Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
  • BMX purchase advice
  • timmys
    Full Member

    Been keeping an eye out for a BMX on local Gumtree and one has cropped up.

    Me: 6’2″, last owed a BMX in ~1988, ie. knows nothing. For use on local BMX track in a very casual manner.

    Potential bike:
    “ACADEMY DESIRE BIKE WAS EXPENSIVE WHEN NEW UNFORTUNATELY IT’S NOT IN PERFECT CONDITION NOW DOES NEED BITS DOING TO IT NEW TYRES AND INNER TUBES DOES COME WITH BOX OF PARTS INCLUDING NEW BRAKES NEVER FITTED £50 NEED GONE BEFORE XMAS”

    From Googling it looks like a 2013 model and this model only seems to come in a 21″ TT which i understand is about right for my height. Looks to have retailed for over £300.

    Worth a punt for £50? Going to have a look at it tonight, from text conversation guy seems to think it’s only tyres and tubes it needs rather than anything else.

    ehrob
    Full Member

    As long as it isn’t an absolute state I’d give that a blast. Full chromo frame and fork, 3 piece crank, and roughly the right size.

    They’re very simple bikes to work on, so anything that can go wrong is easily sortable assuming you’re used to working on bikes.

    willjones
    Free Member

    Head angle, and length of rear end are as important as top tube length. You want at least 21″, the rest depends on what you are riding. If you want to go fast and jump bigger stuff (trails, less technical park) then slacker and longer. For street riding/flatland etc then 21″ TT, but consider with steeper head angle and short back end. Bottom bracket height is also a consideration, and a matter of personal preference – you’ll know from rolling around on the bike. I jumped off the BMX bandwagon when jeans got tight and bikes started getting short, steep and a bit crashy on the trails. Also … brakes. Do you want one? or two? Or none? That bike pictured above doesn’t have one. It also doesn’t have lugs for one, or cable stops. Can you fit them? HTH.

    ETA – just seen you say bmx track, and it’s got a brake. Long low slack and fast could be best, with a big gear. Prob like what you had in ’88.

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    ehrob
    Full Member

    It’s a £50 BMX for pissing about on, not a £3k full suspension bike, so don’t agonise would be my advice.

    Even if you were to need a different frame down the line this is a cheap way to get a load of bits assuming they’re alright.

    timmys
    Full Member

    Thanks all.

    Yeah I understand it’s probably wrong geometry-wise as a proper track bike but hope it’s good enough to play around on. I realise I’d probably want a bigger chainring.

    Brakes – the guy has them unused in a box. I’d certainly fit the rear. There appear to be lugs on the underside of the top tube (and pics of this bike on line show a rear brake fitted).

    takisawa2
    Full Member

    If my rose-tinted forray back in to the spotty oik world of BMX is anything to go by, I’d stop on the way home & stock up on Savlon, Plasters & Ibuprofen. 🙂

    They are lethal.

    But get up early (oiks lie in), & you’ll get the local skatepark to yourself for an hour before the first hysterical audience members arrive, to view the spectacle.

    pickle
    Free Member

    For £50 it’s well worth it. It’s not a race bike but for the money it’s great to get yourself back on a BMX and if you like it you can £50 bCk on it all day long when you buy a better one.

    Win win

    dhrider
    Free Member

    Definitely worth a punt at £50!

    Harry_the_Spider
    Full Member

    I’d have it.

    mcnultycop
    Full Member

    Looks decent. I bought a Wethepeople Justice for £30 or £40, realised BMX wasn’t for me as I was nearly 40 years old and sold it for the same money or a few quid more. At £50 that’s risk free.

    dienamic
    Full Member

    Buy pads, lots of pads, and body armour

    carlphillips
    Free Member

    just buy it,

    timmys
    Full Member

    just buy it,

    I did.

    Then somehow instantly spent another £50 at CRC on new tyres/tubes/grips 🙄

    hopefiendboy
    Full Member

    lol. I’m just about to start up on the old bmx again, just hope I dont over do it on the first few runs at the skatepark!

Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)

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