[Closed] Going off road on a BMX

Go find your local bmx/skatepark, it'll be much more rewarding, what area do you live in?

[img] [/img]

I take mine round trail centers, it's slow, but ohhh so much fun on the smooth bermed bits.

you could try this:

I've always fancied taking a bmx down lower cliff at cannock, go for it Op. Report back.

Small wheels prefer smoother trails; I would have thought a bmx on lower cliff at Cannock would be extremely slow and uncomfortable...

It's awful. Shakey, uncomfortable, rattly... and that's just riding to the local bridleway! Wehey! My mother in law, etc...

But really, it is awful. Funny and tiring and awful. Awful, awful, awful. I do like a bool about on a BMX every so often but only at our local track or to the shops and back.

qwerty - I'm in Maidstone, Kent.

I will give it a bash and report back kayla I really hope it isn't totally awful!

Too right! What's the worst that can happen? You have a ridiculous time and good laugh? Have fun 😀

If the trails are smooth flowing singletrack stuff it should be great. If they're rooty / rocky it will be more challenging...
I remember there was a video of one of the tree bike co. team riders doing some innovative stuff in the woods, just riding some regular woods and pulling fastplants, treerides and grinding fallen logs. Can't find it now though so this information is next to useless...

It's hilarious on really smooth trails in the dry. Anything rougher is terrifying if you're as bad at riding a BMX as I am!

Stevet1 - interesting point should I go pegged or pegless?

My thinking of pegless was there is less parts of the bike to stab me [s]if[/s] when I fall off!

Went for a spin around Thetford once with a guy who came on a BMX, he was admittedly pretty comfortable on it, but he popped every root, railed every berm and seemed to have a bloody great time on it.

So worth a shot in my view 🙂

I discovered and grew my love of the woods and off road riding by riding my BMX as a kid. If I hadn't had such a scream building and riding jumps, trails and riding down scary drops as a kid on BMX I might well have a set of golf clubs in the shed and one of those little dolly footballer outfits in my car window today.
Ah, the low sun of autumn and an oakleaf rooster tail from a 20" comp IV nobbly ragging around Fleet Pond woods, popping over roots and laying down some sweet broady's.

[i]Stevet1 - interesting point should I go pegged or pegless?
[/i]
I'd go pegless, wouldn't risk a peg catching in the undergrowth or on a tree stump.

[quote="Jef Wachowchow"]... laying down some sweet broady's.

What language is that you're speaking? 😉

BMXs [i]do[/i] rock though. I hurt myself landing a three-bricker (two bricks and a piece of wood for the ramp was the norm) when I was about ten. My mam went mental 😆 It's nice to see my niece enjoy blasting about on her BMX too 😀

Riding any inappropriate bike off-road is ace fun. I stuck my 700c commuter wheels in my 26" Inbred frame and ran it fixed off-road for a few rides. It was a brilliant.

Thanks guys, I am really excited to give this a go. Just have to get through a parents evening and Friday first.

I will take the GoPro out and report back on how awesome it was.

I have nothing to add, I'm just trying to keep this thread at the top 😀

Broady's as in broadside skids, speedway style!

kayla1 - nice work but I am sure that behaviour will only annoy someone 😉

I really dislike the way 'work' gets in the way of 'play'.

If only the two were the same!

I have ridden a fair amount off road on BMX and 24" cruiser.
BMX is slow and requires more effort to maintain speed and turns into more pissing about / jumping around than actually riding.

I presumed most of us on here that were old enough all used to ride BMX's off road before mountain bikes came long ?

I know I certainly did, and it was awesome.

nealglover - I had a BMX when I learnt to ride and one for a paper round but never really rode it off road. Ended up on a cheap townsend fixed frame for that, so this will be new to me (at the ripe old age of 29 too).

was going to say something along the lines of kaylas first post but

Riding any inappropriate bike off-road is ace fun

apart from the fixie bit, that's just daft.

I presumed most of us on here that were old enough all used to ride BMX's off road before mountain bikes came long ?

BMX is slow and requires more effort to maintain speed and turns into more pissing about / jumping around than actually riding.

Sounds ace - where do I sign up?

No, they are awful. Absolutely awful, wonderful, lovely, awful things 😆

edit- bugger it, any excuse. Here's mine-

[IMG] [/IMG]

I'm 40. I [i]still[/i] drive my mam mental.

I presumed most of us on here that were old enough all used to ride BMX's off road before mountain bikes came long ?

I know I certainly did, and it was awesome.

I thought that when I saw the thread 😕 My BMX was my MTB, roadie, cargo bike, commuter, racer, CX bike and I did my paper round on it to earn money too.

I'm old enough yeah but my parents never sprung for one (bitter? me?) only tried bmxing after many years of mtb.

My little brother got a spanking Super Tuff Burner. I was gutted as I was stuck on his Raleigh Strika at the time. My folks wouldn't spring for a new BMX for me as I had my uncles old Carlton racer!!
Finally found a Falcon Pro Sigma, with mags for £70 second hand which I loved.

OK as I am new to BMX off road is there any pearls of wisdom I should know before I begin stacking it?

30 psi (ish) in the knobbly tyres, ride loose and let the bike move around, have fun and be careful. Maybe take a pic of your teeth now so your dentist knows what you looked like? That was a joke, by the way 😀

No, chris, in all seriousness, take a picture of your teeth and face. I have seen how badly you ride. 😉

Thanks for the vote of confidence MrWhyte!

Kayla I shall check the tyres... might not be that knobbly though!

apart from the fixie bit, that's just daft.

That was the best bit! 😉

Really missing my BMX days. Was a handy street and park rider in my day, but I really miss endless manuals and hoping into manuals over/across benches. 🙂

Keep thinking about getting a 24"er as we have loads of pump tracks/parks/race tracks in Sheffield.

You'll be fine! I use to ride off road and managed, just stay on smooth trails and bump off everything!

Been out for a couple of hours on my BMX round local trails in the sun this afternoon.
I often use a BMX when I ride with my kids as it makes me appreciate how their wheels roll and it stops me leading them anywhere too rough or boggy.

30 psi (ish)

just like the thread a few days ago on BMX commuting there's an awful lot of nonsense from non BMX riders.

I never had a bmx as a kid, I had a grifter. Do bmxs have a freehub or fixie as standard?

freehub/freewheel

Hey! I ride a BMX you ****ing smartarse, but I'm only about 10st. Maybe my pressure gauge is wrong...

Ha ha 😆

4psi per stone isn't it mtbel?

Glad to see your arithmetic is improving, now brush your teeth and off to bed... it might only be a half day but you still have school in the morning.

I'll be up to read you a story soon. 😈

Not the one about bb heights, TT lengths and head angles again.

I read that as arthritis first time...

Just back from the ride, will post the video later. So much fun. Until I hit a motocross bikes rut and flipped it, breaking the bake handle.

Yeah!

[img]

View this post on Instagram

Hmm your picture isn't working there and I can't grab the pic from instagram either. It might be easier to just link your instagram profile for us to have a nosey through!

OK sorry about the picture not working. The video from today is live here

enjoy...

Just a quick update.

Other than being covered in cuts/scrapes I am fine. The bike has been converted to a single brake for the time being.

Will be taking it out for another thrash this afternoon but not doing jumps.

So much fun!

miketually - Member

Riding any inappropriate bike off-road is ace fun.

Yep! 8) Definitely livens up the same boring old trails.

Love the vid [i]wanders off to eBay to look for a(nother) BMX[/i] 😳

dunno if the vid sold me on the off-road bmxing 🙂

I'm sorta hanging out for one at the mo but can't make mind to go for a 24 wiv the modern geo or boggo 20

You know they do 22" wheel BMX's now... (I'm not even joking - they look great BTW)

Yep I've had my eye on a faction amaro 🙂

We need to keep this thread alive. We can't be the only ones keeping the trails fresh by riding the wrong size wheels 😉

I've always had a BMX tucked in the corner of the kitchen for trips to the shops, commutes, etc. You can keep your skateparks - nowhere near forgiving enough for old bones (still have an odd shaped knee from the skatepool incident several years ago 😳 ) - but there's something about ragging a tiny bike around the woods that makes me feel 40 again 😆 (yeah, I'm that old).

I've tried a few new-school bikes with steeper angles, tiny sprockets, street tyres and longer toptubes but you can't beat a knobbly-tyred, slack angled bike with dodgy brakes for a trip to the woods.

I'm (im)patiently awaiting the arrival of a rusty old Dyno frame and forks from USA - big bars, knobblies and a coaster brake FTW! Bring on the dry trails 😛

[img] [/img]

Still ride mine a few times a week. I've always prefered race/DJ geometry over street/park geometry so now that I don't have any dirtjumps locally and rarely make it to the skatepark I'm riding a Haro Alu race bike.
Actually thinking about doing some racing this year as the Scottish BMX race scene is picking up again.

Be sure to do a PSA for all your fans to come and watch. What are the prizes like for your age group, a SAGA holiday or is it more likely to be a Parker pen and a signed picture of Michael Parkinson?

Oooh.. I do hope so.

Ha ha, go for it mtbel 8) I'd do the same but would probably struggle to find a grand vets womens category 😕

I assumed that was the cat mtbel was entering.

😆 😆

Vet 45+ 😉

[img] [/img]

Mates just got one so no doubt I'll er dig one up....I like pump tracks...strangely lots of fun on my fatty which is probably the whole fun wrong bike thing...or maybe a fun bikes a fun bike .

only trouble is I'm planning on getting a stooge an even thinking of a road bike 🙁 so it's thinking of new an innovative ways of getting them pass Mrs DoD who's bike love is non existent.

Funny thing is my dad was friends with Jason Davies dad but I never had a bmx as a kid : 👿

Had a chopper thou....which probably explains why I never really rode again till my late 30s...

I like pump tracks...strangely lots of fun on my fatty

No No No... Take your stupid GRINZ and GTFO! 😈

Lovely bike mtbel 8)

This thread needs more pics!

Well acquired a new superstar frame(70 squid) Carlton grande an some wheels(50 squid new I don't think I could buy the bits and bobs to build them for this and they're not too shabby quality wise)
an had pleasant hour last night fitting bearings cranks and chain just waiting for a sh fork to come.

I was looking to get a 150squid sh jobby tbh but nothing really grabbed me ...I'll get some pics when I've got it on wheels then I'm orf down the woods 🙂

Mrs DoD moaned about empty boxes last night but didn't notice it on the workshop stand 🙂

Looking forward to the pics!

The rust bucket is done but I'm definitely having second thoughts about that coaster brake. Think it'll get converted to freewheel before I venture to the woods. Nice to have something I don't mind leaving outside the shops though . . .

[img] :large[/img]

I tend to use my BMXs or SS jump bike for shop runs rather than my MTB cos there's no QR stuff on them 😆

We saw an ace Haro Shredder (with the 2" downtube, chrome, replete with proper 90s rust on it!) at Donington yesterday.

Noticed this was still going after I had finished with it. During Easter I took the BMX out nearly every day and rode it around the local woods. Very sketchy but hilarious.

Still ride it a lot, get odd looks from people as I wander around and the fiance doesn't 'get it' at all.

Which is ace.

Do want a lighter one though, mine is a tank and doesn't really stop.

Also I think I cracked my kneecap on the handlebars.

Could do with a bit more of chunky tyres as mine are properly bald, next step is a Downs ride on it.

Right been going more and more on the BMX for a quick hour or so morning spin.

Decided to film some stuff on my phone and stitch a very short thing together - much quicker and easier to do than using the GoPro imo.

Not going to teach anyone anything new or showcase and 'mad skillz' but I am def seeing an improvement by riding more inappropriate wheels off road.

Enjoy? I think.

When I was younger I did "mountain biking" on my tange hotheart, I never did "proper" bmxing. But it had knobbly tyres and a brake so why not?

I think you always gain something from riding an inappropriate bike off-road; fixed wheel and skinny tyres is hilarious.

The best part was riding to the woods and hearing some little kid (4 or 5) yelling 'mummy look at that tiny bike'.

Brilliant, I just really like being on a bike that is really not suited to the ride, don't have the courage to take a road bike and skinny tyres off road yet though...

I've got a 2004 SM Stricker in the garage. Lots of trick bits on it including Ti axles and bolts etc. It's just too small for me now especially with my wrecked back.

I'll have a 2015 Tallboy in gold please. Massive head and top tube for the larger gentleman.

[img] [/img]

I'll leave the mind bending techno street moves to the pros though.

Road bike/skinny tyres off road is not that different. It is still a bike with two wheels after all.

In a lot of cases they are faster (smooth simple single track, fire roads etc,.) than an MTB. In mud or very loose gravel they are challenging and slower.

Whereas a BMX is just slow and hard work but better fun in certain areas. All the fuss about wheel size differences are made real when riding 20" wheels...