BMX for an adult?

Hi,

I am thinking about getting a 2nd hand bmx sometime soon to muck about on and also to chuck in the car and ride the short hop to work from where I park.

However, I know nothing about bmx so any ideas on size, makes, what to look for and that?

Don’t want to spend much, as I said it is for a bit of fun and the chances of me taking it on the bmx track round the corner from me are slim as I will just get humiliated by all the 13yr olds;)

Cheers and HAPPY CHRISTMAS

themyers

I got something like this
http://www.winstanleysbmx.com/product/36489/Haro_124_24Inch_Bike_2011

24″ cruiser

It did put me in hospital and about 4 months off a bike 😉

As part of my recovery – I did some mods

The BONE CRUSHER

cool, that is the sort of thing!

I’d second the 24″ thing.
I’ve got one of these but in blue (with some Atom lab wheels) which I have no room for,it weighs a ton but you can have it for postage and a couple of beer tokens if you want..

I bought this in the summer for £80 secondhand to go play with my 9 yr old on the local ramps, when im bored of it he can have it.

I run a Haro Pro24

like this, but in white (with a few mods…)

http://www.harobikes.com/bmx/bikes/race-series/2012_pro_24

cheers – loving the colours flip!

Rorshach – dont suppose you are local to b’mouth mate?

Is 300 miles local?? 😯

haha not quite but cheers all the same:)

When you get one, let me know and i’ll meet you at Iford bmx track so you don’t get humiliated alone 😀

My nephew got one for Christmas, I was thinking of getting one too. Forgot how simple and fun they were.

I bought this on a whim about 10yrs ago. 🙂
[/url]
IMG_5386[/url] by pten2106[/url], on Flickr

Bit rusty now, & the nephews are into bmx now so eye it up when they come round. I have some original black Skyways to go on when I get a chance.

I’ve got one of these:

[/url]
IMAG0800[/url] by http://www.sussex-mtb.com[/url%5D, on Flickr

and one of these:

[/url]
IMAG0897[/url] by http://www.sussex-mtb.com[/url%5D, on Flickr

and yes, I know my garden / fence / sheds are a mess 😉

I’ve had my eye on a 24″ bmx for a while now, just need to find a 2nd hand one local to me for about £100 and I’ll be falling off in fine style 🙄

rorschach is that a nyquist r24!! im very very interested if so….

Ooooh proper midschool that takisawa2 😛

Wanted to build something similar (late 90’s early 2Ks) to recapture my forties but eBay/radbmx.co.uk has so far not turned up anything affordable – no worries I now have a newschool basic FBM complete on its way 😀

Rusty – sounds good, I literally live 2mins walk from it!

Redline Flight Pro XXL for me, extra long top tube. Really got into bmx racing in the last 6 months or so.

Nice SSS, I’m going to get a new race bike for 2012….

I started again this year after a 30’ish year lay off, I love the racing and the old gits category is massive down this way 🙂

Current set up
[/url][/img]

Never really that interested in BMX, but that Haro Pro24 is a REALLY nice looking bike.

What would be the difference between that and something like a 24″ DMR (Drone for example)?

slainte ❓ rob

Essentially BMXs come in one size. It’s not like MTB where you have 16″, 18″, 20″ frame, etc. There may be little variables (just like similar sized MTBs), but they all run 20″ wheels.

Surprisingly, there seems to be a lot of people in here into the less common variation, the 24″ wheeled cruiser. Which was always a racing bike, within its own category. But I wonder if they’re less common with the MTBers purely because 20″ wheels are so friggin hard to ride when you’re used to 26″?? Because that’s what I’ve found in the past. Wobbling all over the place. It’s so different.

For that reason, I’d be tempted by a street/jump oriented MTB ….but then again, a BMX is great fun. You can chuck them all over the place and they love it..

@colournoise ‘Never really that interested in BMX, but that Haro Pro24 is a REALLY nice looking bike.

What would be the difference between that and something like a 24″ DMR (Drone for example)?’

About 10lbs and some razor sharp handling. Race bikes are ‘lively’ 🙂

Race bikes are ‘lively’

Holy head angle on that Haro Pro24! No wonder it’s ‘lively’.

Merlin are doing these for £200

Looked quite good when I was in last week, although I know nowt about BMX

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop/Bikes/Mountain+Bikes/Commencal+Bikes/Commencal+Absolut+BMX_CM5551.htm%5B/img%5D

I am also still looking for a 24 wheel bike, ideally near Leeds, for similar money, shout if you’ve got one! Cheers

Essentially BMXs come in one size. It’s not like MTB where you have 16″, 18″, 20″ frame, etc. There may be little variables (just like similar sized MTBs)

No they don’t,

Most bmx frames are available in different sizes. The redline I have comes in loads of different sizes from mini through to pro xxxl, And that makes a huge difference to the ride of the bike.

Street/dirt frames will vary from 19″ through to some of the bigger ones at 21.5″

Race will be from 16/18″ through to a massive 23″

As above bmxs race ones at least are different sizes. Its all based on top tube length. Ages are very approximate and different makes have slightly different geometry.
Micro mini
mini 5-6
junior 7-9
expert 9-11
pro small adult
pro xl
proxxl

redline 24
and
haro group 1 proxl for me

IMO bikes with wheels bigger than 20″ feel crap to ride on ramps (though have yet to try a faction 22″!). The transitions are too tight for bigger wheels and it just feels rubbish. Get a 21+” bmx, perhaps with a slightly slacker head angle and higher standover than whats currently trendy in bmx.

I got one of these to practice jumps;

BigBMX[/url]

Only because it came up cheap on the forum. Never ridden BMX before so guessed it might be better for me, cant tell you if its good or pants yet.

Never ridden BMX before

seems you still haven’t

I agree with what Tom said except Slacker H/A don’t really work on BMX (especially on ramps) and I can’t see why you’d want less standover. once you’re used to riding a BMX you’ll be able to ride everywhere stood up without too much drama.

So if I wanna get a BMX to ‘sharpen’ my skills (where sharpen reads ‘0.5″ bunny hop’ is a 20″ going to help more or be more of a hinderence than a 24″?

Essentially BMXs come in one size. It’s not like MTB where you have 16″, 18″, 20″ frame, etc. There may be little variables (just like similar sized MTBs), but they all run 20″ wheels.

What are you on about? Theres a huge variation in sizes. My BMX is a 21.4, most of my friends who’ve tried to ride it have all said its too big for them. Likewise, I cant ride a bmx with a 20″ top tube.

But I wonder if they’re less common with the MTBers purely because 20″ wheels are so friggin hard to ride when you’re used to 26″?? Because that’s what I’ve found in the past. Wobbling all over the place. It’s so different.

I think you’ll find if you’re shit on a bike then you’ll struggle to ride one. Most of a decent BMX riders I know can also ride a MTB quite well and swap between the two without issue.

They’re all bikes and it takes about a minute to get used to each wheel size or geometry.
I ride mountain bikes, 24″ bikes and a bmx and a fixie. Jump on each one and ride it. Its all fun.
Bmx’s are great. Just pimped mine with tan sidewalls. Its a stolen sinner..

They’re all bikes and it takes about a minute to get used to each wheel size or geometry.
I ride mountain bikes, 24″ bikes and a bmx and a fixie. Jump on each one and ride it. Its all fun.

Exactly!

Same here. Switching between road, BMX and mountain bikes feels familiar immediately, don’t think I could ride a tourer tho 😛

i have this 1 , tried 20″ bikes but couldnt help but feel like an accident waiting to happen and the wife says i look special riding my 1985 team mag burner. if your near manchester try the indoor bmx track and ride there bkes , they have 20″ and cruisers to use.

I think you’ll find if you’re shit on a bike then you’ll struggle to ride one.

Nope, you riding gods don’t have the monopoly on fun you know 😆

I think what butcher is trying to explain is that BMX frames aren’t measured by seat tube as MTBs, and yes, toptube length does make a massive difference to bike feel. Pop over to radbmx.co.uk – plenty of like-minded, helpful folks over there, some newcomers and some from waaaay back in the day with shed loads more experience than us lot 😉

mama (crap on a 20″er, but smiling, since the mid nineties) dirt

mtbs shouldn’t be measured by seat tube either.

except Slacker H/A don’t really work on BMX (especially on ramps) and I can’t see why you’d want less standover.

Mentioned those things as I would assume the reason for wanting 24″ over 20″ is for a more stable and “bigger” feel. I do prefer the look of taller bmx frames though, most modern frames are low slung and look rubbish.