ThePopmonkey

That's a fair point actually, I had a heavy GT BMX when I first started out that was dead cheap but my first real BMX was completely different.

Hi, Ok so I've just joined and the feedback from my first post confirmed I want a 24" street trials bike and you guys got me hooked on the Onza Zoot. The thing is I've been looking on here and on eBay and it seems the 24" bikes command a real premium at the moment. I really want the 2012 Zoot but at £500 or more it's hard to justify the "play bike" criteria I mentioned in my first post. I'm trying to be realistic with myself about how often I'll get out and ride etc because I don't think anyone would argue £500's an insignificant amount. While I was looking I came across an Ashton Effect for £200 which seems much more realistic in terms of money I'm essentially throwing away on a bit of fun. Now I know 9 times out of ten you guys on here recommend the Zoot over the Effect but given the money situation what's your honest opinion on the Effect? Could it be a cheap way of getting into the scene or is it fundamentally flawed? I notice some of you mention it's gearing, given I'm coming from BMX am I likely to notice a massive difference? I've also looked at some cheap 26" bikes like the Onza Spyrogyra but discounted these due to my skatepark requirement? Advice appreciated, in the meantime I'm going to keep getting out on the Kona as often as I can

Cool! Thanks for the advice everyone, I'll have to do some sums (see what I can flog on eBay) then I'll go and have a look at a Zoot! I'll let you know when I'm riding

If I was to go with the Zoot then I'd be looking at the orange and black or green and black 24" right? Can anyone recommend a good (and preferably cheap) dealer somewhere in the Derby, Nottingham area? Do they have a shop at the HQ in Nottingham? I wouldn't say I'm fully decided but thanks to you guys I starting to get a fuzzy feeling about the Zoot! Now question about brakes, the V's on my BMX were a pain and needed constant new pads and the rims cleaning. The Disc's on the Kona are old style ones but have a nice feel especially for front wheel tricks. I don't follow the hardware side of cycling but doing this research I've become aware of hydraulic disc's and also V's? Can someone give me a quick heads up on whats new, good/bad with brakes at the moment please? I'm assuming the Zoot has a good set of V brakes out the box? Thanks again, 1st post and you guys have been awesome!

Just found this video of the Zoot in action at a skate park That's pretty much all I'd be doing (without the back flips) so that's quite promising, going to have a look and see who's got one I can have a look at. Thanks for the advice so far. I think I needed to get the scale of the tricks into perspective, I've heard a lot about trials bikes breaking components where obviously with the BMX and Shred it's never been a worry. I think I'd got this impression that a trials bike would buckle at the first sight of a jump box

Hi everyone, After a couple of nights browsing the Internet I'm hoping you can give me some advice on buying a new bike. I'm a former BMX'er who's getting on a bit now and feels he's outgrown the bike and the demands it puts on the body. I've just sold my BMX having not ridden it regularly for a couple of years, instead I've been riding a Kona Shred I bought back in 2006. I've enjoyed the Shred, it was a good compromise between a normal mountain bike and a jump bike, I could hit our local BMX track and some skate parks as well as pop the seat right up for a casual ride down the lanes with the missus. Now I've just purchased a full suss mtb for regular biking duties and trails so I'm going to sell the Kona but the council have built a nice new concrete skate park 10 minutes from us and it's just too tempting! I'm after a bike to play about on when wife and child let me leave the house alone. I like to potter about the neighbourhood jumping on and off things, riding banks, trying flatland style tricks but in a much calmer more technical style. I guess as I'm getting older I'm more drawn towards what you guys call street trials rather than hardcore BMX. Basically I want to get a "play" bike to live alongside the full susser that I can still potter about on but now also take to the new skatepark and occasionally our local gravel BMX track for a bit of jumping in the air action (my mates still not outgrown his skateboard!). I'm not particularly good, I'm not much passed the ThinkBikes tutorials in terms of trials moves and I'm never going to achieve more than foot jams and tail whips on the BMX side, it's something I do for fun not a lifestyle. Because it's a "Play Bike" and I have a very small person to look after I can't justify spending a lot of money so I'd think twice about going much over £400. Having found the ThinkBikes video clips on the Tube I was initially thinking of the Voodoo Shango but having seen one it looks longer than my Kona and I can't imagine it being an easy ride on a small council skate park. My Kona is too heavy and the front suspension fork is not natural on quarter pipes so I've been investigating street trials bikes but there's not much to choose from. I can't believe the price of Inspired bikes (Element budget anyone?!), quite a few of you say the Diamondback Effect sucks the fat one, and I've never seen one in the flesh but I'm not sure the Zoot would suit the ramps, jump box and BMX track side of things? Is there a jump bike that's a reasonable geometry for my limited trials playing, Specialized P1 maybe? I'd like to get something new, and I know it's not worth checking eBay, there's nothing cheap on there since Danny Mac hit the interweb. That's me in a nutshell, what do you guys think would suit my situation?