Back in the game after 6 years

Bars are ridiculous now, frames are super short and responsive, cranks are shorter, tyres are wider. It's weird.

I've recently gone up to 9.2" bars, with a frontload, and it feels decent. I tried 9" with a topload for a while and hated it. I also prefer slightly older geometry, average sized tyres and stuff. Freecoasters are popular because kids are too scared to go fast, so they do grind combo's with plastic pegs on foot tall ledges. The freecoaster makes it easier to roll out of a 180 with no speed, especially if they land sideways. Not many people with a freecoaster use them to their full potential. At the other end of the spectrum is the instant engagement hubs that sound like aids (profile elite, etc). You can't go wrong with a good old 3 or 4 pawl cassette.

Companies worth supporting are pretty much the ones that are still around from when you last rode. Everything else is just generic cookie cutter shit. Fbm, odyssey, profile, g sport, animal, fit/s&m etc are all still making good stuff and doing good things.

I've got antigrams and rollcages. The antigram cassette can have a few teething issues (like falling apart) but is otherwise solid. And my rims are old but still perfectly true (I've laced them to 4 or 5 hubs in the time I've had them. I got them about 4th hand).

I have animal akimbo cranks, 170mm. They're dialled. Odyssey thunderbolts are solid too, but the weld for the pedal boss is right where you grind if you do pedal grinds.

BSD Substance cranks, BSD Safari Pedals, BSD Donnasqueak tyres and The Grey sprocket

Always animal for tires, unless you ride trails.

grumpySteve wrote:

Bars are ridiculous now, frames are super short and responsive, cranks are shorter, tyres are wider. It's weird.

I've recently gone up to 9.2" bars, with a frontload, and it feels decent. I tried 9" with a topload for a while and hated it. I also prefer slightly older geometry, average sized tyres and stuff. Freecoasters are popular because kids are too scared to go fast, so they do grind combo's with plastic pegs on foot tall ledges. The freecoaster makes it easier to roll out of a 180 with no speed, especially if they land sideways. Not many people with a freecoaster use them to their full potential. At the other end of the spectrum is the instant engagement hubs that sound like aids (profile elite, etc). You can't go wrong with a good old 3 or 4 pawl cassette.

Companies worth supporting are pretty much the ones that are still around from when you last rode. Everything else is just generic cookie cutter shit. Fbm, odyssey, profile, g sport, animal, fit/s&m etc are all still making good stuff and doing good things.

I've got antigrams and rollcages. The antigram cassette can have a few teething issues (like falling apart) but is otherwise solid. And my rims are old but still perfectly true (I've laced them to 4 or 5 hubs in the time I've had them. I got them about 4th hand).

I have animal akimbo cranks, 170mm. They're dialled. Odyssey thunderbolts are solid too, but the weld for the pedal boss is right where you grind if you do pedal grinds.

3/4 of this was an opinion, you can absolutely go fast on a coaster. I mean FUCK that slow style of riding but its not fair to lump coasters into that when there are garbage cassette riders.

I still ride frontloads but do whatever you want, its really up to you as there's no difference other than geo.

Loads of tires still go up to 110 psi, I'm in the 75-80psi camp but I'm kinda old school. Fat tires are meant to be run low for the benefits of them to show but I was never a fan.

Animal or Odyssey tires are ones ive had good experiences with, I'd just stay away from sizes above 2.20-2.25. I like Profile and Pr1mo (Powerbite) cranks. If you're gonna go with metal pedals I ride Shadow Ravagers (sealed ones) and they hold the hell up to me eating shit all the time.

Bikes feel more like mountain bikes now tall and heavy definitely my least favorite era of bmx trends

I still ride
Low seat
Small bars/medium bars
Low frame
Light wheels and tires
Cassette
Medium tires

Out of all the tire sizes i've tried 2.4f/ 2.24r (actual width) has been my favorite. I think i'm going to try an actual 2.1 tire on the rear next, though.

If it was 13yrs ago and I was still 5'6"-ish i'd still be rocking a 20.5" tt, 7"-8" bars 2.1f/1.95r tires and front load (everything else would be the same as my current bike).

Tom Dugan's current (2018+) setup is pretty normal these days for someone who's 6'.

Four wrote:

Bikes feel more like mountain bikes now tall and heavy definitely my least favorite era of bmx trends

I still ride
Low seat
Small bars/medium bars
Low frame
Light wheels and tires
Cassette
Medium tires

How tall r u tho? lol

Also, a 25lb bike +/- 1lb isn't what i'd really call "heavy".

grumpySteve wrote:

Bars are ridiculous now, frames are super short and responsive, cranks are shorter, tyres are wider. It's weird.

I've recently gone up to 9.2" bars, with a frontload, and it feels decent. I tried 9" with a topload for a while and hated it. I also prefer slightly older geometry, average sized tyres and stuff. Freecoasters are popular because kids are too scared to go fast, so they do grind combo's with plastic pegs on foot tall ledges. The freecoaster makes it easier to roll out of a 180 with no speed, especially if they land sideways. Not many people with a freecoaster use them to their full potential. At the other end of the spectrum is the instant engagement hubs that sound like aids (profile elite, etc). You can't go wrong with a good old 3 or 4 pawl cassette.

Companies worth supporting are pretty much the ones that are still around from when you last rode. Everything else is just generic cookie cutter shit. Fbm, odyssey, profile, g sport, animal, fit/s&m etc are all still making good stuff and doing good things.

I've got antigrams and rollcages. The antigram cassette can have a few teething issues (like falling apart) but is otherwise solid. And my rims are old but still perfectly true (I've laced them to 4 or 5 hubs in the time I've had them. I got them about 4th hand).

I have animal akimbo cranks, 170mm. They're dialled. Odyssey thunderbolts are solid too, but the weld for the pedal boss is right where you grind if you do pedal grinds.

Super-Pawl wrote:

3/4 of this was an opinion, you can absolutely go fast on a coaster. I mean FUCK that slow style of riding but its not fair to lump coasters into that when there are garbage cassette riders.

All of it is an opinion. But it's an opinion based on what I see in pretty much every edit out there. I was merely outlining the current trend of big bars, short frames, 4 plastic pegs, freecoaster, wide tyres, wafty slow ledge combo's. Because that is a large percentage of bmx right now.

Bryan91 wrote:

How tall r u tho? lol

Also, a 25lb bike +/- 1lb isn't what i'd really call "heavy".

5’9

I don’t think bikes are really 24-25 anymore most bikes I’ve felt and seen are at least 27+

It’s also not just about weight but weight distribution. I don’t see how people ride wheels as heavy as they are now. I guess now the style is just doing ledge combos so you don’t really need a light bike. But shit 40 oz forks and bars nah we can leave those in 2004. But that’s the trend right now just like 21 lb bikes were years ago now it’s to have the heaviest clunkiest bike lol

Four wrote:

Bikes feel more like mountain bikes now tall and heavy definitely my least favorite era of bmx trends

I still ride
Low seat
Small bars/medium bars
Low frame
Light wheels and tires
Cassette
Medium tires

Bryan91 wrote:

How tall r u tho? lol

Also, a 25lb bike +/- 1lb isn't what i'd really call "heavy".

Four wrote:

5’9

I don’t think bikes are really 24-25 anymore most bikes I’ve felt and seen are at least 27+

It’s also not just about weight but weight distribution. I don’t see how people ride wheels as heavy as they are now. I guess now the style is just doing ledge combos so you don’t really need a light bike. But shit 40 oz forks and bars nah we can leave those in 2004. But that’s the trend right now just like 21 lb bikes were years ago now it’s to have the heaviest clunkiest bike lol

Did you ride in the early 2000s? 27 pounds is not heavy.

Bryan91 wrote:

How tall r u tho? lol

Also, a 25lb bike +/- 1lb isn't what i'd really call "heavy".

Four wrote:

5’9

I don’t think bikes are really 24-25 anymore most bikes I’ve felt and seen are at least 27+

It’s also not just about weight but weight distribution. I don’t see how people ride wheels as heavy as they are now. I guess now the style is just doing ledge combos so you don’t really need a light bike. But shit 40 oz forks and bars nah we can leave those in 2004. But that’s the trend right now just like 21 lb bikes were years ago now it’s to have the heaviest clunkiest bike lol

CHILDISHGAMBINO wrote:

Did you ride in the early 2000s? 27 pounds is not heavy.

I did, my first bike was around 35 lbs and you see how riding was in the early 2000s a hop 360 was a rare trick and could usually only be done with brakes to cut the rotational weight. 27 lbs definitely doesn’t feel nice. I mean it’s not heavy to lift but the way the weight factors into tricks makes it feel pretty shitty.

CHILDISHGAMBINO wrote:

Did you ride in the early 2000s? 27 pounds is not heavy.

It does feel like ass though

Four wrote:

5’9

I don’t think bikes are really 24-25 anymore most bikes I’ve felt and seen are at least 27+

It’s also not just about weight but weight distribution. I don’t see how people ride wheels as heavy as they are now. I guess now the style is just doing ledge combos so you don’t really need a light bike. But shit 40 oz forks and bars nah we can leave those in 2004. But that’s the trend right now just like 21 lb bikes were years ago now it’s to have the heaviest clunkiest bike lol

CHILDISHGAMBINO wrote:

Did you ride in the early 2000s? 27 pounds is not heavy.

p1p1092 wrote:

It does feel like ass though

I don't know. My 20"weighs about 25 pounds. That feels pretty good to me. I had an almost 40 pound bike in 2000. Even my 30ish pound cruiser feels way better than thay thing did.

Four wrote:

5’9

I don’t think bikes are really 24-25 anymore most bikes I’ve felt and seen are at least 27+

It’s also not just about weight but weight distribution. I don’t see how people ride wheels as heavy as they are now. I guess now the style is just doing ledge combos so you don’t really need a light bike. But shit 40 oz forks and bars nah we can leave those in 2004. But that’s the trend right now just like 21 lb bikes were years ago now it’s to have the heaviest clunkiest bike lol

My bike was 25.5lbs brakeless which isn't that bad considering it had 10" straight gauge bars, 172mm fork with 2.4"+ clearance, 21.5"TT, 5" HT, 9.2" SO, 2.3" tires and some Dans heavy duty tubes... lol

I would imagine my same bike shrunken down a bit would easly be a couple lbs lighter.

I actually like finding bikes you described on Japanese bmx blogs. They stay with the style you described. I'm just too tall and fat for that these days (all though i'm pretty hyped on going down to 9.5" bars).

Bryan91 wrote:

My bike was 25.5lbs brakeless which isn't that bad considering it had 10" straight gauge bars, 172mm fork with 2.4"+ clearance, 21.5"TT, 5" HT, 9.2" SO, 2.3" tires and some Dans heavy duty tubes... lol

I would imagine my same bike shrunken down a bit would easly be a couple lbs lighter.

I actually like finding bikes you described on Japanese bmx blogs. They stay with the style you described. I'm just too tall and fat for that these days (all though i'm pretty hyped on going down to 9.5" bars).

I definitely think the bikes that are tall and big have their place for bigger riders! My only issue is that the market all has the same shit lol so I pretty much can only buy older frames.

For sure! A lot of people hate on those bikes because they aren’t “in” or whatever but I love the feel and look of those. I tried some tall bars and they were nice for cruising and barspins were easier to catch but I lost all my pop and shit lol. Sitting down to cruise is nice too with the tall seat

Four wrote:

5’9

I don’t think bikes are really 24-25 anymore most bikes I’ve felt and seen are at least 27+

It’s also not just about weight but weight distribution. I don’t see how people ride wheels as heavy as they are now. I guess now the style is just doing ledge combos so you don’t really need a light bike. But shit 40 oz forks and bars nah we can leave those in 2004. But that’s the trend right now just like 21 lb bikes were years ago now it’s to have the heaviest clunkiest bike lol

Bryan91 wrote:

My bike was 25.5lbs brakeless which isn't that bad considering it had 10" straight gauge bars, 172mm fork with 2.4"+ clearance, 21.5"TT, 5" HT, 9.2" SO, 2.3" tires and some Dans heavy duty tubes... lol

I would imagine my same bike shrunken down a bit would easly be a couple lbs lighter.

I actually like finding bikes you described on Japanese bmx blogs. They stay with the style you described. I'm just too tall and fat for that these days (all though i'm pretty hyped on going down to 9.5" bars).

Four wrote:

I definitely think the bikes that are tall and big have their place for bigger riders! My only issue is that the market all has the same shit lol so I pretty much can only buy older frames.

For sure! A lot of people hate on those bikes because they aren’t “in” or whatever but I love the feel and look of those. I tried some tall bars and they were nice for cruising and barspins were easier to catch but I lost all my pop and shit lol. Sitting down to cruise is nice too with the tall seat

I'm the same. I love bikes of the 2008ish era. Before bars got silly high. I'm not a fan of the super low frames. But low and long always looks better. Frontload stems, slammed seat (or nearly at least) on an 8.5"ish frame looks dialled. My next bike/rebuild is going to be all black too.
Luckily, I grew up riding tiny bars and heavy bikes. So bikes I like the look of actually fit me pretty well compared to mid school and new new school bikes. They were just more refined, a perfect middle ground, and the stupid light phase was over by then too.


I actually just received a copy of tomorrow we work from Joe Cox. I'm stoked hahah

Jibby wrote:

Always animal for tires, unless you ride trails.

They're durable, that's about the only positive thing I could say about them

Swaggy P wrote:

They're durable, that's about the only positive thing I could say about them

What negatives have you got to say about them?

CHILDISHGAMBINO wrote:

I don't know. My 20"weighs about 25 pounds. That feels pretty good to me. I had an almost 40 pound bike in 2000. Even my 30ish pound cruiser feels way better than thay thing did.

My first bike was 30ish pounds(4 pegs, freecoaster, cheap shit parts, etc.). The best thing I ever did for bike feel was getting rid of my pegs, and every big reduction in weight since has made it feel that little bit better. My bike is now around 21lbs if I remember correctly, and it rides better than ever before. That said, I wouldn't go much, if any lighter than what I have at the moment for durability and stability reasons.

Jibby wrote:

Always animal for tires, unless you ride trails.

asm ;( never forget

Super-Pawl wrote:

3/4 of this was an opinion, you can absolutely go fast on a coaster. I mean FUCK that slow style of riding but its not fair to lump coasters into that when there are garbage cassette riders.

While you are right, you can go fast on a coaster, a large majority of the riders out there (especially on the pro level) don't.

Bryan91 wrote:

My bike was 25.5lbs brakeless which isn't that bad considering it had 10" straight gauge bars, 172mm fork with 2.4"+ clearance, 21.5"TT, 5" HT, 9.2" SO, 2.3" tires and some Dans heavy duty tubes... lol

I would imagine my same bike shrunken down a bit would easly be a couple lbs lighter.

I actually like finding bikes you described on Japanese bmx blogs. They stay with the style you described. I'm just too tall and fat for that these days (all though i'm pretty hyped on going down to 9.5" bars).

Four wrote:

I definitely think the bikes that are tall and big have their place for bigger riders! My only issue is that the market all has the same shit lol so I pretty much can only buy older frames.

For sure! A lot of people hate on those bikes because they aren’t “in” or whatever but I love the feel and look of those. I tried some tall bars and they were nice for cruising and barspins were easier to catch but I lost all my pop and shit lol. Sitting down to cruise is nice too with the tall seat

grumpySteve wrote:

I'm the same. I love bikes of the 2008ish era. Before bars got silly high. I'm not a fan of the super low frames. But low and long always looks better. Frontload stems, slammed seat (or nearly at least) on an 8.5"ish frame looks dialled. My next bike/rebuild is going to be all black too.
Luckily, I grew up riding tiny bars and heavy bikes. So bikes I like the look of actually fit me pretty well compared to mid school and new new school bikes. They were just more refined, a perfect middle ground, and the stupid light phase was over by then too.


I actually just received a copy of tomorrow we work from Joe Cox. I'm stoked hahah

I feel ya dude. I don’t like really low frames but a nice 7.75-8.4ish standover is nice. Anything taller is too much for me. I still like my bars lower than 8.5 with a frontload. I have 8.3x26 right now. I think most bike parts are just kinda lame now i have to order old parts lol. But I’ll always probably have my bike set up low and light, I hate doing barspins (I can do them but only flat because I throw wrong), gaps, stairs etc so a big stable cruiser isn’t needed.

That’s such a good video One of my favorites especially the dan cox left over clips.

Hey four. I’m not much of a shredder but hit me up if you ever want to ride downtown street or something. I’m guessing your near Columbus?

BillyBigRigger wrote:

Hey four. I’m not much of a shredder but hit me up if you ever want to ride downtown street or something. I’m guessing your near Columbus?

All good haha I’ll ride with anyone of any skill level and I live about an hour south of Columbus. I go to the indoor up there sometimes but haven’t been in a few years lol but for sure