building up an urban bike ??

[wezz0]

Ive been thinking of buying a street/park/dj bike but i think it would be fun to build up my own.

do you guys think its better to just buy a built one ? i was planning to just buy a giant stp ss, but wheres the fun in that ?!

generally which would be cheaper ?

i only plan to use this bike as a commuter or just to bike around practice manuals and such, maybe take it to the local skate park and for when i dont feel like riding my downhill bike around the neighborhood

what would be a reasonably priced frame to build upon ?
i plan to throw on disc brakes, 4-5 inch forks ( probably argyles ) 26" wheels, single speed.

Thanks for any input !

[Shaker666]

I use my Gary Fisher Sugar frame for commuting and urban. I do a lot of jumping, pumping, and dicking around downtown with it. It's definitely a good frame for it. I put a longer travel 130mm fork (Zocchi Dropoff) on it and that's really helped the bike take more aggressive urban obstacles. I upgraded the wheels to run of the mill Mavic F219s and better hubs too. Upgraded the brakes to Avid BB7s all around. Only thing is that it's a fully frame, not a hardtail.

Oh yeah, and DMR Moto tires are really good for urban. I've been using them for a couple of years now and they're great.

[Islandrider]

just geta bmx, they dont break at the skatepark lol

[Mr. Charles]

just get roller blades

[ESHER SHORE]

always cost more to build your own

my DMR Rhythm custom build cost GBP £1200 with Marz DJ2 and rear hydro disc, cromo cranks, etc. nothing flash...

you can get complete DMR Rhythm here in UK for £600 with Marz Dirt Jam Comp and mech discs, cromo cranks, DMR bits

DMR make a sweet 24" street / park the "Transition" sells cheaper than the Rythm and comes with rigid fork, v-brakes, etc.


or get a BMX, i saw the light after a run of different 24" bikes

[Trini-dad72]

I built up a used HT frame with bits and pieces that I had around and off of an older bike. Needless to say it's the most fun bike that I have ever owned. Now, that being said, it is built of all used parts, and it's 26". I have been a smoother rider for it, and I think it's going to last me a long time. I think the whole bike isn't worth more than $500.00 but it's priceless to me because I built it up, and that is the best feeling in the world. Here's a quick shot of it.
http://photos.nsmb.com/files/2/0/1/7/0/IMG_0845_288591.jpg

[Mic]

nice bike, Justin :agree: there is still this old steel frame in my basement....hmm.

[KristofU]

I like that bike. That bike is all business.
Too bad you took a picture with all the locks attached.

[Trini-dad72]

I like that bike. That bike is all business.
Too bad you took a picture with all the locks attached.

Like I said, a quick shot, I'll make it purdy later on, and go outside this afternoon.

[freakonaleash]

BMX ! Honestly, I ride a big bike like all the rest of you.. one with massive travel... And I love the bmx ! It doesnt hurt like you would think. Its rediculously maneuverable, and its just so much more fun. Consider one.. I love mine

[FreaK]

a bmx can be a cool option.
the new norco 250 is wicked.

but i was always unsatisfied with the geometry of every bike i tried, it got close many times but in the end i got a custom frame from Paul Daniel, who's now called it off, he doesn't make frames anymore. So that being said the cheapest option depending on how picky you are about parts, is always the one out of the box. Building up from a frame is always a pain in the butt, even if everything fits and you have all the parts; do you have a truing stand? a headset press? facers and reamers? torque wrench (not that anyone ever uses one)? Assembly grease? anti-seize? Lock tite? all the right size wrenches, the proper adapters for the disc callipers. man working at a shop we don't even have all the tools for some bikes.

i don't want to discourage you though. If you've never really had an urban hardtail i'd say go get the 250.

[FreaK]

it also depends how many bikes and bike uses you have. i use my bikes for everything. i have a track bike and the peyto so the peyto has to mannage a lot of stuff - from grocery getting to some varieties of touring to disasters and barspins. if i had a big bike then a bmx might well fill out the techy stuff better but considering i do all that stuff above on the same ride it wouldn't make sense for me to have to pick at the start of a ride.

[raphy777]

You should probably buy a Norco 125 frame and put a Super Monsters on it, with 24 in the rear and a 26 in the front. Definately a solid build, and great for when you just want to do a 15 foot drop to flat.

[wezz0]

the 250 is a really nice bike, but im not a huge fan of the color scheme

how would the brodie cretin compare ?

anyone have one ? like it ?

[ESHER SHORE]

BMX ! Honestly, I ride a big bike like all the rest of you.. one with massive travel... And I love the bmx ! It doesnt hurt like you would think. Its rediculously maneuverable, and its just so much more fun. Consider one.. I love mine

damn right ;)

getting back into riding BMX one of the most fun things i've ever done

the BMX bike has a "purity" that is unreal...and does crazy things for your skillset...go back to suspension bike and you see things so differently

[freakonaleash]

esher shore, when i get off my big bike, i get on the bmx (after ridign woodlot all day) and its so light.. and so easy to style out and ohhh amn its lovely :)

[wezz0]

how much would i be aiming to spend for a decent bmx ?

the thing about bmx is that the geometry is very different. i dont know if ill like it.

[Geeeunth]

since u live in east van.. theres a shop close to you (depending where in eastvan u live) its called 3-ride... it is the sickest store ever, go there and look at the new We The People line up. i think theres about 5 bikes. the bold, the Addict, the beyond, the 4 seasons and the phoenix... ranging from about 500$ to 900$. they're perfect bikes and way cheaper then building up a MTB.

[ESHER SHORE]

the thing about bmx is that the geometry is very different. i dont know if ill like it.

i found it easier to swap on day-to-day basis from BMX to MTB Full suspension, than from MTB Hardtail to MTB Full suspension...

the BMX is so radically different that its almost easier to swap between bikes

my BMX weighs less than 1/2 what my freeride bike does, and it feels awesome to even just roll about on, but point it skyward and it comes alive ;)

BMX will feel weird, super twitchy, somewhat harsh and unforgiving at first, but stick with it and you'll soon grow to love the ride, and it gives you "bmx forearms"..he he


the main thing to look for when buying is go for the best bike you can comfortably afford, always insist on full cromoly frame, forks and bars, and get as much sealed bearing equipment (hubs, bottom bracket) as possible.

companies like WTP make some excellent completes for a good value price, but some of the bigger brands like DK, GT, etc. make some pretty good bikes for a little less.

when choosing, be aware of the top tube length, if you are a bigger guy go for 21" or 21.25", even 1/2" top tube increase / decrease makes a huge difference in how the BMX will feel

I have a Premium Josh Harrington frame in 21" and it feels perfect, before this i had a DK in 20.5" and it felt too cramped

see my bmx here: http://www.robcole.co.uk/bikes.htm

[biggles604]

Going back to the mtb front... I just picked up an 06 Specialized P.2 Cromo, it's not super high end, and it's heavy, but it's a well spec'd jump/street bike for under $800, and it will serve me well while I learn to jump.