# Beater/Pub-bike/Townie/Cruiser/Klunker Pictures



## vaultbrad (Oct 17, 2007)

After a short search I didn't find any threads about this. I want to see some. I have one that I'll post up tomorrow.

Have at it.


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## fishcreek (Apr 10, 2007)

Subscribed.


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## phsycle (Apr 14, 2011)

I've got a Bridgestone MB4 project that I just acquired for this purpose. Still has geared bits but hope to get them stripped ASAP.


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## bmf032 (Sep 8, 2010)

Nice! Some before and after photos will be awesome.


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## OffCamber (May 29, 2005)

Not a singlespeed but wanted to subscribe. Built this for my wife.


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## SlowPokePete (Mar 27, 2006)

Garage Wall Art...



SPP


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## vaultbrad (Oct 17, 2007)

Nice additions so far. I'll put mine up here later. It's rusty, cobbled together, stupid, and my favorite bike to take to the store down the road.


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

48 Hiawatha


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## robtre (Apr 9, 2008)

*Beach Cruiser coaster brake cruiser bike*


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

68 Racer
Phil. Sachs Torpedo. Open Pro.


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

52 Wasp
Living in Steamboat now.


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## vaultbrad (Oct 17, 2007)

Great stuff, guys. This is what this forum needed. Here's my silly beater.


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## driver bob (Oct 12, 2005)

'48 Higgins, ice cream and pub bike. Now with the chain, pedals and other missing essentials !!

It rails...


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## Guest (Jan 20, 2014)

It's more of a cheater beater, but it's the thing I use at work to avoid burning liquid dinosaurs. A little green paint and the Simple blends itself to the environment well.


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## SlowPokePete (Mar 27, 2006)

driver bob said:


> '48 Higgins, ice cream and pub bike. Now with the chain, pedals and other missing essentials !!
> 
> It rails...


Dig that thing....

SPP


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## fixgeardan (Aug 20, 2004)

Absolutely stunning!


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## 1SPDBING (Mar 16, 2013)

Ddd


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## Hairnet (Jul 23, 2013)

Mine started out like this (disregard the saddle  )









But I liked it so much and added a lot to it that I can no longer call it a beater.


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## fishcreek (Apr 10, 2007)

are you like 10 ft tall..


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## arphaxhad (Apr 17, 2008)

Early 80's Schwinn LeTour as a single speed commuter...
View attachment 863820


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## vaultbrad (Oct 17, 2007)

I love these bikes. Keep them coming!


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## Hairnet (Jul 23, 2013)

fishcreek said:


> are you like 10 ft tall..


close enough


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## Cotharyus (Jun 21, 2012)

Hmm. I'll have to take a picture of mine.


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## fishcreek (Apr 10, 2007)

there's a smile on each pedal stroke on this one..


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## vaultbrad (Oct 17, 2007)

Dig that ride, fishcreek. Yours too, forster. Well done.


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## GChambers (Jan 7, 2010)

Bought the frame from Nashbar to build a cheap urban bike but the frame sucked. Ended up with the wheels when I tried to sell them for a friend but nobody bought them. The brakes came off another bike that got a set of hydraulics. Got the chain ring free from Jenson when they mis shipped it to me instead of someone else who ordered it. Decided I'd rather build it up than have those parts laying around so I went to a local bike swap meet with $60 and came home with the bars, stem, crank, pedals, fork, seat post, all the rest of the parts and $20.


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## Muxherdlr (Jul 9, 2011)

My Klunker


'92 GT Timberline city cruiser


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## vaultbrad (Oct 17, 2007)

My new beater and get-me-there bike.


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## Bakudan (May 19, 2011)

My beater bike. Originally got it off of Craigslist for $10 already converted to SS.

Three years ago:









Today:


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## OLDFATUGLY (Apr 23, 2014)

2008 om flyer


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## J. Fragera (Apr 16, 2008)

fishcreek said:


> there's a smile on each pedal stroke on this one..


That's nice, man!


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## anortherncrazy (Feb 23, 2011)

Winter build- Torker commuter bike with custom metal flake paint and parts by Point 1 Racing, Brooks, FSA, Thomson, Shimano(crank from my 1990 GT Karakoram that was bought for me when I was 16!)and Kenda. It's a real head turner!


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## dbhammercycle (Nov 15, 2011)

I'm not into gold, but for that paint job I could make an exception. Looks like a nice coffee-go-get'er.


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## anortherncrazy (Feb 23, 2011)

Thanks man, it's a kick in the pants! Gold ain't something I figured I'd ever incorporate in a paint job either but that's all my painter had on hand and he only charged me a hundred bucks! Next paint job I'm going to have him do a red theme on my 1990 GT which will be a singlespeed as well. 


Sent from my wireless communication apparatus


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## davejs (May 26, 2014)

GChambers said:


> Bought the frame from Nashbar to build a cheap urban bike but the frame sucked. Ended up with the wheels when I tried to sell them for a friend but nobody bought them. The brakes came off another bike that got a set of hydraulics. Got the chain ring free from Jenson when they mis shipped it to me instead of someone else who ordered it. Decided I'd rather build it up than have those parts laying around so I went to a local bike swap meet with $60 and came home with the bars, stem, crank, pedals, fork, seat post, all the rest of the parts and $20.


I am curious what you didn't like about the Nashbar frame? They seem to have a good rep online....


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## KevinGT (Dec 25, 2012)

Every year, my wife and I rent a house on Folly Beach in SC. Many mornings I get up before the kids and grab the rusty beach cruiser from the shed and ride the island from end to end.

I'm thinking of organizing a Beach Cruiser Bike race. No gears. No Lycra. Flip flops required. Bike must have a basket and you must stop at the local market for either breakfast or beer...or both.


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## kloeshuman (Apr 29, 2014)

Let see some more......love them all


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## hoolie (Sep 17, 2010)

*This was free from customer, but I lock it at bar. Would be bummer to lose it.*








I use for training rides. Have put 1100 miles on it! Odometer is rad. Girls bike, so when drunk, I barely need to lift leg over top tube. I was making fun of some clown that locked his bike to parking meter with top cut off. Somebody could have lifted his bike up 2 feet and walked away. 2 weeks later, I was drunk at CAL game in Berkeley, was too drunk to ride and left locked up. Next morning I drove over to pick it up. I had locked it to itself in a drunken stupor, NEXT to a pole. Dummy. It was supposed to be locked TO the pole. I was lucky.


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## sdwhitey (Apr 3, 2010)

Bike is a couple sizes too small. Got it way back in highschool. My first mtb and I think I'll always want it in my stable.

townie














klunker


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## vudu (Mar 24, 2008)

*Cfl*

Zed's Dead Baby!!


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## driver bob (Oct 12, 2005)

Stuck on a md-riser ape and refitted the chain guard, but lost the fender, after I installed it I wasn't feelin' how it looked.

Vudu: wearing my SSOD shirt last week and got asked if I was in a bike gang!! Answer: "Hell yes, Single Speed or Death baby !!!!" The guy looked very confused !!


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## vaultbrad (Oct 17, 2007)

I love that idea. I hit Folly every time I go down to the area. I would participate if I'm down there.


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## vudu (Mar 24, 2008)

Vudu: wearing my SSOD shirt last week and got asked if I was in a bike gang!! Answer: "Hell yes, Single Speed or Death baby !!!!" The guy looked very confused !![/QUOTE]

That is Awesome!!!


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## Muxherdlr (Jul 9, 2011)

Picked up this early 90's GT Timberline off Craigslist for $20. It still had original tires.... I removed two front rings and made bike 1-7,replaced brake pads,& added Kenda slicks. I ride this bike everywhere.....



With new slicks....


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## vindiggitydog (Aug 6, 2008)

*Here is my new beater..Coaster brake style...*


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## vaultbrad (Oct 17, 2007)

Our(mine and my wife's) two actual cruisers. I've become thoroughly obsessed with the cruiser vibe. So now all of my bikes are on their way to cruiserville. I'll have a beach cruiser , a pugsley cruiser, a rando cruiser, and a mtn/touring/xtracycle cruiser.

Stupid and perfect.


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## ThundaCrymz (Oct 22, 2012)

This is prolly where I should've posted this beast of mine, he's a 2004 Schwinn Frontier FS, converted into a singlespeed. Took of the old suspension forks for a rigid, but need to do something about the color, i might either use more electric tape or spray paint it, which the second option does sound better. Ordering some moustache handlebars for him and might order a matching neck since the original one has been long gone. he is one of 3 bikes that i own and the one i have put the most miles on.

and yes, those are cds on the back as reflectors, i plan to make some for the front as well


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## vaultbrad (Oct 17, 2007)

ThundaCrymz said:


> This is prolly where I should've posted this beast of mine


I love it. I have a thing for bikes that make snobs cringe.


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## vaultbrad (Oct 17, 2007)

vindiggitydog said:


> View attachment 913542


This one is really great. I just came back inside after tuning up my father in law's nearly stock version of that bike. I'd love to throw a coaster brake on his and make it a great city cruiser, but I'll let him make that call. Despite some surface rust from sitting in a drafty garage for 20 years, the bike is in great condition and ride well now that I did a few minor adjustments.


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## ThundaCrymz (Oct 22, 2012)

Muxherdlr said:


> Picked up this early 90's GT Timberline off Craigslist for $20. It still had original tires.... I removed two front rings and made bike 1-7,replaced brake pads,& added Kenda slicks. I ride this bike everywhere.....
> 
> 
> 
> With new slicks....


I had those Kenda Slicks before as well, nice for an inexpensive tire


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## Muxherdlr (Jul 9, 2011)

ThundaCrymz said:


> I had those Kenda Slicks before as well, nice for an inexpensive tire


Yep,Kenda's $30 for the pair at ***** Sporting Goods.....


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## plasticmann (May 7, 2006)

my 20 year old Shogun. Great pub bike !!


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## vindiggitydog (Aug 6, 2008)

You can easily cold set the frame so you can use a basic cruiser bike coaster brake wheel. 
Most old mtn. bike frames are 130mm OLD. I used the original chain ring too! Geo is super fun for cruising town!


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## camekanix (Sep 1, 2012)

Here's my beater.


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## vaultbrad (Oct 17, 2007)




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## vaultbrad (Oct 17, 2007)

Cruiser got a new cartridge bottom bracket to replace the grease-less, creaky, loose-ball jobber in there. Also some nicer cranks and a smaller chainring for even more relaxed cruising. Better outside pictures soon.


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## mattsmyname (Feb 10, 2011)

Beater defined:


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## mattsmyname (Feb 10, 2011)

Beater definition:


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## mattsmyname (Feb 10, 2011)

Beater definition:


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## davesauvageau (Jan 8, 2010)

*1976 Schwinn Typhoon Custom*

This started out as a 1976 Schwinn Typhoon from a local pawn shop. I started by stripping the frame and fork and made a few upgrades:
*Removed the kickstand bracket and fabricated a new gusset plate.
*Added a gusset plate to the seat stay bridge.
*Machined a custom seatpost out of a solid aluminum bar bonded to a Bontrager post top.
*Fabricated tank fill panels and tabs to hold them in place.
*Fabricated a custom number plate and mounting bracket.
*Shortened coaster brake arm and fabricated new coaster arm frame mount.
*Chopped and modified chain guard to fit over the new smaller drivetrain.

I also used a flat tracker motorcycle bar, new wheelset, crankset from my old SS29er and new parts all around.

It is still in progress and I don't really have a super recent photo with all of the modifications together.


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## KevinGT (Dec 25, 2012)

No better place for a cruiser than the beach. Especially a beach you can actually ride on for miles and miles.


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## cowboy don (Apr 11, 2015)

*GT Klunker/Urban Assault*

Here's mine. 1994 GT Timberline converted to track dropouts, all brackets and braze-ons removed for a clean frame. Coaster brake for super skids. Aside from getting a frame builder to change the dropouts and buying paint, it's cost me next to nothing and is the most fun I've had on a bike in ages. Nobbies are on it now and hitting the trails after work today.


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## rzims (Sep 7, 2005)

Not really a beater, but this is my favorite fun bike...


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## zdaw73 (Sep 12, 2013)

Old Schwinn with a new paint job, Tange fork, Renthal bars, and a so-so coaster brake-stopping takes some planning.


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## LemonDrops (Oct 11, 2016)

Thought I would bump this awesome thread to get some opinions on a townie/beater I am considering.

It's a 1989 GT Timberline and the seller has come down to $60, but I won't go over $50 and wonder if it's even worth that?









The 4th and 5th gears on the back look destroyed.









Maybe it could be converted to single speed (or 3 speed?) for cheap?

















It's said to shift through the gears smoothly. I have yet to check it out personally but may gather the gumption in the next few days. Muxherdlr got a crazy good deal for his.


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## jmmUT (Sep 15, 2008)

LemonDrops said:


> Thought I would bump this awesome thread to get some opinions on a townie/beater I am considering.
> 
> It's a 1989 GT Timberline and the seller has come down to $60, but I won't go over $50 and wonder if it's even worth that?


I think you could find a good townie in much better condition for that cheap. In my neck of the woods, old MTBs are everywhere. 
I bet you won't be able to get that crusty freewheel off and might need another rear wheel. 
Not sure if they could know how smoothly it shifts with that condition freewheel and chain- I wouldn't believe them there.
Those style dropouts are great for converting to SS, but that is a huge frame for a tall person- are you tall?
I bet you end up putting at least $100 into it to get it running, which if you are cool with that is fine, but are you?


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## dbhammercycle (Nov 15, 2011)

Someone's labor of love is a another's 10-foot pole...

I'd pass unless he gives it to you for 20 or less. There is a lot of work that will go into that GT, but if you have the patience, know-how, and desire then have at it!


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## LemonDrops (Oct 11, 2016)

jmmUT said:


> I bet you won't be able to get that crusty freewheel off and might need another rear wheel.


 I questioned the seller about the freewheel and he replied that he has taken the freewheel off and has it soaking (in what, IDK) and I can see it in a couple days. He has about 15 bikes listed on CL so hoping he can take a good freewheel and chain off another klunker?



jmmUT said:


> Those style dropouts are great for converting to SS, but that is a huge frame for a tall person- are you tall?


 Yep, I'm 6'5", 6'7" in the club, and that is a 24.5" frame. Only reason it caught my eye is because you don't really see frames that size everywhere.

EDIT: He got it cleaned up
























Still don't think I want to go over $50 though. All the graphics being scratched off feels like bad juju.


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## Swanjo98 (Feb 14, 2017)

*My 77 Schwinn Continental 26" Fixie*

OooOO


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## evoracer (Feb 26, 2008)

My 'Gentlemans' bike lol


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## socal_jack (Dec 30, 2008)

37 Schwinn Admiral


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## rockhopper97 (Jul 30, 2014)

I think both of mine fit this description... the specialized is in process of a 1x7 conversion


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## Rylan570 (Oct 25, 2012)

My 84 Stumpjumper that I found in pieces with a blownout drivetrain. It made a great singlespeed project.








as it currently sits. There's a Chris King SS hub on there








after it was first built with surly wheels


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

A 69er cruiser I knocked up from assorted bits and pieces a few years back. It's got a magic ratio belt drive that required some cunning work. The frame was a bankrupt stock item I picked up for £20. I built up the front wheel with a S-A drum brake, but used cantis at the back - mainly to make wheel removal quicker.

It's had a number of iterations since, including a springer fork.


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## iforgotmename (Jul 21, 2009)

socal_jack said:


> 37 Schwinn Admiral
> View attachment 1122741


love this bike...checked it out on Ratrod


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