Aluminum Cruiser Frames

[dagamba]

Man, there's SOOOO many cruisers in U.S., still (I thought that fad was over and back in the U.S., there were as few cruisers as here), but NOTHING, here. Just discovered Mango cruisers. Anyone have any experience with these? Seem to be lightweight Aluminum. And cheap.

But: How do I get a bike here to Europe? Looks like all the big carriers want 500 bucks for transport to Europe.

 

[c.p.odom]

Before you could buy a modern built aluminum frame I built my own. I built two of these from scratch. They started as just lengths of tubing. Tubing was bent, taper swaged, and ovalized as needed. I used the tools at Hooker Headers for this. These two bikes were shown at the industry Interbike show in the mid 90's and helped launch the cruiser boom. The complete bike weighed 18 pounds.

 

[DeuceWheeler]

I just built this up the other day
Build details here - http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/in...lack-panther-light-mx-klunkerish-build.85264/

 

[dagamba]

@c.p.odom
?!?!?!?!
WHAT WOULD SHIPPING ONE OF YOUR FRAMES TO EUROPE COST?!?! ARE YOU STILL BUILDING THOSE?!?!?! CAN YOU BUILD MY DREAM BIKE?!?!?!
I've been searching all over the place to find someone who actually BUILDS Aluminum frames, means, someone who can weld Aluminum decently, and would build my dream chopper (plus maybe repair my Schwinn Black Panther). Fruitless, up to now.

@DeuceWheeler
Grumph. Envious. Uhhmmm... OK, and now what you wanted to say is that you're bored with your Black Panther and you want to sell it, right? HERE! HERE! I'M BUYIN' IT!!!

 

[DeuceWheeler]

@c.p.odom

@DeuceWheeler
Grumph. Envious. Uhhmmm... OK, and now what you wanted to say is that you're bored with your Black Panther and you want to sell it, right? HERE! HERE! I'M BUYIN' IT!!!

Thanks man! Not bored yet, no plans to sell. Sorry!

 

[c.p.odom]

@c.p.odom
?!?!?!?!
WHAT WOULD SHIPPING ONE OF YOUR FRAMES TO EUROPE COST?!?! ARE YOU STILL BUILDING THOSE?!?!?! CAN YOU BUILD MY DREAM BIKE?!?!?!
I've been searching all over the place to find someone who actually BUILDS Aluminum frames, means, someone who can weld Aluminum decently, and would build my dream chopper (plus maybe repair my Schwinn Black Panther). Fruitless, up to now.

@DeuceWheeler
Grumph. Envious. Uhhmmm... OK, and now what you wanted to say is that you're bored with your Black Panther and you want to sell it, right? HERE! HERE! I'M BUYIN' IT!!!

Well I have thought about making more bikes but not the same one, been there done that. Now I am thinking of something in an aluminum & carbon mix with tank, fenders, etc... Art Deco, Uber cool but major bucks.

 

[905cruisin]

Coming up with an idea to build a lightweight commuter cruiser.

Who makes aluminum cruiser frames that are decent?
I'd prefer something that looked like a Schwinn cantilever design or some other traditional design.
Something that would be relatively cheap and easy to find.

I'm probably going to put something like a Nexus 7 hub on it as there are hills where I normally ride and I'm fat and old!

I have a "kent" made "
Cadillac" and this puppy must only weigh ~20 lbs fully dressed.

I picked it up cheap so looking for something like that might be an option. Not sure if it's what you are looking for though

 

[mikeeebikey]

I hate to admit it, LaJolla aluminum cruisers ride decent. They are short but feel better than a Huffy.
The schwinn aluminum frame rides fantastic built as a roadie: http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/red-a-monkey-finished.82996/#post-816515

 

[dagamba]

@c.p.odom :
The thing I thought about is more like a chopper with the riding position of a reclining/sofa bike but being a lightweight chopper. Gotta upload a sketch and maybe later my more detailed plan...

@905cruisin :
You got pics? 20 lb sounds swell! BTW: Are you selling? ;o))

 

[905cruisin]

Haha nah not selling. She's my girl. I'm havin withdrawals too, waitin for parts and not being able to ride in this great weather is the worst!!

 

[whitefiretiger]

I hate to admit it, LaJolla aluminum cruisers ride decent. They are short but feel better than a Huffy.

Lol I have one of the LaJolla bikes hanging in the garage. They look sweet after you use aluminum safe paint stripper to get the transparent paint off.
Left mine raw & painted the fenders/bars/chain guard key lime green.
Not a bad rider but had to swap the rear cog to make it rideable with the hills around here.
I got mine for free with 1 bad tire figured if nothing else the fenders look cool to use on another build.

 

[dagamba]

Kent. WalMart. 99 $. I think, I'm gonna cry.

No such thing here on the other side of the Atlantic. No WalMart, nothing similar.

Think, I've found someone who can weld the crack on my bike. Let's see if he can do it and if it's going to hold up. I'll keep you posted.

 

[Nagant]

Hope you can get your frame fixed. Just need an experienced aluminum welder, TIG is what I guess would be needed.

It cost a small fortune to ship anything large in size and weight overseas anymore. A bicycle or just a frame would be hundreds of dollars to ship. Most people and places will not even consider messing with it due to the cost and the possible customs hassles at the destination country. I quit shipping anything overseas unless it is of no value and can fit in a envelope.

 

[Wildcat]

Maybe a local bike shop can order a frame and save you a lot on shipping.

 

[Bicycle808]

how much could it be to ship a La Jolla frame to Austria?

 

[Wildcat]

I went to the USPS site to calculate postage for a 14lb box, 44" x 22" x 8" to Austria, from the US. $75.00 or $66.00 online. That's an estimate, not including wheels or anything, just frame, forks and packing.

 

[Nagant]

Using you numbers Wildcat I came up with $65 for Priority Mail or $88 for Priority Express for online postage via their online calculator. Much less than I thought it would be. I paid over a $100 to ship a amateur radio in a smaller box but at a higher weight to a friend in the UK a few years ago. Of course they made sure to bend a thick steel chassis American made radio from the 1970's even though it was double boxed with the outer container being a corrugated shipping variety. Then we could never get the USPS to pay the insurance claim even though we went through their nightmarish international claims process. International insurance claims are conducted completely different from domestic. They drug it out for over 8 months and kept passing us from one office to another to another. At one time I would have been one of the first to offer to help facilitate shipping something overseas. No more, good luck to whoever try's to help him. I hope someone will and I truly hope it goes smooth for them.

 

[Wildcat]

Just for fun, I checked the same box shipped to here in the Philippines, $391.00. I'll have to buy all my frames here.

 

[dagamba]

@Wildcat Oh, thx for calculating!
@Nagant OK, so this option seems to be off. Bending an aluminum cruiser frame (esp. if I have no control over the packaging) is a lot easier than a steel chassis... Doesn't cost them half the effort to make a piece of modern art out of a cruiser...

I've already looked up what the usual Star Alliance flights charge for a bicycle from U.S.: 150$. That is quite a bit, but considering prices and availability of bikes in U.S., I might consider that. Question is: When is my next flight? Currently, I had no plans, and my cousin had just been over here BEFORE my bike broke. Otherwise this would have been an easy one...

All others like FedEx and UPS do charge around 400$. Forget that.

Shops do not import, here. They just plain refuse. The one that got me my Schwinn is long closed down (and was in Copenhagen, for that matter). As told: Cruisers had been a fashion fad here in Europe for a short while (even here, supermarket and warehouse chains offered cruisers!) and then they virtually vanished. People seem to have dumped them as they're not even available as used bikes.

I'm still mesmerized with what I could get in U.S.. I FEAR, I have to get myself another bike alongside my repaired cruiser. Just in case the weld doesn't hold up... And I can think of a couple dozen more flimsy excuses to buy yet another bike...

 

[mikeeebikey]

For you guys shipping overseas, there is a frame container sold! It is $300.ooish! I add that to the final payment, along with return shipping. If they want to keep it, fine! Currently I am on my second one, about to be third!
Absolutely cannot have a carbon fiber frame crushed! I cannot afford it!
My cally friend never tries to keep them, uses once a sold on e-bay, for peanuts!