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Best Frame to build a beach cruiser?

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I just picked up a twin bar Rollfast frame for CHEAP with some head tube damage that needs repair, but their are lots of cool frames to build off of... Personal preference is all your own... Good luck...
Let’s see some photos of the rollfast and bfg! Just picked up a 1937 Princeton (aka rollfast) my self!

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My favorite frame for a beach cruiser are the later Cleveland welding Roadmaster frames.

Long top tube and laid back seat mast make for a roomy comfortable ride. They are also very strong and readily available in the form of the reproduction Luxury Liner frame. There’s a couple on ebay now. You can search for a 50’s or 60’s built frame but will pay more.

I built the bike below using a reproduction Luxury Liner frame (USA made), forged Schwinn fork with front brake mount, Electra ape hanger bars and a bargain 7 speed wheel set. It is quite light since it runs alloy rims and is missing all the accessories.
1670025204962.png

I love the Schwinn straight bar and cantilever frames too and have one of each but being 6’2 I find them a little cramped compared to the Roadmasters.
Thanks for the tip. As a fellow "long legger", over 6', with a blossoming interest in vintage and classic bikes, I'm interested in knowing which, makes / models will have the best potential for riding comfort for me.

Accordingly I have noted, from reading about it here on the forum, that there was something called a "Kingsize" frame that was offered by Schwinn, I believe this was only in their Heavy-Duti and American models, and only for certain model years. I guess these were both middleweights throughout their production, and were both cantilever frame designs. Good to know about, but I'd prefer to find an older style frame
https://bikehistory.org/bikes/heavyduti/
https://bikehistory.org/bikes/american/

Per your suggestion, I looked on Ebay, but I could only find Roadmaster straight bar frames of these designs:

This type doesn't look like a straight bar to me.
1670026550473.png


This type looks more like your bike, but my uneducated eyes are having a hard time discerning the important details on your fully built bike. Are the dropouts on the later style rear facing like this?
1670026891528.png

How does one differentiate the "later" from the "earlier" CW frame, and besides the raked seat tube angle, what advantages does the later style offer over the earlier? Maybe you can point me to a specific Ebay ad?

Do you have any other suggestions of make/model of balloon tire frame that would be more likely to give me the larger frame I desire?

Thanks again!
 
Thanks for the tip. As a fellow "long legger", over 6', with a blossoming interest in vintage and classic bikes, I'm interested in knowing which, makes / models will have the best potential for riding comfort for me.

Accordingly I have noted, from reading about it here on the forum, that there was something called a "Kingsize" frame that was offered by Schwinn, I believe this was only in their Heavy-Duti and American models, and only for certain model years. I guess these were both middleweights throughout their production, and were both cantilever frame designs. Good to know about, but I'd prefer to find an older style frame
https://bikehistory.org/bikes/heavyduti/
https://bikehistory.org/bikes/american/

Per your suggestion, I looked on Ebay, but I could only find Roadmaster straight bar frames of these designs:

This type doesn't look like a straight bar to me.
View attachment 1743793

This type looks more like your bike, but my uneducated eyes are having a hard time discerning the important details on your fully built bike. Are the dropouts on the later style rear facing like this?
View attachment 1743795
How does one differentiate the "later" from the "earlier" CW frame, and besides the raked seat tube angle, what advantages does the later style offer over the earlier? Maybe you can point me to a specific Ebay ad?

Do you have any other suggestions of make/model of balloon tire frame that would be more likely to give me the larger frame I desire?

Thanks again!
Hi. The black one is the same frame as mine and although it is a reproduction frame built in 1998, it was based on the earlier cwc frames with rear facing dropouts. I can attest these are a very well made frame.

Please keep in mind the only issue is the reproduction frame uses an odd size head set not readily available that works with a 1” OD fork. What I did is fit commercially available sleeves which fit into the head tube and then used a head set (also readily available) with 30mm cups. The cups fit snugly in the sleeves.

These are the sleeves I mentioned which available in the USA @ $16.95 per set. I can send you a link. The head sets are also inexpensive.

1743886



Alternatively you could probably find a complete luxury liner bike for around $700. They are beautiful, but heavy.

If you want to build up a frame, there is a member I know of who had one at a decent price.
1743887

In the photo above you can see the sleeve.

I used a Schwinn fork, most likely from a Corvette which has the mounting bosses for a front brake. I ride around town where there are lots of cars and traffic and a front brake is a necessity. Plus with 7 gears this thing is fast.
 
I want to build a cool beach cruiser. I was thinking S-2 wheels, block tires, 3-speed w/coaster brakes, stingray bars and a comfy seat. For cruising San Diego boardwalks. What are the best frames to start with? I have seen them built with Typhoons, Corvettes, Racers, Etc. I really don't know the differences in all the models. I like bikes with some personality to them as compared to a standard store bought bike. And I think it would be a fun project to build it.

I just bought a '62 Fleet but I am starting to like it kind of as it is. It is nothing special but I get comments on it every time I ride it.

Thanks!
I agree with a post-war DX. This thing is so comfy yet snappy handling. Works great on boardwalks or dirt roads.
182EDBCA-816E-4CD8-A92A-4F0EB439E1ED.jpeg
 
Hi. The black one is the same frame as mine and although it is a reproduction frame built in 1998, it was based on the earlier cwc frames with rear facing dropouts. I can attest these are a very well made frame.

If you want to build up a frame, there is a member I know of who had one at a decent price.
Thanks Ozzie, for the info about the reprod. Roadmaster Luxury Liner frame.

My interest is more along the lines of putting together a list of makes and models that would be most likely to have a larger frame. I'm more interested in complete bikes, but would buy a frame if it was priced right. I'm not sure I can afford CABE prices, and the folks I'm likely to be dealing with in the rest of the world perhaps won't have much old bike expertise, so I figure I should do my research.

Something you said was a little confusing. In your first post you said, ...
"My favorite frame for a beach cruiser are the later Cleveland welding Roadmaster frames."
But, in your more recent post you say your bike, ...
"is a reproduction frame built in 1998, ... it was based on the earlier cwc frames."

So, I was thinking you were saying that there were an earlier and a later style of CWC, straight bar frames, and the reproduction is based on the one that was better for a large rider?

I was wondering if this picture that says it's of a 1940 Roadmaster, is the earlier style?
1670140061170.png

And perhaps this picture saying it's a 1950, branded Western Flyer, is the later style?
1670140266244.png

Or perhaps those are both early and this one, which wasn't dated but is a picture of a bike fitted with a 1/2" pitch chain, is later style? Maybe the style changed in 1953, when CWC moved Roadmaster production to Little Rock?
1670140518497.png

This last picture came from a site that folks interested in Roadmaster serial numbers, might find interesting.

I think these are all great looking bikes. I wonder how those articulated forks, with what looks like a pivot at the base of the head, ride like, though, and if they hold up well?
 
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