Some questions on dirt jumpers

PB Forum :: Dirt Jumping & Street
Some questions on dirt jumpers
  • Previous Page
Author Message
flag brett576
Posted: Sep 28, 2015 at 16:11 Quote
My son is 12 and recently got in to downhill. We got a 26", small, stinky to start out. On the flip side, he also is in to BMX and dirt jumping at our local skate/BMS park. I've been looking at the DJ bikes on here and some of them have a single gear and some have multiple gears. Which set up do you recommend? Which bikes are the lightest? I'm open to any and all advice. Thanks
flag cmc4130
Posted: Sep 28, 2015 at 16:19 Quote
brett576 wrote:
My son is 12 and recently got in to downhill. We got a 26", small, stinky to start out. On the flip side, he also is in to BMX and dirt jumping at our local skate/BMS park. I've been looking at the DJ bikes on here and some of them have a single gear and some have multiple gears. Which set up do you recommend? Which bikes are the lightest? I'm open to any and all advice. Thanks

Singlespeed is now the norm for DJ bikes. It is simple, strong, reliable etc. You don't have a chain flopping around (although that can be helped a lot with proper chain guide) and you don't have to worry about a tweaked derailleur.

Depending on how tall he is, a 24"-wheel specific DJ bike might be good. They're not necessarily "youth specific" in the same way other 24" wheel mtb's are. These are 24"-wheel bikes for regular adult riders, but the 24" wheels add to the nimbleness. For example, the Black Market Contraband 24". Although Black Market does also offer the Lil Monster with Xtra Small option designed for smaller riders.
flag cedarnclay
Posted: Sep 28, 2015 at 18:22 Quote
cmc4130 wrote:
brett576 wrote:
My son is 12 and recently got in to downhill. We got a 26", small, stinky to start out. On the flip side, he also is in to BMX and dirt jumping at our local skate/BMS park. I've been looking at the DJ bikes on here and some of them have a single gear and some have multiple gears. Which set up do you recommend? Which bikes are the lightest? I'm open to any and all advice. Thanks

Singlespeed is now the norm for DJ bikes. It is simple, strong, reliable etc. You don't have a chain flopping around (although that can be helped a lot with proper chain guide) and you don't have to worry about a tweaked derailleur.

This.

I ride a DJ for XC too and have gotten so used to its simplicity and quickness that I now basically can't stand the flopping chain, shifting, sticks in the derailleur, and general clunkiness associated with my AM 6" full sus ride.
flag brett576
Posted: Sep 29, 2015 at 8:46 Quote
Thanks for the advice. I'm glad I asked because I had 26' wheel stuck in my mind - a 24' wheel makes more sense for a 12 year old.
flag AarBorne
Posted: Sep 29, 2015 at 13:36 Quote
Hey there, looking for advice.
I want to get a new bike. I have an old felt bmx 20" they called a dirt jumper. It may be. I'm just getting into the dj/street scene.
Basically I have been riding bmx my whole life (I'm 5'7") and haven't needed much bigger. I'd like to try a street version of a dirt jumper but think it'd be better with either a fork that's completely lock able (to only use every once in a while) or a solid fork. Either way I want it to be quality. I can spend up to a grand. I will use it mainly for street/commute. I looked at the idea of multiple gears but I sort of consider them cheating. I do extended ride on my little bike.
Here are the things I'm looking for:

Disc brakes front and rear (if I have to settle for only rear I will)
26"er
-Indestructible!- (I have no concern about weight!) I want this thing to be a tank. I usually tell people I want to be able to throw it down a mountain side and pick it up and keep riding. No luck yet finding that bike. So please help!
Under $1k

I think that's it. Thanks for any help on this. Or also let me know what forum this might be better in if this one doesn't apply too well.
flag cmc4130
Posted: Sep 29, 2015 at 14:19 Quote
AarBorne wrote:
Hey there, looking for advice.
I want to get a new bike. I have an old felt bmx 20" they called a dirt jumper. It may be. I'm just getting into the dj/street scene.
Basically I have been riding bmx my whole life (I'm 5'7") and haven't needed much bigger. I'd like to try a street version of a dirt jumper but think it'd be better with either a fork that's completely lock able (to only use every once in a while) or a solid fork. Either way I want it to be quality. I can spend up to a grand. I will use it mainly for street/commute. I looked at the idea of multiple gears but I sort of consider them cheating. I do extended ride on my little bike.
Here are the things I'm looking for:

Disc brakes front and rear (if I have to settle for only rear I will)
26"er
-Indestructible!- (I have no concern about weight!) I want this thing to be a tank. I usually tell people I want to be able to throw it down a mountain side and pick it up and keep riding. No luck yet finding that bike. So please help!
Under $1k

I think that's it. Thanks for any help on this. Or also let me know what forum this might be better in if this one doesn't apply too well.

A complete from a respected brand will be a good buy. Like this: http://www.jensonusa.com/NS-Bikes-Metropolis-3-Bike-2015
or
https://www.harobikes.com/mtb/bikes/freestyle-mtb/steel-reserve-1-1-2015

But, a lightly-used complete is going to be the best deal.

26" dj bike - $350 (port orchard) Fireball
http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/bik/5241885525.html

This guy's P2 is overpriced for how old it is. He should expect more like 350-400.
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/5234289652.html

This one is also overpriced. He should expect like 550-650.
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/5240007458.html

These were 550 new, so he should be asking more like 275.
http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/bik/5241511814.html
flag AarBorne
Posted: Sep 29, 2015 at 14:56 Quote
Thanks so much! I'll check into these. Very much appreciated.
flag Thairishguy
Posted: Sep 30, 2015 at 6:46 Quote
I'd say you should get him something new. Used dirt jumpers are really beaten up so the wear and tear is in there
flag Metro-Gnome
Posted: Sep 30, 2015 at 8:33 Quote
Not necessarily... remember in any sport there is lightly used stuff on the used market. Try to find something without many marks or scratches$.

Everyone wants a dirtjumper, but not everyone has the 'cojones' to ride huge jump lines. A dj bike used as a commuter or lightly used for street probably still has years of life in it. Thats just my 2 cents.

As an example, I recently bought a used Scott Scale 10 and it is totally fine. The original owner just didnt 'mesh' with the bike, so I ended up with an expensive frame and fork for under a grand. Assembled the whole thing for 1200 canadian, and its only 17 pounds (lighter than stock, and 3000 less than it would ve cost with stock parts)

Look for something like that. Be careful when buying used, but bif you inspect it and theres nothing wrong with it, go for it.
flag cmc4130
Posted: Sep 30, 2015 at 10:02 Quote
Metro-Gnome wrote:
Not necessarily... remember in any sport there is lightly used stuff on the used market. Try to find something without many marks or scratches$.

Everyone wants a dirtjumper, but not everyone has the 'cojones' to ride huge jump lines. A dj bike used as a commuter or lightly used for street probably still has years of life in it. Thats just my 2 cents.

As an example, I recently bought a used Scott Scale 10 and it is totally fine. The original owner just didnt 'mesh' with the bike, so I ended up with an expensive frame and fork for under a grand. Assembled the whole thing for 1200 canadian, and its only 17 pounds (lighter than stock, and 3000 less than it would ve cost with stock parts)

Look for something like that. Be careful when buying used, but bif you inspect it and theres nothing wrong with it, go for it.

Yeah. A few years back it seemed like a lot of xc/casual mtb riders bought dirt jumpers with the idea that they'd learn to jump; then they quit pretty quickly and the bikes just sat in the garage....
flag AarBorne
Posted: Oct 1, 2015 at 12:43 Quote
I appreciate the help and advice guys. I'll let ya know what I find or am interested in. Front shocks are still iffy to me as I like to bunny-hop and fixed-gear pedal my ass off. Hence the lock-out feature I'd be looking for in a dj if I got one with that.
flag cmc4130
Posted: Oct 1, 2015 at 14:14 Quote
AarBorne wrote:
I appreciate the help and advice guys. I'll let ya know what I find or am interested in. Front shocks are still iffy to me as I like to bunny-hop and fixed-gear pedal my ass off. Hence the lock-out feature I'd be looking for in a dj if I got one with that.

Just FYI, they're generally called suspension forks not "front shocks." A "shock" usually refers to the rear shock on a full-suspension bike.

A dirt jump specific suspension fork is generally going to be stiffer and stronger than a cross country (xc) fork. Either because of a stiffer coil spring set or higher air psi (or both). They do not negatively affect bunnyhopping at all. (Check out videos of Martin Soderstrom riding street and skatepark for example). No one (that I know of) dirt jumps or rides mtbmx-style street on a fork in the "lock out" position. That is more of a thing for xc riders doing climbs etc. I have heard that if you jumped with a fork in lock out, you might blow it up--(I don't personally know that, I've never tried it, but that's what I've heard). None of the DJ specific forks (like Manitou Circus, Marzocchi DJ1, Rock Shox Argyle 318 ) that I can think of have "lock out."

If you get a rigid fork, pay attention to the axle-to-crown height. S&M bikes for example, makes a 26" Pitchfork with a 425mm axle to crown. That is lower than an 80mm travel suspension fork, which has around a 457mm axle to crown.
http://www.sandmbikes.com/product/hardgoods/pitchfork/ However, it's taller than a pure 26" BMX fork. The idea is that if a frame is built around the height of a typical 80mm or 100mm travel suspension fork, then the rigid fork needs to at least partly mimic that, or else, you'd be dropping the front end way down.

I think you also mean "singlespeed" not fixed gear. Fixed gear refers to hubs where you can't coast at all--the cranks are always turning--like velodrome track bikes and urban "fixie" bikes.

see the gap above the tire? this is what an mtb rigid fork for a suspension corrected frame would look like.
photo

A 26" BMX like the Volume Sledgehammer, has a low fork (no gap above the tire) because the frame is not designed to accept a suspension fork.
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://p.vitalbmx.com/photos/products/1162/photos/6674/s780_sledge_4.jpg?1320102245
Black Market Edit1 with rigid fork. I think the Edit1 was specifically designed to have a low-ish axle-to-crown rigid fork. At least I think I read that somewhere....
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://p.vitalmtb.com/photos/stories/2012/01/13/full_Edit1_American.jpg?1326469437
Black Market Edit1 with suspension fork:
photo
flag cedarnclay
Posted: Oct 1, 2015 at 16:37 Quote
cmc4130 wrote:

Yeah. A few years back it seemed like a lot of xc/casual mtb riders bought dirt jumpers with the idea that they'd learn to jump; then they quit pretty quickly and the bikes just sat in the garage....

Those guys probably also quit when they figured out that they couldn't sit to jump.
flag AarBorne
Posted: Oct 2, 2015 at 13:12 Quote
That's a lot of good info, thanks!
That edit one with the pitchfork looks about what I'm looking for. There's a Steel Reserve which looks similar and apparently there Was a Diamondback Option 1 that had a similar look also.

I'm super new to the terms so I appreciate any of the help. There's so many types of bikes (XR, FR, XC, etc) no idea. I'm very not in the loop, with grammar as well! Even with the terms told to me I think I'd still need to know how and why they're different. Perhaps another forum covers it.

It's a bummer there's not a shop specifically dedicated to DJ's and similar bikes. I'd like to go and test ride a bunch find out from people who've been doing it what I need, recommendations etc.

In any case, I'll take the help where I can get it. Smile
flag ricar
Posted: Oct 3, 2015 at 10:05 Quote
I am 42 and I ride 24" wheels. It is harder to get stuff like 11T hubs but Empire has a few. I really see no point in 26" wheels, larger wheels do roll better but really that is a silly argument for a dirt jumper. 26s are way too much in the way I find myself almost giggling when I see kids with their seats slammed but rolling massive wheels. I did ride 20" wheels for 28 years so going to 26s was a big change, they flexed terribly and kept trying to neuter me. After about 2 months I switched to 24s and never looked back. I rode a "DJ" bike (Like the blkmrkt CMC posted) for maybe 10 years and finally this summer I went to a cruiser and have ridden that with no real issues. One overshoot to flat on the front wheel did sting the wrists a bit.

What type of bike that suits you best will have as much to do with where you ride as much as what you want to ride. If your jumps are not well maintained or more slope style then you may want front sus. If you are riding nicely groomed tight BMX style jumps then there is no need for the sus other than possible wrist issues. A sus fork is not as strong as a cruiser fork and worth as much about as much as a complete BMX.
  • Previous Page

 


Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv65 0.012726
Mobile Version of Website