[sam_little]

First, sorry about the cross post if you check the BMX forum.
Second, I know this isn't the appropriate forum, but nobody checks the BMX forum.

That said... I am 25, looking to get into BMX, and am 6'1", 180-195 lbs. depending on the season. I'm aware that this is going to result in fairly constant pain, but think it might be worth a shot. To minimize the crossover time, I thought I bike that even approaches the feeling of my Stiffee SL slalom frame might be a start. The MacNeil Deuce Deuce has been recommended to me, but I was wondering if any other mountain bikers out there that have crossed into the 20" world have time on one of these. Does if feel TOO big? Are there other long-top-tube options for BMX out there? Is MacNeil a reputable company in the BMX world? Are there other angles/lengths that I should be worrying about with a BMX for fit?

Let me know if you have some input. Thanks!

 

[CreeP]

First, sorry about the cross post if you check the BMX forum.
Second, I know this isn't the appropriate forum, but nobody checks the BMX forum.

That said... I am 25, looking to get into BMX, and am 6'1", 180-195 lbs. depending on the season. I'm aware that this is going to result in fairly constant pain, but think it might be worth a shot. To minimize the crossover time, I thought I bike that even approaches the feeling of my Stiffee SL slalom frame might be a start.

I used to want one of those so bad

The MacNeil Deuce Deuce has been recommended to me, but I was wondering if any other mountain bikers out there that have crossed into the 20" world have time on one of these. Does if feel TOO big?

probably not

Are there other long-top-tube options for BMX out there?

s&m black bike

Is MacNeil a reputable company in the BMX world?

yery much so

Are there other angles/lengths that I should be worrying about with a BMX for fit?

Let me know if you have some input. Thanks!

I'd measure downtubes, not toptubes, since you never sit on a bmx.
There are variations in rise for bmx bars, and even stems, but you really have to do legwork to tweak the fit just so. A bmx is all about manoeuvrability so if you have good distance between your feet and hands and your weight distribution over the bike fits your style then it's just down to tweaks in headangle and chainstay length and such.

 

[Kornphlake]

I strongly suggest riding a few 20" bikes on the jumps before investing on one. I bought one last spring thinking it would be easier to jump, to be honest it's been ridden about a dozen times and I suck even worse at jumping on a 20". I bought a (casting my view toward the floor) MongoosePRO Expert (I did get it at a shop, it's a step above that wal-mart crap, but it still says Mongoose on it) for less than $200 as it was the largest frame in my price range, I'm 6'2" with about a 36" inseam. I guess the bike fits me pretty good, I rode it over 20 miles one afternoon without any more pain than I would have had if I was riding a larger bike. Still I just can't get the feel of jumping on a bike with such small wheels for some reason. I think I'm the exception around here but still, make sure to give one a try before you plunk down your hard earned cash.

 

[Dogboy]

I assume the deuce deuce has a 22" top tube? I personally don't see why you'd need anything over a 21.5" top tube. 6'1" isn't gargantuan, I'm 5'9" and ride a 20.75tt for dirt-yes, that 3/4" difference is huge. I don't think you'll find much variation in down tube lengths either since BMX angles are pretty consistant. The Black Bike would probably be my #1 choice for a new frame.

 

[CreeP]

i didn't mention that it's one of the most expensive non-race frames out there though.

yes jumping with small wheels is a completely different experience.

 

[Leethal]

The duece duece is huge I would steer you towards a 20.75-21 inch top tube frame. You didn't really mention if you were looking for a race bike, a trail bike, or a street bike. Yes they are all different... There are of course good crossover bikes that fit in between the areas... ie the DK RM59 is a great race or trail frame but more race oriented, the Standard 250L is a trail bike that would work okay for racing... Street frames really are way overbuilt for grinding cement ledges...

 

[sam_little]

I'm looking for a street frame. I'll do a little jumping on it, but mostly want a BMX to work on techy stuff when the trails out here are too wet to ride without feeling like I'm causing enough erosion to choke a small population of salmon.

I think my biggest issue is that my inseam isn't that long for a person of my height. That is, I have a long reach and long torso, so short bikes (length wise) are hard for me to feel comfortable on. I've ridden around on some stock built bikes from the local shops, from companies like Eastern and WTP. I know BMX bikes feel small in general, but I kept bashing my knees and felt really cramped.

I'll look into the Black Bike, and try some other 21 inch top-tube frames as well. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[CreeP]

well if that's your problem then maybe Leethal needn't steer you away from the deuce deuce, then again macneil has a bunch of other models too. As always when buying a bike-> try before you buy! Ride as many bmx bikes as you can.

 

[bikenweed]

Dude, don't get a Duece Duece. That's waaaay too big for you. I've ridden BMX almost everyday for the last 8 years, and I can tell you that bike is just too long. I'm 5'9" and I ride a 21" TT Standard TRLS 250. I'm going to get a 20.75" as soon as I have the money, probably an FBM PW Moto or maybe a Black Bike. The Standard 250L in a 21" TT would be a sweet bike for you. I race on my 250 every now and then, and it's the only reason why I ride the 21" TT, because with racing you need something a little longer to snap and sprint with. You're hitting your knees on the handlebars because you aren't used to riding a BMX bike, some time on the bike and you'll be fine. Brickhouse Bikes does custom sizes, and they can make you a 21.5" if you really want it. My good friend is 6'3" and he rides a 21" Standard STA 500 with no problems. Good luck, and give it some time, because riding BMX is way harder than a mountain bike, but more rewarding.

 

[Dog Welder]

I'm 6'4" and I ride a 20.6" Terrible One. It fits me fine now but I remeber having issues when I first bought it. I just got used to it over time. If I had to start all over I think i would have gone with a 21. I've been told though to never go over an XL stem if you're riding street...an XXL wiill be too long and creat issues.

 

[zane]

I'm 6' even and I rode a 21.125 TT ebco for a little while, it felt perfect. I actually still have it hanging up in my garage if you're interested.......

 

[bikenweed]

Those Ebco frames were sick. When I was at Woodward in 2002 everyone, including Rich Hirsch, rode one. I heard they went out of business, is that true?

 

[Red Bull]

I strongly suggest riding a few 20" bikes on the jumps before investing on one. I bought one last spring thinking it would be easier to jump, to be honest it's been ridden about a dozen times and I suck even worse at jumping on a 20". I bought a (casting my view toward the floor) MongoosePRO Expert (I did get it at a shop, it's a step above that wal-mart crap, but it still says Mongoose on it) for less than $200 as it was the largest frame in my price range, I'm 6'2" with about a 36" inseam. I guess the bike fits me pretty good, I rode it over 20 miles one afternoon without any more pain than I would have had if I was riding a larger bike. Still I just can't get the feel of jumping on a bike with such small wheels for some reason. I think I'm the exception around here but still, make sure to give one a try before you plunk down your hard earned cash.

Well, all in all riding a BMX bike after a mountain bike feels weird... But people like WCH on MTBR and people who have spent alot of time one bikes can easily ride any bike, its just natural...

Personally, whenever i ride my bmx bike i manage to nut myself really well (it seems like everytiime... d@mn, why didnt i use this :nuts: :love: ) But after that i tend to become more comfortable. Id say you can adjust to any frame, it just takes time...

 

[monkeyboy424]

im 6'nothin and i ride a standard 250 with a 20.5 TT and no issues. i have to say that i really love this bike.

 

[LeRoy]

I have read many threads about large guys getting into/riding BMX and it seems that almost no one would ever reccomend going up to the monstrous sixe of 22" TT. Under what circumstances, if any would some of you experienced BMXers reccomend a bike this huge? I am 6'3 and looking to get a BMX for street and park riding. Thanks for the input.

 

[zane]

Those Ebco frames were sick. When I was at Woodward in 2002 everyone, including Rich Hirsch, rode one. I heard they went out of business, is that true?

The frames were really rad (so were the sprockets), but Jeremy the owner ran out of money so he had to end production about a year ago...... I guess that does means out of business. Funny you mention Rich- he was the first person I met who had an ebco. Back in 02 was when the whole portland crew made an appearance at woodward, and they were all riding for ebco.

 

[kremecheze]

i'm 6.4 dude,and i'm gonna get a deuce deuce frame,you can be my hieght and ride a smaller frame,but depending on how your shaped you may need a larger frame,i myself come from a dj mtb/motocross background and i have always had to adjust the bikes to my size,with longer bars different stem and other things,i can immediately tell if a bike is too small for me by riding for about 5 mins,if my back doesnt hurt then it fits,i think the deuce deuce may just solve my issues,theres no harm in having a frame that might be too big for you,but there is some harm in having a frame thats to small for you

 

[VMARTINEZ]

Check out S&M bikes. Matt Berenger is you size and he rides a new dirt bike. They also make longer stems to help fit. But BMX bikes will not fit the same as a mountan bike.
Also look at a 24 or 26 in street bike. Superco makes some nice frames and so does Atom Labs.
VM

 

[Bullit21]

Sam,

Go to Danscomp.com and check out all the completes they have on there. Get anything from Fit, FBM, Subrosa, Stolen, Kink, DK etc. that has a 21"TT and is full chromo. You don't want any high tensile steel parts at your size. I am 5'10" and 175lbs and ride a Stolen Heist (20.75" TT).

With all the Danscomp discount codes floating around on the internet, you should be able to get a good complete full chromo bike with sealed bearing hubs for under $500 and maybe even under $400.

 

[Mutt]

I switched from mtbs to bmx about 5 years ago, cold turkey. I have ridden park and street, but spend most time on trails. This is important for my personal frame size choice (21.25 tt). I'm not that tall, 5'10", but prefer a more spacious geo still due to my mtb origins and want my bike to missile in the direction I point it without any squirliness while riding trails. So I have been really pleased with 21.25. I tried a 20.25 for nearly 6 months and just never was truly pleased.

However, you seem to want to ride street, so you probably want different things out of how your bike feels when you are rolling. I'd think more about that, what you want to do/feel like when you are riding. You'll adapt to the bike in time if it matches up with the kind of riding you want to be doing.

But my 0.02$ is that if you want to go bmx...... the deucex2 is not really bmx. I'm not knocking it, but I personally put it more in the category of cross-over bikes like cruisers/24" setups.

 

[ldw222]

You should check out standard bikes...they'll custom make any of their frames and they've been around forever. I had them customize a 250 a long time ago...

 

[WBC]

The Fit LURCH would be another great pick. One thing about Fit bikes is they run higher BB's than most brands so they're real easy to hop and pop around, but they're not as stable as a brand like FBM with a lower BB.

I've never been " a BMXer" but I've had periods where I have ridden a lot of BMX and my Fit bikes have always been really comfortable for me.

 

[aj-monkey]

First, sorry about the cross post if you check the BMX forum.
Second, I know this isn't the appropriate forum, but nobody checks the BMX forum.

That said... I am 25, looking to get into BMX, and am 6'1", 180-195 lbs. depending on the season. I'm aware that this is going to result in fairly constant pain, but think it might be worth a shot. To minimize the crossover time, I thought I bike that even approaches the feeling of my Stiffee SL slalom frame might be a start. The MacNeil Deuce Deuce has been recommended to me, but I was wondering if any other mountain bikers out there that have crossed into the 20" world have time on one of these. Does if feel TOO big? Are there other long-top-tube options for BMX out there? Is MacNeil a reputable company in the BMX world? Are there other angles/lengths that I should be worrying about with a BMX for fit?

Let me know if you have some input. Thanks!

I am 6'3" and rode a 21.5" Seshin frame. It is the sweetest most comfortable ride I had. IMO the Duece Duece has to long of a rear end. The newer one seems better but still really long.

I am currently selling my complete bike if you are interested. You can view it in on pinkbike here—http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/567810/

PM me here or on PB if you have any questions.