[Closed] Hardtail for BMX/4X and trails

Mate of mine runs a 1x10 456 for general trail use, drops the saddle and then races it in national 4X rounds.

I had a Charge Blender with SB8's. Absolute hoot of a bike that did everything your describe. Wasn't so great for [s]enduroing[/s] trail riding so I swapped it for a Prince Albert.

While we're on Dialled bikes, a Holeshot would also suit.

Why not just use the Mmmbop?

I'm in a very similar position. My 5 yr old has been in our local club for a year now - it's a great club. The kids that have been riding for a few years have skills most mountain bikers would swap a lung for.

With winter approachinig all the Dad's have bought bikes and are racing in our mini series. It's more fun than standing around in the cold watching!

Despite having a Chameleon I picked up a second hand cruiser for £150. If I get board of it I'll sell it on for similar money I expect.

Just a thought...

16" Dartmoor Hornet, light, cheap and rides well. Don't think you'll find anything to suit a 1.5" steerer, most are tapered or 1.1/8. Most 4x frames are too small to run a long seatpost to ride XC so that limits your choice.

I have a Dialled Holeshot, which is awesome, but the frame is too small to XC. Got a spare frame (cheap, collected only from Gloucestershire) if you wanted one.

Keep your Ragley and get yourself a 2nd hand BMX. £100 - 200 should do it. It won't break when you fall off either!

Slackline sound like a sensible choice (I love mine), but honestly I think you're better off with the Mmmbop you have + a BMX.

slam the seat on ur hardtail, or go mad and put some other tyres on and put a bit more air in the forks

if your after a 4x bike then this is a bargain

[url= http://www.swinnertoncycles.co.uk/bikes-c97/mtb-c105/hardtail-c108/swinnerton-cycles-identiti-krisis-sl-custom-4x-build-dirt-jump-ex-team-bike-p48975 ]4x Bike[/url]

As above, most 4x frames are more for pure fun, thrash about, rather than out on the trails, you might find a Charge Blender would be okay.

BMX and pump tracks are more fun with SS setup, so maybe look for something with slot dropouts and a hanger, or swapouts. The Stanton is nice but you might have more fun with a BMX, which you can drop it without worrying about scuffing it up or smashing up levers and shifters.

I have a Dialled Holeshot and ran it with U-turn Pikes for a little while, but it's supposed to be 120mm maximum travel, and rides better like this.

Just been for a blast down the local BMX track during my lunch hour and despite mentioning a 456 earlier in the thread I now concur with some of the others - keep the mmmbop and get a BMX. They're amazing fun and I can't imagine enjoying it anywhere near as much on a 26" wheeled bike.

24" BMXs rock! Any excuse to show a pic of my (recently acquired) original General Lee 24-

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If you can live with the ignominy of not having chucked thousands of pounds at the latest flouro Enduro[sup]TM[/sup] gnarpoon there are loads of bargains to be had-

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/dmr-wrath-jump-bike-2013/rp-prod120613

CrMo, cheap, UK business. What's not to like?

😀

edit- here's another good buy, 10/14mm rear wheel adapters notwithstanding- tsk, kids these days... 😆

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Free-Agent-Devil-24-08-24-Inch-Jump-Dirt-Street-Cruiser-Race-BMX-Bike-/331349216983?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item4d25f3ced7

Thanks for all the replies, think I'll put the mmmbop back together (was stripped for parts to build up wife's bike in August) and see how it rides at the track - personally think it's slightly long as I got the medium, which is fine for trails but not as chuckable as I'd like. Have the tyres on order and all the bits arrived earlier in the week, so no excuses!
Pilgrim Bob - my boy is 5 too and concur about the crazy skills...seeing a 7yr old clear a 15ft double is pretty insane. The club have a couple of cruisers that can be borrowed but they're usually taken for those training but will grab a go on one and see how I feel.

Got a Curtis SX frame going cheap, designed for four cross bmx track shizzle.

I'm currently after a bike like this myself and I've looked at most of the options.

[quote> http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/dmr-wrath-jump-bike-2013/rp-prod120613

CrMo, cheap, UK business. What's not to like?

That awful quality hubs, BB, headset etc..

Charge Blender is a mint bike for what you describe. I had one for years and did a bit of everything but they're crap for pedalling. Total weapon on tight and jumpy stuff. Not so good if you want to run single speed.

If you want to hang on to your tapered fork you'll be after something more modern with a straight 44mm headtube like what's on the Cotic's.

Maybe look at a small or medium Bfe. There's someone selling some cheap Stanton's on Pinkbike.

[quote="sharkattack"]That awful quality hubs, BB, headset etc..

I'll show my arse on the town hall steps if the parts on that bike aren't up to at least a year's thrashing on BMX tracks and trails. Just 'cos they don't have the label du jour on them doesn't mean they're not up to the job.

you could build up a 4x bike around what you have. The dartmoor phantoms used to be tapered, so the new ones might also? 1x9 or 1x10 gears, low rolling resistance tyres amd you are away.

Alot of people will rightly say that xc is out of the question, but it is not impossible. You wont be able to get the saddle up high enough, and it will be a pain climbing, but oh so much fun on the way down 🙂

I'll show my arse on the town hall steps if the parts on that bike aren't up to at least a year's thrashing on BMX tracks and trails. Just 'cos they don't have the label du jour on them doesn't mean they're not up to the job.

I'm not into labels, but I do look at how things are put together. My LBS got one in and I went around debit card at the ready, 99% sure it was going to be my winter jump bike for our new indoor trails. I just decided I'd rather get something else. The moving parts (i.e. cranks, wheels) are like what you'll find in Halfords on one of those X-Rated jump bike things.

I'm not slagging it off, I'm not that emotionally invested in it. Just pointing out a few week points. If you want one, feel free.

To be honest, short fun rides is what the hardtail gets used for most i.e. the odd hour blasting in the woods when time allows. The full suss goes on the longer rides (2hrs +), usually travelling to a decent DH track or trail centre. Having said that, I used the hardtail for all my riding last winter/spring so as not to kill the pivots/shocks and it meant more time out on the trail and less servicing. Therefore, it's probably better to go with something with just enough seat tube to allow seated climbing when the need arises.

Charge Blender would do it I reckon, if you're not too tall. I use mine for a bit of everything and it's great. Jumps effortlessly and can hold its own downhill. It's a bit slack on the seat tube though (about 68deg I think) but I took mine over to the Long Mynd in the summer and managed a 28 miler with 1x10 so it's not the worst bike for the job! It did require a bit of effort to keep the front down on the steeper climbs though!

edit - just seen you're 5'8", around the same here and I get on ok with the Blender for sit-down stuff. It's all about dropping the saddle and blasting down hills and over jumps though.

Just pointing out a few week points.

Can't speak for the rims but those hubs and cranks, while not particularly pretty, are more than capable of withstanding STW levels of jump abuse.

I use an old mk2 xs bfe for this type of stuff and it's ace.

I'd love to have a 44mm head tube welded in so I could get some better forks for it.

more than capable of withstanding [b]STW levels[/b] of jump abuse

Yeah, no doubt. Some of us aren't stuck at level 1 😉

Check this out though for a nice frame; [url= http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1661465/ ]Stanton DJ[/url]

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Actually if you're not bothered about it being super slack or whatever you could do much worse than a Trailstar as well. Would be dirt cheap 2nd hand now as well and they're solid bikes. [url= http://www.pinkbike.com/video/259602/ ]Old video of mine schralping the gnat[/url] 😛

Old video of mine schralping the gnat

Not a bad video. Can't miss an opportunity to mention that I saw Russian Circles supporting High on Fire in Vancouver. What a night!

Sorry. Back to bikes....

Check out the Transition PBJ. But DO NOT buy the blue one on Ebay before I do.

Haha that does sound like a night worth showing off about tbf, great bands 8)

I was going to suggest a Trailstar as a couple of riding buddies use them for exactly what the OP wants. Only slight issue is the 1 1/8 headtube which wouldn't be an issue if the op sold/swapped his 1.5 forks for something older, with a bit less travel. I ran old u-turn revs at 85mm on my old xc hardtail when i took it jumping as they felt more 'right' and a fair bit stiffer than when i ran them a 120mm.

You'd could easily get an older second hand frame and forks for the price of a new frame (like that Stanton).

Some of us aren't stuck at level 1

I may be a level 1 jumper, but my crashes are easily level 3 and i've not broken those cranks 😀

[i]to be my winter jump bike for our new indoor trails[/i]
Tell me more about these indoor trails...

Nukeproof snap has a 44mm headtube so will take a 1.5" fork.Not on crc anymore but usually a few on t'bay.

U-Turn Pikes on a Trailstar are a match made in heaven.

I had a Giant STP as my main bike for a while - used it for dirtjumping (above level 1 I think 😉 ), XC rides, and everything in between. Medium/large frame, and I'm just over 6". Would definitely recommend one.

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Tell me more about these indoor trails...

[url= http://www.pinkbike.com/news/three-magic-words-indoor-dirt-jumps.html ]Click here[/url]

20.8lb Dialled Holeshot 🙂

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