Another Cranbrook

[dirtroadcreations]

Hereis my first custom bike :roll: Removed the crappy fenders and seat and put on a old Huffy guard I had laying around. Love the new flea market Bell seat too. Still looking for a set of old rusty fenders with the "right" look. Im workig on some custom truss rods but just cant get them right. This site is awesome by the way! My brother got me into rat rod bikes when we discovered that hot rods are way too expensive to build LOL

 

[GodHatesCleveland]

Nice pin striping on the seat tube. Great looking color too.

 

[dirtroadcreations]

Thanks! The paint and striping is original...id love to find where i could buy some more pinstripes like them. Im still trying to find some tan grips to match my seat...any ideas? have a seat post off a bmx thatll lower the seat and move it further back...just havent got to it yet lol

 

[StepChld]

http://www.BikeWorldUSA.com has the grips you're looking for. Quick service too
Nice bike by the way...since the price of those is so inexpensive brand new,I've thought of picking one up and then transforming one to how I want it rather than having to fight rust and hard to find parts for an older bike. I am curious though about the size of the bike. I've heard some complain that their feet hit the front wheel when they turn. Has that been your experiance?

 

[roadmaster]

ah ha! so thats what my 09 cranbrook would look like if i took off its fenders!
lookin good and just goes to show what a few little modifications can do to a stock oem bike. i sometimes stare at my 09 cranbrook (silver with the same pin striping and beish fenders and guard) wondering if i should take the fenders off, or at least paint them and the guard primer black, but i bought that bike almost solely for commuting to work and i know i'd want the fenders back in the winter.

cool chainguard to put on there in place of the oem. i have a 99' santa fe/cranbrook that i got as a frame and built up and its actually a solid bike. what years is yours? i got that same cruiser seat you got for my 59 amf. nice. good choice on the fenders, mine like to rattle.

 

[HuffyDesigner]

That thing is looking awesome. I love that chainguard you put on it, and really like the idea of some rusty fenders. The brown saddle and grips (when you get them on there) are a nice touch too. I can probably hook you up with a new set of the graphics that came on the bike. So you could trim off the Huffy logos if you like and use the striping parts, give me a pm if your interested. No offense to anyone else on here, but I think this is my favorite use of one of my bikes yet. Can't wait to see it come together.

 

[dirtroadcreations]

That thing is looking awesome. I love that chainguard you put on it, and really like the idea of some rusty fenders. The brown saddle and grips (when you get them on there) are a nice touch too. I can probably hook you up with a new set of the graphics that came on the bike. So you could trim off the Huffy logos if you like and use the striping parts, give me a pm if your interested. No offense to anyone else on here, but I think this is my favorite use of one of my bikes yet. Can't wait to see it come together.

Thanks! I still havent found the grips Im after...Ive seen a set of old pointed tip ones in beige I love! : ) Ive got a butt load of old rusty fenders ive been experimenting with...I think Ive found a set Im gonna cut down and install. Im thinking too that i might clear coat the chain guard and the fenders...rusty but shiny to match the rest. Im new to the site so not sure how to pm...but the extra stickers would be very much appreciated! 8)

 

[dirtroadcreations]

ah ha! so thats what my 09 cranbrook would look like if i took off its fenders!
lookin good and just goes to show what a few little modifications can do to a stock oem bike. i sometimes stare at my 09 cranbrook (silver with the same pin striping and beish fenders and guard) wondering if i should take the fenders off, or at least paint them and the guard primer black, but i bought that bike almost solely for commuting to work and i know i'd want the fenders back in the winter.

cool chainguard to put on there in place of the oem. i have a 99' santa fe/cranbrook that i got as a frame and built up and its actually a solid bike. what years is yours? i got that same cruiser seat you got for my 59 amf. nice. good choice on the fenders, mine like to rattle.

Its a '08 or '09...purchased it 2 months ago from Walmart...it rides great! Its gonna be my rider...my other rust buckets are my toys LOL

 

[roadmaster]

funny thing about frame geometry mentioned above, i.e. the feet hitting the front wheel. i am 6'2" and all of my cruisers from the 60's and even through the 80's and early 90's fit me fine, but when i bought my 09' cranbrook from walmart and rode it, i noticed a few things.

1. the cranks set a bit too far back vs like my 62 schwinn american. the distance between the front of the rear tire and the bb shell isn't what it used to be and for me just doesnt feel as roomey as my others.

2. this bike uses very upright geometry and angles, compared to the slack geometry and angles on my 59' skyrider. seattube and headtube very upright and sorts cramped feeling.

3. i can't seem to get truely comfortable on this bike. even my 99' santa fe(cranbrook) has a better feel. and i feel untill the oem seat goes bye bye, it won't get any better.

not bad bikes, but does anyone else agree, that the geometry of huffies (and next) i see out there makes them feel cramped for people my height. im just saying.

 

[Fireproof]

Im new to the site so not sure how to pm...but the extra stickers would be very much appreciated! 8)

Hey Dirtroadcreations, I'm no computer guy, but I found it's easy to send a pm. There's an icon that reads "PM" under the user name on the post of the board member you want to pm. After you click the icon, it's much like replying to a thread or kinda like an email. Try it!
Your chainguard IS a nice touch. Please show us what you come up with for fenders.

funny thing about frame geometry mentioned above, i.e. the feet hitting the front wheel. i am 6'2" and all of my cruisers from the 60's and even through the 80's and early 90's fit me fine, but when i bought my 09' cranbrook from walmart and rode it, i noticed a few things. . . .
not bad bikes, but does anyone else agree, that the geometry of huffies (and next) i see out there makes them feel cramped for people my height.

I agree with you Roadmaster, but I don't have anything to compare my Huffy to. I have not noticed my feet hitting the pedals, but I do have to put the seat up much higher than I would like (btw, I'm six foot tall). I'm considering a pair of springer forks with a cut-down spring (like my buddy, Greg66, has on his bike).

 

[user 135]

Chainguard looks sweet.

I remember a year or two ago talking about the Bike manf. taking some inspiration from this site. It is nice to get noticed.

 

[2WheelFlyer]

I have to agree with roadmaster that it looks a bit cramped, but a different stem and layback seatpost can help. Nice bike, I think sooner or later we'll have to start rodding more "modern" bikes... as long as they are steel.

 

[roadmaster]

getting a longer stem may help for my 09' cranbrook and luckily i have one that should be perfect. also noticed on mine, the cross piece in between the seat stays (brake bridge) is welded in crooked.

 

[deorman]

The stays, top tube, and fender/brake strut in my old Goodvibe Huffy are kind of sloppy/unsymmetrical, fortunately the vertical tubes and wheels line up okay. :|

 

[dirtroadcreations]

Well...to be honest...all the stays brackets etc are really nice on my bike. Ive been riding it quite a bit lately and it rides great. Im right at 6 ft...it does good in all except tight tunrs and then my legs/knees do feel crowded. I havent touched it since my pic...but im gonna tear into it this saturday hopefully and stick the fenders on and the seat post...still looking for some nice brwn/tan grips. Id like the old schwinn style...rubber...but still no luck. Oh well. thanks for all the comments guys. Been busy on my old schwinn project and forgot about working on my Huff LOL