Dirt Jump Bike? Worth it or not?

I’m looking at maybe getting a dirt jump bike just for a bit of practice and better on bigger jumps.

I’m always especially crap on gap jumps .. especially anything with vertical walls and 10′ between them but its probably at least partly because I never bothered practicing…. more they come up when riding and half the time I end up bottling out….even when smaller than something I know I can do easily.

So I’m thinking maybe I should actually practice  (DUH)… not expect some magic to happen!

So my logic is if I’m going to deliberately go out and session maybe I should just get a bike for it instead of beating up my trail bike (T-130)?

If I do then it’s presently just for learning (maybe spend a year getting better)… I don’t want to start doing dirt jumping to replace trail riding .. if i do then is it worth spending more or just get a used one and how much or maybe just plan a few days at 417 and hire one?

Yeah go for it. It is a lot easier to learn on one compared with a trail bike. 26 inch wheels, hardtail, small frame, seat well out the way and short travel forks all make it easier. You can put on some fast rolling tyres and keep the pressure high and not have to worry about changing when you go back to riding trails.

You don’t need anything fancy. I went for a base model Canyon Stitched (I didn’t have an option of a decent used one local to me). Pump tracks are better on a dirt jump bike and manuals are also easier to learn on one too.

Yeah do it. They are so much fun and can be had so cheap.

Do it! I used to ride dirt on BMX and a DMR Sidekick in days of yore. Sold the bikes for whatever reason and missed them ever since (despite owning various mountain bikes in the interim).
I built up a fully rigid single speed DMR Sect last year and ride it with my 3 year-old at a nearby BMX track now and bloody love it.
Just take it easy on the jumps, build up your confidence, and relax while you’re there. There’s more sitting around than rushing around at a dirt jumping area!

Do you have a dirt jump park nearby? Where do you plan to practise?

Another option would be to get a bmx bike and head over to a bmx track if you have one near.

Do it. Something 2nd hand, cheap, basic but functional (which is, admittedly, sometimes easier said than done with used DJ bikes). I basically did like Chipko there, bought it for pootling about behind my son and now building up on jumps and chasing him round the local pump-track. Translated well onto the regular bike too.

For tight steep trails and BMX pump tracks then a BMX would actually be a better buy, and quite a bit cheaper.

If the jumps are more mtb style then you could probably use a 4x frame. There used toi be a few companies who made nice light alloy ones. I often thought they’d be good for trail cetnres aswell, if you put the saddle up. Generally they’re a bit longer and slacker than a DJ style mtb.

@Spanairdclimber …

Good questions and I suppose it depends on “nearby”.

I’m 30 mins or so from S4P bike park .. (looking at the vids though I’d only ride 2 of the lines now..but that’s kinda the point of getting better)

I’m sure you have bmx or pump track nearby, they are everywhere these days. A table top is a great place to learn an practise.

Do you bunny hop? It’s an essential skill for jumping properly (aparently).

I built this last year and I love it,

It’s so light and fast. It just wants to fly. It really helps with technique to ride a bike so stiff and quick to react without contorting myself onto a godawful BMX.

It really depends where you live though. I built a nice jump bike when I lived in Sunderland and I didn’t use it for two years. Then I came to Sheffield and I’m literally spoiled for choice. A few laps of a pump track will have you sweating like a pig but it’ll teach you about pumping for speed and popping for height and distance.

I’m crap at it. But I used to be pretty good as a young’un so I feel like I’m trying to relearn stuff that I already understand. I can’t imagine trying to learn from scratch at my age. I don’t think I could get my head around it.

Not to kill your potential new bike buzz but I’d say that if you are wanting to get better at trail centre type jumps then your bike is going to do just fine. You can get a skills course with UK Bike Skills forces than  the price of a 2nd hand jump bike and I’ve never heard of anyone coming away from him not buzzing their tits off with their new found jumping ability.

Just a thought like…

I can’t imagine trying to learn from scratch at my age.

What’s your age? I just started to ride bmx, learn to manual, bunny hop and jump at the age of 40…

My Mrs bought me a rose dirt jump bike last year for my 40th. It’s been my favourite bike ever since. I’ve been using the local Dj spot and skate park loads. I’ve found loads of time for short sessions when I wouldn’t have gone out for regular ride. It’s really increased my confidence in the air on the mtb.

Just get one, it’s super fun!

Thanks for all the posts … I really can’t get quoting to work easily in my ageing browser…

So some easy answers … age … erm 50 (the zero isn’t a typo)

@Slowrider … Yes to an extent I want to get better on trail centre jumps though mainly because at 50 I can’t see me also becoming a world class dirt jumper starting now.  I did a session with Jedi and now I really want to practice what I learned.  (Fantastic day .. highly recommended only marred by the weather.  The wind was gusting so high we ended up only using the woods.. as Tony said we wouldn’t have started had the wind been like that at the beginning of the day) .. and I’ll definitely go back for another but meanwhile I wanted to practice.

The other thing is at 50 you really need a lot more practice to get something new.  Even compared to 10 yrs ago new things take much longer… (and I’m not getting any less brittle).

If you don’t count what I did in the 80’s and 90’s then I only restarted MTB 3ish years ago and the first year of that was pretty much wheels on the ground.  (95% of my riding I’m doing with the now 8yr old ..)  T

The thing is at my age it takes a lot more repetition to learn something new and what I really feel I lack is an instinctive control of the bike in the air.  When I see a big ramp I’m more thinking about how I get the landing matched… and that being a non instinctive thing.

Can I bunny hop?  Depends what you mean.  I can roll up to a 1′ high log and bunny hop that without much effort but I can’t clear a tennis net without some speed and a ramp/lip.  I’m not going to be winning any competitions for it.

@Sam_Underhill … that’s really what I’m looking for…

So …

I’m wondering is it a good idea to get a jump bike just to get the experience?

I could stiffen the suspension right up and put tubes in or pump them up real hard… and change tyres etc. to practice at a BMX/Bike park… but I don’t see it happening lots due to the faff.. I’d rather the trail bike was left as a trail bike ready for the weekend.

What I’m then wondering is what I’d buy?

26 vs 24… I have spare 24 wheels from the kids bikes… that could suffice.  I have no intention of wanting to spin the bars so brakes?  I’ve got spare Deore ones.. single speed or not?  How much is frame size important?  (On brakes I’d feel more comfortable with 2x discs – its what I know and again my age – changing too much)

Do I get a “quality” fork or is it that less important (I appreciate the Pike over the old Revelation on trails but do I care on dirt jumps)

and I guess mainly does a fairly budget bike have any real disadvantages?

Really I have no idea what to look for… its like a whole new world in some ways

I considered buying a dj 3 months ago and in the end just converted my dialled Alpine for pump and bmx track use.

Just get a dj. You know how it is to use a phillips screwdriver on a posi screw?

Bought a secondhand DMR Wrath ( like this, 26″ wheels ) just for mucking about at the local BMX / pump track.  Love it. Doesn’t feel quite as twitchy as a BMX but with fast-rolling tyres and no suspension it flies around. I’m trying to get back to how I was 20 years ago but just rolling around for half an hour is a hell of a workout.

If you’ve got the cash spare and somewhere to ride it’s worth giving one a try. Buy a decent secondhand one and if you don’t get on with it you shouldn’t lose much selling it on.

@stevextc I prioritised having a pike fork for no other reason than I know how good it is on my trail bike. But… It’s pumped up pretty hard on my DJ bike so I could easily have had a much cheaper fork. You really don’t have it set up in a way to appreciate the nice damper etc. I would want something with a bigger stanchion though. A 32mm fork might feel a bit noodly.

Brakes…. I had no intention of spinning the bars originally. It’s still way off my ability, but I have started talking about attempting a bar spin with my bike in my manual machine. I think these sorts of bike start to encourage you to push you boundaries.

Wheels… Get strong wheels. You will be making lots of terrible landings.

In short…. If you can, just buy a proper DJ bike. Everything else is a compromise. They can be had fairly cheaply (compared to MTB).

Where are you based? If you’re anywhere near Sheffield you can have a spin on mine at Bolehills, Charnock, Chesterfield or something.

Lots of nice bikes to look at here- http://goo.gl/5h9FmH

Lots of crap as well though! Bikes like this tend to be nailed together by kids on paperboy budgets.

I bought a Transition PBJ because it’s the longest dirt frame I could find. It means that handling vaguely resembles a normal mountain bike and the skills cross over easier. A proper DJ is also low enough that you won’t hit yourself in the plums when you’re pulling it up with your feet.

Go single speed for the sake of reliability and simplicity. Plus they’re just quieter, cleaner and better looking. My fork was cheap. I got an X-Fusion Slant in a sale and it does the job perfectly. You just need something to take the sting off.

I’d definitely consider just using a rear brake. You don’t want to be constantly scrubbing speed. Just learn to flow and deal with obstacles as they come. You never want to use a front brake on a berm or pump track anyway.

Well, a terrible day yesterday.

I went out to Surrey Hills just to do a jump I lost some teeth on about this time last year.  (Just bad luck)

I’ve not done that specific jump since but I’ve done loads of bigger and more technical ones elsewhere.  The day started badly … just one of those days nothing felt right.  I ended up not doing it and went home thoroughly miserable with myself.

Meanwhile I also got a bike off ebay.  I’m not sure how idea it is but I figured it will do for now and I only paid £165 for a NS Core 2.  I’m thinking I’ll put a SS on… haven’t seen it yet but should be this week to collect.

Hopefully its closer to a posidrive than my current phillips head (good analogy above) but I shouldn’t lose much if I sell and get something else later… ?

Defo go for it, a good few sessions on a pump track will get you used to the handling and getting it off the floor with minimal consequences.

I would also highly recommend getting to a decent skate park to get some practice in, Foam pits and Resi Ramps really get you used to the height and angles without the issues of coming up short or over shooting.

It’s worth taking your time to fit the bike to you as a poorly fitting DJ bike just feels sketchy.

I now have a Dartmoor Shine having also had a Commencal MAXMAX and an Identiti P66.

The Identiti wasn’t bad but at 6’2″ it felt a bit too short too me.

A few videos of mine on here which show lots of progression from riding the DJ bike more. https://www.instagram.com/andy_on_a_bike/

stevextc

Well, a terrible day yesterday.

I went out to Surrey Hills just to do a jump I lost some teeth on about this time last year.  (Just bad luck)

I’ve not done that specific jump since but I’ve done loads of bigger and more technical ones elsewhere.  The day started badly … just one of those days nothing felt right.  I ended up not doing it and went home thoroughly miserable with myself.

We’ve all been there, sometimes a specific jump just gives you the heebie-jeebies. Don’t sweat it, it will come when your ready. I need to take my own advice sometimes though.

I was about to post along the lines of slowrider and say you’d be better practicing jumping on your trail bike (a jump bike as fun as they are aren’t a magic bullet – you still need to put the hours in) but since you’ve just bought a DJ bike i’ll wish you lots of luck.

p.s. once you get used to your new bike your first port of call should be the jump you bust your face on. Getting back on the horse and conquering your fears is the first step to becoming a jumping god 😀

I was about to post along the lines of slowrider and say you’d be better practicing jumping on your trail bike (a jump bike as fun as they are aren’t a magic bullet – you still need to put the hours in) but since you’ve just bought a DJ bike i’ll wish you lots of luck.

half of it is intention I think… if I put my trail bike in the car I go ride trails .(and that’s not much stopping about).. but I hope sticking a jump bike in the car I’ll go ride jump parks etc. and not feel like I need to be riding all the time.. i also don’t need to mess with the tyres and suspension each time…

Especially once the days are longer I can just go for an hours play in the evening and not feel like I need to ride up the push-up

p.s. once you get used to your new bike your first port of call should be the jump you bust your face on. Getting back on the horse and conquering your fears is the first step to becoming a jumping god 😀

that was was the plan Sunday .. well not becoming a jumping god, I’d settle for not getting laughed at by the 11 yr olds..

Defo go for it, a good few sessions on a pump track will get you used to the handling and getting it off the floor with minimal consequences.

I would also highly recommend getting to a decent skate park to get some practice in, Foam pits and Resi Ramps really get you used to the height and angles without the issues of coming up short or over shooting.

It’s worth taking your time to fit the bike to you as a poorly fitting DJ bike just feels sketchy

sizing on ‘normal’ bikes I’m always between medium and large… (5’10) so hopefully I’ll be the same though translating that into frame inches in a DJ seems like a magic formula. I’ll try the core and see how it goes.

deffo with you on a decent skate park… most of my issues are not knowing on an instinctive level how to handle the bike in the air and getting distance right for the landing. It might sound stupid to anyone who learned as a kid but it’s feeling the bike will do the stuff I need it to in the air … (quiite literally getting the landing matched) … I know what to do in my head … it’s more my body knowing and that takes a bit longer at 50 and my bones don’t bend like they used to when I screw up…and time off work is difficult … when I broke my arm last year I took 1/2D sick and that was just for the fracture clinic.

ive read other people say they wouldn’t know what to do if they didn’t do a whip or something in the air… and that makes sense to me… too much time to go dead sailor …

Defo need to start moving a bit on the bike, it distracts you, especially when upping the difficulty of the jump

On the other hand I can’t stand to see people doing the same whip over every single jump.

is there a definitive list of skate parks with foam pits that allow bikes on anywhere? would love to have a play at one…

i bought a little jump bike last year but it seldom gets used other than the odd trip to stubbylee pump track…

ive read other people say they wouldn’t know what to do if they didn’t do a whip or something in the air

This is true, you need the kind of ” pump” action in the air to stop you freezing up. It’s hard to explain with out showing you what I mean by mime action s.

Most indoor skateparks have foam pits now. Some have bike sessions but most are open sessions. Best to go during the week or maybe a evening. Weekends are full of scooter kids and people with no skatepark etiquette.

I usually head up to Corby to Adrenaline alley, they have 2 foam pits and 3 Resi ramp areas too.

It’s worth noting that the likelihood of rear mech damage is high when jumping into a foam pit but single speed is fine.

If you are essex based look up Radical Bikes, they have an outdoor resi and Foam pit and will be re-opening in march. they close each year to dig.

This is true, you need the kind of ” pump” action in the air to stop you freezing up. It’s hard to explain with out showing you what I mean by mime action s.

This is true, you need the kind of ” pump” action in the air to stop you freezing up. It’s hard to explain with out showing you what I mean by mime actions.

Yep… I get the feeling …it almost just feels like I need “something to do”
It’s almost like when I don’t then I’m worrying about the landing before its really time to do anything about it. Conversely where I have jumps that force me to do something I don’t even worry about landing.

I was doing a step-up on Sunday.(only 20′ from the stupid drop-off I didn’t do).. and I was doing it quite well despite it being really squirmy on the run up and struggling for speed. Plenty of people who were happily doing the drop off were not clearing it at all due to this and most people seemed to think the step-up was more difficult than the stupid drop off. (The consequences were also low as you could if you wanted just roll the lip and then onto the step-up part)

What “saved me” was the need to furiously pedal into it after the mud filled berm. In theory I should have been all composed at that point on an approach whereas I was just distracted then pump like crazy and land the bike.

It was the same when I did the skills course.. the wind meant I had to pedal like crazy to get speed into the jump by the parking… just thinking of that and I had no hesitation at all doing the jump… (Tony had said to take a run up first and just do it if it felt right… but it was so windy I had to commit much earlier and after that point the jump itself was pretty much nothing… on the other hand the smallest jump in the woods I kept braking on the berm.

When I did the first jump straight into the one in the woods however Tony was of course correct and it was way easier than the first one. It wasn’t like I didn’t trust him on that… it was more a feeling I would mess up and turn something easy into a disaster.

when my lad was smaller he started racing bmx so in typical dad fashion I went out and bought a very nicely specced yeti dj. bearing in mind my idea of a huge jump is a crack of light under my tyres I enjoyed it very much, to the extent that I really should sell the frame but even now, ive not used it for at least 5 years, i’m reluctant to.