26 Bmx Cruiser i have a vintage "tyler" bike frame, it's a cruiser and id like to build it up into a sweet ride.?
i need tires, wheels, an axle and bearings/bearing cups, what brands would you recommend for these parts. i want it to be a single speed rather than a coaster, id really like to salvage my crank arms, pedals, and crank from my haro bmx and id like to know if that would work? also i wonder if i use the same gear ratio from my 20" haro ( gear ratio 44 : 16) how that would translate to this bike which normally is 26" with a gear ratio of 50 : 16
It is really going to be expensive to do this, but let's forget cost for now. Lets consider if it is even possible. Sorry if this rambles on...
Having sold Tyler bicycles a long time ago, I don't recall them ever having a cruiser bike. The closest they had, to my recollection, was a single speed bike that used 26 x 1-3/8" tires. Back in the day this was called an English Racer although it was neither English nor made for racing.
If this frame was made for the narrow wheels described above then it will be a shot in the dark whether "modern" cruiser wheels would fit, since 26" English Racer wheels are a different diameter than 26" cruiser wheels... yes, I know, this is very confusing, but the two 26" wheels are in fact different diameters by a large amount, not to mention significantly different in width.
Assuming that everything fits, it would be easiest and cheapest to visit your local K-mart or Walmart and buy an entire cruiser bike then swap the parts. You can by an entire bike for less than the cost of the wheels at a bike shop.
I also believe that the Tyler has a 3 piece cottered crank, where the crank arms are held to the spindle using tapered pins. If this is the case then you are stuck with the original crank. The crank from your Haro will only fit if both the Haro and the Tyler have 1 piece cranks.
Regarding ratios, your Haro reveals a ratio of about 2.75:1. This means for every revolution of the crank your rear wheel goes around 2.75 times. If the wheel were exactly 20" in diameter (it isn't) then you'd travel 172" with each pedal stroke. So, to go 172" with each pedal stroke with a wheel exactly 26" in diameter (and yours isn't) you would need a ratio of 2.09:1, or a chainring/rear cog combination of about 33-16. Hows that for gobbledegook?
Basically still a BMX, but with shocks so you can drop 15 feet. Danny’s 24″ trials bike is closer to a BMX than some 26″ BMX cruisers I’ve seen.