[horton]

Ive just got my first BMX a Haro Backtrail X24.
Im old and too fat and havnt a clue how to do anything on this bike as I have had years of riding MTB and roadbikes.

I dont know anyone else who rides a BMX as Im old (29) everyone I know drives everywhere.

are there any decent sites with guides (pics would be nice) on how to do the basics? bunny hop, grinds, wheelie?

also can I grind anything ie. brick walls or should I just grind metal rails?

 

[Dropking]

you can grind pretty much anything, you just need more speed for brick ledges and things that arent too smooth.

 

[pnj]

ever watch the pros on tv?

alot of those guys are close to your age and older.


just ride. practice is the only way to improve.

find others to ride w/
you don't need a bmx bike to learn skills like wheelie and bunnyhop.

age doesn't meen alot really.

 

[Roasted]

http://www.extremewipeouts.com/BMX/tricks.htm
http://www.bmxtrix.com/gallery/video/over_the_rainbow.htm


29. Wow I know the feeling I am considering buying a 24" (I am 6'5 and really don't feel too comfortable on a 20"). The first site has tutorials and the second site has a bunch of movies (some wicked flatland stuff if I remember right)...

Best of luck

 

[Ir Dan]

The more you ride the better you get. The one thing that I would emphasize is ride trails. I wish I would have started riding real trails, it teaches you everything that will help you with grinding gapping manualing and hopping. Dirt Jumping skills also carryover to mountainbiking

 

[pot]

just play around and try out stuff that you feel comfortable with when I was learning to manual I would try for one carpark space and then 2 etc or for bunny hopping put something down and try and jump over it my personal preference is sun bathing chicks or empty beer cans

 

[Leethal]

www.danscomp.com
or
justpushplay.com

 

[mdavid]

Yep I can relate. I'm 31 and got my first 20" just last week. I havn't had a bmx bike since I was 13 or so and dig it. My g/f also got one so we're pretty much learning tricks together. We both can bunny hop ok and manual at least a 1.5 feet or so.... Man it's a blast. I cannot believe how sore an hour of "playing around" makes me. You should cruise to your LBS and see about riding with them. We went out to the Vans skate park with our guys and had a ton of fun riding around on everything. I can almost reach the vert when turning on a quarter pipe but havn't pulled off a grind yet. Just be sure to wear helmet and pads as I would have already needed medical attention. It's weird though becuase it seems a whole group of young guys hate pads and such and don't even wear helmets.....seems strange. Hopefully they'll figure it out before they really get hurt. Kid at the skate park told me that pads were gay. Hope he has killer insurance.

 

[horton]

I cant manual yet cos my bike weighs a ton, but Im improving on the bunny hops.

I know what you mean about pads, I wanted to try a few things last night but ended up not having the balls because all I saw was cold hard concrete.

Im sure when I was 13 or so I would have said pads were gay as well, but when you are 30 hurting yourself seems to be worse then when your 13 - Im getting pads this weekend.

My bike is too big/heavy for freestyle so Im gonna try and find somewhere I can go jumping this weekend, where Im sure I will seriously damage myself.

 

[pnj]

Originally posted by horton
I cant manual yet cos my bike weighs a ton, but Im improving on the bunny hops.

I know what you mean about pads, I wanted to try a few things last night but ended up not having the balls because all I saw was cold hard concrete.

Im sure when I was 13 or so I would have said pads were gay as well, but when you are 30 hurting yourself seems to be worse then when your 13 - Im getting pads this weekend.

My bike is too big/heavy for freestyle so Im gonna try and find somewhere I can go jumping this weekend, where Im sure I will seriously damage myself.

weight has nothing to do w/ manuals. it's about balance.
you've seen those handtrucks that the UPS guys and warehouse dudes use? they can carry a ton of weight because it's BALANCED.

manuals are the same way.

as for your bike being too heavy to freestyle on.......

that's a miss-conception. most bmx freestyle bikes are DAMM heavy. i know mine was over 40 pounds at one time.(!)

if you can't ride the bike, it's not the bikes fault.
i don't meen this to come across the wrong way, i just don't want to see someone give up or think they can't do something because of the bike.

---> PRACTICE.....<----


oh, and pads are gay.
that's why i make sure to get the lesbian ones.......?

 

[pot]

Exactly right pnj weight has nothing to do with it when it comes to manuals my bmx weighs about 35lbs at the moment and that is stripped.
to make manuals easier to do you could try to put your bars back a bit my preference is about an inch back from directly in line with your fork this makes thing a bit more rear weighted and can take some getting used to.
You could also try peg manuals with one foot on the peg

 

[horton]

Originally posted by pnj



weight has nothing to do w/ manuals. it's about balance.
you've seen those handtrucks that the UPS guys and warehouse dudes use? they can carry a ton of weight because it's BALANCED.

manuals are the same way.

as for your bike being too heavy to freestyle on.......

that's a miss-conception. most bmx freestyle bikes are DAMM heavy. i know mine was over 40 pounds at one time.(!)

if you can't ride the bike, it's not the bikes fault.
i don't meen this to come across the wrong way, i just don't want to see someone give up or think they can't do something because of the bike.

---> PRACTICE.....<----


oh, and pads are gay.
that's why i make sure to get the lesbian ones.......?

Im not blaming the bike as i have seen people manual road bikes.
I know the blame is all mine cos Ive only been riding a BMX for a few days now and Im sure these things will come with practise.

dont worry I am practising - infact Im going out in about 2 minutes.