Hey gang. I have no idea what caused it but I have this urge to get back on a 20" again. I'm an old schooler who used to race/freestyle/street back in the day (I'm 41) and call me crazy but I miss BMX (I rode for nearly 20 years before giving it and becoming an adult ), I had some of the best times of my life while riding. Maybe it was my son riding his bike for the first time without training wheels (he was 6 on that sacred day) that got my mind wondering... dunno.

So, I'm looking to get a bike and see what happens. I used to know what was going on in the bike world, now days there so many new companies I have no idea where to start looking or what to look for. In my day we didn't have the interwebz, either we went to the local shop or rode to the nearest shop even if it was across the city. I also read that there's different bottom bracket styles now? Spanish what? In my day there were sealed and unsealed. That's it.

So what should I look for? I probably need to stay away from aluminum as I'm 5'10" 240lbs. I also realize building my own would be best but I'd rather get a complete that has a nice frame/fork and customize from there to help me get back into it nice and slow. Also should I stick with a 20" top tube or should I go larger? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Triphamr

What are you looking to do with the bike? If you are going to race, check out the GHP completes. $400 shipped for a race ready Pro XL sized bike. They are aluminum, but most bikes are now-a-days, regardless of your size. I'm 6'2" 200 lbs and I ride a GHP Pro XXL. At 5'11", I'd try at least a 21" top tube. Go to your local track, and I'm sure some of the local racers will let you sit on their bikes and get an idea of what size you need. Most of all, have fun!


Doug

There are plenty of good completes out there. Now, you are a heavy Chevy and it is totally not out of the realm to want a steel frame. They ride nicer. You need to do research on it whatever the case.

I'm 6'0'' and find that a 21.5 (which I have) to 22" top tube (which I don't have), would work best.

In order to shorten this answer, look at some of these companies:

Formula (Phoenix) Makes completes
S&M (38 Special full tilt race chromo) no complete
Supercross (Bolt Lt & R-CR) Makes completes (don't know about cromo completes)
Standard (125R)

Have fun, take it slow, don't hurt yourself

And if you wanna save some money, just go all the way. Here is a complete you won't have to change any parts on.

It's Awesome and it's aluminum, but it won't matter. This bike can actually SAVE you money.

It's awesome
http://www.bombshellparts.com/shop/Avent-TR7Complete20.html

I appreciate the replies guys.

As for what I'm looking to do on the bike... racing is not in the near future, I'm not even thinking about racing right now (okay I lie, thinking about it a little). I'd rather get my wheels back on so to speak and just do some dirt and a little street at first, see what tricks I still remember. It's been awhile since I rode BMX but I rode MTB for a few years and was an active trails & trials rider up until about 7 years ago. So I naturally want to ride around and find all the local dirt spots and just ride. Hell I don't have a goal really, I just want to get on a bike again and feel the air in my face!

I'm really interested in the idea of building a pump track in the backyard with a few jumps. I was on a freestyle/jump team in the day and I really miss jumping. In those days (growing up in the Arizona desert) we never built a landing jump in the dirt, if we saw a launch we just jumped it thought about landing later. lol I live in Florida know and have no idea where the riders play, aside from a local skate/bmx park and the local NBL track.

I had mixed feelings at first about whether I should get back into bmx or mtb and in reading some of these forums, decided with bmx. Though I'll admit I don't see a lot of the older guys getting back into it for trick/street, most seem to be into racing. I could be wrong but that seems like the case. Anyhow, thanks for reading - got an awesome community here and I appreciate further suggestions.

welcome back! and here's to you and the little guy sharing good times on your little bikes.

I can tell from your posts, people like you. The street/ Dirt thing certainly opens up a lot of options on frames, but those frames tend to be shorter and WAY heavier.

If you say you weigh 240, you really don't unless you are naked on your scale. I saw a guy recently who was chatting with my girlfriend, sniffing out the situation, and he said he was 205. I was bigger than him and there was no way he was 190, much less 205.

So you really weigh about 230 and you can plan on shedding a lot of it, really quick. I think you will see 200 pretty fast, so that puts you in pretty good shape.

I'm 185.

It boils down to doing your research. How many of us have wanted to jump back in, in the past, and not done due diligence on a purchase?

I will always be on some form of race bike, no matter what I do with it.

Have fun. Research twice, spend once.

Thanks for the welcome Bmxmom, doing all of this with my lil' one is definitely going to mean some good times. He's already excited.

And thanks Lonewolf for the reply but it's a little confusing

Not sure why I would say I weigh 240 when I don't and there's only one way that I weigh myself and it's naked lol! Most of the extra weight I carry is around my mid-section and you're right I will probably shed a lot of it really fast (bonus!). My ideal weight is about 190 - 200 but trust me, I weigh 240 right now.

I also looked at the bombshellparts.com link you suggested and although it was a nice bike and worth the cost I think $1500 is a tad high as a re-entry bike. I was thinking more around $600 if possible.

Well, I'm 41 and I got back into BMX racing last October. I actually raced the St. Petersburg track for my first race after not having even riden a bike AT ALL for many years. I didn't die, and I didn't crash, so it was a smashing success. Where abouts in Florida are you? I'm in the Tampa area. If your looking to get into BMX again, then I don't see any other choice but to go to the track for races and practices. I guess you could take it to some trails.

So, I'm 5' 10" and 175lbs. I bought a Intense Factory Pro XL (Podium) complete bike for about $700 new. I'm extremely happy with it. It was exactly what I wanted out of the box. Then I found a fantastic deal on FSA carbon cranks. I didn't feel a dire need to change the cranks that came with it, but this was an unbeatable deal I could't pass up. Cranks and bottom bracket for $150. Then I bought pedals and shoes new for about another $200. No Fear DOT helmet, brand new used (it was too big for his head, and I have a big melon) for $65. Gloves for $25. NBL membership for $45 (I renewed my 33 year old license with a photocopy) And I was ready to race! And there isn't a single piece of equipment I have that I want to change. Nothing. I went ahead and spent the money up front and got exactly what I wanted instead of trying to upgrade later.

My kids had been racing for a year, and I got tired of watching them and decided to jump back in head first. Since last October I've raced almost 40 races, and that includes 4 qualifer races in addition to local races. I'll be racing in the Florida State Championships on the 16th as well.

I don't beat hardly anyone ever right now, but I've gotten tons better in the past few months. I'm not as far behind or as exhausted after making it around the track. And I'm enjoying doing it... well at least I always feel better after racing for having done it without dieing.

Jay

Just a clarification.

I didn't have to buy pedals and shoes, but I wanted clipless pedals. If I had wanted to ride flats then the ones that came with the bike were just fine. And agian, the cranks were because one of our track directors here just happened to have them, and it was a really cheap price for those cranks and bracket.

One other note. If you can do it I'd recomend it. I borrowed a bike for my first 3 weeks of comming back to racing agian. My friend dperalta (that's his name on here) let me borrow his Redline to see if I really wanted to get back into it. Turns out I did, so I ordered my bike.

Jay

For me, when I got back into riding 20" bikes again, I had a theory. I bought this Haro Nyquist Backtrail and figured it could probably handle anything I could do to it going through the learning curve again. That thing was built like a tank, heavy as one too, but as a jumper, it was built to take some abuse. As I rode and got back into it, my theory was as I got lighter in weight, but more importantly, smoother on the bike, I'd build something more suitable to race.

Feeling the air in your face.... I hear you, brother. I make sure I feel that feeling every day. There's nothing like it, huh?

Only reason I posted the Avent TR7, which is admittedly a steep price for ANY bike, is that by the time you are fully immersed and back into the swing, you may end up with several BMX bikes.

I can just say that I bought a '07 Diamondback Reactor complete and there isn't one single part left from the original bike except the integrated FSA headset which is a perfectly fine headset at around 28 bucks, and the brake cable.

You should consider a high line complete and at $600 you can get pretty close.

I don't know if the steel race frames come in completes by any of the manufacturers, but for a guy like you, you'll wanna check them out.

I believe that you weigh 240. You won't for long.

Standard Bykes

http://www.standardbyke.com/blog/?page_id=1240

I was in the same boat last year and bought a redline. I have been taking it to the local trails ever since and have had no problems with the strength of the aluminum frames over the crmo ones. Im 6-4 and 300 lbs by the way. I think I paid around 600 for it new.

Man, would you post a picture of yourself riding or standing next to the bike? I gotta see this.

As well, you ought to inform Redline because I'm positive they would love you to let them know how there stuff holds up. I'm NOT kidding.

Do the picture man, and please don't get mad at me!!!!

Jax, I have a great story for you: When I went to LSU in the 90s, I would go work out at the gym. One day a gigantic dude walked in. I'm 6'0'' which is not considered short, this guy looked pure NFL. He had to be 7'0'' 330+ lbs. He was a giant and nothing but pure muscle. The dude was built.

He was from a foreign country (Germany I think) and the whole place was silent. It was obvious everyone was in awe of this guy's massive size.

While we were working out, I was moving around some equipment, next to him and I fronted him up and said: "So I guess you think you're pretty big, don't you?" The whole place paused and then busted out laughing.

This guy could have taken my head in his hand and killed me right there.


It was funny as hell!

Click to view attachment

My 9 year old took the picture, he is better at riding his bike than taking pictures. The bike is a stock redline proline xl that I bought at the local bike shop. I bought a xxl redline frame and put all the stock parts on it so it was long enough.

Thanks man. That's what I was asking for!

I think your 9 year old did a great job.

Yeah, I guess the "BMX bikes are for kids" notion is out the window.

You ought to send it to Redline. You can Email them from their website. Unlike Diamondback.

20" top tube is gonna be to short i think

14 years ago i was 5'8", 135lbs and rode a '95 standard motocross w/ a 21" t.t., 180mm cranks and a 53mm reach stem
i still ride this thing to this day...
but now i'm 5'10" still and still weighing 135lbs
just bought a new standard 125r w/ a 21.5" t.t. and love the extra length now
i dropped to 175mm cranks but still use the 53mm reach stem and i feel suprisingly alot more comfortable

best thing is to see if some guys at the local track will let you check out their rides

something else that people now measure as opposed to back in the day is not just the top tube length nessasarily but the "rider area"

there are links and threads on vintage regarding this topic i know or maybe someone can post how its calculated or a link

you can and will lose some weight but your not going to get any shorter so make sure its big enough

Jax, Thats awesome.

I weigh 280 and go back and forth on whether to buy another bmx bike. Its been 9 years since I sold my last one. I think you just made my mind up for me.

build your self an old school bike! what did you have when you left the seen? to tell ya the truth, i haven't found a new school bike that feels right. either their heavy as hell, or too short.

Go Standard Byke CO. Lite bikes, super tough! dont break many standards. im 5'9'' and like 21.5'' top tube and you can custom order sizes

Cool, If your ever in Pa Let me know and we will go riding, The local scene where Im at is great.

i'm coming to PA in few days, what do you recommend hitting up?
i'll be all over the state

Look up a town called Altoona, Thats where I am at. The local trails that I ride have been there since the 80's . They are unbeleivable. Well worth checking out. If you are gonna be going thru let me know.

Man, I came here hoping to see fat men on 20" bikes.