Ok, so probably been done before, but….
I'm 27 and have been riding for 20+ years, but have never owned a bmx.
Most of my mates started out on them, and some (not all) have vastly superior handling skills.
So I fancy starting now, but am stumped by what kind I can/should have.
Most of the lads I speak to can't actually quantify what makes a frame ride nicely, just tell me who's name is on the frame, etc. But having a quick shufty on some of their bikes, they seem very twitchy and nervous. Is this going to be the same for all new bikes, or is it horses for courses?
Am currently borrowing a mates k2 cruiser, which has a lazier head angle and is alright to ride, but is 10 years old, so not really indicative of what I may be able to buy now.
Anyone with any advice?
Oh and it will be used for mainly street, and general poncing about.
Apologies for length.

The twitchy and nervous thing is why it'll make you a better bike rider, a BMX is very responsive, but there is very little margin for error. Frames and geometry don't differ that much.

You do get a choice of length though 21" if you're tall, 19/20" if you aren't…

Ok that's fair enough. So just buy anything that fits? What's the difference between dirt, park, street and tech frames then?

If you're going to ride street mostly, you want a street bike. However you may find that a dirt bike is a bit more forgiving, and still capable of street stuff. Do you have a local race track? For a mountain biker, I would have thought that would be the first place to go to learn some stuff rather than on the street.

Any of the 'proper' brands will do a complete bike to suit you. S&M, Fit, Federal, MirraCo etc.

No, no local track, just the infamous GYPO's (jumps).
How would a dirt bike be more forgiving? Pardon my ignorance here, but bmx's are totally alien to me.

Sounds just like me! I got my first BMX for my 30th birthday and loved it. At first it felt like you describe, twitchy, then it became the opposite and my MTB started to feel sluggish! Did wonders for my bunnyhopping and jumping too.

Unfortunately I don't have enough time to ride all my bikes any more so if you're interested in a street/dirt bargain, drop me a mail! 😉

a dirt bike would not be more forgiving.
a dirtjump BMX frame should be slightly longer than a street/park BMX frame, and a race frame slightly longer again (for stability nothing to do with forgiveness)

They tend to be a little slacker (some bikes have a 75 HA!) Mind you I haven't had a BMX for a few years now, so don't quote me. GYPOs looks like a good place to try.

GW I don't mean flexy, just a little easier to ride for a novice. Modern very compact and steep street bikes are pretty weird if you've not ridden one before.

Yeah, every new bmx I've looked at seems to be 75 degree head angle, whereas older race frames are closer to 70. GYPO's is great on a nice DJ, but will take some time for me to get over it on a bmx.

got a country bikes park frame, with a 21.75" top tube, sounds wierd, but soooo right 🙂

Might sell the whole bike if your interested?
Cost the original owner £800+
Cost me £190
Would sell for £150 + p&p

i'm 32, and i bought myself a 24" cruiser for christmas, it's heaps of fun, and is teaching me lots about jumps and manuals.

that is all.

(i find 20" wheels just a bit too twitchy/nervous – 24" wheels are more predictable for an old giffer like me)

(i'm 6'2" – my cruiser has a 22" top tube, just about right)

I have a very nice Felt Manic for sale if you're interested… Full CroMo frame etc, one of these:

http://www.winstanleysbmx.com/product/13471/Felt_Manic_Bike_2008

Feels really nice, but I just never ride it, mainly due to having no one to ride with!

Email in profile if you're interested 🙂

I have a fly diabalo frame 21" tt, some profiles, front wheel, back wheel, sproket, stem, brake, headset, seat post. All its missing is forks and bars. Really nice bike to ride. Not twitchy at all.

GYPO eh? in at the deep end!

I'd go for a WTP complete dirt setup. Can ride it street etc no prob… technically probably a bit long for triple whips and the like but if you're just starting then that might not matter.

If you are taller than about 5ft6 id get as close to a 21"TT or above as you can. feels SO much better to me.

Next thing to do it get some race bars. Nice big wide bars. Pulls your weight up and back, gives you a wider stance, generally gives a lot more control.

BUT – wide bars will limit your truckdiver/triple barspin skillz!

I have a WTP trust. cost me about £250. £10 for some dialled race bars off me mate. Have to say its one of me favourite bikes. Commute on it daily. Still scares the sh1t out of me daily. Awesome for keeping you focussed tho!

I think it will be more like manuals and the like rather than triple whips, lol, and wide bars sound good.
(What classes as wide for bmx? I loved my 780mm Fli's)

prob not that wide. get some s&m race bars maybe?

http://www.vitalbmx.com/product/guide/Handlebars,9/SM/Race-XLT,1018

28"

Go and do a course with jedi.

does jedi do DJ courses now as well? christ the guy must be a legend!

whilst i understand that people buying bmx to magically gain skills is perhaps wishful thinking…

but if this lad is buying a bmx to go dirt jumping at GYPO's then why would an xc skills course help?

i'd pay GOOD money if he could coach me how to get through the main set at GYPO, or the old 20footers (not sure if they have changed now). I should imagine his first job would be be to coach my bollocks to grow…

Just ride brakeless then you'll have little choice in going over big jumps once you've got the speed. I ride with a brake because I like the option of pussying out but brakeless will be a very steep learning curve.

hardcore trail suggestions.

eff that though…

I don’t use my BMX often enough, last time I visited a track and had a pootle I was told I had “a good pump technique” whether this was a genuine complement,a veiled criticism of my less airborne riding style or a covert way of calling me a **** I’m not sure…

BMX riding does feed back to your MTB technique, but takes adjustment as better rolling 26” wheels and suspension forks seem to make you into a total Jessy when you get on a diddy bike again…

21” TT – GT Fueler here, basic cheap, slightly heavier, Dirt BMX – does the job, very noisy cassette hub, I always intended to get out and do the odd bit of racing on it but have yet to do so… don’t spend a fortune unless you’re properly serious…

I did have a 24” MTB for a while, that was good, MTB geometry, layout, and bouncy forks, but not as robust or cheap as a BMX or Cruiser…
A cruiser could be a good in between option for you, not such a drastic change in wheel size so better rolling, but still the same basic handling of a BMX…

Good luck… hope your hunt goes well…

Never personally enjoyed cruisers.

Not got the copmpliance of an mtb DJ bike.

SO heavy (normally)

Harder to 'throw away' mid air when it all goes wrong (this is the one key thing for jumping on a bmx IMO)

Just go for it on bmx. 250 notes, job's a goodun.

i have one of these

http://www.feltbmx.com/International/DIRT-STREET/DIRT-STREET-SERIES/BRINK.aspx

21.5 top tube never found it to be heavy

just fast and fun

slight hijack any mtbers wanna hit up hayes bmx track for some old man showing the young uns how its done

ill admit i have only really ridden cheap – heavy cruisers.

and race light cruisers. but you dont wanna DJ the race ones really…

Cruisers look horrid though. Even expensive ones.

Cruisers look horrid though. Even expensive ones.

😆

You're a grown man on a Child's bike (at least to un-initiated onlookers) Regarless of wheel sizes the apperance of the thing is not going to help you look any cooler… your friends and Missus will definately mock you for buying a tiny bike(I speak from experience)… It's function over fashion…

Lass in my office literally wee's herself EVERY time i carry my bmx in.

I'm 6ft3. She is chinese. It's a fairly comedy situation for her evidently…

but if this lad is buying a bmx to go dirt jumping at GYPO's then why would an xc skills course help?

He's pretty handy on a BMX too, and seems to spend omst of his time throwing himself off 20ft high planks of wood, very XC :-p

so he runs a DJ skills course for bmx?

I have yet to see one in the UK and would genunely be interested.

won't the missus mock you for riding any sort of push bike? May as well do it properly and have didy wheels 😀

tracknicko – Member

does jedi do DJ courses now as well? christ the guy must be a legend!

whilst i understand that people buying bmx to magically gain skills is perhaps wishful thinking…

but if this lad is buying a bmx to go dirt jumping at GYPO's then why would an xc skills course help?

He is a legend. I wouldn't say his course was "xc" or "DJ" or definable by anything, its a whatever you want it to be, at least mine was. Anyway my point was that the OP wants more control or handling skills. Jedi will give him help there, on a bmx or a mountain bike.

So much choice these days, compared to 15 years ago. Most modern stuff is pretty light and strong so the days of 40lb street bikes are thankfully gone. Assuming you aren't gonna ride flatland (too many hours on the bike needed), then as said above, 20/20.5 inch tt for tech street/park or if you are short, and 21/21+ for trails/park. 1/2 inch on bmx frames makes a much bigger difference than on mtb.

I currently ride a 21.75 tt brew race frame, but if you want to run pegs, then probably best to avoid race bikes as the dropouts aren't really up to the abuse – a steel one should be fine for trails/dj though unless you are particularly heavy handed.

I've got a 21 inch tt S&M next gen Holmes frame sat in the van doing nothing if you want something strong and not especially light for a small fee.

[/quote]so he runs a DJ skills course for bmx?

No but there does appear to be a bmx course run by someone at the UK bike skills centre

http://www.ukbikeskills.co.uk/bmx_skills_home.html

i have dj skills coaching and also bmx park skills coaching 🙂

Get a Dialled, awesome BMX frames. Riden by top racers and dirt jumpers alike.

The new We The People completes look really nice, definitely what I'd consider getting unless you're going 2nd hand.. I'm also very tempted to get a bmx when I can afford it for jumping and street stuff but I dunno if I want my mtb to feel sluggish and unresponsive after getting used to the smaller bike again!