First I'd like to thank both johntolhurst and Hardtailcruiser for allowing me to post here about my homemade version of a Cruzbike Sofrider clone.
About a year and a half ago I built a fwd mbb no weld bent following a bike I saw on the Yahoo group and online. That bike had its limitations. Due to the way the front triangle was attached I couldn't use all the gears also there was no suspension. I used what I had on hand, the first bike also had ashtabula cranks I paid my dues and learned to ride on it going around the block after a few feudal attempts. I atached an electric hub motor to the back end and rode it into work thirteen miles. After making the return trip home I put that one away and started to make a version with full suspension. There were obstacles to over come, both in design and skills that I lacked (welding). Many times I started and then stopped working on it. I almost gave up and bought the conversion kit. Perseverance paid off and now I'm about 99% finished. The final problem is my seat hits me wrong in my shoulder blades. Last month when once again I was going to give up Bryan Ball of BROL posted his Cruzbike Sofrider V1 for sale. The price he was asking was a bargain, slightly more than the kit price and I jumped at it. My rational and hope was that the Sofrider would be better than adding a kit to my bike. Also I was curious as to how well my version would compare to the real thing. The purchase of Bryan's bike pushed me to finish mine. When I fabricated the parts I needed for the front end I did it all by eye and how things fit together. I have no idea if my trail and or rake is right or any of that other technical jargon. I just did what felt good. This is another reason why I'm looking forward to ridding a real Sofrider, how lucky did I get. One of the hardest things was to make the wheel attachment brackets. I searched high and low on the net to find a few closeup photos of that part. So in closing I present to you my CB clone.
For you sharp eyed folks notice the seat isn't attached at the bottom. This frame has a wider tube than the first version. I haven't fixed the seat due to the fit.
Here is a closeup of the pivot point in the front triangle. I had purchased the donor frame at a bike swap meet for three dollars. Of course it didn't have any suspension. No problem, I made my own pivoting chain stays out of a threaded rod and a hand full of nuts.
About a year and a half ago I built a fwd mbb no weld bent following a bike I saw on the Yahoo group and online. That bike had its limitations. Due to the way the front triangle was attached I couldn't use all the gears also there was no suspension. I used what I had on hand, the first bike also had ashtabula cranks I paid my dues and learned to ride on it going around the block after a few feudal attempts. I atached an electric hub motor to the back end and rode it into work thirteen miles. After making the return trip home I put that one away and started to make a version with full suspension. There were obstacles to over come, both in design and skills that I lacked (welding). Many times I started and then stopped working on it. I almost gave up and bought the conversion kit. Perseverance paid off and now I'm about 99% finished. The final problem is my seat hits me wrong in my shoulder blades. Last month when once again I was going to give up Bryan Ball of BROL posted his Cruzbike Sofrider V1 for sale. The price he was asking was a bargain, slightly more than the kit price and I jumped at it. My rational and hope was that the Sofrider would be better than adding a kit to my bike. Also I was curious as to how well my version would compare to the real thing. The purchase of Bryan's bike pushed me to finish mine. When I fabricated the parts I needed for the front end I did it all by eye and how things fit together. I have no idea if my trail and or rake is right or any of that other technical jargon. I just did what felt good. This is another reason why I'm looking forward to ridding a real Sofrider, how lucky did I get. One of the hardest things was to make the wheel attachment brackets. I searched high and low on the net to find a few closeup photos of that part. So in closing I present to you my CB clone.
For you sharp eyed folks notice the seat isn't attached at the bottom. This frame has a wider tube than the first version. I haven't fixed the seat due to the fit.
Here is a closeup of the pivot point in the front triangle. I had purchased the donor frame at a bike swap meet for three dollars. Of course it didn't have any suspension. No problem, I made my own pivoting chain stays out of a threaded rod and a hand full of nuts.
