BBBBO: Big Box Bike Build Off?

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The KimRae I made for the muscle bike buildoff started as a Next LaJolla from Walmart. Some of those bikes have nice frames and great paint jobs just begging to be modified
 
This is a good idea. I totally hate store bought bikes!! I've only bought one big box store bike in my life, Mongoose beast for $99 bucks, I couldn't buy the tires for that price, but nice bikes that you buy from real bike shops can be expensive and many times they're already sweet looking so they don't need major customizing. I'd be willing to blow $80 bucks on a wally world bike just to cut it up and make something cool out of it.
 
I definitely like the idea of an everyone starts with the same wally world bike buildoff. I am starting to learn the welding magic and dont want to cut up and destroy anything nice. Hacking and welding a cranbrook sounds like fun. And seeing everyone start with the same frame, then go many different directions with the build, would be really cool

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I meant to post this awhile back.
Walked thru the Walmart not too long after the Chrismas holiday and as usual I looked at the bikes. While they didn't have the selection they had a month earlier they did have a few knocked down in price to 69 bucks! So I suppose if we do a WBBBBO I'm in. Because even after the holidays I should be able to swing 75 bucks for a build bike.

[emoji450]L
 
May end up not being able for everyone to find the same bike, but maybe have a list.

Huffy Cranbrook
Huffy Nel Lusso
Schwinn Swindler...

So on and so forth, we all know what bikes are out there. And there's bound to be a walmart, kmart, target, meijer, or whatever else all over the world.
 
Well you can't expect everyone to go buy a donor. But just having the option to start with one is cool. My very first build here featured the front half of a mtn bike I bought at Walmart and chopped up without ever even riding it!.

[emoji450]L
 
Ok, so I'm new here and don't want to sound like a total noob, but what actually constitutes a "build"? I do not have any experience in welding or metal working, but would like to be a part of this. I would describe my stuff more like "frankenbikes" because I try to put together new ideas from many pieces. Would something like that be considered a "build"?
 
The Huffy Cranbrook is pretty common and cheap. New I think they are around $80, and I have picked up used ones for $25 complete to $5 for the complete bike less wheels.
index.php
Just a lot of fun to mess with as you don't have much $ invested.
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http://ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/huffy-cranbrook-locojoe-chop.99354/
 
Ok, so I'm new here and don't want to sound like a total noob, but what actually constitutes a "build"? I do not have any experience in welding or metal working, but would like to be a part of this. I would describe my stuff more like "frankenbikes" because I try to put together new ideas from many pieces. Would something like that be considered a "build"?
Most of us build by bolting things on, it doesn't have to be bike parts either.
You can mount a hood ornament to a fender, or use sissy bars to make a wheelie bar, or a horse saddle as a seat....
Possibilities only end with your imagination.
 
I also doubt a list will be all inclusive enough. I would think some are obvious like the Cranbrook, others can often be determined by headbadge and Google. Do I want to build a Cranbrook style cruiser? No, I'll stick to vintage bikes for that look.
So I'm thinking of building something crazy. I'll try to find the tallest diamond frame ten speed looking thing I can, and cut it down into a :eek: BMX limo.

Carl.
 
I also doubt a list will be all inclusive enough. I would think some are obvious like the Cranbrook, others can often be determined by headbadge and Google. Do I want to build a Cranbrook style cruiser? No, I'll stick to vintage bikes for that look.
So I'm thinking of building something crazy. I'll try to find the tallest diamond frame ten speed looking thing I can, and cut it down into a :eek: BMX limo.

Carl.
I have a pretty tall Schwinn mountain bike frame, but I think it's cromo.
 
I have a pretty tall Schwinn mountain bike frame, but I think it's cromo.
Haha. Well IF we do it, it'll be like 11 months away.
I may just have to do this for a different build off.
It's an idea I'll have to file.

Carl.
 
long long time ago, I worked at Walmart as a bike assembler. some times a huffy rock-it 20" would come through with standard size crank bearings instead of the smaller ones that normally came through. those ones would get the "headbadge" inverted and the made in Taiwan part of it cut off. I brought one home, and put in a longer crank and larger chainring. drag raced it one night, took second place to my friend's diamondback out of a group of about 12 or so bikes. not bad for a sleeper.
 
I have several new big box frames laying around. I buy them new cheap and strip them and put some of the parts on vintage frames I have collected. I use the vintage frame and a vintage fork, chain guard, seat, grips and stem. The Luggage rack, wheels, tires, fenders, chain, bars and sometimes the crank and chain wheel come from the Big Box donor. You can't buy the parts that cheap. Sometimes a wheel needs a little truing and the bearings and races may or may not be hardened well, but I have a lot of that stuff in good shape in my junk. My Schwinn big box frame and fork looks and measures like 26+ tires will fit in there? I would do this BO just from junk I don't know what to do with. I might have to buy tires, depending? As the hippies used to say, this BO could be heavy man (I know mine would weigh 50 pounds). Fun idea.
 
I'm wondering if a Sears Free Spirit anything (since they did FS 10 spd's and muscle bikes and who knows what else) would be considered a big box bike? Just picked up a possible project.

Carl.

sent from a banana phone...
 
I'm wondering if a Sears Free Spirit anything (since they did FS 10 spd's and muscle bikes and who knows what else) would be considered a big box bike? Just picked up a possible project.

Carl.

sent from a banana phone...
Back when walmart was still called Ben Franklin, Sears was the big box store.
 
Co ops are good places to get used box store bikes super cheap like in the $25 range. Could be fun to see eveyones interpretation of the same thing. Lots of used burning man bikes with silly paint jobs show up here. Still a cranbrook underneath
 
i might be in i got my eye on a cranbrook at the local thrift store but my "custom" is not much often just relocating a couple parts bar swap/flip etc. so i would be in if we do this but more of a spectator/participant i did do this one up it is old but its a huffy nonetheless not sure who sold these back in 68( excuse the light flashes not sure what caused that)
IMG_20170307_145541.jpg
 
This is a pretty cool concept. List of current, readily available models from Walmart, Target, ............ that are acceptable to start with and go from there. I like it a lot
 

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