Anyone Else Into Old School BMX

I have a Performance GT that's in need of a little restoration. Will have to get pics after work this evening.

 

Same, if any other kids in my town south of Boston MA were into it I wasn't aware..except one guy that got into it with me.

Yes please. I can guide/help if you want. Remember too if you have original finish it is more valuable etc even if nicks and scratches are present..

 

This just came in for a Flight crank install.
Brackens 24" Cruiser.

 

This was a place by where I grew up called Red Devil. It was a series of ditches with almost vertical take off jumps on the other side. You'd go banzai-ing in one side and launching out the other. Different ones with like different skill levels. It could get pretty packed on a weekend. As a kid I could spend all day here launching myself and learning tricks. Lots of shade trees for summer riding. Also the first time I broke my moto-magged schwinn stingray in half and had to walk a half mile to 7-11 to call my mom to come pick me up. Now I know why my parents were always pissed at me. "Where are you?" "I'm at the road by the drive ins." (WTF?!?!) Red Devil was mowed down by the city after some kid broke a leg or neck IDK. RIP Red Devil.

 

Red! Lots of good memories from that spot.

 

https://www.anthonypanza.com/product/2018-cult-gateway-bike


Any of your real riders out there care to give feedback on if this is a good old man beginner bike. Not looking to do anything serious. Just get some exercise and have fun being a kid again. I’m 33 and full of marine corps injuries that are pretty severe haha. Not trying to be a pro. Just learn a trick or two in the driveway as a replacement for gym cardio…

Don’t really care about budget so much as what makes sense for my needs. Don’t care if it’s a $200 bike or a $1,200 bike, but it seems like anything decent will do for a dude like me.

I have an NS Surge I ride currently.




And by ride I mean nod at it when I get on the motorcycle

 

About 12 or so years ago I decided to get back I to bmx at the ripe age of 32. I wound up buying a complete top of the line Verde Luxe for about $500 on sale (prior years model). This was the best thing I could have done since my mid 90s S&M dirtbike really wasn't conducive to today's riding style and it weighed over 30 lbs.

Today I'm 44 and I rode for a few hours last night at my local skatepark with a group of guys in their 30s. So buying something to suit today's modern style is beneficial.... it helps you ride longer and with less pain than the rigs from back in the day.

Anything with neutral geometry that is full chromoly and around 25 lbs is going to be good.... bikes are kinda tough to come by due to covid so grabbing last years top of the line F-it or Sunday for half price is kind of a pipe dream.

Today's bikes have taller and wider bars. 9" and above is generally the standard. This helps with back pain and makes riding a bit more comfortable. Makes learning some stuff easier and makes learning other stuff more difficult, but overall for us old dudes the big bars are a godsend. They generally have shorter cranks. 170-175mm... gone are the 185s we ran on our race bikes. The gearing is generally 25/9. The tires are all HUGE now 20x2.4 is the trend at the moment -- I cant really get used to tires that big... they are good for big drops on asphalt to absorb impact, but just seem to rob speed and flow anywhere else. Head tube angles, fork offset, stem offset are all things that play into the maneuverability of your ride... so steep head tube (above 75 degrees) , low offset forks, short stem = twitchy and responsive steering
Mellow head tube (74.5 and less), higher offset forks and long stem = slower and stable steering.
Are you looking for a casette or a free coaster -- each has benefits and drawbacks. 1Peg, 2 Pegs, 3 Pegs, 4 Pegs, 0 Pegs... I'm pegless ATM, but its nice to have them on from time to time. Right side Drive or Left side Drive?.... top tube length? Rear end length? these are all things to consider

I'd just try and get something that's kinda neutral and just get used to that... itll serve you well in all scenarios... skatepark, dirt trails, pump track, street.

The We The People Envy is probably the highest end complete BMX bike on the market at the moment. Along those lines is the Sunday Street Sweeper or the Subrosa Maulm. You can expect to pay upwards $1k for any of them. There are some really nice full chromoly options in the $600 range.

If I were buying a complete I would probably just go with a Sunday Soundwave. Great bike. Neutral geometry. Lifetime warranty on most of the 41 thermal parts. I'd just try and find a brand new 2021 or even a 2020 model on the cheap. $1400 is a bit steep to mess around in the driveway.

Whatever you get the most important factor is probably the geometry and setup vs anything else... you want to be comfortable... that will be the driving factor to keeping you behind bars more. If its uncomfortable, Heavy, too twitchy, or just too cramped then you ain't gonna ride it much

 

Word, thanks for the thorough feedback. I went to the local shop today and they carry 99.5% KINK bikes. I was excited to see like 25 bikes in the shop so I could get some variety to sit on but they were all the exact same TT size and everything, just different components, so it is what it is there. I’m down to order whatever but I’m being realistic with my “needs” here. I usually make sure I have all the most durable and best bang for the buck components out there and I have owned forks alone that cost more than a top of the line BMX bike, but at the end of the day I’m just going to do a wheelie, jump off a curb, and ride through a boulevard… I need the right “fit” for me more than the best componentry. The KINK bikes at the shop here are all in the $350-550 range for the most part. Couple 800-900 ish. One had a rear free hub, some only sealed rear, some sealed f/r. etc. but all pretty similar.

I’m wondering what else in that $350-500 range like the bike I listed above would have the most durable components to last me forever and what kind of TT length and setup I should be looking for to dink around and do wheelies, and I think those bikes and the one I linked are more than enough bike for my needs.

Will research every single bike you mentioned and chime back in when I get closer to or have ordered / bought something. Thanks again!


EDIT: this looks promising, per your recommendation

https://us.sourcebmx.com/products/subrosa-malum-2021-bmx-bike

 

Out of stock... but yeah.. full chromoly, neutral geometry, good enough components, fully sealed, 26 lbs. . That's pretty much what ur gonna want right there.

 

Thanks much.

 

A couple years ago I googled Tuff Wheels and found out it was Skyway's 50th anniversary. On a whim I bought their 50th anniversary bike. 24" frame, forks, bars and graphite tuff's. Whole bike in a kit from planet bmx. Now, I have a nice mtn bike already. That being said, I forgot what a bitch a single speed bike can be. Did I mention I live in the hills? Yeah, downhill is great, coming back up, not so much lol. Even though its a 24", it feels like a 20".(I've grown a bit) Kinda been looking at the Big Ripper and other SE 29" geared bikes. IDK, last thing I need is a garage full of bikes. Still the Skyway is a sweet bike to cruise.

 

Exactly... shoot for something in the 500-600 range.. those completes basically have everything you need.. a Sunday Soundwave is overkill for just jibbing around town

 

Pedaling sucks.... lol.

 

So far this is the cheapest bike I’ve found that ChroMo and fully sealed.

$430

https://www.anthonypanza.com/product/2018-cult-gateway-bike


The Kink stuff local is like $20 less and not fully sealed so I figure that’s be worth $20 and a little wait for shipping.

 

Whelp, Kink Whip is the lowest price bike I can find with full chromo, fully sealed, and double wall wheels (in or out of stock) and happens to be the same price at a local shop as online.

Thank you for helping with my research.

We ride tomorrow!

 

Sweet.. and supporting a LBS.. win win situation. Go shred...

 

Where are you from? South Jersey any chance? If so I'll ride with you tomorrow...

 

Close … South Dakota haha half right.

Thanks for the offer. That would have been awesome! I’m a motorcycle and random various bikes guy (currently have a dirt jumper). This will be my first foray into BMX. Thank you again!

 

man, I really wanted a Verde Luxe!! They were originally a local - Columbus Ohio - shop, but they moved to Dayton. Would still love to have one of those mid 2010's matte black Luxe's, but have my eyes on a WeThePeople Trust right now.

 

Jealous, that's a sick Skyway. Love the Tuffs..have a few bikes with them