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Technical & Reference Section => Tech and Restoration => Topic started by: aditup2004 on December 18, 2006, 09:18 AM
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....ref handlebar angles.
My opinion is, after all, we are entitled to one;
Old school bikes, in particular show bikes, SHOULD have thear bars lent forward, as they were BITD. That IS how we all rode (once we were a little older, especially)
This was mainly to give the rider "more room" on the bike, totally oblivious of the detremental effect it was having on the handling. This is fact, is it not?
I think they should be leant forward, not back like new school. Leaning the bars back is a handling issue only, isn't it?
Show bike, forward, riders, back.
All together now, show bike forward, riders back.
Ad :daumenhoch:
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i've always had my bars verticle. if you needed them that far forward you got the wrong frame. doing wheelies or monos were easier with the bars back past verticle. keep em verticle people :coolsmiley:
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All my bikes then and now have the bars vertical. I really hate seeing them forward. it bugs me no end. Thats just my opinion though. Like gt0733 said. If you have to have them forward the frame is too small. Plus it's a good way to end up on your face if you get air off a jump. :P
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as a lanky git mine are just a tad forward around an inch
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Vertical bitd , if you had them forward you'd be front heavy :daumenhoch:
Sam Fox always had hers slightly back to compensate :LolLolLolLol:
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Always had mine vertical or slightly back from vertical, to me it was only Burner owners that had bars forward, sorry Burner owners but that is always what I thought.
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vertical.....
deffo not burner boy style.
Dave
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i like mine slightly forward. BITD i used to line the grips up with the front wheel bolts to get a better feel for the front end, but slightly forward now for no other reason than it looks better :)
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Back then I rode with them vertical, now (on new school rides) I have them parallel to the fork leg. Feels about spot on.
Brian.
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here's the scoop on bar position
if you rode your bike as a get-to-school machine, you would set them a bit forward. and run a lay back seatpost so the bike was some sort of easy rider. it was the fashion back then.
if you were a freestyler, you would set the bars pretty much upright, for control
as frames got longer in the 90's bars started coming back
with the dirt jumping craze, the bars were mounted a bit back, so you didnt go over the front when you were nose diving the 8 pack.
having the bars forwards made the bike easier to endo, bitd. when you were doing the trick without any skill, just hairing along and hitting the brake and hoping for the best
burner bars: they are always forwards, because of the rake on the bars. their awful 70's design means that you have to have them tipped over so that the grips are above the headtube. if you have them upright it would be like riding a wheelbarrow.
ronnie remo always rode with his bars tipped a bit forwards, flying in the face of fashion during the 90's. he like them like that! personal preference
that's the 411
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here's the scoop on bar position
if you rode your bike as a get-to-school machine, you would set them a bit forward. and run a lay back seatpost so the bike was some sort of easy rider. it was the fashion back then.
if you were a freestyler, you would set the bars pretty much upright, for control
as frames got longer in the 90's bars started coming back
with the dirt jumping craze, the bars were mounted a bit back, so you didnt go over the front when you were nose diving the 8 pack.
having the bars forwards made the bike easier to endo, bitd. when you were doing the trick without any skill, just hairing along and hitting the brake and hoping for the best
burner bars: they are always forwards, because of the rake on the bars. their awful 70's design means that you have to have them tipped over so that the grips are above the headtube. if you have them upright it would be like riding a wheelbarrow.
ronnie remo always rode with his bars tipped a bit forwards, flying in the face of fashion during the 90's. he like them like that! personal preference
that's the 411
Wheelbarrow :LolLolLolLol:
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it wasnt just burners that had them bars
a lot of 70's bikes also did. it was just the period when they were designed
but the bottom line is you run the bars where you feel comfortable with them
people can't ride my bike, because of the tiny handlebars and their awkward position, but its fine for me. and i am radical
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bars vertical seat laydback for racing is my pesonal preferance this is what it is PERSONaL PREFERANCE noboddy can dictate whats right or wrong .
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i can.....im lord rom bloke
Dave
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i forgot about you lord rom excuse me :-[
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vertical,with the seat slightly forward to get my ass over the back end doing endo's.
even now on my new school it's the same.
but i am a short a*se.
priv
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i've just posted some pics from the 80's in random{check 'em out :daumenhoch:} and i do have my bars slightly forward,how we forget.
priv
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i wanted to tip the bars forwards on my first bmx, but they were welded to the top clamp of the stem :(
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vertical,with the seat slightly forward to get my ass over the back end doing endo's.
even now on my new school it's the same.
but i am a short a*se.
priv
nah them there bars arnt vert
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I seem to recall that only Burner boys rode with them really far forward, usually because it was the only way they were ever going to get the front off the ground. All my bikes and the people I rode with bitd had them pretty much vertical or just over, race or freestyle.
I think I once set my bike with them a little bit further forward when we were doing a wheelie comp to get the front to lift a bit easier but I could never ride it properly like that, I just found the front end too nervous and skittish.
So for me it was always vertical or slightly over but never way forward :daumenhoch:
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(http://www.brainydays.co.uk/images/Childs%20Wheelbarrow.jpg)
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Just back from Vertical with the tip of the seat meeting the bar end for racing (14" seat posts rised to the limit mark now that is old school racing)
Oh and this is old school racing as well (and for no real reason either)
(http://www.radbmx.co.uk/archive/albums/v637/bigplinky/MaximumWhickham.jpg)
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Cool pic Andy :daumenhoch:
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Vector ,Bob Haro replica bars are my choice ,so i don't have to think about it .
Yeah great pic Andy..............
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classic set up there bigplinky. :daumenhoch: no number plate for less wind resistence huh? :coolsmiley:
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Just back from Vertical with the tip of the seat meeting the bar end for racing (14" seat posts rised to the limit mark now that is old school racing)
Oh and this is old school racing as well (and for no real reason either)
(http://www.radbmx.co.uk/archive/albums/v637/bigplinky/MaximumWhickham.jpg)
is that goldmember in the background :LolLolLolLol:
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No number plate it must have been practice gates before the race ;)
For the North East Boys it's Whickham Thorns 1984ish
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Do you really need a front brake Andy , yeh not that fast......... ;D
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Its a shame nothing can be done with that track , I'm sure its the only remaining Kelloggs track left ......
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That front brake got me past Andy Ruffell at Teeside airport one year, stuff it up the inside of them and apply brakes and elbows if they aint got a front brake they ain't got a chance >:D (Actually I think Ruffell ran front brakes as well he just wasn't expecting anybody to be that close ;D)
Yeh pity about Whickham the guy who runs it has been turned down for BCF funding (to refurb it) at least twice because there was no club left in the area but with North East BMX now running something may happen?
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ruffell ran front brakes for intensive front hop sessions between motos
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Cool pic Andy, nice Oakley braces. I raced at Whickham Thorns a few times.
I also ran with a front brake occasionally, it all depended on where I was racing. They were no good on fast flowing tracks, but on tracks with tight corners they were another tool to use to win.
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Yeh totally agree Sean depends on the track if a front brake would help you or not nice tight 180 corners that's the place to use them.
Sorry for stealing yer thread Adam you can have it back now :daumenhoch:
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Nice pic Andy ,
Whickham Thorns , was that Gateshead ? . I'm just trying to remember Kelloggs tracks ! :LolLolLolLol:
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Yeh totally agree Sean depends on the track if a front brake would help you or not nice tight 180 corners that's the place to use them.
Sorry for stealing yer thread Adam you can have it back now :daumenhoch:
Your contribution is far more interesting than my input. Carry on Andy.
Ad :daumenhoch:
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Yeh Whickham Thorns is Gateshead from the 84 series. It was a very wet cold day but great to see your American Hero's race on it. The track is still more or less complete and strangely for a BMX track in a good area! I hope Noth East BMX club can get something going there as they have made such a good job of Hartlepool which is a very similar set up (track within an outdoor sports complex)
And it would be great for me as I only live about 500m away from it
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RINKYDINKYKINKYDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! couldnt resist
sorry :-[
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Great picture, but how is the seat post held? Doesn't look like that it had a clamp.
Thanks
J.
Just back from Vertical with the tip of the seat meeting the bar end for racing (14" seat posts rised to the limit mark now that is old school racing)
Oh and this is old school racing as well (and for no real reason either)
(http://www.radbmx.co.uk/archive/albums/v637/bigplinky/MaximumWhickham.jpg)
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J. It's just a poor scan/pic mate the bikes got a chrome DC hinged seat clamp on (or possibly chrome Hutch but think it's the DC myself)
Cheers
Andy