[Kornphlake]

Okay so I'm thinking I am ready to buy a BMX bike after riding MTB's for the last 12 years. My question is what do I really need to know. I'd be looking for something low end, like $150-$200 my top concern would be a strong frame since just about everythign else I could upgrade pretty cheap or free with parts of my MTB.

Is geometry really something to be concerned about?

Would a hi ten steel frame be noticeably weaker than a full chromoly frame for somebody who doesn't plan on doing 10 foot to flat drops or 30 foot doubles. If I can't find a full chromoly frame in my budget which tubes are the most vital?

Where is a good place to find used equipment? I tried ebay but most of the stuff I saw was either really old or it wasn't any cheaper after shipping than buying from a LBS.

Are there really differences between a park, jump, street, and racing bike? I kind of get the feeling there isn't when it comes to low end stuff, and even with the high end it's not as drastic as say trials bikes vs downhill race bikes.

I plan on getting this bike to hone my skills, or develop them rather and to have fun with. I'll be moving to a house with a gigantic yard (few acres) on a hill so I plan on building some jumps, some berms and what not. I'd like to learn to at least jump doubles and maybe how to do a one hander and I think a BMX bike would give me a little more confidence. As I recall I pretty much quit jumping when I got my first MTB because it felt too awkward in the air and I kept endoing. I can see this as being one of those impulse purchases that I'll absolutely love for the first 2 months and then I'll wish I'd never blown the money but I've got a daughter that's almost two and within the next couple years she'll want a bike so I figure I could just keep it in storage and let her at it when she's big enough. Is there any thing about BMX frame sizing other than top tube lenght, I've seen that about 21" is standard for most adults. Does that mean that a 5 year old couldn't ride a bike with a 21" toptube? Assuming they were just riding around the driveway and maybe over some whoops?

What's your favorite shovel? I like flat end shovels because they leave the ground smoother but a spade tip seems to dig deeper more easily.

 

[pnj]

all your questions are valid but at the same time, pointless.

if you only have 200 bucks to spend, you don't have alot of options.

a young child can ride a 21 inch frame. pull the bars WAY back and drop the seat all the way down.
but at 200 bucks I don't think your going to find a frame that long on a complete bike, unless it's used.

the low end bikes (sub 200 bucks) are designed for young children. and not many of them are over six feet tall.
You can ride a 20 inch frame just fine, (you didn't say how tall you were though) by pushing the bars forward some and running taller bars if your really tall. (i'm 5'8" and ride a 20 inch frame)

again, because of your price range, I doubt you will find a full 4130 frame. don't worry about it. those are for full on hardcore kids. i've seen pro's ride hi-tensil steel frames just fine. (sure, they broke after awhile but it didnt' stop them from riding very well)
Usually with low low end bikes they only put one tube on the frame that is 4130 just so they can say "4130". it's usually the seat tube because it's short so it doesn't cost them alot and people get so hung up on "4130" they buy the bike.

as you mentioned, buying of Ebay isn't always going to save you anything. I would go to www.danscomp.com and see what is in your price range. not much. but they sell more low end bikes then any other mail order place. so you can probably get a 300 dollar bike for 200.

they would cost less then buying from your LBS, I'm guessing. they deal in a higher volume. you also can check buy and sell here.

the frame will be strong enough if your just starting out. you mentioned not jumping big jumps and drops so your just going to be doing wheelies, bunnyhops and small stuff. ANY bike will break if abused or ridden too hard. including the usa made 4130 super duper frames.

hope I answered some of your questions....

oh yea, I don't use shovels. I just show up and ride....

 

[boostindoubles]

if your serious about getting one i'd look at this guys bike over in the buy & sell forum...


he says its 21" top tube, and is a notch bike.

heres his thread~only 250 bucks!

 

[pnj]

Originally posted by boostindoubles
if your serious about getting one i'd look at this guys bike over in the buy & sell forum...

heres his thread~only 250 bucks!

buy that bike NOW!

don't worry about if it will work for your daughter. in the 3 years or whatever you should be able to find a million other frames you can swap out or whatever. or even trade this one in for something smaller for her.

that is not at all a bad bike. much better then you will do buying brand new.

 

[Kornphlake]

I've only looked a little bit at Haro, redline, and giant's websites and without MSRP's it was pretty useless comparing one bike to another. I know my LBS had a Redline Romp for about $180 so that was where I kind of started but I wasn't sure if I was looking at a bike that isn't well suited to jumps or is more suited for racing or whatever.

So really there isn't much to worry about at this price other than color? I'd like to say heck ya spend the $250 for the bike listed above but although it looks to be a killer bike I just can't spend that much, when I say $200 is my upper limit I really mean that's the most I can spend. I am 6'2" with a 36" inseam are there any of the brand name bikes (haro, specialized, redline...) that come in different sizes or that tend to be bigger? What about the classifications of trail, freestyle, racing... should I be overly concerned with that or are they all pretty much the same?

I'm totally cool buying a used bike, I've been buying used MTB stuff for the last 3 years and I feel like I've got a good feel for what's good and what's crap. Has geometry and tubing advanced much over the last 10 years or so, would I be okay buying an old mongoose or schwin for $50 assuming I know how to do all appropriate mantinance and repair?

Dan's comp has a couple of Free Agent bikes that look adequate at my price point, somebody here mentioned that Free Agent frames are 100% chromoly unlike other frames. Can anybody confirm that?

 

[pnj]

dirt, street, ramp are pretty much the same. in your price range you will just be getting a 'bmx' bike.

you won't get into the real differences with those other types until you get into higher end frames. and even then, they are pretty much interchangable (sp?)

the same bike can be used for all of those. the execption being race bikes. while you can ride a 'street' bike on a race track (after removing pegs etc) it would be much heavier then a 'real' race bike. but again, we are dealing with high end bikes at this point.

I don't have any knowledge of the free agents being full 4130 but I would just get what you can, in your price range.


as for buying a super cheap, older bike for say $50.00. the only problem I see with that is, it won't be as strong and parts are harder to get.
new frames come with 1 1/8 headtubes. older frames have 1 inch head tubes. you can swap out some parts but I think it would be more of a head ache then just using currrent standard parts.

I'm going to guess that a bike in your price range will have different geometry then a higher end bike. reason being is, again, they are designed for children. children can't tell if the head tube angle is steep or shallow and a less steep bike handles slower so it's better for children.

but hey, if you can find a decent bmx bike in your price range that is 10 years old, buy it. people tend to get WAY to hung up on geometry, type of steel, top tube length etc. with that said, older bikes also tend to have a shorter top tube. bmx bikes from the 80's had sub 20 inch top tubes. but if you can ride the bike around, and it feels good, buy it.

 

[pnj]

the free agents at danscomp are NOT fully 4130.

but as I mentioned before, so what? I really don't think your going to find one that is for 150 bucks.

if someone didn't tell you it mattered, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

 

[Kornphlake]

so pretty much whatever color I like best is what's best for me at this price, I'll forget about the frame material, how many pegs it's got and all that.

That's so much less complicated than I was expecting. I'll go visit a few local shops this weekend and see what I can dig up. I have a feeling I'd be more comfortable on a bike with a slightly longer top tube but I'll have to see how much variance there actually is for a cheap-o frame.

I know it's un-kosher to ask on the downhill forum but would I be any worse off buying a bike from wal-mart or toys r us? Is there any difference besides the name at my budget?

 

[pnj]

I would not buy from wal-mart.

those bikes are just piles of junk. now, with that said, I haven't been into those stores in a really long time so maybe they have a decent bike in your price range. I know though, that some of those bmx bikes are around 40 pounds(!!).

they are NOT designed for adults. I don't even think they are designed to be ridden.

also, those low end bikes on danscomp have 19.5 top tubes. so make sure, if you go that route, you don't get a real small bike.

honestly, I would get something off the dans site. just make sure it has a longer then 19 inch top tube. at your height, longer is better.
check out the Poverty bike they have there. it's 200 bucks and has a 20 inch top tube.

 

[Kornphlake]

Yeah I guess I was thinking that a low end diamond back mountain bike isn't a whole lot different than a walmart mountain bike. I don't think I could ever bring myself to do it but if they were the same thing it's worth knowing?

I may be able to do just as well as Dan's Comp at a LBS once shipping is factored in, unless of course I feel like I really need one of the brands they carry and the LBS's don't, plus I could ride the bike first and get their hokey pokey mantinance included. Top tube is measured the same on a BMX as it is on a MTB right?

 

[pnj]

no idea about how or why they measure mountain bike top tubes.

to my knowledge, they just go off the seat tube length. mainly, I think, because mtn. bikes are 'fitted' to the rider like a road bike is. that is, the longer your inseam is, the longer your seat tube is. so you have more room for pedaling.

 

[PaulE]

top tube on a BMX is generally the actual toptube length, rather than a horizontal one. measure from centre of headtube to the centre of seat-tube.

 

[boostindoubles]

if you spend 200$ on a new bmx bike and you take it out and dirt jump, ride ramps & street, you will be breaking parts soon. First to go will be your wheels and cranks. Those other than the frame are the most expensive parts on a bike. I suggest you save 50 more bucks and buy that volume. It will be able to take anything you can throw at it.

And like pnj was saying the cheaper the bike, the smaller it is. The top tube isnt the only thing to worry about. You have crank length, stem length, and bar size. If its for a kid your 6'3" frame is going to be way oversized.


if your going to ride your bike on dirt jumps and street you should pay alot of attention to what your frame is made of. chromoly olny really is what i'd suggest. You dont want to go cheap and pay for it in new parts and hospital bills.

That volume is worth easy 600-800$ new. 250$ is such a good deal its disgusting. If i had the cash it wouldnt be available anymore.

peace

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

Originally posted by Kornphlake
Yeah I guess I was thinking that a low end diamond back mountain bike isn't a whole lot different than a walmart mountain bike. I don't think I could ever bring myself to do it but if they were the same thing it's worth knowing?

I may be able to do just as well as Dan's Comp at a LBS once shipping is factored in, unless of course I feel like I really need one of the brands they carry and the LBS's don't, plus I could ride the bike first and get their hokey pokey mantinance included. Top tube is measured the same on a BMX as it is on a MTB right?

Check out Mosh bikes. My local shop is selling them at 50% or less than MSRP and they come with sweet specs. They don't make bikes anymore and it's sort of a clearance. The dud at the shop said they are going to make parts only from now on.

 

[Kornphlake]

Originally posted by boostindoubles
if you spend 200$ on a new bmx bike and you take it out and dirt jump, ride ramps & street, you will be breaking parts soon. First to go will be your wheels and cranks. Those other than the frame are the most expensive parts on a bike. I suggest you save 50 more bucks and buy that volume. It will be able to take anything you can throw at it.

And like pnj was saying the cheaper the bike, the smaller it is. The top tube isnt the only thing to worry about. You have crank length, stem length, and bar size. If its for a kid your 6'3" frame is going to be way oversized.


if your going to ride your bike on dirt jumps and street you should pay alot of attention to what your frame is made of. chromoly olny really is what i'd suggest. You dont want to go cheap and pay for it in new parts and hospital bills.

That volume is worth easy 600-800$ new. 250$ is such a good deal its disgusting. If i had the cash it wouldnt be available anymore.

peace

I totally agree that you get what you pay for, that's why I have a mountain bike that cost as much as my last car did. The question becomes how much better and how much longer will it last for me for each dollar extra I spend?

I'll email the guy and see if he'd take a down payment or send the frame and keep the wheels until I could get the other $50 or something like that. I just feel like this is one of those situations where oddly enough I could skimp a little bit and get by okay. I guess this is the wrong sport for people to try and save a buck because as you pointed out if something doesn't work out you go to the hospital.

 

[pnj]

yes and no.

everyone here that rides a bmx bike pretty much is trying to ride REALLY hard. you mentioned that you have zero tech skills. so I doubt that you will be riding hard enough to do much damage.

it can take some time to learn to bunnyhop up a curb, or manual ten parking spaces. you don't HAVE to go 'big' to ride a bmx bike and have fun.

if you can get the guy selling the 250 dollar bike to work with you, do that for sure. but if you can't, get a bike that puts a smile on your face and pedal around.