[Closed] BMX brakes

It comes with brakes - illegal to sell without.

Rear will be the U-Brake listed - fine when set up well. Front will be a crappy calliper only there to satisfy the law.

What’s wrong with the cranks? It uses a mid BMX BB shell. No threads. Needs to use BMX cranks.

All I know is it’s Bottom Bracket: MID 19mm Fully Sealed will it have a BSA thread

No, Mid is a press fit BB standard, the bearings press directly into the frame. And leave the cranks alone, he won't be sitting and spinning.
Hole at the front will be for a sidepull caliper to meet the British standard regs or whatever, basically useless, wouldn't bother but if you insist go ahead and fit one.

rear brake bosses look removable. Make sure you have them. You should , with a brake too.

It comes with brakes – illegal to sell without.

They aren't in the photo's and the usual "only items in the photo's"

Hole at the front will be for a sidepull caliper to meet the British standard regs or whatever, basically useless, wouldn’t bother but if you insist go ahead and fit one.

Well legal will be a good start... or he won't be able to ride it to school.

And leave the cranks alone, he won’t be sitting and spinning.

If they were anything close I would but they are 170mm
He doesn't sit and spin on DH but he uses 142mm cranks and that's a difference of 28mm per side.

"It comes with brakes – illegal to sell without."

I think that this requirement died in 2010. A new bike has to be safe and complying to the British Standard by having brakes is a way to make it presumed safe but is not strictly necessary.

Nope - still the law. Hence pressed steel callipers and brake lever (which doesn’t match rear brake lever) being supplied with many bikes - satisfies the law, but they’re highly unlikely to be used.

The spec listing for the bike says it comes with a brake but that the hardware is removable, so it looks clean if chosen to be ridden brakeless.

It will undoubtedly come with brakes.

he won’t be able to ride it to school.

And reflectors f+r, and on the pedals, and wheels. And a bell.

If they were anything close I would but they are 170mm
He doesn’t sit and spin on DH but he uses 142mm cranks and that’s a difference of 28mm per side.

How tall/short is he? Perhaps a 16" or 18" BMX might be a better bet and put this one in the loft for a later Christmas once he's grown into it?

You can buy brakeless BMX bikes without tabs even installed on the frame so I am sure you can buy one without brakes installed. Wasn't there something stating if it didn't come with pedals if was effectively a sum of parts? I may be wrong on that one?
If you want to install brakes you need to make sure that the tabs are being supplied as well. You can normally buy tabs from certain more specific shops.

And reflectors f+r, and on the pedals, and wheels. And a bell.

To the best of my knowledge (but I've referenced the legislation so you can check):

From that list, the only legal requirements for actually riding it are the rear reflector and pedal reflectors (x4), and then only between sunset and sunrise, when you also need lights. (Legislation: RVLR)

Bicycles can be sold without brakes if you're explicit about them not being suitable for use on the highway. Any for use on the highway must have two brakes, along with all the items you list above. (Legislation: PBSR)

I don't know why I bother, but....

You can read the Pedal Bicycle Safety Regulations.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/198/introduction/made

...and they say how brakes have to be set up if fitted, but not that they must be fitted.

There are various exemptions, for small bikes, custom track bikes, track bikes etc. but not off-road unless that off-road is an indoor track. The no pedals loophole was closed a decade ago.

The requirement for brakes used to come from PBSR but that was abolished and now comes from product safety legislation

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1803/regulation/6/made

Which gives a blanket "Where a product conforms to a voluntary national standard of the United Kingdom ... the product shall be presumed to be a safe product" get-out-of-jail-free but not a requirement. The national standard being BS EN 14766 for mountain bikes, which you'll need to buy.

That's for selling. Riding on road is construction and use and lighting regs, which are different.

Cycling UK explain all this.

Pad make a massive difference.

It will undoubtedly come with brakes.

There are no brakes shown in the photo's on the eBay item and as per usual Wiggle ebay if it's not in the photo it doesn't come

How tall/short is he? Perhaps a 16″ or 18″ BMX might be a better bet and put this one in the loft for a later Christmas once he’s grown into it?

Size Dunno... somewhere approaching 5' or adult XS on his MTB
If he was racing BMX I might have looked at the 18" but he can whip his Aeris with a ETT of 580 and 1146 wheelbase so although it might be a bit big after a long/low/slack and very squishy it will feel tiny.

Okay so looking at CRC you can get a set of 160mm Animal cranks for £170 and an Oddysey Springfield brake (really good and simple to set up) for around £30 from another shop. If you go to 165mm you have more options but still won't be cheap.

And that's a set of cranks only, I couldn't say if they will be directly compatible with your existing BB.

The exemptions are only valid if the bike is not going to be used on the roads.

OP will soon be able to tell us. 😉

Tom13 - complete bikes come with crappy callipers front and rear on bikes intended to be ridden brakeless.

It's a BMX, the brakes will be basically useless anyway

squirrelking.... Brakes look good.... one of the best buy's ever was Oddessey saddle for Jnr's first 24... I though the kevlar bit was advertising bumf.... but it was small and light and £15. So impressed I got another before they became unavailable. He only managed to wreck one in nearly 5yrs....

Sillyoldman - OP will soon be able to tell us. 😉
Justification to OH (in part)... and he'll probably ride to school and he's most certainly not doing it on his full suss!
I also don't want him to be 'that kid' that smashes into the side of the van to stop at the bottom of the hill ... hopefully he'll use them.

If he was racing BMX I might have looked at the 18″

For racing kids are often on larger wheels (24") not smaller. At his size (5'?), he'd be on an 'expert' size bike though which would have 20" wheels.

Some example here of expert race bikes -
https://www.crucialbmxshop.com/complete-bikes/race-bmx/expert.html
Most of which have 155mm to 160mm cranks as standard (but only one brake I'm afraid).
Your problem is that the bike you'be bought has a Mid BB and the demand for shorter cranks is mainly from the race side of BMX where people actually give a shit abut ergonomics, but which use a threaded BB shell (mainly). Unless you go top end (e.g. Profile or those Animal cranks linked above) you will struggle to get shorter cranks to fit a Mid BB. I'm not aware of any way to convert a Mid-BB to take a crankset designed for a threaded BB either I'm afraid.

Oh and that Odyssey brake won't fit on your forks, you need something like this
https://winstanleysbmx.com/dia-compe-bulldog-bmx-caliper?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5_7d6qfV5QIVy513Ch2noAAsEAQYASABEgK39PD_BwE#black-rear
It will be shit. And I agree, it will probably come in the box. if you're really keen, I think you can get a mounting plate that attaches to the bolt hole in the fork crown and has the AD990 mounts ready to then use with a U brake.
Hope that helps.

Agree, you are fairly stuck with a Mid BB. However a 170 crank is okay for someone who is 5 foot. I was 5 foot when I started BMX (in 1978!) and happily used 175 cranks. The harder thing about riding a BMX as a general bike (i.e to school) is finding a long enough seat post to allow you to actually ride it (while still being able to drop it low enough). If you are going to ride everywhere standing then crank length is the least of your issues.

Looks like a great bike for £100 by the way.

For racing kids are often on larger wheels (24″) not smaller. At his size (5′?), he’d be on an ‘expert’ size bike though which would have 20″ wheels.

He should be nearly 5' .... this is just something for dirt jumps, the skatepark and riding about with. I might just look for some compatible cranks that I can shorten (done plenty on his MTB's) or find some used 165mm... but can live with that for now.

I'm a bit doubtful about them coming in "the box" or even a "box"... Wiggle eBay (trisportresort) have NEVER stuck anything in not in the photo's... if a screw is missing in the photo's it won't come with one... but I'll wait and see and hopefully be pleasantly surprised!

I might just look for some compatible cranks that I can shorten

Most BMX cranks are hollow cromoly, look for some old Primo powerbites (not hollowbites) and they should be suitable although they take a 22mm axle so you'll need a new set of BB bearings as well.

Agree, you are fairly stuck with a Mid BB. However a 170 crank is okay for someone who is 5 foot. I was 5 foot when I started BMX (in 1978!) and happily used 175 cranks. The harder thing about riding a BMX as a general bike (i.e to school) is finding a long enough seat post to allow you to actually ride it (while still being able to drop it low enough). If you are going to ride everywhere standing then crank length is the least of your issues.

Looks like a great bike for £100 by the way.

Yeah, he had a new bike when he was 5 ... then he's had used but seemed like a bargain for £100 .. and will save that in petrol if it saves <2 trips to Revs.

I'm going to wait for delivery and see if brakes are in ... and live with the cranks until I find something suitable.

170 cranks will be fine for someone 5ft. It's a BMX, bike fit isn't really the point anyway.

You might be trying to shoehorn it into something it isn't though. I've commuted by BMX before, so it can be done but.....

Lights wont fit on the bars.
Rear light? Nowhere for it to go other than the seat post if it can be raised (most are just a stub). And that means practically floor level and invisible to cars anyway. And IIRC there's a height range for light and reflectors which it probably wont meet.
It's knackering doing it stood up, but great for MTB fitness. Think my longest ride was 20 miles and I needed a lie down afterwards.
No mudguards so if it's even drizzled overnight he'll be filthy by the time he gets to school.

Keep it as it is for dirtjumps and park. Spend the not insignificant amount of money it would take to turn it into the worlds worst commuter on a secondhand Carrera Subway or a tiny CX bike.

OP, don't overthink it. It's a BMX. Stick the back brake on, leave the cranks as they are and you're done.

I hadn’t clocked the (glaringly obvious) eBay detail - good luck!

It’s knackering doing it stood up, but great for MTB fitness. Think my longest ride was 20 miles and I needed a lie down afterwards.

20 miles on a BMX, that is good going. In my forties I was riding one around for up to 10 miles (not commuting) and that felt stupid enough.

There’s a bloke who did the LEJOG on a bmx. Not modified at all, still had a slammed seat and one brake IIRC. Must have needed physio for years afterwards!!

EDIT young lad Eddie Chaffe did it for charity - tragically he was killed in a car accident a while after he did it https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.banburyguardian.co.uk/news/banbury-driver-dies-in-tragic-car-crash-1-3296778/amp

I hadn’t clocked the (glaringly obvious) eBay detail – good luck!

Yeah, bargain though I think for £100... but the "if it isn't in the photo's" seems pretty stuck to.

20 miles on a BMX, that is good going.

A big day out riding between home, track, skatepark, and back again before I had a car. Ialso done did most of Swinley on a different day (riding over from Great Hollands)!

Ironically the hills are fine, and off road bits are fine. But coasting whilst hunched over really bloomin hurts after a few miles!

I found BMX bikes pretty slow off road due to the small wheels. The whole 27.5 vs 29 debate is proven well when trying the larger extreme of a 20" wheel.
I found a 24" race cruiser pretty good though and used to ride singletrack on one (with a long seat post)

re: the cranks - my lad has a Cult Juvenile 18" and that has 140mm 3 piece cranks so they are available - but as an aftermarket item... not so sure.

Cracking bike for the money, if it's on the large side then you can fit a shorter stem and smaller bar

Oh and that Odyssey brake won’t fit on your forks,

I was recommending it for the back, mine is more than enough to stop me on the hills so long as I regulate my speed.

joemmo ... sounds like a good place to start looking.

Oh and that Odyssey brake won’t fit on your forks,

I was recommending it for the back, mine is more than enough to stop me on the hills so long as I regulate my speed.

Yep, just pointing it out in case the OP thought it could fit both front and back.

So hoping to find out what's in the box....

Our driver has now left our delivery depot and your parcel is scheduled for delivery today.

I was going to nip out on the bike but hey ho....

Well delivered and no brakes... the rear of the frame has 5mm bolt holes ... does anyone know if the Odessey Springfield kit will mount directly to these or do I need some extra ????

have a look at winstanleys bmx or alans bmx and call them if you are unsure. they should be able to help you. If not email ruption.

how did you get it so cheap? was it a demo bike. that's a real bargain.

Well delivered and no brakes… the rear of the frame has 5mm bolt holes … does anyone know if the Odessey Springfield kit will mount directly to these or do I need some extra ????

It'll need a pair of posts to screw into the frame and the brake to mount on those. This where things get interesting as you'll need to find some with the right thread

Wiggle/CRC do an ebay shop (trisport resort) where everything starts at 99p bidding.
Some stuff is returns, other is NOS, other seems to be take-offs... there is no rhyme nor reason but often they have a run on forks or shoes or in this case BMX (they has 20-30).... sometimes people pay over the odds and sometimes stuff goes for a song ... I got some Fox36 Fit4 for £140... and a week later no reason the MRP ramp control for the exact model went for £40....

BMX seems to be nearly over for now..... I sorta waited until first few had gone for silly money the tracked stuff ...

It’ll need a pair of posts to screw into the frame and the brake to mount on those. This where things get interesting as you’ll need to find some with the right thread

Looks like a M5 ... so I can try a few and measure the threads that fit.... 😀