Velo City: Bicycle Culture and City Life

Daryl’s Cruiser

Daryl's Cruiser

Some of the most exciting custom bikes have come together quite by accident – a result of a windfall in the form of a frame or the chance acquisition of a rare component. Vancouver Island’s Daryl Griffith cobbled his cruiser together with parts from a variety of genres, producing a real harlequin of a bike.

It’s not without it’s graces, however, the mustache bars and vintage Brooks saddle lend a sophisticated air. “The bike is what I would call a parts bin special”, Daryl tells us. “I was helping a buddy clean out his basement and he had this cool frame and fork he was getting rid of. He’s an old bike mechanic from the 80s and has all this cool stuff laying around. Along with the frame came a set of Ritchey Vantage wheels, a Shimano 600 headset and a set of alloy cranks. So the build began. I had the Suntour Mountech derailleurs kicking around from the 1980s, that I bought new but never used. The stem was pink when I got it, so I stripped and clear coated it. The Brooks saddle and Suntour bar end shifters were eBay finds”.

“The bike was finished off with a set of Maxxis Hookworm tires and mustache bars, wrapped with red and white maple leaf ice hockey tape that we put on our hockey sticks. The bike has been used to ride to the coffee shop and back a few times and is a blast to ride”. I don’t doubt it. Are there any bike mechanics from the 80s out there that have some cool stuff laying around?

Daryl's Cruiser
Daryl's Cruiser
Daryl's Cruiser
Daryl's Cruiser
Daryl's Cruiser