A small sturdy dj frame for a small sturdy female frame

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A small sturdy dj frame for a small sturdy female frame
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flag T-essa
Posted: Feb 28, 2013 at 2:28 Quote
Hello! I've recently gotten into biking after discovering Ray's bike park in Cleveland. I'm totally in love and am interested in investing in a bike. I'm having a hard time determining just what I want, though. I like jumping, but nothing fancy (yet). I'm thinking maybe 24" inch DJ? The rental DJ bike I tried was a trek ticket, not sure of the size details, but it had 26" inch wheels and that felt way too big...I'm 5'2"
Again I'm new so I appreciate any advice you have! Thx
flag t3rry
Mod
Posted: Mar 2, 2013 at 1:02 Quote
I think if you're intersted in riding and some of the stuff like dj's but youre not sure.. a hardtail freeride bike might be the best option. It can handle dj's well, but also comes with a bit friendlier geometry for also doing some trails. Unfortunately they are becoming hard to find... and what can be found aren't nearly as good of quality as they used to be. Buying used you'd be able to find better quality builds

I personally started with a 4x hardtail that was geared towards freeride. DJ/4X frame, 120mm dj fork, 18 speed and two brakes. It allowed me to explore biking, let me ride cross country, down hill, and djs/park. As I found what I liked I was able to add or subtract parts to make it a park/dj bike, a trail bike, etc.

You can find some youth bikes at the 24 inch mark but alot of them are cheaper builds. (like Kona shred 24, ns clash 24, )A lot of smaller guys/youth getting into serious biking will take a small frame with 26 inch wheels and swap out for 24's. Doesn't effect the bike a whole lot.

Also you could consider a full suspension, there are quite a few on the market now a days that are built with dj's in mind, but will also add some suspension should you choose to try some downhill, etc.

Also frame size can make a huge deal, may want to sit down on a few small or extra small 26inchers and see if they feel better.

Here's some examples of 2013's that might do the trick in small or with swapped out wheels.

http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=shred
http://covebike.com/bikes/stiffee
http://covebike.com/bikes/foreplay
[PI=http://www.ns-bikes.com/clash-2,51,pl.htm size=l0 align=c][/PI]


If you know you're set on dj's. Post a thread in the dj forum, and the guys will tell you all the glorious 24inch dj bikes there are to choose from and help you find the best one for your budget.
flag siderealwall2
Posted: Apr 13, 2013 at 10:11 Quote
Something like a 24?
I've seen guys run 24" on P3,Jackal,steel reserve, and marins
however, i seemed to jump them better when they switched back to 26"
My advice is to find a 26, the new 24"s i found were knockoffs of more popular frames, with builds for children
While i do understand your argument for 24", 26" should work almost the same.
Try the Specialized line, and if it doesnt feel comfy on its first ride, dont buy it. my friend made that mistake Madder

if you dont like their stuff, you can always go with Black Market, Santa Cruz, Marin, NS, etc
hope i helped!!!
flag chunkeemonkey
O+ FL
Posted: Apr 13, 2013 at 12:15 Quote
I use a Black Market Riot with 24" wheels. Pretty sure the contraband is 24" specific though. I'm 5'3 and I find it spot on for riding.
flag trailrider92
Posted: Apr 14, 2013 at 12:44 Quote
It's likely the bike you rode felt too big for you because the frame was too large for you. I was at Ray's in Cleveland a couple months ago, and I called asking about sizes because I was going with a large group. They only had the tickets available in Large I believe, which means if that's what you rented then you rode a bike much too big for you. (We had a 5'3" girl come with us, and she ended up renting the hardtail trail bike there because they had those in small.) I'm 5'6" and the ticket felt even a little large for me. Luckily I brought my own bike and ended up riding that most of the time because I didn't want to waste my time on a bike that was too large for me. Before committing yourself to a bike with 24" wheel, try a bike with 26" wheels and a small frame, you may be surprised how well it may fit you. Smile

Also consider what type of riding you want to do/where you are planning on doing most of your riding. Do you have any places around you where you can dirtjump? Or do you plan on riding exclusively at Ray's? If you're interested in exploring trails, I'd recommend a AM settup so you can get comfortable with jumps on drops.
flag lalena
Posted: Apr 24, 2013 at 20:15 Quote
Yeah, I'd try different frames at 26" wheels. I think you were just on the wrong size frame and at your height I don't believe you need to go to 24" wheels. If you have the money you should consider the Transition BLT. It has sub 15" chain stays (very rare, only other bike that has this short of chain stays is the Morpheus Vimana). Coupled with a a 0mm bottom bracket drop, this makes the BLT much easier to learn how to manual. It also has a super low stand over (even for a DJ bike), and a steeper head angle. The bike was designed specifically for park riding, like Ray's.

Consider finding a Transition dealer in your area and trying one out.

Cheers!

PS did you d the woman's event at Rays?
flag Mr-Magura
Posted: May 23, 2013 at 4:49 Quote
Most people never really have spent the time needed, to get comfortable with a tight 24" wheeled bike, hence the general reluctance towards them.
Also it seems that much of the dislike for 24" bikes comes from them being 26" bikes with smaller wheels.

To be comfortable on a bike, it needs to certainly not be too big, rather the other way around, especially if intended for park riding.
The Mrs. has been quite happy with her 24" bike, but it's a dedicated 24", not just a 26" with wheels that don't really fit.
Take a look at the FireEye 360 frame. It's actually a down-scaled 26", and can be built up reasonably light (sub13kg), still being sturdy enough.
A lowered RockShox Revelation dual air, sorts things up front quite well, and is relatively light.
Sun-Ringle makes nice 24" rims as well, for a fair price. Look for Single track, 4X, or the wider models if strength is an issue.
Get a 40mm stem, and cut the bars till you're comfortable.
A Diva saddle makes the bike somewhat trail worthy as well, if coupled with a 400mm seat post, and the saddle can still be lowered all the way.
Keep the brake rotor size down, 160mm or lower, and run Shimano Zee brakes. This will allow for reasonable ground clearance, and plenty of brake power.



Magura Smile
flag lalena
Posted: May 31, 2013 at 20:14 Quote
Ok, so I've got my Transition BLT from North Shore Bike Shop and have been riding it a fair bit.

All I have to say is that it's unbelievably amazing! If you are looking for a small frame, this really does fit the bill. It has a totally different geo and size compared to most DJ bikes on the market and I must say it feels great. I can whip this bike around so much easier and lifting the front wheel is uber easy. My riding ability and confidence has increased quiet a bit.

Anyways, here's a photo:

Transition BLT Custom Built by NorthShoreBikeShop.com
  Transition BLT Custom Built by NorthShoreBikeShop.com
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