[Cash-Money]

alright well, i've been riding a haro backtrail x1 around the LBS and likign the feel of a 20inch bike to fool around on. the one piece cranks on the x1 arent goign to hold up to my 200lbs, but i think i'm going to order a x2. anyone have any opinions on either bike? comming off a 26" SS i think i want to run a front brake, is it worth it to swap the fork out and get one with 990 mounts? or just man up and ride with no front brake?

 

[pnj]

I don't know anything about those bikes specificly, but if you work at a shop you should know the difference in quality between the two.

what are your objectives for riding a 20 inch bike?
light park riding, street, dirt? or a combo of all maybe?

I wouldn't worry about front brakes. they come in handy on a mtn. bike,where your brakes may be wet or if REALLY need to stop/slow down RIGHT NOW or you'll hit a tree or ride off a cliff, but in bmx you don't really need to stop that suddenly.

how tall are you? I would make sure you get a frame that somewhat fits you.

there are no rules but the general rule is, if your 5' 8" or so, a 20.5 inch top tube is what you want. taller and you may want to ride a 21 inch top tube. i'm 5'8" and ride a 20 inch top tube though.....

 

[Kornphlake]

As far as the brakes go I disagree with pnj, I got a BMX without a front brake, and find that I ride the bike much the same as I do my big bike with discs front and rear and just a rear brake doesn't cut it some times. I've got some dirt jumps built on the up hill side of our property, I find that on my MTB I can ride down the hill as fast as I want and when I come up to the drainage ditch I can grab a fist full of brake and roll over it, on the BMX I really have to drag the brakes all the way down the hill, just keeping the rear wheel on the verge of skidding or else I get going too fast and can't physically slow down fast enough to roll the ditch. Maybe it's because I need to accept the limitations of the bike or maybe I just need to get used to it. For normal riding though I wouldn't notice the missing front brake, it's just on a short, loose, steep downhill where braking is critical that I notice I just can't stop my BMX.

 

[pnj]

Maybe it's because I need to accept the limitations of the bike or maybe I just need to get used to it.

not so sound like a d1ck, but maybe it's not the bikes limitations but the rider?

why not jump the drainage ditch? I'm not real sure why you need to slow down at the ditch?

 

[Cash-Money]

i'm 5-11, just looking to tool around on it, a little park, street. i played with a friend's mirra 540 that had front brakes a while ago and i could nose manual it mission impossible style. it was sweet. the front brake doeasnt make that much of a difference though?

 

[pnj]

the front brake doeasnt make that much of a difference though?

depends I guess. kornflake say it does for him.

most people on bmx bikes aren't using their brakes the same as you would when riding a mtn.bike.

so the choice is your own, do what you want. If you work at a shop you can probably get parts cheaper then most people so get some front brakes if you want. you can always go with a brake plate instead of buyin new forks.

http://www.albes.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=138
that is a brakeplate.

 

[corey_rideDC]

i really dig riding my 20. just started riding it more in the past coupla months and i'm at the point now where riding park on my STP seems silly. i just have way more fun on my 20 in our local parks (that were mostly all designed for skateboarders and kinda tight)

i don't miss having a front brake at all... it is a different style of riding

 

[Kornphlake]

not so sound like a d1ck, but maybe it's not the bikes limitations but the rider?

why not jump the drainage ditch? I'm not real sure why you need to slow down at the ditch?

Right, that's what I meant, it's my limitation. I'm used to braking late over particularly rough terrain. Riding a 7" travel MTB with 8" disc brakes has given me some habits that make a BMX difficult (at least for myself) to control.

The drainage ditch is situated in a way that, with my skills, it's tough to jump, even on my freeride bike that I'm most comfortable on I've crashed a number of times trying to do it. I could build a jump I guess but I'm trying to keep the jumps up and away from the house so that the folks we rent from won't feel like the jumps are an eyesore on their property.

Certainly there are things that BMX bikes are less effective for though, trail riding for example, while possible is not as efficient as an XC bike, the smaller wheels and shorter seat tubes do actually impose some limitations, it's not often you see guys racing downhill at local races on a BMX bike, and it's not because the sanctioning organizations are prohibiting them. If you are used to being able to grab a pair of hydraulic brake levers and stop quickly then you'll be dissapointed when you try to do the same thing over the same terrain on a BMX bike with only a rear brake. If all you plan on doing is riding parks and dirt jumps and stuff that is more BMX than mountain bike then sure there's little reason to need brakes on the front. If you're retarded like me and want to ride the same stuff on either bike and aren't talented enough to figure out how to control your speed without brakes then a front brake may be helpful.

 

[Cash-Money]

thanks for the imput guys, i think im going to order an x2 in the new year, and get a backtrailz16 for my 5 year old sister

 

[HTFR]

dude remember back when the only bikes availible where rear brake coaster hubs, people stoped fine, children stop fine. but if you want one, they are a simple and cheap upgrade. whats the problem?