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coming from bmx...

747 views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  big_papa_nuts 
#1 ·
so I am in the market for a bike, and I wanted some advice. I rode BMX for about 3 or 4 years, but i havent ridden in almost 6. I wanted to get into riding some trails, and general exploration. I know how to fix/upgrade and that is something i would like to have a good frame for. I just have no idea where to start, and my searching has not come up with anything specific.
I have some skill, as I rode BMX for a while, and have ridden bikes all my life. I am 5'11'', and I weigh about 185. I want a solid bike, that wont crap out on me. like i said, trails, rocks, and maybe some tricks, but no downhill or crazy stuff. any recommendations for a beginner/intermediate bike? I have a budget of 500 for the bike itself.
 
#2 ·
Wow, we are loosing a lot of people this year. This is the third of fourth thread like this in about a month now. You can do some searching and find the others, but I don't think they will have as much relevance as you aren't coming directly from BMX. I'd still say get something that's a little beefier and laid back then an average XC bike as you will probably still wanna hit a few little jumps and bunny hop stuff.

Other then that you should be able to get away with any basic entry level "XC" bike. You budget is going to be limiting though. I'd check bikes direct. They usually have some hardtail SS bikes for cheap that you could throw gears on down the line pretty easy. Or see if you can't find something used.
 
#4 ·
Yes, SS means single speed.

The usefulness of a SS depends on you riding style and terrain. BMX guys tend to stand and mash because there is no spinning on a BMX bike, so SS technique is familiar. And if you have to deal with hills SS can be a chore, or you can gear real low but might spin out real easy on flat or DH.

But like I said, buying a cheap SS that gears can easily be added to, like some of the ones from BD, is a good option because it'll get you out there to see if you like it. And you can always pick up the stuff for gears if you feel you need them for pretty cheap on down the road.
 
#5 ·
To put SS in perspective: we have 2000'+ climbs here and plenty of people ride single speeds. Proper gearing and being stubborn will get you up almost anything you can hope to climb, SS is at the biggest disadvantage when you're trying to keep up with geared bikes on the downhills that exceed your gear ratio.

You should go test ride as many bikes as you can. Try regular beginner level hardail bikes and also try long travel hardails or dirt jump bikes if you can. The more bikes you try, the better your end decision will be.
 
#8 ·
jackwithcorona said:
ok great, thanks for the help guys, ill let u know what i decide on doing, but i am leaning towards ss... what gear ratio would u recommend? i believe i was riding 44-16 on my bmx, but thats street and these are trails
32-18 is pretty standard on a 26" wheel out here, but there's a lot of climbing involved.
 
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