[Closed] BMX for an old dude

If you’ve never ridden bmx before, or at least not in a long while then I would go to a cruiser (i.e. 24” wheels).

I raced 20” when younger then gave up through my late teens. I then rode mainly MTB & road before having another couple of seasons racing bmx in the early 2000’s.

When I went back to racing I just couldn’t get used to the 20” again. They felt really cramped and low.

I then got hold of a GT 24” pro cruiser and it felt loads better.

Eventually when my lad started racing I built myself a dialled MX24r to help coach him. To ease the transition between MTB & bmx I fitted 20” Renthal bars; traditionally bmxers who race both 20” & 24” used to fit quite a low profile bars to their cruiser so that the transition between wheel sizes throughout a day of racing wasn’t too big a difference.

So, my suggestion would be to source a cruiser and fit bigger bars. For me it was the perfect combo for pump track fun.

For “old dude” reference I’m 50 yrs old and last raced in about 2012 ish - not sure if that counts as old??😬

40 year old BMXer checking in 😀

Ideally you want something with full 4130 cromo frame and forks with 3pc cranks and a back brake.

Brands to look for are BSD, Cult, Fit, Kink, Sunday, Tall Order, United and WeThePeople.

Might also be worth Googling what top tube length is best for your height.

Or go with a cruiser as above 😉

BMX's are very difficult to ride especially if you've never been on one before. Try and borrow one for a few laps next time you're at the track. See how you feel about having your chin way out over the front axle and your arse over the back. They're very, very twitchy.

Maybe check out the bmx/dj section of the pinkbike classifieds and see if there's anything local to you.

I rode BMX for years but a 26" dj bike is my current choice.

BMX are tricky to ride, as above, but it'll take you a while to adjust - a few laps probably won't do it.

I picked up a cheap WTP off here just before lockdown, and rode it loads as I couldn't really get anywhere to mtb. More street than anything - gapping stairs on a BMX is a LOT different to doing it on a full sus mountain bike.

As above, cromo frame, 3 piece cranks and a rear brake is a good starting point. Mine is a dirt jump frame (I think) so has a much longer back end than most BMX, and a longish top tube too. Feels fine to me - I tried a more 'street' frame with much shorter rear end and THAT felt twitchy, but I reckon if I'd got something like that from the start I'd have been fine.

Wish we had a decent pump track, though trying to learn to ride bowls has been an eye opener.

I never got properly comfy on my BMX and I was coming to it from a 26” hardtail in my 30s. It got stolen recently but if I was replacing it I’d get a 24” Cruiser or a 26” DJ bike. I quite like my 27.5 hardtail on pumptracks - it has 150mm forks but with the RCT3 almost lockout you can pump it well.

I would think a BMX race bike would be better suited to a pump track than a street bike. If all you are using it for is pump track then you don't need the steel frame and steel 3 piece cranks found on street and dirt BMX bikes and a race bike is a bit more stable feeling if switching between MTB and BMX.

24" cruiser all day long

I would think a BMX race bike would be better suited to a pump track than a street bike. If all you are using it for is pump track then you don’t need the steel frame and steel 3 piece cranks found on street and dirt BMX bikes and a race bike is a bit more stable feeling if switching between MTB and BMX.

+1 . Vast majority of race bikes are alu now (or carbon, but that would be unnecessary for your purposes I think), and the long toptube should suit you better.

This could be a great buy depending on how high bidding goes: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154495725575?hash=item23f8a9b007%3Ag%3A5vMAAOSwEENgpVtZ&LH_ItemCondition=4

I’ve asked this very question today of some mates I mtb with.

Suggestions are ideally a 24” wheel cruiser or a 20” race bike for pump tracks. On the lookout for something cheapy cheap now just for a giggle

Don't.
BMX's are for the track and they're bloody lethal.
Get a dirt jumper instead.

24" jump bike or 26" jump bike. I love BMX (I'm crap) but if you're not used to it it will be tough. I personally don't like the 24" and 26" BMX cruisers, I think in those sizes the jump bike geo is better imo.

This was my last cruiser, it was ridiculously fast on a local pump track. I think I may have sold it to someone on here:

https://m.pinkbike.com/photo/16708518/

Thanks guys - some excellent suggestions here. I think maybe a cruiser or race bike would fit the bill. I'll keep an eye out locally.

I wasn't expecting all the "lethal/hard-to-ride" comments though. How hard can it be compared to barelling down the side of a rocky root-infested hillside? I think I could be in for a wake-up call here!

(For the record - 44 years old - body of a 50 year old and the maturity of a 14 year old)

I wasn’t expecting all the “lethal/hard-to-ride” comments though. How hard can it be compared to barelling down the side of a rocky root-infested hillside? I think I could be in for a wake-up call here!

They’re not “hard to ride” as such, just different. If you’ve got a relatively recent MTB you’ll have the benefit of “long, low & slack” geometry, whereas my last bmx had something like a 73 degree head angle. They just feel a lot sharper, twitchy, lively & directional. They’re designed to change direct extremely quickly. You’ll be fine after a few laps & it becomes immense fun when you get it sussed.

20" bmx is death in bike shape, having said that, it's very satisfying when you learn new skills on it (I'm same age as you and have taken bmx recently).

I also have a jump bike and it's way more forgiving.

I've never ridden a cruiser but would love to try one, might be a good compromise between 20" and 26".

Hard to ride is utter utter rubbish. Some of the most fun i have is on my 20in BMX. Haro full chrome from circa 2018 and its great fun. You cant really even begin to compare them with MTB as they are seperate disciplines of cycling. Most of my local pump tracks are a ballache if you have anything bigger than a BMX. Skatepark hips and box sections are wikid fun though!

BMX are tricky to ride, as above, but it’ll take you a while to adjust – a few laps probably won’t do it.

I got my first bmx at 50,pump tracks are just mega great, just mad different experience.

I also used to ride it to Asda on the weekends to get comfort food and great exercise, single speed with no seat.

Only issue I had was the timing involved in having to use the tracks early before the kids arrived as lurking around kid play areas is a tad iffy when you don’t have kids 🙂

22" BMX is where it's at. Brings the pump track alive.

Yeah, I think I'll be trying to get to the parks early before the yoofs are out of bed.

I've now got my eye on a GT cruiser, although the chrome Haro mentioned above sounds ace.

“ Hard to ride is utter utter rubbish.”

Apparently we’re all the same… I must remember to be condescending to the millions of people that can’t do things that I find easy.