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My idea for a new style of bike

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
How does this sound:

22" wheels. 1" of suspension, w/ 3/8" axle. V-brakes. 25-10 gearing, 14mm hubs. 73" HA, 72" ST, 14.25" CS, 5-6" rise bars.

I want one.
 
Mar 10, 2005
479
0
Santa Cruz/Sacramento, Ca
****ing stupid?
That's pretty cool. I mean, it helps me feel like I actually belong, you know? Sometimes I hear new ideas and I tell myself, "God damnit, I just can't get over my own insecurities. How the heck am I supposed to deal with myself when new ideas keep on emerging from the world?! This is so confusing. Should I deal with this by expressing my distress through brash remarks over the internet? Probably."

I think some old walmart bikes ran 22s. back in the day. It'd be cool and all, but getting parts for it would be a pain.
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
Hahaha, I was half serious. I was just thinking to myself, what if there was a half BMX half 24 out there?
 

Evil4bc

Turbo Monkey
Jun 17, 2005
1,080
1
Nor-Cal
How does this sound:

22" wheels. 1" of suspension, w/ 3/8" axle. V-brakes. 25-10 gearing, 14mm hubs. 73" HA, 72" ST, 14.25" CS, 5-6" rise bars.

I want one.

Mat Hoffman has been trying to get a 22in wheeled bike for years , for some reason he think the 22 will go higher than normal 20's
 

sbabuser

Turbo Monkey
Dec 22, 2004
1,114
55
Golden, CO
Hmm, it'd roll faster than 20's and be more manueverable in the air than 24's. But seeing how long it's taken 29's to catch on, it'd be forever b4 you had any tire/ rim/ fork choices...
 
Jul 1, 2006
106
0
Chicago
Mat Hoffman has been trying to get a 22in wheeled bike for years , for some reason he think the 22 will go higher than normal 20's

I was just about to post that I thought I remembered that Hoffman had experimented with 22s a few years back, but thought maybe my mind was playing tricks on me.

Chip
 

Evil4bc

Turbo Monkey
Jun 17, 2005
1,080
1
Nor-Cal
I was just about to post that I thought I remembered that Hoffman had experimented with 22s a few years back, but thought maybe my mind was playing tricks on me.

Chip
Your right !
I have known Mat your years .. since I was in about 7th grade around 88 when he was on HARO. Every time I see him he mentions something about freeking 22in wheels .

Well I herd a rumor a few years back that he found a place in Taiwan that made 22 wheels and tubes and he bought a bunch made special condors to fit and tried it out , for some reason I think the wheels were crap and didnt hold up to more than 1-2 runs under Mat and he scrapped the idea .
This reminds me next time I see him to bring this up and pick his brain on the subject . I have been wanting to get him on a 24" wheeled MTB with a shok for for years but he's set in his ways now .

Side note Joe Rich was very intresed in getting a streetfighter about 2 years ago , but he felt weird about taking such a high priced frame off my hands :shocked: and Taj has a STP too :clapping:
 

cmc

Turbo Monkey
Nov 17, 2006
2,052
6
austin
I've been talking to my friends about 22" wheel bikes for several years now. It's cool to see I'm not the only one.

The fact is there is nothing inherently special about 20" wheels. They came on Schwinn Stingrays and other "childrens" bikes in the 60's and 70's. The original bmx races had plenty of 24" and 26" wheel bikes. Check out Joe Kid on a Stingray.

All we've done is stretched 20" bmx's longer to make them fit tall guys. Why not make a bike that is exactly proportionally bigger, wheels included.... The rear chainstay could be a short as physically possible, and then you would barely notice the longer wheel base. In fact, the back end would just feel like a S&M Holmes or something. You would keep the bottom bracket at the same height (11.75), but then you could run your bars at like 6" rise instead of 8" and it would feel the same. I think they would rule.
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
Thank you. It's just that at anything over a 21" frame I think BMXs get goofy and 24s are just a little bit big feeling to me.
 

cmc

Turbo Monkey
Nov 17, 2006
2,052
6
austin
yeah 21" top tubes are excellent. but i gotta say i am psyched right now on my 22"tt Macneil Deuce Deuce. the 21 is probably better if you're riding park and trying to spin 360's, 540s or whatever, but the 22 is rad on dirt. it reminds me of old XXL race frames, like a powerlite i had in the mid 90's.
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
I think I'm gonna end up with a 21". I wish more people made 21.25" for guys like me that like to be stretched out. I'm about 6', but I have huge arms so a bigger TT just feels way better, but 22" is too big. Oh well.
 

cmc

Turbo Monkey
Nov 17, 2006
2,052
6
austin
wanna buy my Mutiny Undertaker 21" frame? it's a little outdated with the american bottom bracket and slightly heavier tubing, but it still kicks ass. it was neil harrington's frame (literally), and he gave it to me for only $60 so i'll pass on a good deal as well.
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
Frame weight? I'm like 140# and looking to build a really light bike, but if it's decent I'll definately consider it.
 

cmc

Turbo Monkey
Nov 17, 2006
2,052
6
austin
No, if you want really light, then this frame is not it.

I guess I won't even be able to give this thing away. I'll have to build it into a low-end parts complete and sell it cheap on craigslist.
 

ebrider510

Monkey
Dec 7, 2006
410
0
Bay Area, CA
a 22" bike could be interesting, i have thought of the concept before. but after riding a 20" and a 26" bike, i'd say a 2-4 really is right in between(although it isn't just wheel size that gives it that feeling.) IMO, 24" bikes have a strong future in this culture for riders who are coming off smaller bikes, or have a really techy style. they just feel like the perfect size. i'd still try a 22" if they came out though:monkeydance:
 

don

Turbo Monkey
Nov 8, 2001
1,319
0
Rumson, NJ
I think there was an article in Super BMX or BMX Plus many years ago about 22" wheels. Maybe do a search on Vintage about it. I remember thinking it would be great BITD as I always changing back and forth from the cruiser to the 20". Fiola rode 1 3/8" wheels for a a little while and those have an 1" or so bigger diameter than a typical 20" tire. Not sure what his reasoning was - either lighter wheels or taller.

With BMX companies trying almost anything these days - I wouldn't be surprised to see it at some point. Didn't Bontrager cut old road rims to get good mtb hoops? I'm guessing Sun could reprogram a machine for someone like Hoffman - surprised he didn't look into that. Tires could be tricky but sounds like Tawain had some to at least try.

Someone mentioned 29" wheels. That seems to have taken off in the past few years after a lot of "do we really need it?" responses. After seeing a 29" SS in the woods - I think it could work for certain people. I like how BCD is pushing that tech for DH.

Me, I'm really happy on my 24" USB Molly. It fits well and I wouldn't want anything smaller. Some of my BMX bros that are a little older and don't have time to ride a lot but still have a lot of skills might like a 22" wheeled bike - at least their wrist, knees, and back would favor them :D

I like the thinking Bicylclist!
 

cmc

Turbo Monkey
Nov 17, 2006
2,052
6
austin
I appreciate it when companies are willing to be innovative and take risks with new concepts. Not every idea will work, but a few will be awesome. The sheep will talk **** until they notice the herd going a different direction. Sometimes it's a critical mass of riders doing things one way until it tips and EVERYONE is doing it, or it's a handful of high profile riders who push it and it tips even faster. (Look at the light bmx trend).
 

cmc

Turbo Monkey
Nov 17, 2006
2,052
6
austin
Evil4bc, is there any way you can call up your ol buddy mat and see if he still has some 22" wheels/tires/tubes ?
 

Evil4bc

Turbo Monkey
Jun 17, 2005
1,080
1
Nor-Cal
Evil4bc, is there any way you can call up your ol buddy mat and see if he still has some 22" wheels/tires/tubes ?
Mat?
I saw him in LasVegas during Interbike , we only see each other about 2-3 times a year and now the talk is more about family's , kids and how crazy the sports gotten these days .
With all Mat's head injuries he might not remember small details like that , Kris Gack would be a better person to ask about the 22" wheel thing and last I herd he was working as a high school janitor .

Oh the life I have to look forward too after bike building , cleaning kid puke off classroom floors :clapping:
 

Vlad

Chimp
Jun 16, 2007
94
0
Mat?
I saw him in LasVegas during Interbike , we only see each other about 2-3 times a year and now the talk is more about family's , kids and how crazy the sports gotten these days .
With all Mat's head injuries he might not remember small details like that , Kris Gack would be a better person to ask about the 22" wheel thing and last I herd he was working as a high school janitor .

Oh the life I have to look forward too after bike building , cleaning kid puke off classroom floors :clapping:
Yeah, I heard about Gack working as a janitor, and that he still owes Solid some money. Depressing. Does he still ride?
 

BikeSATORI

Monkey
Apr 13, 2007
720
0
one world...
I enjoy the open minded thinking...

Would never find parts though as it's hard enough to get some manufacturers to jump on the 24" bandwagon...