New 1952 reproduction Columbia Cruiser $119

[us56456712]

Sam's Club. Specs on the Target Store web site for the same bike lists its weight bearing capacity at 275 pounds, which is high for this sort of bargain bike. I weigh 155 or lets say 170 with all my riding gear on. Target wants $200 for the bike. It's a heavy bike but I might get one to use for a Klunker build. Exchanging the crank for a smaller chain wheel for a 1/8 inch chain might be a problem with the 3 piece crank. It would need new wheels and perhaps a different fork for my MAFAC canti brakes. I have a new Schwinn frame and fork from a Sanctuary that has enough clearance to run 3 inch tires. I wonder if this bike does also once the fenders are removed? If it would fit I am contemplating 57 mm wide rims and 2.8 inch knobbies. The knobs might make it so the tires won't fit. I would ideally build a wheel set using an alloy front hub with sealed bearings and use my vintage Arai drum brake with a Mega Range 6 speed cluster or my nexus 3 speed on the rear. If I use the Mega Range I would have to come up with a crank that fits the bike and a 24 tooth narrow wide chain wheel. For the Mega Range the frame would need spreading. The MAFAC brakes might not fit the 57 mm wide rims? Not sure about the chain line off set either so I can see a lot of problems doing this. All the tossed out parts could be used on my 1940s Columbia frame and fork that I have hanging on the wall. Just using all the parts for my 1940s Columbia would make it a worth while bargain. I have been thinking along these lines for a few years but the modern bargain bikes always had a lighter weight capacity. I have seen these bike use for builds, but not something as extreme as I am proposing. Here is the bike at Sam's Club. Any thoughts.
https://www.samsclub.com/sams/26-in-1952-mens-bike-columbia-cruiser/prod20090815.ip

 

[Dizzle Problems]

For that price I'd say its worth a shot. Like you said, some of the repop parts alone. If the frame gives way klunkin, and least your '40s columbia will be stylin! I'd Imagine as you said that the Mafac brakes would have a hard time with the 57mm rim. I've also not seen 57mm rims with a brake track. Wonder if you could get a disc hub up front, with the nexus 3 coaster out back?

 

[kingfish254]

Worth a shot. Not really a reproduction bike. That tank looks similar to the old tanks, but you couldn't use any of the parts on an old Columbia.

 

[us56456712]

Worth a shot. Not really a reproduction bike. That tank looks similar to the old tanks, but you couldn't use any of the parts on an old Columbia.

I could use the wheels, tires, fenders, bars, seat and rack, perhaps the seat. The tank would stay on the repop. I have used a new Schwinn Drifter as a donor on a 1957 Schwinn American. I used the original seat, post, stem, frame, fork and chain guard. Everything else came from the Drifter donor. Turned out sweet and has a 23 tooth sprocket for our hills.

 

[kingfish254]

I agree there are a lot of cool parts you can re-use, but my only point was that none of them were actual repops that would actually fit as reproduction parts on old bikes. It's more of a cool retro styled bike. Hard to beat the price.

 

[us56456712]

I agree there are a lot of cool parts you can re-use, but my only point was that none of them were actual repops that would actually fit as reproduction parts on old bikes. It's more of a cool retro styled bike. Hard to beat the price.

Yeah, I have a sweet hart skip tooth and a New Departure skip hub and a skip chain and lots of drop center rims and spokes and an old Columbia chain guard but it would be easier to just dump parts on it from the new Columbia. I have 3 or 4 (not sure without looking) skip tooth jobs already. I guess this is part of the problem, I already have all the stuff to build the 1940s Columbia but it would be so simple to play musical bike parts and use new stuff. I don't need another klunker but I have everything to build a frame. I could make another hack bike klunker frame from several old mountain bikes and cruiser frames I have floating around in my mess. Perhaps I should do that?

 

[horsefarmer]

Kinda like the bike, would look better without the "1952" stickers.

 

[clamdigger]

Kinda looks like it would go better with Coke .

 

[us56456712]

I bought one to use as a donor bike. My daughter wants a pre war red girls bike. I am using a 1938 CWC girls frame for her and dumping the parts from the 1952 Columbia big box tribute bike onto the CWC. THe Columbia is better quality than most other big box bikes but weighs a ton. The Columbia has nice wide red alloy rims, heavy solid steel truss rods (the truss rod brace is a little thin but is pretty solid) and it has nice rubber and steel pedals. The welds are perhaps a little better than the average big box bike but still not great. The drop outs and rear seat tube stays are like the old Columbia. It has a real head badge but it is the kind like a Next Bikes that are stuck on with adhesive. All the fender and luggage rack mounting points are weld on taped tabs. I am using the chain, wheels, fenders, luggage rack and handlebars from the Columbia on the CWC.

Nice seat, mostly steel.

 

[Bicycle808]

 

[us56456712]

Made me laugh.

I had a pile of these big box frames (probably something like 10). I use the parts for donation. I only have two frames remaining as I either junked or gave the others away. One of the frames I have now has parts of the frame cut off that I used on my buddies 1953 Schwinn Black Panther rebuild. Whenever I toss one of these out I find I need it a short time later. I have all the parts I didn't use in my garden shed stored in 5 gallon buckets. Way too much stuff. When will I ever use 10 chain guards? I did just cut the braces off one big box chain guard and weld it on my 1939 CWC. I'm going to really toss out stuff this spring, get a dumpster and unload. I pity my kids when I die. My son said he was going to toss all my bikes in a dumpster and my Daughter wants to just burn the house down. But I keep buying big box bikes or accepting big box donations. Lots of them around when the university gets out.

 

[Fv2]

Does the frame have the typical oversized down tube like every other big box bike?

 

[A.S.BOLTNUT]

Hey Cool Reproduction!

 

[us56456712]

Does the frame have the typical oversized down tube like every other big box bike?

No, it doesn't, tubes are smaller. People laugh at these bikes but I think they tried a little harder on this one. The big negatives as far as a semi reproduction are concerned are that it is heavy and has a square taper BB. The chain guard could have relief and some character too.