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Best way to build a custom cycle truck
- Thread starter Lloyd
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Schwinn Sales West
I live for the CABE
Just some thoughts on fabricating a Cycle Truck.
I would not start with a 24" wheel sized frame. Mainly because a 24" wheel almost always has a 28 hole hub. You want to start with a 26" wheel size (which has a 36 hole hub) frame donor. 24" tires are offered in less choices than 20" and 26" sizes. Having a high/low gear ratio is a big plus to have on a heavy bike. A Bendix two speed kick back hub is a great choice. No cables, shifters, or extra hardware. A yellow band would be a better choice over a red band because of the brake shoes over the disk's of the Red Band version.
You want to use a 20x2.125 "36 hole" rear Sting Ray rim to build your front wheel. You could even find matching Araya 7X anodized alloy 36 hole rims. They are common on BMX and Cruiser models. Their 1.75" sizing will still accept 2.125 width tires. They came in gold, silver, black, red, blue colors. A 36 hole large flange BMX front hub would work fine.
You would need to start with a 20" "true balloon" forged fork (not a middleweight Sting Ray fork). Ideally from a girls bike with the longer steerer tube. You would need a second girls fork for a second donor steerer tube. The two steel tubes would need to be sleeved and welded together. TIG welding is best for this type of work. You would also drill 1/4" holes in the area of the internal sleeve and plug weld the holes for extra strength. Use a piece of angle iron and four screw type hose clamps to hold the two pieces straight during the welding process. It would be good to have a buddy that had a lathe so you could fab your new tall head tube. You would need the lathe to cut the tube square and inside the correct I.D. for your head cups.
The connection of the head tube to the rear donor frame could be done with all straight tubes if you did not have access to any tube bending equipment. I would use 1" O.D. thin wall D.O.M. (drawn over mandrel) tubing. Most industrial metal stores sell what they call "drops". The DOM tubing comes in a lot of different diameters, and wall thicknesses. It bends, and welds nicely. It's best to scrounge through their scrap racks because the drops are "sold by the pound" which is a lot cheaper than ordering full 20 foot sticks. The frame tube welding could be TIG or even gas brazed with low temperature brass.
Shop for a 12" Superior stem, or even a 12" forged Wald. Wald made 12" stamped stems which are not as good as the forged stems. Make certain that you know the diameter of the tall stem you plan to use BEFORE you go to the trouble of extending the steerer tube. Early bikes are 7/8" diameter stems and forks. Bikes made after 1965 were reduced to 13/16" stems to allow the steerer tube thickness to be increased to prevent breaking. You could use either size, but you cannot mix them up.
It sounds like a fun project to me. You could easily fool 98% of even the Cycle Truck guys with some careful measurements.
John
I would not start with a 24" wheel sized frame. Mainly because a 24" wheel almost always has a 28 hole hub. You want to start with a 26" wheel size (which has a 36 hole hub) frame donor. 24" tires are offered in less choices than 20" and 26" sizes. Having a high/low gear ratio is a big plus to have on a heavy bike. A Bendix two speed kick back hub is a great choice. No cables, shifters, or extra hardware. A yellow band would be a better choice over a red band because of the brake shoes over the disk's of the Red Band version.
You want to use a 20x2.125 "36 hole" rear Sting Ray rim to build your front wheel. You could even find matching Araya 7X anodized alloy 36 hole rims. They are common on BMX and Cruiser models. Their 1.75" sizing will still accept 2.125 width tires. They came in gold, silver, black, red, blue colors. A 36 hole large flange BMX front hub would work fine.
You would need to start with a 20" "true balloon" forged fork (not a middleweight Sting Ray fork). Ideally from a girls bike with the longer steerer tube. You would need a second girls fork for a second donor steerer tube. The two steel tubes would need to be sleeved and welded together. TIG welding is best for this type of work. You would also drill 1/4" holes in the area of the internal sleeve and plug weld the holes for extra strength. Use a piece of angle iron and four screw type hose clamps to hold the two pieces straight during the welding process. It would be good to have a buddy that had a lathe so you could fab your new tall head tube. You would need the lathe to cut the tube square and inside the correct I.D. for your head cups.
The connection of the head tube to the rear donor frame could be done with all straight tubes if you did not have access to any tube bending equipment. I would use 1" O.D. thin wall D.O.M. (drawn over mandrel) tubing. Most industrial metal stores sell what they call "drops". The DOM tubing comes in a lot of different diameters, and wall thicknesses. It bends, and welds nicely. It's best to scrounge through their scrap racks because the drops are "sold by the pound" which is a lot cheaper than ordering full 20 foot sticks. The frame tube welding could be TIG or even gas brazed with low temperature brass.
Shop for a 12" Superior stem, or even a 12" forged Wald. Wald made 12" stamped stems which are not as good as the forged stems. Make certain that you know the diameter of the tall stem you plan to use BEFORE you go to the trouble of extending the steerer tube. Early bikes are 7/8" diameter stems and forks. Bikes made after 1965 were reduced to 13/16" stems to allow the steerer tube thickness to be increased to prevent breaking. You could use either size, but you cannot mix them up.
It sounds like a fun project to me. You could easily fool 98% of even the Cycle Truck guys with some careful measurements.
John
Hastings
I live for the CABE
I have a ton of 1/2 junk and repainted to death frames (and parts). I can cut and ship any section of any frame you need. I have easily 50 frames in the outside bone yard (nothing original paint) tons of welded, wrecked and wrandom stuff for this kinda thing. Anyone that’s thinking about chopping stuff shoot me a pm if you think it’s too nice to. I’ll always be in the reasonable to cheap A.F. price range but mates rates sometimes waits. Zip is 14623 if driving by. 
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Schwinn Sales West
I live for the CABE
I don't think there's ever been an easier time to build a Cycle Truck. Just look at all of the unique CT parts that are now reproduced.
All you need is a frame and fork. The rest is just 1-800-credit card.
John
Archie Sturmer
Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
I was thinking generally to maybe look for the longest cheap forks, 27-28-29" and match with a very small front tire, like 16" chopper?
Then Wald might still make those oversized front baskets ~24" wide and fairly deep.
Then Wald might still make those oversized front baskets ~24" wide and fairly deep.
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Schwinn Sales West
I live for the CABE
The Wald large basket was a #157 (I think?)
What ever the design is that you end up with, the most important design element is, the weight bearing basket/bed needs to be directly cantilevered to the bike frame. It's what makes a Cycle Truck work.
John
Schwinn Sales West
I live for the CABE
Workman also made a Cycle Truck clone, I do not remember the model name. They were still being built new into the 1980's. They used an Ashtabula forged "long steerer tube" fork. That fork looks almost exactly like the fork on a Schwinn Cycle Truck. Parts are out there, lots of interchange.
But for many years you could not give them away. Who in their right mind would want to pedal one of these monstrosities around? LOL
John
But for many years you could not give them away. Who in their right mind would want to pedal one of these monstrosities around? LOL
John
palepainter
Finally riding a big boys bike
I built both of these from pretty wasted frames. Ordered long head tube sections from Nova cycle supply and some frame tubing. I also built the forks using tall threaded steerer from Nova as well. Both of the bikes are great riders and very solid. I made a jig on my welding table, along with strings and various levels to get it straight. I started with a really roached 30s Shelby on one and a 30s CWC roadmaster on the other.
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