is not a factory original bike, as they didn't use the small flange hubs on the Cruisers after 79, and yours has quite a few other parts that don't look original to the Cruiser model like the mag sprocket, and the top tube decal looks like it isn't original either. I would suspect it was made up from a Stingray frame?


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## koolbikes (Oct 10, 2021)

I understand your doubt in this bicycle, some items don't appear correct but the fact is it has it's original paint, original top tube and seat mast decal, original silkscreen chain guard, it's not a made up piece. There are no other bicycles Schwinn made Sting-ray or BMX with these features.
 As for the front Hub it is just like the one on my 26" 1979 Spitfire 5, Heavy Duty small flange but installed on a 20" S-2 36 hole .105 gauge spokes. 
What other Schwinn 20" would have had this Front Wheel?


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## Xlobsterman (Oct 11, 2021)

koolbikes said:


> I understand your doubt in this bicycle, some items don't appear correct but the fact is it has it's original paint, original top tube and seat mast decal, original silkscreen chain guard, it's not a made up piece. There are no other bicycles Schwinn made Sting-ray or BMX with these features.
> As for the front Hub it is just like the one on my 26" 1979 Spitfire 5, Heavy Duty small flange but installed on a 20" S-2 36 hole .105 gauge spokes.
> What other Schwinn 20" would have had this Front Wheel?




Well it is pretty hard to tell from the single pic you posted? Post some better pics of the complete bike.

After a closer look, the frame does look like a Cruiser frame, but it looks like it has been customized with lots of non original parts to make it look like a Sting-Ray? Schwinn discontinued the use of the small flange hubs mid 79 on the Spitfires, and went to the ACS large flange late in the year. The 1980 model year was exclusively the ACS on the Cruisers, and all the 20" Cruisers I remember had the black ACS hub on the front wheels. And now thinking back to my days working at the shop, I believe the 20" Cruisers were sold in 81, even though they were not in the catalog until 82. 

Here is my late model 79 Spitfire with the ACS front hub........


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## Jeff54 (Oct 21, 2021)

"_All the minis I’ve seen look like they have longer forks off of a 24” bike_ "

The 24" Cruiser has a longer fork, I have one, W/ 81 fork graphics. It too has an raised for, only for 24"-er fork. 24" frame has the same size head post so, are interchangeable with 20" but, is too tall for original exchange with 20".   IDK what exact year but, mid-late 70's, 1976 maybe, all of Schwinn's 20" verities except, I expect,  Typhon and certain Girls models, have the longer 20" fork.  Moreover, the sting-ray types got the 'Cooler' BMX style of an higher fork for 20". That's what yours has and was built with too. .


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## koolbikes (Dec 4, 2021)

Just for reference...  
I'm posting this 1981 SCHWINN Factory Specification Sheet of the 20" & 24" Schwinn Cruiser Bicycles.
The 1981 20" Specifications photo shows the bicycle having a coaster MAG Sprocket. 
My frame has the MRxxxxxx Dec. 1980 and I found the OG headbadge with the badge #1491 making it May 29, 1981


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## Sunset~ave_schwinn (Dec 4, 2021)

koolbikes said:


> Just for reference...
> I'm posting this 1981 SCHWINN Factory Specification Sheet of the 20" & 24" Schwinn Cruiser Bicycles.
> The 1981 20" Specifications photo shows the bicycle having a coaster MAG Sprocket.
> My frame has the MRxxxxxx Dec. 1980 and I found the OG headbadge with the badge #1491 making it May 29, 1981
> ...



Cool thanks..yea I noticed the sprocket, so yours is correct.


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## Sunset~ave_schwinn (Aug 24, 2022)

I already posted it on another thread that most of you are, I’m just going into more of the details that I found while piecing this together and a side comparison to a jr stingray frame…
Frame-80’ full size stingray 
Fork-77’ scrambler crown is 3 1/2” 
Chain guard-80’ fair lady (full size)
Crank-80’ stingray 5 1/2”
Rims- 20” 36 spoke scrambler
Handlebars-78’ low rise (klunker/spitfire) cut and shortened
sproket-46 tooth
So that’s all you need to make a 20” cruiser haha


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## Robert Troub (Aug 24, 2022)

Robert Troub said:


> It is a difficult post to read/understand....



Agreed......very confusing....


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## Sunset~ave_schwinn (Aug 24, 2022)

Robert Troub said:


> Agreed......very confusing....



Yea but the hunt for all the parts is the fun part haha


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