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Help me become a BMX poser!

Old 02-18-20, 11:07 AM
  #26  
3S1M
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I'm a bit confused. Are you getting another redline or another bike on top of that?

Just curious.
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Old 02-18-20, 11:24 AM
  #27  
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The Redline went back because of damage, so I'm open to other options right now. I'm going to a big winter swap meet next Sunday, so I figure I might as well wait. If I don't find anything else I like as much as the Redline (and it may not even be a BMX bike) I might go ahead and buy another one. Maybe through the LBS that is a RL dealer, so in case there is anything wrong with it they can deal with it. The price will be the same. Or, if I wait long enough, maybe I'll just decide I don't need it. Even though that seems unlikely right now.
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Old 02-18-20, 12:11 PM
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That WTP 26"er is a really cool looking bike. It's a German Company, FWIW. I know frames and stuff are all mostly made overseas but just putting it out there.

The swap meet sounds like fun. I heard about one in our area too.

Just one more I'll throw out there for you. I just bought a used Eastern BMX bike from a guy locally and I'm impressed with the quality of the parts. In their BMX bikes they seem to offer the most amount of quality for the money. I think it's cuz they don't spend a lot of money on pro riders and fancy advertisement. They are an American Company. All of their bikes are showing out of stock but a representative said they will be updating stock very soon and posting. They make a 26" and 29" bmx ish cruiser that comes in a lot of colors. I have not lived with mine very long but it seems like a good company. Mine feels really good when riding it. Although I'm comparing it to all the cheap bikes I've been riding up til now. LOL. I have the shovelhead. It's an all chromoly frame with 48 spline chromoly cranks. Chromoly bars and stuff. Double walled rims etc etc.

Their "Growler" is the bike I'm talking about. It would be one that I'd be looking at getting for my rides with my wife if I ever have money to do that. I have a cheap Schwinn that suffices for my daily exercise rides now. Plus a few cheap MTB's I built up for the kids I can grab if I need gears cuz of the weather.

https://easternbikes.com/collections...14688551665737

Here's my shovelhead:

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Old 02-18-20, 12:48 PM
  #29  
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I do like the growler 26 (LTD) but can I wait?

I really like the WTP Avenger 26 a lot too. Great style (klunker) great color (candy blue) , and best of all, all silver components. (on the 2019 model) But I'm not sure about the 33/13 gearing. For one, I prefer the larger chainrings/freewheels for looks and efficiency, and for another it's a bit too high of a ratio for me, (67 gear inches) and I'm not sure how that style hub/freewheel works. Is a compatible 14 tooth available? I'm only familiar with the standard size 16 tooth and up freewheels.

That's one of the nice things about the Redline... with 39/17 gearing out of the box, (about 60 gear inches) I'd be good to go. Plus, with the flip flop hub and standard size freewheels, I could put an 18 (or 16) on the other side.
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Old 02-18-20, 01:43 PM
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Yeah, I worked out the Growler on Sheldon Browne's calculator and it's 63. something. That's the same as my Schwinn cruiser. I would like it a hair less sometimes. Especially when it's windy and hilly. But the upside is you can get going pretty good when the grade is going your way. I think 55 is a really good all around gearing. The BMX bikes seem to have it down good. IMHO.
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Old 03-12-20, 08:15 PM
  #31  
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I couldn't stop dreaming about the Redline, so I got one to replace the damaged one I sent back.


I installed Maxxis 26x2.15 skin wall tires. Unlike the original Vee Speedster tires these spin true. They are also 200 grams lighter each, so almost a pound less total.


Profile Elite freewheel for that extra "Buzz". 17 tooth, same as original.


DTH stands for Drop the Hammer, lol


I chopped an inch off each end of the bars to better fit me.


Replaced the original hard plastic saddle with a Nashbar unit I had in my parts stash.

I'm cruisin' in poser BMX style now!
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Old 03-12-20, 10:07 PM
  #32  
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awwwwww those cranks.... aren't they sweet......
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Old 03-13-20, 09:31 AM
  #33  
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That's hot!!! Those pedals look deadly though. I wouldn't be trying any crank flips with those. LOL.

Looks really good. How's it ride?
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Old 03-13-20, 10:20 AM
  #34  
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Thanks, I really like the old school look of the bear trap pedals, but yeah, I'm careful not to tear up my ankles on them. For normal riding, I don't believe it'll be a problem.

With the new tires, it rides great! I did a quick 5 mile neighborhood ride yesterday. But the bike is not fast, I don't know why Amazon calls it a "BMX race cruiser". The 39x17 gearing is perfect though, around 59-60 gear inches.
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Old 03-14-20, 03:08 PM
  #35  
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That's decent gearing. My daily ride is 63 and I'm wanting it to be a bit less. I have a different chainring I might try out on it and it will be closer to 55. I do this one ride where the grade is a just a bit too long of a gradual uphill and it kicks my butt when I do it with my cruiser. I do it with our other bikes with gears and it's a lot easier to do. LOL.

I'm thinking 55 is just about the perfect all around one gear gearing, but I need to test that theory. My first cheap BMX bike is like 46 and it's just way too short. I don't like riding it any amount of distance. It's just annoying.
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Old 03-16-20, 03:00 AM
  #36  
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I am 63 yo and in the process of building this for my BMX thrills. 700c wheels with Schwalbe Big Apple 700Cx50mm, need a better seat post, 25.4mm, and some BMX style bars. It has a Shimano coaster brake rear and debating about a front brake. Looking to keep it simple.
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Old 03-16-20, 10:09 AM
  #37  
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SUPER COOL!!!!

You might need a different stem to accommodate bars with a cross bar in the middle too. One that splits in half..... I've had bmx bars on my cruiser at one time and it felt really good.
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Old 03-16-20, 08:35 PM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by acir71
awwwwww those cranks.... aren't they sweet......



Originally Posted by 3S1M
That's decent gearing. My daily ride is 63 and I'm wanting it to be a bit less. I have a different chainring I might try out on it and it will be closer to 55. I do this one ride where the grade is a just a bit too long of a gradual uphill and it kicks my butt when I do it with my cruiser. I do it with our other bikes with gears and it's a lot easier to do. LOL.

I'm thinking 55 is just about the perfect all around one gear gearing, but I need to test that theory. My first cheap BMX bike is like 46 and it's just way too short. I don't like riding it any amount of distance. It's just annoying.
A couple of the bikes I was considering were stuck with 32x16 as max. (52 gear inches) No space by the chainstays for a larger chainring, and the standard size freewheels they had are only available down to 16. That automatically eliminated them from my list.

Another factor when choosing gearing is the crank length. Longer cranks give extra torque, which would favor using a slightly higher gear. (but limit cadence a bit) On the other hand, shorter cranks would allow for slightly higher cadence, making a slightly lower gear just as fast. The Redline PL26 comes with extra long 180mm cranks.

Originally Posted by bwilli88
I am 63 yo and in the process of building this for my BMX thrills. 700c wheels with Schwalbe Big Apple 700Cx50mm, need a better seat post, 25.4mm, and some BMX style bars. It has a Shimano coaster brake rear and debating about a front brake. Looking to keep it simple.
That is a cool frame for a large BMX bike, bwilli. Definitely keep us posted with your progress.
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Old 03-17-20, 09:18 AM
  #39  
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I'm definitely not into long cranks. I'm not a tall person and shorter cranks just feel better to me. My BMX has 170's and someday I will probably change them to 160. Besides that one all of my bikes are 165 and I like that length too. I'm used to it. It doesn't feel too big to me. On my cruiser it's just cheaper to change the sprocket but yeah, I guess some longer cranks might make it easier to pedal up hills.

But that being said, there are people out there saying shorter cranks are also easier on your knees and hips cuz the circle you make isn't as large. I could see there might be some wisdom in that. Especially for us old people.
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Old 03-17-20, 10:37 AM
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I like the 170's on my road bikes, where I tend to spin at a higher cadence. Mountain bike and winter bike have 175's and now for the first time,180's on the 26 inch BMX. But my legs are fairly long with a 32" inseam. Yes, some people say that running too long of a crank can lead to knee pain for them. I feel that changing it up with different lengths is a good thing for maintaining flexibility and muscle stretch. It seems to me that as long as I don't push too hard or too long, no length is likely to cause any issues for me. Switching it up may even be a good thing.

Crank length does have a small effect on the gears I choose though.
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Old 03-18-20, 12:05 PM
  #41  
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That sounds good. I like how riding different bikes in my arsenal seems to work different muscles from a bit different geometry. I rode my Son's bike last night cuz I got it all cleaned up and ready to go and it feels like it works muscles differently than the one I ride regularly.

Totally makes sense what you are saying. All your points. Would be interesting to see what I thought of longer cranks on a road bike....
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Old 03-18-20, 12:31 PM
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Originally Posted by 3S1M
That sounds good. I like how riding different bikes in my arsenal seems to work different muscles from a bit different geometry. I rode my Son's bike last night cuz I got it all cleaned up and ready to go and it feels like it works muscles differently than the one I ride regularly.

Totally makes sense what you are saying. All your points. Would be interesting to see what I thought of longer cranks on a road bike....
My newest road bike came with 175's. I hated them. Felt very "choppy" when I got up to my favored cadence. Switched it to 170's and I was smooth and happy. But on the cruiser and mountain bikes I typically don't spin as fast, so the extra torque works works well with a slightly higher gear.

Gearing and crank length are very personal things. Everyone's gotta experiment a bit and see what works for them.
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Old 04-03-20, 07:06 AM
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Here is that frame built up, I wanted to go Flourescent but the paint was crappy.





I was looking for a big BMX. It has Schwalbe Big Apple tires 700c x 54mm, no name rims laced to a junk front hub and a Shimano CB-E100 coaster brake rear. Sakae Super custom crank and Sakae pedals. Brooks Cambium C17 and a simple seat post. The bars are Hot Chili downhill bars with a simple stem from a kids bike. The frame is a cheapie Southpoint hybrid I stripped and rattle canned. They are brought here to Cambodia by the container full.
Fun bike to ride reminds me of an old Sears 20 "stingray" I had way back when.
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Old 04-03-20, 11:33 AM
  #44  
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Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice!!! Great job!!!!!
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Old 04-03-20, 11:38 AM
  #45  
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Looks like lots o fun!
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Old 04-03-20, 04:26 PM
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Originally Posted by AlmostTrick
My newest road bike came with 175's. I hated them. Felt very "choppy" when I got up to my favored cadence. Switched it to 170's and I was smooth and happy. But on the cruiser and mountain bikes I typically don't spin as fast, so the extra torque works works well with a slightly higher gear.

Gearing and crank length are very personal things. Everyone's gotta experiment a bit and see what works for them.
I'm about 6' (just barely over), and have a long inseam for my height at about 33.5". I can run a pretty wide variety without any negative effect so far.

I run 170s for most of my riding - old road bike with 3 speed for commuting (~20km each way) anrad tootling around with the kids. I've got 175s on my current TT build, almost more as a test than anything else. I'm not sure about it, I might go shorter, but it seems to be fine.

My 20" race bike I have 185s - I think they're just a touch long for me. I have 180s on my cruiser, and I think I'm going to switch my class bike down to 180s as well. The 20" I bought from a guy 2-3" taller than me.
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Old 04-26-20, 09:52 AM
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Originally Posted by sean.hwy
What are those? They look really like. I like the extra gusset on the lower bike, reminds of my bmx bikes back in the day.
Wow, this one is good. Can I use it somewhere?
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