I found this forum sometime back in January or so, after I had moved to California and changed my whole outlook on bicycles. I had always been a BMX guy... I raced 20" and 24" Redline and GT bikes many years ago, and remained stuck on that style of bike for the rest of my life... up to recently.
Once I met my neighbor, Bobby, in Costa Mesa and saw his collection of beach cruisers, I began to change my mind about them. I had always thought of beach cruisers as heavy, cumbersome tanks that I would likely kill myself on if I tried to ride the way I normally do (which was like I was in a race).
I realized, however, that I don't race anymore and I don't have the need to ride like Harry Leary everywhere I go. In fact, I think being stuck in a racing crouch all these years has a lot to do with my neck being in pretty bad shape (although the ability to clear curbs and sidewalks at full speed saved my rear more than a few hundred times).
Bobby has a Kustom Kruiser "Duece," which I immediately thought was one of the coolest bikes I had ever seen. The weight immediately turned me off, but when I got on it, I fell in love. With the seat set back a bit from the bottom bracket, it was very comfortable, and I was sitting upright with the 15" apes putting my hands right about shoulder level.
Finally, I caught the cruiser vibe, and suddenly my 24" Redline wasn't as cool as I once thought. I immediately began planning a new bike... a custom. I just had to find the right frame.
I did a couple months of research and window shopping, which included finding this forum. In fact, I found out about the Ocean Pacific cruiser at Walmart on a thread here. With the sleek, black, aluminum frame, I knew that would be the basis of my new bike.
So off to Walmart in Huntington Beach. Of course, I insisted on one in the box to avoid the abuse of being tossed around by customers, and the wrenching of an inexperienced stockboy-turned-bikebuilder.
The original bars never even made it on the bike. Once I got it back to Bobby's house, the first thing I did was assemble it with the Nirve Straight Apes I had already ordered.
With the first ride, I already knew the seat was trash, and that although the seatpost was angled to set the seat back a bit, I still wanted a little more. Luckily, Bobby had a big Summit seat laying around he wasn't using, and I bought a layback seatpost from Let It Roll in Costa Mesa. Much better...
I then set out for a few epic beach rides. I knew by that time that I would be moving back to Vegas (no jobs!!), and there's no way I was coming back with a beach cruiser without actually riding it on the beach!
Fast forward a couple months, and I'm at my friend's shop here in Vegas (Bike World on Rainbow) where they let me use their facilities to work on the bike some more. I added the springer forks, a Nirve headlight, Wald fenders, and a red and black chain. I also put a freewheel on the back... briefly.
Having ridden BMX style bikes my whole life, I did not care much for coaster brakes. Unfortunately, I couldn't find calipers to reach the back rim, so I went with just the front hand brake.
That brake stopped me about as well as using my feet Flintstone-style. After a couple close calls... and realizing that I had actually gotten used to the coaster over the last few months... I switched back.
I also added a leather bar bag, which gives it a nice chopper vibe, a stronger kickstand, and a Cat Eye bar-end mirror to save my neck a little more. Soon, there will be red walls on it, along with a nice set of cranks, pedals, and a cool sprocket (a particular Profile sprocket, if I can find it).
As for the forks... it has been mentioned before that the head tube on this bike is quite long. Frank and Al at Bike World took about a quarter inch off each end to make the forks fit. Incidentally, a search for an extended fork tube resulted in somebody from Electra insisting that they did not have a longer tube available. Two days after they chopped by bike, one arrived in a shipment. I was a little pissed at first, but the operation went well, and the forks fit perfect.
I get compliments everywhere. In California, it would be just another cruiser, but there aren't many like this around Vegas. Las Vegas is not a very bike-friendly place (it's getting better with the addition of more bike lanes here and there), so most serious riders prefer more maneuverable bikes like what I used to ride.
The only drawback: Getting this bike on some of those cheap, rickety bus-mounted racks can be a task. Most of them aren't very beach-cruiser-friendly, and it's a good thing I didn't go for the 3" tires, as much as I would like them, because it wouldn't fit at all.
I'm not going to be hopping any sidewalks or curbs with this ride. I just have to get used to cruising! ...which is actually a lot more fun. I actually enjoy riding again!
Once I met my neighbor, Bobby, in Costa Mesa and saw his collection of beach cruisers, I began to change my mind about them. I had always thought of beach cruisers as heavy, cumbersome tanks that I would likely kill myself on if I tried to ride the way I normally do (which was like I was in a race).
I realized, however, that I don't race anymore and I don't have the need to ride like Harry Leary everywhere I go. In fact, I think being stuck in a racing crouch all these years has a lot to do with my neck being in pretty bad shape (although the ability to clear curbs and sidewalks at full speed saved my rear more than a few hundred times).
Bobby has a Kustom Kruiser "Duece," which I immediately thought was one of the coolest bikes I had ever seen. The weight immediately turned me off, but when I got on it, I fell in love. With the seat set back a bit from the bottom bracket, it was very comfortable, and I was sitting upright with the 15" apes putting my hands right about shoulder level.
Finally, I caught the cruiser vibe, and suddenly my 24" Redline wasn't as cool as I once thought. I immediately began planning a new bike... a custom. I just had to find the right frame.
I did a couple months of research and window shopping, which included finding this forum. In fact, I found out about the Ocean Pacific cruiser at Walmart on a thread here. With the sleek, black, aluminum frame, I knew that would be the basis of my new bike.
So off to Walmart in Huntington Beach. Of course, I insisted on one in the box to avoid the abuse of being tossed around by customers, and the wrenching of an inexperienced stockboy-turned-bikebuilder.
The original bars never even made it on the bike. Once I got it back to Bobby's house, the first thing I did was assemble it with the Nirve Straight Apes I had already ordered.
With the first ride, I already knew the seat was trash, and that although the seatpost was angled to set the seat back a bit, I still wanted a little more. Luckily, Bobby had a big Summit seat laying around he wasn't using, and I bought a layback seatpost from Let It Roll in Costa Mesa. Much better...
I then set out for a few epic beach rides. I knew by that time that I would be moving back to Vegas (no jobs!!), and there's no way I was coming back with a beach cruiser without actually riding it on the beach!
Fast forward a couple months, and I'm at my friend's shop here in Vegas (Bike World on Rainbow) where they let me use their facilities to work on the bike some more. I added the springer forks, a Nirve headlight, Wald fenders, and a red and black chain. I also put a freewheel on the back... briefly.
Having ridden BMX style bikes my whole life, I did not care much for coaster brakes. Unfortunately, I couldn't find calipers to reach the back rim, so I went with just the front hand brake.
That brake stopped me about as well as using my feet Flintstone-style. After a couple close calls... and realizing that I had actually gotten used to the coaster over the last few months... I switched back.
I also added a leather bar bag, which gives it a nice chopper vibe, a stronger kickstand, and a Cat Eye bar-end mirror to save my neck a little more. Soon, there will be red walls on it, along with a nice set of cranks, pedals, and a cool sprocket (a particular Profile sprocket, if I can find it).
As for the forks... it has been mentioned before that the head tube on this bike is quite long. Frank and Al at Bike World took about a quarter inch off each end to make the forks fit. Incidentally, a search for an extended fork tube resulted in somebody from Electra insisting that they did not have a longer tube available. Two days after they chopped by bike, one arrived in a shipment. I was a little pissed at first, but the operation went well, and the forks fit perfect.
I get compliments everywhere. In California, it would be just another cruiser, but there aren't many like this around Vegas. Las Vegas is not a very bike-friendly place (it's getting better with the addition of more bike lanes here and there), so most serious riders prefer more maneuverable bikes like what I used to ride.
The only drawback: Getting this bike on some of those cheap, rickety bus-mounted racks can be a task. Most of them aren't very beach-cruiser-friendly, and it's a good thing I didn't go for the 3" tires, as much as I would like them, because it wouldn't fit at all.
I'm not going to be hopping any sidewalks or curbs with this ride. I just have to get used to cruising! ...which is actually a lot more fun. I actually enjoy riding again!
