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Where'd all the 24" BMX Bikes go?

justins

Chimp
Oct 19, 2005
1
0
Okinawa Japan
Does any companies still make decent 24" BMX bikes for street/dirt/park? I remember the Eastern Jane 24, DK Gerneral Lee 24 and although I never liked it the Haro 24" Backtrail. Where'd they all go?

Does anyone know where I can score a frame/forks and possable some wheels and bars? I'm in no situation to be spilling some $3500 for the full suspension bikes I see and want so bad, so why not step up from my Eatern Herculeys for a bigger more commutable BMX bike?

Thanks,
Justin
 

triumphbc

Chimp
Oct 9, 2003
75
0
Arlington, VA
they're still out there, you just have to look a little harder. it seems funny to me with the popularity of 24" street/dj mountain bikes that similar bmx cruisers don't get more attention. they're exactly what everyone's looking for and bmx gear is SOOO much cheaper. i have a 2005 dk general lee 24 (i'll post a pic later) and LOVE it.

at $259 (plus my numerable upgrades) it's a steal for a complete bike. that won't even get you a comparable mtb frame. granted the base build leaves a bit to be desired, but at that price you have plenty left over to spend on upgrades. i also have a singlespeed evil imperial on 26's with a fox fork and a similar dj build, and right now it's taking a backseat to the dk. in comparison, the dk's value per dollar is way higher when put up against a much "nicer" bike.

in my opinion there are really only two complete bike choices, the dk general lee and the free agent hellcat. i can't vouch for the hellcat, but in my opinion it looks decent. the haro backtrail does still exist on their website, and standard bikes makes a cruiser frame too. parts can be trickier to find since most shops are bmx or mtb, but not between. i've been down that road though, so if you have any questions i've probably found the answers. long live 24"!

http://www.dkbicycles.com
http://www.freeagentbmx.com

Here's the link to the DK on Danscomp:
Danscomp
 

TWISTED

Turbo Monkey
Apr 2, 2004
1,102
0
Hillsboro
I did have both a DK 4130 24" cruiser and a DK UX24 24" MTB, but now I have a Tonic Fab "Fall Guy". It's the best 24" bike PERIOD!!!
Here's a photo Aaron Lutze took of my bike at the GHY Jump Jam.
Tim
 

TWISTED

Turbo Monkey
Apr 2, 2004
1,102
0
Hillsboro
face said:
thats a way sweet bike :thumb: did you steal those wheels off of a walmart chopper bike. just messin' but really what are those?
DUH! Skyway Tuff Wheels!
24" with sealed cartridge bearings, yes they still make them. Mine were made in Redding, CA in May, this year.
We modified the front to a 20mm thru-axle.
Those are 24"x2.5" Maxxis Hookworm tires. These wheels and tires are great for urban and DJ's but are too slow and flexy for the indoor BMX track. I've got a regular set of cassette spoke wheels for that.
Tim
 

face

Monkey
Sep 14, 2005
209
0
northern utah
yeah dude the hookworms are the way to go they make the bike feel so nice. i was just intrigued by the plastic wheels im going to look into those.
 

TWISTED

Turbo Monkey
Apr 2, 2004
1,102
0
Hillsboro
face said:
yeah dude the hookworms are the way to go they make the bike feel so nice. i was just intrigued by the plastic wheels im going to look into those.
http://skywaytuffwheels.com/
Send an email to "Rick" in bike info, tell him Tim Parker sent you.
He says they will have "DBR" (disc brake ready) versions available soon.
Make sure to get the Tuff Pads brake pads, my V-brakes work better than many disc brakes.

These wheels roll so quietly, I don't make a sound when jumping etc.
Looking at the weird pattern the Tuffs make while spinning is also cool.
Tim
 

triumphbc

Chimp
Oct 9, 2003
75
0
Arlington, VA
thats a cool bike. what would the tonic fab handle like if you put a crusier fork on it? i was thinking about one of those frames, and transplanting my dk's components onto it. if i had to get a new fork and hub, it seems like it may not be worth it. what do you like better about the tonic than the dk's frame?
 

TWISTED

Turbo Monkey
Apr 2, 2004
1,102
0
Hillsboro
triumphbc said:
thats a cool bike. what would the tonic fab handle like if you put a crusier fork on it? i was thinking about one of those frames, and transplanting my dk's components onto it. if i had to get a new fork and hub, it seems like it may not be worth it. what do you like better about the tonic than the dk's frame?
Thanks,
The front end would be extremely steep with a cruiser fork and the BB would be too low. A 26" rigid fork would be fine though.
Your DK hub would work, the fall guy has 110 x 14 BMX drop-outs.

The Fall Guy has a shorter rear end than my DK's, 14-3/4", which makes it more responsive and agile. The super stiff suspension fork and 71 degree head angle make it more stable. We set up the fork so it barely moves, just enough for when you really need it, without robbing power or handling.

You'd have to ride one to see how nice it is.
It's not really a mountain bike, not really a BMX bike, just a super fun bike for urban, DJ's, the BMX track, and just messing around.

I think this thread has been hi-jacked. Check the other post "24 inches of love" for more Tonic info.
Tim
 

CreeP

Monkey
Mar 8, 2002
695
0
montreal bitch
a pertinent question: why do 24" bmx bikes have to have ass geometry? **** they all seem to have longer chainstays than mtbs designed for 24", and strange front center lengths, and the steel ones are always mega heavy, while the race ones all seem to be aluminum and really unstreetable.
 

triumphbc

Chimp
Oct 9, 2003
75
0
Arlington, VA
I would agree that most mtb's designed for 24" are probably better, but it's hard to compare the two. First the cost difference is major, so you should expect to get what you pay for. My chainstay's length is 15.5" which I don't think it's too bad as I haven't seen many 24" frames with <15" chainstays. I do wish the head angle was a little less severe though. The DK is 73.5, while I'd prefer a slacker 71-72 degree head angle. I guess it's designed for DJ though and works great for that. Just a little harder to get the front end up when riding street, but not that bad.
 

TWISTED

Turbo Monkey
Apr 2, 2004
1,102
0
Hillsboro
formermtboarder said:
whats the point of the skyways? are they SUPER light, just cool or what? also seems like they would bend/break really easily, any troubles w/ that?
I thought they would look cool and give my bike an old school look. Everyone seems to dig them. They weigh about the same as burley set of spoked wheels. They say "Tuff" right on them, so they must be.
 

TWISTED

Turbo Monkey
Apr 2, 2004
1,102
0
Hillsboro
triumphbc said:
I would agree that most mtb's designed for 24" are probably better, but it's hard to compare the two. First the cost difference is major, so you should expect to get what you pay for. My chainstay's length is 15.5" which I don't think it's too bad as I haven't seen many 24" frames with <15" chainstays. I do wish the head angle was a little less severe though. The DK is 73.5, while I'd prefer a slacker 71-72 degree head angle. I guess it's designed for DJ though and works great for that. Just a little harder to get the front end up when riding street, but not that bad.
You could try a rigid 26" fork to raise the front one inch. That might give you the geometry you want. Don't get one of the suspension corrected forks, they would be too tall.
 

triumphbc

Chimp
Oct 9, 2003
75
0
Arlington, VA
do you know of a non-suspension corrected one? i've thought of that, but would have to rebuild my front wheel. i also don't want to push my bb too high. can you recommend a fork that might work good?
 

TWISTED

Turbo Monkey
Apr 2, 2004
1,102
0
Hillsboro
triumphbc said:
do you know of a non-suspension corrected one? i've thought of that, but would have to rebuild my front wheel. i also don't want to push my bb too high. can you recommend a fork that might work good?
I had a Redline Monocog fork on mine. It's cromoly and black with red lettering to match the Redline Proline cranks I had. I ran a bar with about 4" rise.
I liked how it made the bike ride, but may be a lttle and taller and slacker than what you want. Cheap though.

Why would you have to rebuild your wheel?
 

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TWISTED

Turbo Monkey
Apr 2, 2004
1,102
0
Hillsboro
triumphbc said:
do you know the axle-to-crown height on the monocog fork? i'd have to rebuild the wheel because I'm currently running a 14mm axle
I don't remember and don't have that bike anymore. Look at my photo to get an idea of what it'd look like. The a2c is probably listed somewhere online.
Can you replace your front 14 mm axle with a slotted (flat-sided) one? Or just file it down.
 

Lennart

Chimp
Oct 21, 2005
22
0
The Hague, Holland
triumphbc said:
can you recommend a fork that might work good?
What about a FUNN Stiffy Rigid fork? It runs a 20mm axle and has the exact same axle to crown height as the Sherman Jumper, wich the FallGuy was designed for.. (I can't think of any other fork with equal height with 14mm dropouts though..)