[the_saint]

Hello all,

I just registered the other day and thought I'd introduce myself. I'm 29, live in Omaha, and probably haven't really ridden a bike in probably 10 years. I used to ride bmxs when I was a kid, then tried some el cheapo mountain bike 'bout 10 years ago...didn't like it and quit.

Now I'd like to get back into riding and I'm thinking the 20" bmxs of yesteryear won't work for me anymore...and thus I am here...exploring the realms of 'adult' bikes.


Other than that, I'm 5'10", like long walks on the beach, & Puerto Rican food.

 

[DirtyDog]

Welcome! Never had Puerto Rican food. Guess that's what I get for living 3 hours from a major city.

 

[Jibby]

Well, if you liked BMX, you'd love a Dirt Jump bike. They ride like BMXs with suspension forks and 26 inch wheels. I'd suggest you look at a couple of completes. Check out the Specialized P1 P2 or P3. Also one of the Mongoose Rituals. Uh...there's the Cannondale Chase, A GT Ruckus, Giant STP, Gary Fisher Bitter, maybe a Haro Thread, Kona Shred and Scrap. Those are the offerings from the bigger, readily available brands that you could find at a bike shop to try.

I'd describe my riding as MTB with a BMX soul; I mostly ride on streets looking for drops and staircases, and those are all bikes I'd ride.

If you want to hit trails, DJ bikes are fun, but not really good for much more than sprinting short stuff. If you want epic, all day rides, just go hit up a bike shop and start test riding stuff till you find something comfortable that you like. Oh, and spend 15% more than you feel comfortable with, you'll be happier in the end.

 

[stinkyboy]

One of my homies on RM? What, wahat?

Jibby makes some good suggestions. get a decent hardtail with a nice fork, and beat around The Old Market doing street to get a feel for your skill set at this point and go from there.

I'll be there in August for a wedding, lemme know if I should bring a bike.

 

[stinkyboy]

A couple years ago I bought a strong, beater frame, built it up for street here in Phoenix:

Nothing but fun!

 

[the_saint]

Thanks for the welcome & thanks for the leads. I've been looking at the bikes that have been mentioned here (as well as other bikes from the same manfs) and the DJs look cool...but they're almost all out of my $$ range. I am a broke ass who's going to be getting married in July, and thus broke-er. There are a couple of Gary Fisher DJ bikes in my range (the Opie & Opie 24 I believe) but they don't look as stout as some of the otehr bikes mentioned. I'm not sure if that will be such a big deal, since I don't see myself doing any crazy backflip superjumps any time soon.

I know I've got more research ahead of me, but for now, what's the word on those Gary Fisher bikes?

Puerto Rican food is yummy!! If you like pork, garlic, and/or fried foods, you'll like PR food.

Depending on how things go & if/what bike I get, maybe we could hook up. Your friend getting married out here, does he (or she) ride?

 

[Jibby]

Meh, I'd stay away from the Opie, if possible. Either save up or buy something used. Or, maybe check out some all-mountain hardtails or something. You know? If you can spend that on an Opie, I'd look at the Mongoose Fireball. It's pretty close in price, and at least comes with disc brakes and a launch fork. Plus, the tires, Kenda Small Block 8s, are awesome for anything save for wet mud. If you're about 5'10" and interested in a Jump bike, I'd get the S/M size. I had a M/L Thunderball (upgraded fireball) and I'm 5'9"...Let's just say if I had bought the small, I'd still have that frame today.

BTW, Stinkyboy, that's a sick setup. Good to know I'm not the only Hookworm devotee. Everyone's afraid of 'em cause of their weight, but I've never ridden a smoother, beefier urban tire. I have one on the front of my Jibster, and a K-rad on the back.

But yeah, Saint, I'd do everything you can to get the fireball, for an entry level jumper, you can't beat the quality. And don't let any knuckleheads tell you Mongoose sucks. They make a lot of wal-mart garbage, but Mongoose Pro often has better build sets than a lot of "better" companies. Also, I'd stay away from a 24" wheel unless you're really serious about dirt jumping, it'll feel like a bmx, and you specifically said you were exploring the realm of 'adult' bikes, though I know plenty of dudes your size rocking 20" bmx.

 

[stinkyboy]

Depending on how things go & if/what bike I get, maybe we could hook up. Your friend getting married out here, does he (or she) ride?

Sorry, I don't check this forum often.

Hitting The Big O in August to hang out with old friends and then it's off to Sioux City, IA for my younger brothers wedding. I never rode street in the Old Market, but there's gotta be tons of stuff to ride especially with all of the new construction down there.

Sadly, I prolly won't pack a bike, but I've talked to Trevin at The Bike Way about building a couple Surly Pugsleys as wedding gifts, but worry they wouldn't get ridden much.

 

[stinkyboy]

BTW, Stinkyboy, that's a sick setup. Good to know I'm not the only Hookworm devotee. Everyone's afraid of 'em cause of their weight, but I've never ridden a smoother, beefier urban tire. I have one on the front of my Jibster, and a K-rad on the back.

Huge fan of the Worms!