adamtb

Hi! This is my first post on this forum.

I recently got real excited to ride again (it's been a few years) reading about urban assault type mountain biking.

I'm 34 now but when i was a kid I was real into what was then called bmx "street" style etc. Urban assault to me looks even more fun than riding in the desert here. (az).

(I took my bike in to the shop for a tune up since it's been in the garage the last couple years and I haven't trued a rim in more than 10. It's a GT I-Drive 5.0 - a full suspension bike.) (Follow up - Fiancee unit is going to take it over. Which means I can still ride it now and then. )

From everything I see, hard tail looks ideal for urban assault riding. In the meanwhile I will ride what I have.

Questions -

1) I have crappy clip on pedals now. What would be better for urban riding and getting rad, for now?

2) The seat post is very long right now - I think I need a much smaller one! Correct? (I'm going to hacksaw a few inches off, just enough so I can slam it.

(3) If I were to sell my GT iDrive 5.0 (anodized black and in great shape) on Craigslist, what should I ask?) Keeping it - getting another bike.

4) I will probably buy my next bike from Craigslist, and replace the parts as i break them What would be some things to look for? I'm 6' and a big guy and can be abusive. I am guessing a 24 or 26" wheel set? Why one over the other?
edit: I am trying to find a haro thread or specialized p1 or p2 to demo.

kill.cactus

What exactly is "urban assault" mtbing?

Is this like parkour for bikes?

troie

GT I-drive = NOT FOR URBAN ASSAULT!

Youre joking right? Do you have any idea how many trails AZ has compared to NV?!

Urban is for the kiddies, stay on the trails.

adamtb

Thanks for your considered opinion. (cough)

I'll do what I enjoy. I'll leave worrying about whether something is for "kiddies" or "grown-ups" to guys like you, more worried about others maintaining other peoples certainly deluded opinion that you are "grown up," than you are about doing what you like.

My fiancee decided she wants the i-Drive. I'm going to set it up for her. I'll still ride it once in a while, but I just never got into trail riding like i thought i would. I'd much prefer to shred and ride up walls.

probable556

I like to get rad clipless.

imcrushingyerhd

You can get a pretty good 20" street bike for pretty cheap, new or used. I wouldn't connect my feet to pedals in any way while riding street; go platform if you end up with a mtn bike. A bit of advise: I tried getting into street riding again for the same reasons you mention, and believe me throwing a mntn bike around is much more tiring and less fun than a BMX. Check out some videos online of mtn bike street riding and watch how hard these guys have to work to throw the bike around. If you can cough up a few hundred bucks you can get a 20" and have a lot more fun riding street.

streetlightpoet

get some bmx platform pedals that'll give some nice grip, then cruise craigslist for something like a specialized P2 or if you can find one a Cannondale Chase. 26" wheels will be slightly faster and make it easier to get from spot to spot.

dminor 

Freeride hardtail or even maybe a dirt-jumper would be a good choice for what you want to do for sure. To answer your questions (kind of):

1) I'd go with some good pinned platforms. Sun-Ringle' Zuzus, Syncros Mentals, Sunline V-ones or some such come to mind. But that's me.

2) It can be long - - as long as it will drop into your frame of choice far enough to slam it when you need to. (so you can put it at a comfortable height to pedal back home from urban sessioning).

3) I have no idea. I defer to others.

4) Look for burly construction and 'assault' geometry. You might even consider 26 front/24 rear combo with a fat 24 on the back - - a little more cush for dropping off things and it will slacken the frame angles a bit to make manualling easier (or so I think, since I've yet to master manualling ). Look for rear stays wide enough to hold the largest tire you want to run.

You have never engaged in this brand of fun?

junkyard

A green bike would make you rad in the eyes of the ladies.

dminor 

^^ A green bike would give you all the charm and savoir faire of a farting llama.

adamtb

I'm 6' tall and am a big guy. 20" isn't really an option for me I can't see riding a few miles on a BMX to get to some areas I could ride. Think clown on a 12" bike

I'm gradually calling around to the bike shops in town to see if anyone has a Haro Thread One (or Eight) or Specialized P1 (or P2) for me to try out.... so far - no luck! I am keeping an eye on Craigslist, too.

I live in Phoenix now and have for a while - I just never really got all that thrilled by riding in the desert. I love hiking, I'm an avid bird hunter, I love the desert. I'd just rather hike in it.

I'm 34 now and got into biking as a kid with BMX and street. I was always more into dirt jumping and street riding (wallrides, air, jumping off/over stuff, etc) than anything else. It's something I've missed in the MTB world. Am I ******** for wanting to get a single speed MTB for catching some air with again? I'm moving to San Francisco soon and am looking to riding in the city there, and in some cali skate parks if I get good enough again. I'm kind of out of shape now but I think that riding every day will definitely help, if I have a fun bike I like to ride! Or maybe it's some kind of mid-life crisis/nostalgia thing. Well I'm gonna indulge it. Either way.

dminor 

Transition Trail-or-Park or a Giant STP (Street/Trail/Park) would be right up your alley as well.

Hey, you are nowhere near mid-life crisis - - trust me. Now if you hit 45 and decide you're gonna take up downhill, well . . . .

Edit - I know another pretty big guy who built a real burly rig around an Identiti Mr. Hyde frame:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=303123

pinkrobe

The last time I got invited out to do urban assault, I brought my commuting bike and a length of steel pipe. Good times...

p.s.: dminor is on the right track

macten10

hmm....

Dannihilator

Wrong kind of urban bike right there.

ProFail

Necropost....

Pocko

I agree with you adamtb, do what you enjoy. You don't need validation from anyone. If you want to ride a full-sus or hardtail MTB for urban, I say go for it.

Cedric Gracia and Steve Peat don't mind a bit of urban, but they have to go to Europe to do that. Their ride isn't very stylie but then again they're after flo and the fastest time in this final run.

Enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTDpF...eature=related

dervish

i use my eastern night train for urban assualt/ DJ. it has tight geometry but still feels like you are riding a mtb. im just over 6 foot and also bmx, doesnt really feel too weird for me. just keep your mind open because a bmx is generally a lot cheaper than an urban assault

lofnsjoke

the 20" refers to the frame size (basically the measurement of the seat tube), not the rim size, and would be plenty big enough for you. possibly to big.

macten10

get over it. and stop crying about it.

macten10

thats a 24" right?, ... and bmx is generally cheaper until you add a dj fork then its about teh same price. thats a nice setup that you have there though. i was looking into a shadow conspiracy invisible man 24" dj bike.. but they discontinued it... and now its really hard to find.