Vintage Columbia beach cruiser to muscle bike build

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Eliminator3speed

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Jun 28, 2015
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Hey guys sorted money problems have kept me from building a bike for a while but I'm finally back. This all started with one of those cheap e Chinese motorized bike motor kits. It wouldn't fit on The Eliminator frame I tried to put it on. So I remembered I have the Columbia speedliner frame in the garage. I want to try to build speedliner like an old-school muscle bike similar to my Eliminator. I'm thinking 24 x 3 thick brick in the back and maybe a 24-inch x 2.25 Tire in the front to give it that big tire little tire look. Or do I need a full size 26 in the back with a 24 in the front what do you guys think I'm trying to do it just like my Eliminator which is a 24 inch rear wheel with a 20 inch front wheel. Then I'm thinking big sissy bar banana seat and some ape hangers. Maybe a triple tree. But my big question to get the build started is the wheel combination what do you guys think. I don't want to feel like I'm falling forward if the wheel is too small or the forks are too short, but every one has a bike with two 26 inch tires so that's not nearly as exciting.
 
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Here's some pics from my previous thread when I was trying to find out what this bike was...
 
You could you put a 26 inch wheel on the rear with a 2 inch tire and a 24 on the front with a 2 inch tire for a test. Do you have these wheels? This would be a test fit and would look approximately like the 24 x 3 and 24 x 2 combo. You could ride it to see but I think it would be OK. It would be a little lower in the front than the test because you would have to use a 24 inch fork that would have to have a steer tube long enough to fit the 26 inch frame. You might have to use a crank from a 20 inch bike so you don't catch a pedal on corners as the bike will be lower. It would probably be a more subtle difference than the example bike but the thick tire would probably provide an optical illusion and look bigger than it is. You could use a 1.75 front tire to to make it look smaller. The small front fender also emphasizes the size difference. You might need a wider beefier rear fender to fit the 3 inch tire, which will also give the illusion of a bigger rear wheel. I don't know if you can buy a wider rear fender with cutouts to fit the frame, you might have to make this. Color of the fenders can also exaggerate the wheel size, depending on what color tire you use. Black rear fender with a black rear tire would look big. A chrome small front fender would look small, but how would mixing look? Interesting dilemma.
 
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Funny its got prewar Elgin fenders on it. Cool project your plan sounds good.
 
I haven't had a chance to do anything between work in the weather, but I was thinking about it this morning, when Murray built the eliminators they used a 20-inch fork in the front to level the bike out. So I think you guys are right with the 24-inch fork. Do you think this will work? I've never bought a new Fork so I don't know what to measure.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/24-Straight-Springer-Fork-Bicycle-Bike-Cruiser-Chopper-Lowrider-Chrome/252441067690?_mwBanner=1&ul_ref=https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F252441067690&rvr_id=0&rvr_ts=c4f9b3401660a9cd45277cc0fff92975&ul_noapp=true&pageci=0c4ab00c-6cc1-4226-88fa-e948f4d8b7f5&epid=802152621
 
Get a 24 inch fork with a one inch diameter fork tube. Take the 26 inch fork out and measure the length of the fork tube. Your 24 inch has to be at least that long. If it's a little longer you can put on the top race, cut it to length and fix the goobered threads by removing the top race. Save the races and bearings from the 26 inch fork and fit them to the 24, including the bottom race on the 26 inch fork. If the bottom race doesn't fit the 24 inch fork we can help with a solution. I have welded a new fork tube on to make it longer but that is a lot of trouble to get it straight. Look at the local thrift store and Craig's List for a 24 inch bike. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy a whole bike than the part you want.
 
What is the diameter of the seat post? Looks like 13/16. If it is 13/16 and you need a longer one. Wald sells one that is long and has a large top to fit modern seat clamps (guts). Problem is they are flimsy and bend easily. I weigh 155 and bent one. Old 13/16 seat posts usually have a 5/8 top to clamp the the seat. This won't fit most seats nor will 13/16, both too small. I take a piece of hardware store gas pipe that is just a little too big and about the same length as the new Wald stem and carefully grind it on my grinding wheel by turning it and moving it back and forth, sort of a crude lath. When it is a tight fit I slobber JB Weld on the pipe and hammer it into the Wald seat post stem. It won't bend now. People make custom ones but they are pricy. You can also buy a piece of 13/16 cold rolled rod and buy a Wald seat post shim so the guts fit the 13/16 rod and the seat clamp. You can also weld the guts to the 13/16 rod. Never seems straight forward building up these bikes. If you want a front brake the easiest thing is to get a fork that will mount caliper brakes and make sure the front rim is for a caliper brake, not drop center.
 
Watch your bottom bracket height. If you put a 24 on a 26 frame, youll be low.
Consider the 26 rear and 24 front. Instead of a 24 fork. Try the 26 fork with 24 wheel. Look at Schwinn Krates, lot of "fork space". You could even go to 27" fork with 24 wheel to being the frame back to close to original height.

Thinking out loud, lets see what you do.
 
I am building a 24" rear 20" front banana seat bike. I will use a fork for a 26" to keep things level.
 

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