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BMX General => BMX Chat => Topic started by: threaders on January 24, 2014, 12:11 PM
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Hi everyone.
I am still a bit of a newbie and have built a few old school freestyle builds for looking at and now want to put together something I can ride.
I prefer the look of a twin top tube and just wanted to ask some advice on, which twin top tubes make the best rider :)
Am I right in thinking that racing frames make better riders than freestyle frames and does a longer top tube mean a better ride?
Are the torker 280 x's or pro's a better ride than normal torkers :-\
I have a firebird and a quad and a hutch trickstar and was looking to get something different than these to ride. I will only be going up and down country lanes with the odd hill here and there and really could do with advice on an ideal frame set and what a good set up consists of.
I am only small like 5 foot something and only a little fat :-[
Are 80's pk rippers better than the twin top tubes? and how come you dont have laybacks on racing frames?? Apologies for the questions and my budget for a frame and forks is going to be around £200 - £300.
I just thought that this time round, I would ask all my questions first, before buying parts and frames ect :daumenhoch:
Thanks for any advice and help people :)
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Oh yes and does anyone have out for sale :D
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I don't think you can look further than a Torker pro x bud, Kuwahara exhibitionists are excellent, but very few on the ground.
Or go for a Gt Pro Performer, perfect riders 👍
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Oldschool "twin" top-tube Freestyle frames in order of reidability from my own persoanl experience:
1 - MRD Badlander (19.25" TT)
2 - 1988 Haro Sport (20" TT)
3 - 1987 Haro Sport (19.5" TT)
4 - GT Pro Performer (19.5" TT I think)
5 - Haro FST (18.5" TT)
6 - Haro Master (18.25" TT I think)
7 - Haro Gen 1 (17.5" or 18" TT I think)
etc etc, right down to...
99 - Firebird Freestyler (18" or 18.5" TT) - sorry Firebird owners, these ride terrible due to the high BB and crap head angle!
Newschool twin top-tube freestyle framesets
1 - Supercross Extension (20.5" TT)
2 - Subrussa DTT (20.25 - 21" TT, depends what you ordered)
TT length matters, but more importantly is the head angle. o/s have lazier angles so they turn a bit slower and feel a bit less stable, n/s are steeper, quicker and more stable :daumenhoch:
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Rebel Freestyler, Reynolds tubing, lovely.
See Rick1970's for sale thread. :smitten:
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Even though its not a full twin top tube the jap built Haro Sports are lovely bikes to ride. No apologies to the Torker lovers, but ,those are a bit twitchy from my experience. Go for the jap built ones, cheaper and nicer riders IMO. :daumenhoch:
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How is a sport or performer twin top tube?
On that basis get a street beat or even better an 88 beat as it has a longer TT :daumenhoch:
Your trick star will ride well
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Some great info there spen. Thanks alot for it. I see torkers didnt even make your list of top ten :) does anyone know the torker top tube lengths on the 280 compared to the 280 x or pro models?
I think a badlander would be out of my price range, but I was thinking about it. I saw the rebel freestyler, but wasnt sure if freestylers would ride as good as a racing frame and am surprised that gt pro performers are a favourite and saw a jap one go on here for £120 last week :)
Anyone know the top tube length on the rebel freestyler?? Realy appreciate all this info fellas :)
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How is a sport or performer twin top tube?
You just squint a little Rob and put the cemera into "soft focus" mode...... :LolLolLolLol:
Unfortunatley all the pure twin top-tubes like Gen1's and Torkers were a bit twitchy to ride tbh, so we all seem to be advising the same sort of thing here mate :daumenhoch:
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Oh, I meant to say my list was from bikes I had personally owned or ridden in anger :daumenhoch:
Never had or ridden a Torker to comment unfortunately, but I would like to build one at some point :coolsmiley:
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How is a sport or performer twin top tube?
You just squint a little Rob and put the cemera into "soft focus" mode...... :LolLolLolLol:
Unfortunatley all the pure twin top-tubes like Gen1's and Torkers were a bit twitchy to ride tbh, so we all seem to be advising the same sort of thing here mate :daumenhoch:
:LolLolLolLol: the Sport is half twin top tube Rob. S spen said its more about the riding experience so a bit of a compromise on the length of twin tubing. :angel:
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Get a street beat then :daumenhoch:
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Twin top tubes.
The 280 is the same F+F as the L.P which ran from May 1978 to Aug 1982, they just started calling it a 280 in September of 1982. The 280X is the same F+F as the MX, which ran from some time in 1977 to late 1982, then they started calling it the 280X and changed out the gusset from circle to oblong. I think all four versions have an 18 1/2" TT with some variation on the head tube angles.
I have an L.P and had the MX. I personally find them twitchy to ride due to the headtube and seat mast angles and they are super light too. That's just me though as I prefer to throw my bikes around. I can't comment on the 280 or 280X as I never owned one mate.
You have to remember though, these Torkers are race frames, not freestylers.
I had an '87 Haro Master which I found really heavy when you put the gear on it. Nice cockpit area though and good size.
I have a Kuwahara Exhibitionist and have found it is the best twin top I have ever owned for riding and trying tricks on. It's lightish, good cockpit size, the headtube and seat mast angles are pretty spot on too. Only troublr there is, you will really struggle to find one :(
I have to agree with the others on a Dp. Terrible bike to ride. High BB and the head angle is too laid back. Very twitchy front end and creates an unmovable cockpit area for adults.
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Great info on the Torker 280 there. I was under the impression that racing frames made better riders than freestylers, where I got that from, I dont know :-[ but as I was looking at race frames I thought that Torkers were the only twin top tube racers :-\
I was pretty set on a Torker, but now not so sure. I appreciate the good advice so far. I really wanted a twin top tube, but may decide otherwise depending on whats around :)
Would you say that 80's pk rippers are better than the frame sets mentioned above? Sorry about all the questions and thanks for all your comments :daumenhoch:
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Rippers have a great geometry and great cockpit space. They do make for great riders but I wouldn't want to use one every day, especially if you sit all the time. Use a straight post on one too, not a layback, as the seat clamp area is vulnerable to cracking.
This is the best side shot I have for you to see the Torker geometry. This is an '81 so still an early one. Geometry's changed as the sport progressed so you will need to ask someone with a 280X :daumenhoch:
(http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j406/Londonhellboy/49_zpsbb73a30b.jpg) (http://s1084.photobucket.com/user/Londonhellboy/media/49_zpsbb73a30b.jpg.html)
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My mate is selling his Torker 280 Air though, if you are interested, a Torker designed for freestyle :daumenhoch:
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A fooker is what you need, rare though.
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I am considering pretty much everything at the moment as I have a little money for a change and have the next few days off to think about old school bmx's :daumenhoch: Got to be able to ride the next build though. :)
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get yourself to a meet up and try a few bikes to see what you like. :daumenhoch:
If all else fails, do what we all do and buy lots of bikes ;D
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get yourself to a meet up and try a few bikes to see what you like
Best advice ever that.
You'll go home and buy a newschool if you want to ride it of course :shocked: >:D :2funny: :coolsmiley:
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how tall are you threaders?
probably best you don't take advice on 'cockpit area' from Spen & Terry as they're both vertically challenged :teef:
as mentioned above, get yourself out on a ride and try a few for size
you can have a go on my ripper if you like :teef:
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Just measured and I think I am verticaly challenged as well at 66 inches :P A meet would be good, but I am in the arse end of Nowhere in Norfolk :) I did have a pk ripper, but sold it before ever riding it. It was the one on here that had a reweld on the rear seatstay :)
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probably best you don't take advice on 'cockpit area' from Spen & Terry as they're both vertically challenged
You can yourself to that list John as I'm taller than you :LolLolLolLol:
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Rippers are lovely bikes to ride as are Supergoose 3s, Skyway TAs and Redline PL20s (if you want something OS that is roomy and fast) ;)
But then we are going away from twin top tubes.
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probably best you don't take advice on 'cockpit area' from Spen & Terry as they're both vertically challenged
You can yourself to that list John as I'm taller than you :LolLolLolLol:
of course you are, my little munchkin :-*
(http://www.incognito-uk.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/shoe-lifts-577x420.png)
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Redline RL20II
Torker Freestylist
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Redline RL20II
Torker Freestylist
Ammaco Freestyler Pro
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I forgot about the ammaco twin top tubes :) I love the redline rl2011,s but the last one I saw for sale went for about £500 :(
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Redline RL20II
Torker Freestylist
Ammaco Freestyler Pro
gotta agree along with the haro sport :daumenhoch: (masters are shite)
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Just got sorted out with a nice resto project :daumenhoch: Ill be posting it up in the resto section once it arrives. Sorry to say that after all your advice, I went for a torker 280x, but it was a bargain and Im sure it will serve me well :daumenhoch: Thanks for all your time and help chaps :)
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A fooker is what you need, rare though.
Funny but i thought the same thing when i started reading this topic. Rides nice and cheaper than its American cousin.