BMX recomendation

roguey

My little brother is looking to get into BMXing (tried to convince him skateboarding is better, but what can i do..) he wants to buy a bmx that will be used for around skateparks, and maybe a bi of dirt riding, anybody have any suggestions, he's looking for something less than €200

pete4130

You'll be hard pressed to find something for that price I'm afraid, unless its a really cheap and nasty bmx "style" bike from a regular bike shop that won't really last long before it starts to fall apart. I get all my stuff from a sho in Greystones called The Boardroom. It's a skate/bmx/surf shop and the guys that own it know what they are talking about and are really cool. Their site is www.theboardroom.ie to check out what they have. I was down in the shop last week and they had some really good bikes for €300 brand new with good parts on them.

roguey

ya i no i wont get anything new for €200, but i was really looking for second hand, just lik what is the difference between a pro bmx and one from a bike shop? like whats the deal with one brake?

pete4130

Buying from a regualr bike shop (unless they have proper bmx bikes in stock) means you'll get some generic, badly designed bike that looks like a bmx. It will have bad gemetry, cheap parts and be heavy. Buying a "pro" bmx or a complete bike from a proper bike company means that the owners, developers, designers are usually all bike riders/BMXer's who have put their experience and knowledge into the design to make it fell good to ride, be light and strong enough to do what its supposed to.

The best comparison I can make is buying somrhtying from the likes of a pound shop. The bike will look ok, be cheap but won't last long or really do what its supposed to do. I've been riding BMX 10 years now and I really mean it when I say that buying a cheap generic bmx is a waste of money. It's worth waiting that extra bit of time to save the extra bit of money to buy a better bike.

Companies like http://fitbikeco.com/ and www.wethepeople.de and http://www.unitedbikeco.com are companies that all do really good complete bikes ranging in price. I'd gladly ride a bike that either of those companies make (I chose those 3 companies because I think the Boardroom stocks those brands?)

All bikes you buy should come with 2 brakes by law, even if they only have 1 brake on them in the shop. Not many people really ride a front brake once they get into it,they don't feel they need it or use it enough so they take it off.

Hope this advice helps you a little bit.

Pete.

CianRyan

In that price range, one of the cheaper WTPs would do the job, if he's just starting out.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/m/cycle/7/wethepeople/

pete4130

Add shipping onto that price from wiggle and the exchange rate too...plus it comes in a box and you'll have to set it up yourself properly and won't be able to try before you buy. Buying it from the guys at the boardroom means it'll be built/set up properly right out of the shop and it'll be ready to roll straight away.

CianRyan

You can get WTP bikes in wreckless i think, suport the irish economy.
(then send me back to school to learn to spell)

pete4130

The boardroom is supporting the irish economy....it's in greystones, Wicklow, Ireland.

roguey

i was wondering if anybody knows if this bike is any good? http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380114656346&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:middle:ie#ebayphotohosting

pete4130

Nope, it's a really cheap bike. Only the main tubes of the bike are cro-mo (the type of steel the whole frame should be made from, best balance of weight and strength and cost). The seatpost and the back triangle will be made from high tensile steel, which will bend and be really heavy. It's cheap and nasty.
You get what you pay for on eBay.

roguey

is thisone ne good? http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Mongoose_Subject_2009/5360038332/

pete4130

Nope, it's sh!t. It's all high tensile steel so it'll weigh a tons, bend and snap really easily.

Just stick with the brands of complete bikes I posted earlier and you won't go wrong. If you buy a bike for £189, then expect it to feel and ride like a cheap bike. I could probably snap that mongoose in less than a week if I was to ride it...if I could even get the thing off the ground!

Like I said, I've been riding bikes for over 10 years and know about what bikes are good value or not.

CianRyan

pete4130 wrote: »

Just stick with the brands of complete bikes I posted earlier and you won't go wrong.

/\
||
||
That!!


Where exactly is the boardroom? Must check them out.

pete4130

It's just off main street in Greystones. Literally about a 2 minute walk from the dart station to the right as you come out of the station.

roguey

was woundering if this is a good bike for a bigginer???

http://theboardroom.ie/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=1_17_34&products_id=894&osCsid=9d2c8a6dc6518888244a7e2964505f8d

CianRyan

I've used them up in the bowl in Bushy park a few times, they do seem pretty nice. TBH, you can't go wrong with a WTP, i've never ridden a bad one.

chuppachee

Hey Roguey,
I would recommend getting a good seconhand bmx off ebay or adverts.ie.
I don't know what his age or height is, but there are different sizes of bmx's.
They are measured by what size the top tube (crossbar) is. 21inch would be for taller guys and say 19.5 inch would be for shorter guys. There are also 16 inch wheel BMX's as apposed to the normal 20 inch wheel ones. Really hard to find a good secondhand one of those though (16")and he'd have to be pretty small to need a 16 inch one.
I found a really good BMX on ebay uk for €165 (same bike couldn't be found using ebay ireland even with "find UK only items" turned on). I put the delivery of the bike up for tender on 'shiply' and accepted bid of £60 from 'united couriers UK'. €250 all together and that's for a top notch bike. Adverts.ie have some good ones on it too. Much better value, buying second hand in my opinion.
Anyways, happy huntin.
TIP:Google the bike you have your eye on,find it's original price.

j0e

i have a 2nd hand dirt master jump in me shed, pretty sweet bike but it is made fr dirt jumping, bit 0f rust but n0thing a bit 0f tinfi0l w0nt fix, bike is in excellent nick

wreckless

wtp at wreckless also, and competitive prices too, free shipping to your gaff

http://shop.wreckless.ie/wethepeople-m-87.html

Luke G

chuppachee wrote: »

Hey Roguey,
I would recommend getting a good seconhand bmx off ebay or adverts.ie.
I don't know what his age or height is, but there are different sizes of bmx's.
They are measured by what size the top tube (crossbar) is. 21inch would be for taller guys and say 19.5 inch would be for shorter guys. There are also 16 inch wheel BMX's as apposed to the normal 20 inch wheel ones. Really hard to find a good secondhand one of those though (16")and he'd have to be pretty small to need a 16 inch one.
I found a really good BMX on ebay uk for €165 (same bike couldn't be found using ebay ireland even with "find UK only items" turned on). I put the delivery of the bike up for tender on 'shiply' and accepted bid of £60 from 'united couriers UK'. €250 all together and that's for a top notch bike. Adverts.ie have some good ones on it too. Much better value, buying second hand in my opinion.
Anyways, happy huntin.
TIP:Google the bike you have your eye on,find it's original price.

Yeah well said, But if he's gonna do it, do it the right way and get himself a classic Raleigh Burner off ebay, they are by far the best of the classic BMX lot, and look class to, should pick one up cheap enough too...

The BOFH

pete4130 wrote: »

Nope, it's sh!t. It's all high tensile steel so it'll weigh a tons, bend and snap really easily.

Just stick with the brands of complete bikes I posted earlier and you won't go wrong. If you buy a bike for £189, then expect it to feel and ride like a cheap bike. I could probably snap that mongoose in less than a week if I was to ride it...if I could even get the thing off the ground!

Like I said, I've been riding bikes for over 10 years and know about what bikes are good value or not.

Only the very top range bikes of most brands are 100% CroMo. Even mid range WTP's & DK's only have cro mo main tubes & everything else is hi-ten including the fork. I was looking for a mid range BMX a couple of years ago & ended up getting a Freeagent Airstrike because it was the only one in the price range with a cro mo fork. In hindsight it would have been worth going for a WTP or DK as they have higher spec components but I'm 90kg & have been riding my little Freeagent for 2 years without snapping or bending it. Even if the fork claims to be cro mo that is usually just the blades & the steerer is hi-ten.

Get a mid range bike from most brands & it will be ok, the first things to upgrade are the pedals, grips & rear rim as most bikes come with cheap grips & pedals & raw rims which aren't great for braking, you need chrome rims. BMXs are simple little bikes, you can keep a rolling build going & upgrade as you wear parts out and you can manage the budget a bit better and upgrade one of the frame/forks/drivetrain every year or 2.

CianRyan

Luke G wrote: »

Yeah well said, But if he's gonna do it, do it the right way and get himself a classic Raleigh Burner off ebay, they are by far the best of the classic BMX lot, and look class to, should pick one up cheap enough too...

If he wants to ride it seriously and not just roll around on it, that really wont do at all.
BMXs changed for a reasonm you wouldn't buy a TV from the 80's just cause it's your first one would you?

shagman

CianRyan wrote: »

If he wants to ride it seriously and not just roll around on it, that really wont do at all.
BMXs changed for a reasonm you wouldn't buy a TV from the 80's just cause it's your first one would you?

I think or at least I hope he's joking, even in the 80s burners were regarded as rubbish by anyone who took BMX serously. The geometry and construction on most of the burner range was terrible, the exception being the aero and team burners as these were re-branded Tange frames from Japan.
As a retro cool an immaculate burner hanging on your wall is of course the dogs danglies, but you wouldn't dream of actually trying to ride the thing!

The BOFH

shagman wrote: »

I think or at least I hope he's joking, even in the 80s burners were regarded as rubbish by anyone who took BMX serously. The geometry and construction on most of the burner range was terrible, the exception being the aero and team burners as these were re-branded Tange frames from Japan.
As a retro cool an immaculate burner hanging on your wall is of course the dogs danglies, but you wouldn't dream of actually trying to ride the thing!

I had 4 Burners, the only ones that were good were the Super Tuff & Aero burners with the oval tubing, the previous ones weren't very good, horribly heavy with a nasty geo.

shagman

The BOFH wrote: »

I had 4 Burners, the only ones that were good were the Super Tuff & Aero burners with the oval tubing, the previous ones weren't very good, horribly heavy with a nasty geo.

Yeah the Mk 2 series were better than the previous round tube versions and burners were better than XM1000s, presidents, le jeune and all the cheaper makes.But they were still a million miles from the proper BMXs of the day eg Skyway TA, Hutch, GHP, GT etc.

The best thing about burners were their 10yr frame guarantee!

Miles-e-piles

pete4130 wrote: »

Nope, it's sh!t. It's all high tensile steel so it'll weigh a tons, bend and snap really easily.

Just stick with the brands of complete bikes I posted earlier and you won't go wrong. If you buy a bike for £189, then expect it to feel and ride like a cheap bike. I could probably snap that mongoose in less than a week if I was to ride it...if I could even get the thing off the ground!

Like I said, I've been riding bikes for over 10 years and know about what bikes are good value or not.

Hi Pete4130,
I can tell that you clearly know what you're talking about. Can I ask, is a GT Performer (1996 model, I think!) a particularly heavy bike? Mine has a pair of GT 3 spoke mags fitted on it.

I used to ride a gold Super Tuff Burner when I was a kid. Obviously I'm a lot heavier now, but I don't ever remember my old Burner being anywhere near as heavy as the GT Performer my wife bought for me back in 1996; it just feels soooooooo heavy! Is it heavy compared to other BMX bikes?

I'm actually considering selling it (I might keep the mags for a future dream bike!) and an old resprayed burner (not sure what model - got it secondhand) as a lot - don't really have the space for them anymore, and I almost never ride them.

Anyway, answers/interest greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,
Miles-e-piles.

danois

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=42238

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=44220

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=50711

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=46117


looking for advice on which bike is best for my 11 year old had got him a verycheap mongoose but it was an old model so gona give it to my youngest get him something better. Can any of you tell me if any of these are any good or show me some links that might be good quality for same price range??

Thanks a million

Naylor1

I was just wondering if any of you guys could give me a hand with this bike? i seen it on adverts and i'm not quite sure what make it is so im skeptical about buying it? or is it even a good buy?

Alkers

You forgot the link?