Hello, I'm new to the site from Louisville, KY, been wanting to get an old 26" cruiser for a long time, love the style. Not having any luck at thrift stores and yard sales in my area, but I will keep hunting. This will be a fun hobby in addition to tinkering with my 72 CL350 8)
New here from KY
- Thread starter thedrivel
- Start date
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Thrift store finds are usually mountain bikes or old road bikes. Pretty much the same for garage sales unless you catch an old retired couple. The two best places for me have been craigslist and simply asking people if they have an old bike they want to sell whenever the subject comes up. I'll see some nice bikes listed online as an estate sale find, but I've never had any luck with them....had one lucky strike at a "barn sale".
I normally check CL in several cities close to me. You might want to check the Cincinnati craigslist, they seem to have an unusually have a good selection for a city it's size. For example, this little beauty for $25. The seller mentioned he had parts for sale, I bet you could talk him into throwing some in for free.
http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/bik/728344686.html
I normally check CL in several cities close to me. You might want to check the Cincinnati craigslist, they seem to have an unusually have a good selection for a city it's size. For example, this little beauty for $25. The seller mentioned he had parts for sale, I bet you could talk him into throwing some in for free.
http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/bik/728344686.html
Timbo said:
I can't leave a thrift store without combing their vinyl.
I've been looking through Craigslist too, sent out a few emails. I know I will find the right bike sooner or later.GodHatesCleveland said:
This is in the neighborhood of the look I'd eventually like to achieve. My friend said this might have 26" wheels on a frame built for 24"?
Hey, that's my old bike! Oh yeah, WELCOME TO THE SITE. I have a ratty firestone cantilever frame 26'' with the seat and chainguard I'll sell ya real cheap, let me know, I'm in Cincinnati so just come pick it up.thedrivel said:Timbo said:
I can't leave a thrift store without combing their vinyl.
I've been looking through Craigslist too, sent out a few emails. I know I will find the right bike sooner or later.GodHatesCleveland said:
This is in the neighborhood of the look I'd eventually like to achieve. My friend said this might have 26" wheels on a frame built for 24"?
One good thing to find out is what size frame it is, not just the wheel size. So generally speaking, the frame on a bike with a 26" wheel set is going to be bigger than one for a 24", but that 26" frame might come in a small, medium, or large version. I'm exactly 6 feet tall and if I ride a small or medium size frame on a 26" bike, my toes have a tendency to brush the front tire on turns. Then again having size 13 feet might have something to do with that too.
If the seller doesn't know what size frame it is, or you can't find a "S", "M", or "L" stamped on it somewhere, the length of the seat tube will tell you if it's the right size or not. If you're around 6 feet tall you'll want it to be somewhere around 19 inches. You can still ride one with a 17" seat tube, but it'll get a little cramped for long rides.
If the seller doesn't know what size frame it is, or you can't find a "S", "M", or "L" stamped on it somewhere, the length of the seat tube will tell you if it's the right size or not. If you're around 6 feet tall you'll want it to be somewhere around 19 inches. You can still ride one with a 17" seat tube, but it'll get a little cramped for long rides.
