[skatetokil]

Hey, had a tricked out STP since about 2005 that finally got boosted from behind my house. It was my "everything but DH" bike, including xc, dj, street and park, and I loved the versatility. Great "one bike" but I suspect I was giving up some agility and jumping prowess for good trail manners (100mm fork, low bb etc).

I have already pulled the trigger on a trail bike, a newish Specialzed stumpjumper, and I want to buy or build a more dedicated play bike.

Basically I'm trying to decide between another 26in DJ MTB and one of the new crop of 24in BMX cruisers.

So something like a NS Suburban, Deity, Black Mrkt on the one hand, vs something like a Sunday C or Stolen Saint on the other.

Both will probably be set up rigid at first for $ reasons unless I can find a used complete bike. Definitely single speed.

Relevant considerations - money is a factor, I'm 6'3 and 32 years old, and have ridden mountain bikes pretty much exclusively.

Am I going to hate the 24 cruiser? I'm very tempted by the simplicity and the low price compared to a mountain bike, but the geometry is pretty extreme. On the other hand, watching guys on BMX bikes riding places like Ray's sort of blows my mind.

Anybody made the switch and have some experience here?

 

[kidwoo]

I used to ride a 24" wheeled dirtjumper. They're fun. It's not like it becomes a different sport. Tagging things with your rear wheel is obviously less forgiving. I just barely came up short on a jump once and got flipped to the bottom of the landing on my head.....full concussion, fucked up vision and all. That was about my only gripe since I had a pretty good handle on what I could mess up with on a 26 incher.

Tricks are little easier with 24s.


I will say this though.......get a 24" mountain bike, not a cruiser. BMX brakes suck so hard after you get used to a good disc brake. I can't stand them. And I don't give a shit about 'building skills/character'. I just need to be able to switch bikes and not kill myself.