BMX/freestyle

[FAST GSXR750]

Anybody into Bmx freestyle? I'm looking to build a stunt bike out of a huffy mtn bike. Going to remove the 18 speed and brakes-want a single speed with a coaster. Question is. Is this doable or not? Does anybody make 26 in single speed wheels with a foot brake? I'm not going too the X games but it is great exercise. Any input is welcome including if you think it's nuts.

["Dangerous" Dan K]

Anybody into Bmx freestyle? I'm looking to build a stunt bike out of a huffy mtn bike. Going to remove the 18 speed and brakes-want a single speed with a coaster. Question is. Is this doable or not? Does anybody make 26 in single speed wheels with a foot brake? I'm not going too the X games but it is great exercise. Any input is welcome including if you think it's nuts.

Do-able, but not worth it. Sounds like what you want (or at least similar) is a "29er". They're road bike (700C) sized wheels with big rubber, on MTB frames. Usually set up rigid & singlespeed. You'd have to add a coaster brake.

Why a coaster brake, anyway?

[FAST GSXR750]

Do-able, but not worth it. Sounds like what you want is actually a "29er". They're road bike (700C) sized wheels with big rubber, on MTB frames. Usually set up rigid & singlespeed. You'd have to add a coaster brake.

Why a coaster brake, anyway?

Don't want to get impaled by the levers when i crash. Plan on going too the skate-bike park. What kind of brake should i use?

[FAST GSXR750]

I'm too tall for a 20 in BMX bike.

["Dangerous" Dan K]

Don't want to get impaled by the levers when i crash. Plan on going too the skate-bike park. What kind of brake should i use?

Skate park bikes don't have coaster brakes. Some have hand brakes, some have none. Go to a skate park, or watch the stuff on TV. Nobody is using a coaster brake. You need to be able to pedal back to set your feet up.

I'm too tall for a 20 in BMX bike.

How tall are you? My best friend is 6'4 & can wreck the place at a skate park. He's been in video's and shit at that height.

If you're not comfortable on a 20", fine, go bigger. I doubt you are "too tall" for one though. Sounds like the next best thing for what you want is a rigid 29er.

[FAST GSXR750]

Great info, thanks. Glad i asked. Those guys on tv go way too fast to see what they are using. Got a 20 in available so i'll try that first. Just got to put a fixed wheel on it. Thanks again.

["Dangerous" Dan K]

20" Fixed Wheel?! Whatchu talkin bout willis?

Anyway, I'm more than happy to help. I love riding, I've got a bunch of bikes including a 20" skate park bike & a rigid 29er like I suggested. None are for sale though, sorry

Anyway, whatcha talkin bout fixed wheel on a 20"?

Oh, and 20" bike frames are measured in top tube length, not seat tube length. This is a key factor for a bigger dude. We never found out just how tall you are. Too bad you're not closer, I could let you try out basically any kind of bike you could be thinking of.

[Chippertheripper]

Yup, a 21 or 21.25" 20" bmx bike, or something lke a single speed giant stp or specialized p(insert number here). Or if you really want a 26" wheeled bmx geometry frame, a black market or dobermann, something like that.

[OreoGaborio]

Paging Seth & Alex.... resident freestyle nuts.

[a13x]

Paging Seth & Alex.... resident freestyle nuts.

Yea but this thread is just nuts.

[imkindafkedup]

I'm too tall for a 20 in BMX bike.

Lies. I'm about 6'3'' and have been riding little kid bikes for a long time and have friends that are taller then me that ride. I ride at skateparks all the time. Your bar ends or axles are more likely to impale you then a hand brake lever will. They're small, and if you're looking at doing park stuff most riders don't even use brakes any more. Its a trend thing, but its becoming a lot more popular. I'm sure brakes on park bikes will eventually disappear completely. I have a friend thats borrowing my spare bike right now with a 21" TT, she'll be returning within a couple months if you want to borrow it for when spring comes around just let me know.

Also in addition to just the top tube length things like the reach of the stem and the height of the bars make a huge difference. My current set up is a 21.25 TT, 53mm reach stem, and 8.25" bars. Also crank arm length has also changed in the last few years. 180mm arms use to be standard which has now went down to 175mm because it was found to have better improvements with spins and I'm sure the fact that they were marginally lighter was made them more attractive.

[BLACK SQUIRREL]

This is what you need

http://www.swobo.com/catalog/product...cPath=201_1480

I have on for sale 350.00

That 19 speeed mtn bike thing sounds dangerous

[seth399]

1) ya you might feel bunched up on a bmx bike (though lots of huge dudes ride them well)

2) a 29"er seems like a bad idea (sorry DANGEROUS dan)

3) I would suggest a single speed mountain bike (24 or 26" wheels). There are plenty of jump/park specific frames out there and I'm sure you could track a used one down pretty easily.

["Dangerous" Dan K]

Seth, no need to be sorry, we all have our opinions. I love my 29er, and think it's fun in the parks. Daniel's Swobo seems like a hell of a deal. Curious, why does a 29er sound like a bad idea to you?

Seth does make a good point that there are plenty of jump & park designed 24 & 26 inch bikes out there. I always felt the geometry on them was a bit funky, but I also have very little time on one. They're probably sick once you get used to them.

[Tricky Mike]

I'd go with a 20" personally. In any case, be prepared to be "that guy" at every park you roll into.

[seth399]

Seth, no need to be sorry, we all have our opinions. I love my 29er, and think it's fun in the parks. Daniel's Swobo seems like a hell of a deal. Curious, why does a 29er sound like a bad idea to you?

Seth does make a good point that there are plenty of jump & park designed 24 & 26 inch bikes out there. I always felt the geometry on them was a bit funky, but I also have very little time on one. They're probably sick once you get used to them.

Ya I dunno I would just never consider a 29er to be confidence inspiring or do anything good when on ramps/jumping. Many bmxers would say the same about a 26" mtb though haha. Actually when I was at woodward west a pro bmxer hopped on my hardtail mtb and was able to tailwhip onto top of a quarter after like 4 tries so ride whatever feels comfy

["Dangerous" Dan K]

I'd go with a 20" personally. In any case, be prepared to be "that guy" at every park you roll into.

True story. I'm "that guy" whenever I roll into a park. When I was in Dover the park was 1/4 mile from my house so the local kids got used to me.

Ya I dunno I would just never consider a 29er to be confidence inspiring or do anything good when on ramps/jumping. Many bmxers would say the same about a 26" mtb though haha. Actually when I was at woodward west a pro bmxer hopped on my hardtail mtb and was able to tailwhip onto top of a quarter after like 4 tries so ride whatever feels comfy

I hear that. Honestly, anything bigger than 20" in a park sounds like a bad idea to me, but I've had fun at them on my 29er. I'd still take my 20" any day if the intention was parks when I left the house. The 29er ends up in parks like my road bike ends up on singletrack & my motorcycles end up in the woods; I set out to do one thing and see something else that's just too tempting to ride by.

[Chippertheripper]

i know where there's a 357 for sale cheap...

http://www.blackmarketbikes.com/prod...cts&item=bikes

[redwinger]

i gotta go with Seth on this one. a 29er in a park sounds like madness. i ride a 29er when i want to ride trails that aren't too technical.

and everyone else is right, coaster brakes/fixed gears - you're not thinking straight. get a standard brake setup if your plan is to play in a park and you don't want to go with the no brake setup

[Chippertheripper]

i would absolutely pay money to watch someone that didn't know what they were doing try and ride a skatepark with no brakes. it isn't just hop on and ride like berringer.

[Chippertheripper]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lua3DMwgRsw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lua3DMwgRsw

for your morning chuckles.

[BLACK SQUIRREL]

i would absolutely pay money to watch someone that didn't know what they were doing try and ride a skatepark with no brakes. it isn't just hop on and ride like berringer.

That is exactly how we feel about the "rookie Race"

[Chippertheripper]

i hope i can deliver then.

[BLACK SQUIRREL]

i hope i can deliver then.

you and Jim

[FireboltEric_MA]

I'll help Jim Deliver...