First off, I love bikes. I own a 2016 Salsa Fargo, a 1980 Motobecane Grand Jubile, and I'm building an 80's Kuwahara MTB frame up into a drop bar conversion. My tinkering revolves around 80's road bikes and MTBs. I've never been a fan of your standard, run of the mill, big box beach cruiser. I didn't know rat rods were a thing until maybe a year ago when I saw some photos of an old cruiser fit with cafe racer bars and a slammed-back seat post. That was love at first sight, but then I kinda just went about doing my own thing and totally forgot about it until the other day, when some guy rides past my house on a clearly custom-made bike. beautiful white powder coating, lines to die for, a gorgeous springer fork, and the coup de grace, a "down" tube running parallel to the ground, skimming only inches from the blacktop. I figured I need to get into this! Alas, funds are not forthcoming. There's someone in the neighborhood selling a Schwinn Swindler for $95, but I can probably talk him down to $75. The guy's a flipper, but a fairly conscientious one that doesn't part out much. I'm thinking about getting it, even though I've always tried to stay away from BBS bikes. I really like the frame, the wheels are true, but the spring is already developing rust on the inside of the coils. That's the one thing holding me back from buying it and pumping way too much money into it. Should I let this little bit of rust keep me from buying the bike?
Hi from Long Island, NY
- Thread starter wintermute
- Start date
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It's not 60 years of patina that bothers me (I also collect pocket knives), it's the rust starting to show through chrome after 2 years. I do need people like you to talk me offthe ledge though.View attachment 55607 If you hang around here awhile, you will get used to the rust. Just gotta respect 60 years of patina.
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Welcome aboard! Rust is not an issue around here, most of us have actively encouraged it on some of our builds...
Welcome to RRB! 
I've got a Swindler, but it hasn't come out of the box yet. I'm planning to make it into a downhill mtb. Well, it will go downhill at least once
.
A swindler isn't a bad start for a custom cruiser, but, with any newer BBS bike...chrome is cheap, paint is cheap, components are cheap. But, that doesn't make them a bad canvas...just many opportunities for adding your custom touch!
Anyway, where your at (NE, and by the ocean)...I think rust is inevitable
.
Jason
I've got a Swindler, but it hasn't come out of the box yet. I'm planning to make it into a downhill mtb. Well, it will go downhill at least once
.A swindler isn't a bad start for a custom cruiser, but, with any newer BBS bike...chrome is cheap, paint is cheap, components are cheap. But, that doesn't make them a bad canvas...just many opportunities for adding your custom touch!
Anyway, where your at (NE, and by the ocean)...I think rust is inevitable
.Jason
So I decided to pass on that Swindler, and my next target is an 's era Schwinn Cruiser (BMX fork, single speed) that's reportedly in pretty decent shape for $65. Seems like it's a vanilla enough platform to give me several options. How do people feel about these?
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If you are referring to the Giant made bikes...they are pretty good alternatives. I have two, one is just a basic cruiser that looks like a 60's Schwinn American. The other is just a frame that will be built up into a bmx cruiser eventually. Much lighter than their electroforged ancestors .
Jason
edit: The price is right as well, the forks alone often go for that much on the ebay.
.Jason
edit: The price is right as well, the forks alone often go for that much on the ebay.
I own a pair of the Giant built Schwinns.
http://ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/schwinn-cruiser-four.92652/#post-1059318
Great bikes! They are both equipped with Shimano Nexus 4 speed coaster hubs.
