Help- Jump/street Bike

[0zzy]

just before the summer i will be purchasing a dirt jump-street bike, but i dont really have an idea as to what im after,

it has to have:

24" wheels

have suspension

and take quiet a beating.

i was thinking about this http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=87678 it fits everything im after and is just in my price range.

or a bmx i was thinking about this http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=86470

i have around 500 tops to spend at the very most, so any ideas suggestions to put me on the right path would be great.

cheers ozzy.

Edited March 27, 2008 by 0zzy

[Mark W]

You could get a whole bike full of awesomeness if you spent that £500 on a BMX that'd be way more suitable for what you want it for.

Just sayin'

[0zzy]

i was thinking about that fit bike is that good? i dont really have any ideas. to be honest.

[Mark W]

I was gonna say, just get any of the top end Fit completes, they're fully awesome. Either the park or trails, or if you've got any balls at all you'd get the street one (brakeless + freecoaster). But yeah, seriously, it'll be a shitload nicer to ride and probably hold up a lot better. The only 24" street bike I've ridden that actually felt any near to a BMX in terms of flickiness and general decency for street riding had had a LOT of money thrown at it.

[0zzy]

I was gonna say, just get any of the top end Fit completes, they're fully awesome. Either the park or trails, or if you've got any balls at all you'd get the street one (brakeless + freecoaster). But yeah, seriously, it'll be a shitload nicer to ride and probably hold up a lot better. The only 24" street bike I've ridden that actually felt any near to a BMX in terms of flickiness and general decency for street riding had had a LOT of money thrown at it.

sorry to sound like a complete and utter retard but how does a freecoatser work ?

[JonMack]

Means you can roll backwards without pedalling, useful for 180s and such.

[Mark W]

This Colony is pretty good, and Pijin are selling the Fit completes at £40 less than Evans, with free delivery.

Freecoasters work by having a driver that threads into a 'clutch' (Think of it as a block of steel with knurling on the outside and a thread on the inside). When you pedal, the clutch moves up the threads towards the driver, and press against the hub shell, thus giving you drive. When you back pedal a little though, there's no hub shell contact so it just rolls back without you having to pedal backwards.

Means you can roll backwards without pedalling, useful for 180s and such.

Useful for going super fast and doing big fakie gaps, and for doing more fakie techery that would both look and feel like shit with a cassette. Just gliding around with a totally silent bike, not having to backpedal on floaty 3's to fakie and stuff like that feels so good.

[JonMack]

This Colony is pretty good, and Pijin are selling the Fit completes at £40 less than Evans, with free delivery.

It it true Pijins website sucks and I'd have more luck ringing them for certain parts?

[Mark W]

Verily, unfortunately. John, the website updater, works a regular job Monday to Friday, then works at Pijin Saturday-Sunday, so updating the website sometimes takes a back seat to dealing with the hordes of kids that harrass the shop

But yeah, just give them a call for whatever you want, they'll probably have it, and their prices beat everyone else (or they price match), plus their postage is free and pretty quick.

[0zzy]

ok i understand now, but how the fudge do you slow down with out brakes, it would scare the shit! into me. i think im going to go for the fit flow park the one i suggested before. as it has brakes, looks yummy and rides alrite. when i rode one from the evans cycles in milton kenyes.

[JonMack]

Verily, unfortunately. Jon, the website updater, works a regular job Monday to Friday, then works at Pijin Saturday-Sunday, so updating the website sometimes takes a back seat to dealing with the hordes of kids that harrass the shop

But yeah, just give them a call for whatever you want, they'll probably have it, and their prices beat everyone else (or they price match), plus their postage is free and pretty quick.

It's even in my f**king name!

Yeah my housemate Paul who's done their ad for them next month said i'd have a better job ringing them, not in the market for buying anything yet, haven't even got the money to buy a bike yet! But over summer probs gonna change a few things if I get on with it *crosses fingers*

[Mark W]

If you don't have brakes, you ride better

But yeah, try giving Pijin a call about the Fit completes, they're like £40 cheaper which you could spend on something rad to upgrade it, like a new pair of higher bars or something.

[Tomm]

I don't think 24s are that stupid. I hate riding BMXs, they feel way too small for and I'm never comfortable. I rode a mate's DMR sidekick 24 on some dirt jumps and it felt really nice. Just a pretty basic setup, one brake, 3pc cranks, short travel susslers and stuff. I'm sure BMXs are 'better' but 24s can be really good too!

[0zzy]

ok thanks mate you have been a great help, do you mind if i add you on msn for some more help? thanks ozzy.

[Revolver]

to slow down, stick your foot between the tyre and the seatstays.

Freecoasters have some fiddly clutch-type thing inside (i think). The result is a normally sensitive mechanism that lets you roll back without pedalling, although pedalling is useful for balance. Also, many are heavy, and many are prone to breaking. They also feel a little soft to pedal, because of how they work.

[Max Quinn]

If you don't have brakes, you ride better

Pfffttt don't listen to this smelly fashion rat

I'd reccomend start with a brake just untill you get used to a BMX an get decent bike control etc thheennn the choice is yours to take it off or not Theres nothing worse then seeing a rider who's just started careering around with no brakes crashing into everything and generally annoying everyone else and hindering his riding.

Those fits are niccee completes though But i would reccomend looking around for second hand stuff if your into that? I got a bike worth £1000+ for £250 a while ago. Or if you don't need it soon could build a pretty dialled bike if you went with some second hand parts.

[0zzy]

ok ill take it into consideration would i be saving my self money by building it up instead of buying it complate?

[Max Quinn]

Depends really. If you build a nice bike from all individual parts all brand new stuff your looking at £700+ but you'll probably be saving money in the future.

I'd say either get the fit or try and find second hand full bikes for cheap, might strike lucky.

[fredrico]

You could get a whole bike full of awesomeness if you spent that £500 on a BMX that'd be way more suitable for what you want it for.

Just sayin'

From personal experience my 3 top favourite street/dirt bikes are the Flow Drift, 24seven darkangel/slacker and dmr tansition. I found all of those perfect for me to which i just prefered the 24seven

[John Shrewsbury]

http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=86711 Im looking at gettin for meself.

http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=86643 Gd for street and park, jump action.

[JonMack]

Can't really ban mods, can you?

With the exception of Tomm, he loves banning himself!

[Revolver]

Can't really ban mods, can you?

With the exception of Tomm, he loves banning himself!

with a pinch of wtf for good measure

[Haz]

It's a good thing I'm not a mod, I'd be a mercinary, £20 per ban.

No SMs, or NMs.

[fredrico]

Can't really ban mods, can you?

With the exception of Tomm, he loves banning himself!

I was joking, i wouldnt want Jenny to be banned.

[Mark W]

I don't think 24s are that stupid. I hate riding BMXs, they feel way too small for and I'm never comfortable. I rode a mate's DMR sidekick 24 on some dirt jumps and it felt really nice. Just a pretty basic setup, one brake, 3pc cranks, short travel susslers and stuff. I'm sure BMXs are 'better' but 24s can be really good too!

I think it largely depends on which bike you rode, and how long ago. If it was a trialsy friend who'd just got a complete, it might feel a bit weird, and equally if it's some old school dude it might be weird. My bike's got a 21" toptube so it feels pretty roomy, and I've got 8.25" high, 28" wide bars so they feel nice and big and easy to control. Older bikes with tiny, low, cut down bars tend to feel McWank, and definitely unstable.

For dirt jumping, if you're starting MTBs are a bit easier to control, but personally I feel they're limited trick-wise. Note how a lot of the top dirt jump riders tend to be BMXers who are kinda 'meh' who realise there's a load of money to be made, and how the latest big trick in dirt jumping was pulled years ago on BMX's. But yeah, they do feel easier to ride at first, so you've got a point there. For street, however, they're still nowhere near as good as BMXs. The reason they feel good on trails is that they're big, squishy and stable - three words you just don't want to hear if you're trying to get a nice street bike.

I guess just work out what you're going to be riding most - if it's trails/dirt jumps, I guess you could go 24, but if it's primarily street, I'd still always recommend getting a BMX.

I'd reccomend start with a brake just untill you get used to a BMX an get decent bike control etc thheennn the choice is yours to take it off or not Theres nothing worse then seeing a rider who's just started careering around with no brakes crashing into everything and generally annoying everyone else and hindering his riding.

Truth. I was largely joking about the brakes thing, but that Fit's a damn good buy. Get a U-brake plate and you'd be set if you wanted to bang a brake on to get some control up first.