Quandary: cut up the frame or the fork?

Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum

Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Jun 20, 2008
Messages
13
Reaction score
0
Location
Denver, CO
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm in a quandary and would like to hear the opinion of the forum. I've got a project in mind very similar to 'gtcoma's ubercool Monark Rocket, http://ratrodbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5443&st=0&sk=t&sd=a.

I have a '60's Schwinn 26" cantilever 'cruiser' frame in great condition, and a chopper fork taken from a Schwinn OCC Chopper. The limiting factor is that this is a 'cheap' project - I'm not really at liberty to spend any money on this project at this time.

The issue is that the chopper fork is a 1-1/8" threadless, and although it does fit through the head tube and bearing cups of the cantilever frame, I cannot find bearings that will work with the combination.

What I'd like your opinion on is, how shall I proceed?

Option one: Cut the 1-1/8" steerer tube off the fork, and weld in a 1" threaded steerer tube from a donor fork. I have all the pieces and skills for this. I consider it moderately risky, if I still can't find head bearings to work.

Option two: Cut and swap the head tubes from the Schwinn OCC frame onto the Schwinn cantilever frame. More work, but frame work appeals to me strangely, and this way the steerer-tube-head-bearing situation is known to work. The downside is dicing up a vintage frame that's in nice shape.

Option three: Ebay the OCC fork and put the proceeds toward a chopper fork with a 1" steerer tube from USChoppers. Probably the smartest path, but boring - no cutting, no welding, what fun is that? Also more hassle, delay, and expense.

Option four: Sell the whole kit and caboodle - the old cantelever frame, the OCC fork, all of it - and find some other project, maybe cut up a diamond-frame mountain bike or something.

Option two is my favorite, but not by a huge margin - I still see-saw back and forth between all these.
Whatchu think?
 
Jeez, this is not what I expected - lots of topic views and nobody has an opinion? I take it from this that the old Schwinn cruiser frame has about zero value. Where's my angle grinder...
 
Well, been to 3 local bike stores and struck out. Nothing preventing me from trying a couple of others, I guess. I just kind of feel stalled out on this decision.
 
had the same problems on my chopper. I use different cups and race set that fit the steer tube.
bearings were close to touching fork tube but worked. find something that works.


thats my cheep answer.

my cheep comment is
trade those forks for some w.c.c. ones. made better,look better and they don't come with the goofy fork rake.
 
UCWT, you hit the bullseye - that's the kind of info I was hoping this topic would bring out. Since the steerer tube will go through the bearing cups, I originally hoped I could find some bearings to work, but the bike shops I'd hit so far were discouraging. If you found some that work in that situation I'll keep looking.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top