Dirt jump type bikes (for pumptrack)

I’ve a Curtis if wanting a complete weapon.

@nwgiles – thanks, Ribble had them for £20 + p&p.

@joebristol – yes, Dirt-T’s. They’ll do for now but will probably keep an eye out for a cheap set of air forks.

Curse this thread. Just bought one of those cheap Mongoose off the first page, figuring I’m paying retail for the fork and getting everything else for free (not sure it’s worth much more than that but hey)…

Broken ankles, herniated disc, collarbone:  here I come.

@dartdude – I’ve already ordered the Privateer – meant to be arriving this week. What Curtis is it out of interest?

@frogstomp – I think those forks are meant to be strong for jumping but don’t have a lot of sophistication going on. But then you don’t really need sophistication in a 100mm travel fork that you run with no sag and which only has the occasional big hit I reckon.

@iamtheresurrection – good work that man!

@joebristol – it’s the blue S1 on fleabay which I am literally just about to remove from sale to keep and enjoy. Took it for spin early this evening and feel the need to get back on it forever.

Plus had some twatty private trader called Carl aka. Harryburgundy who messed me around on eBay saying he’ll pay me starting asking price at £1200 if I could courier to Cardiff.

I certainly can once I have picked up box.

Never heard back.

He bought an Evil DJ bike from me years back. Complained post sale re: “you never told me the cranks were 165mm”

He low balls Moots and Merlin titanium sellers then splits and flips. His prices are a complete joke though that’s upto him.

I might be paranoid though after I blocked him, someone from exact same area sent silly low offer blah blah. Seems suspect to me.

He is an awkward non rider seller type who is an utter weirdo quite frankly.

So yeah long-winded but true.

@CarlThomas

Oh yes he even had me drive home from the service station public meet spot for sale to fetch him the triple outer ring for a funkin DJ bike.

Utter twazzock.

Ultimatum on buying the bike or not.

Even brought along his bf

Sounds like an utter cockwomble

I lived a few miles away from the station and had huge stable of Whyte 19 ti, KTM etc.

Have you already removed it – can’t find it?

Any interactions with private traders or so called shops who buy and sell outfits are **** imo & ime.

Yeah removed Joe.

It were a £3400 build and thought £1600 was fair considering it’s bordering on as new.

Though tried on Muppet bay at £1200 start then reduced slightly.

Came to decision it rides so taught and lovely that for £1k – would literally feel like giving it away tbh.

Singlespeed conversion complete and brake fitted. Currently 28×16 (what I had in the shed) but will maybe gear up a bit at a later date.

Level brake locks up the rear wheel with ease. Should I trim the hose or just learn bar spins!?

Under £150 all in and I should be able to get a fair chunk of that back from the drivetrain bits and MRP chain device.

That’s probably it for now, bar maybe trying to find out if the spring can be replaced for something a bit stiffer.

I had a Kona Shred frame knocking around doing nothing so did what any normal rider would do and sell it build a pump track bike I don’t need. Marzocchi DJ forks, set of Octane jump bike wheels, singlespeed etc. Its a lovely little thing and absolutely flies on the pump track at Sutton Bank. The kids love it too and were starting to venture into the woods where theres a few little jumps etc on it at the end of last summer.

@frogstomp – that looks awesome actually. Much better without the mech on there. Personally on mine I’m going to trim the brake hose as there is literally no danger I’ll ever be jumping well enough to do a bar spin 🤣

Privateer has arrived today – frame and forks seem spot on – you can see where the rear has been built down to a budget, but there’s nothing offensive on there. Chucked a Burgtec saddle and pedals on and I’ll probably get the matching bars and stem. The Clarks brakes will come off and the Sram Codes I’ve got will go on I think.

Going to see if I can pop in a bit for lunch and have a blat around the track that’s less than 5 mins from the house and take a couple of pictures.

Sounds great !

see for me a dj bike is the nicest looking thing, but longer fokrs on them ruins the look – they end up way too height at the front. Should be 80mm, 100mm tops

That’s a 100mm fork and it’s practically locked out – the damper adjustment will allow about an inch of travel on its softest and like concrete on its hardest. I haven’t touched the air pressure. I figure its about right as it is as don’t want much travel at all.

I’d say it’s a bit slower through the rollers than the bmx but jumps much more confidently. Not sure how the tyres compare to the billy bonkers on the bmx for rolling speed.

Personally on mine I’m going to trim the brake hose as there is literally no danger I’ll ever be jumping well enough to do a bar spin 🤣

@joebristol you want to keep the hose long for when you case just a bit too hard and spin the bars around as the bike cartwheels off into the distance 😀

@pimpingimp – you assume I’m going to leave the ground higher than about a foot in the air there……

I’ve seen the photos, you’ll be flying high soon enough.

It were a £3400 build and thought £1600 was fair considering it’s bordering on as new.

Though tried on Muppet bay at £1200 start then reduced slightly.

Came to decision it rides so taught and lovely that for £1k – would literally feel like giving it away tbh.

Seen that a few times on eBay – I had an S1 too and it was one of the best frames I’ve ever owned… unfortunately for a seller, it was well known Curtis built a whole batch of them and CRC sold them off for something stupid like £200 which is what I paid for mine and which will undervalue anyone who paid full whack for one… just checked back and I sold mine in 2012 so must have been 13/14 years ago that I bought it.

From what I can remember, yours has a bit of a jumpy type build on what is a mega light XC singlespeed frame which people will think is odd too – not something you want to jump and not XC-ey enough for XC! And its a 26″ wheeler… all which conspires against you when trying to sell. Someone had the geared version, frame only (the XC100) on eBay the other week for £400 which I think was pretty high and that didn’t sell whereas a far more modern AM7 frame sold for £250 a few weeks ago.

Not criticising but its very much a buyers market out there in used bike world.

Was it the blue one with the Rasta coloured bottle cage and black rigid forks?

Having found that I’m a bit confused – it looks more like a lightweight hardtail than a dj jump bike? Got some very nice bits on it like the Chris King hubs though.

I got a DMR Trailstar last year for this sort of thing. £300 off ebay. Lovely bike.

If anyone is still looking for a cheap play bike the Mongoose Fireball Moto is £160 on House Of Fraser (using Frasers Plus pay in 3 credit) – same frame as mine ^up there^ but singlespeed by default and with an HL VAXA fork.

Yes that is my S1 and it is more of a street play bike build.

I’ve no doubt the S1 is capable of light rolling jumps.

Curtis’s are stiff taught riding frames best ridden harder the better feeling.

Shame the lack of buyer’s recognising what Curtis’ are truly as productive and riding point of view.

Anyway it sure is a keeper! 😄

How you all getting on? It’s stopped raining I hope you are all hitting the pump tracks this weekend.

There’s a new one opened near me so I’m just bumping this for more persuasion

I was out yesterday it was good fun. First sunnyish, warmish Saturday that I can remember. Currently sitting on my arse wondering if I should go out because the wind is bloody freezing cold.

That’s a cool looking track

I hit the Edinburgh pump track before the rain. Have a Saracen CR3 in long size.  Heavy but works well. Handles some big drops around Edinburgh. Also makes commuting to work fun. Great workout!

Haven’t been out on mine for a couple of weeks other than with my daughter playing about getting her confidence up cycling. She then decided she wanted to go up and down a hill near us as she got the big for descending (tarmac). It was brutal each time back up on the Privateer with singlespeed 🤣

I’ve switched out the saddle / bars / stem for burgtec ones for a bit of matching bling and chucked on a pair of spare Codes I had so the Clarkes m2 can be free’d up for my daughter’s Vitus.

Hoping to fit in a quick lunchtime pump track session one day this week

Sod it, the arctic wind died down a bit so I did the 45 minute uphill hike to Charnock. It’s lovely and warm now…

Yes mate, well done.

Joe, runs like that’ll build your legs in no time 😂

I’m itching to go to Buck Beck trails in Cleethorpes (previously Gypo). It looks like a perfect place to progress from little pump track stuff to proper dirt jumps. Something I never mastered when I was younger because I just didn’t have access to any.

Im just going round and round on the pump track at the minute. It’s good exercise because my legs are wiped out after 2 days of it but I’m not scaring myself anymore!

I’m sold on the BMX. It’s all I want to ride at the minute. It’s a right heavy lump though and I’m dying to build something nicer. There’s a few 22″ options with rear disc brakes.

Honestly I can’t believe how terrible BMX brakes are and that’s not just my bike it’s everyone else’s that I’ve tried. I thought they might have improved in the 20 years while I wasn’t paying attention but most people are still just using their feet.

I found my rear bmx brake was good unless there was any hint of moisture, in which case they were dreadful. That was a new Odyssey Springfield brake kit.

However the front odyssey brake I bought was basically just for show if riding on the road to somewhere – it did very little to do any slowing down.

The privateer stops really well with discs at both ends and only weighing 27lbs ish. It’s not too far off the 24” cruiser for speed round the pump track – and it definitely tries less hard to bite you in the arse.

I’ve been out tonight on mine with my eldest: just an hour jumping up and down stuff locally. I’ve really had to relearn riding flats and it still doesn’t feel at all natural, although getting pretty comfortable now hopping up stuff about 12 inches or so.  I know that isn’t particularly impressive, but I’ve been off flats for about 30 years.  That said, I can’t believe how much grip there is with a set of nylon Burgtecs and a pair of Vans.

Still can’t manual, but getting close I think. After an hour again tonight though, my forearms are finished. 😂

I really fancy one of these… https://digbmx.com/dig-this/setups-tyson-jones-penis-22-chaos-machine

The frames are 6 months late but they’re due in the shops any time soon and they won’t be crazily expensive.

Or I could get one of these hand made in Zoocastle and just spec v-brake mounts… https://www.deathpackbmx.com/shop/coffin-nail-22-inch-frame

Whatever I choose it’ll last a long, long time. It’s not like they’re going to evolve any futher and I’m not rad enough to break one.