RADBMX.CO.UK
New School BMX 2004 - Now => New School Racing => Topic started by: Mikku on December 18, 2016, 12:56 PM
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So as some of you have already read, I’m considering entering the brave new world of new school racing. I’m assuming that I can’t use any of my old school race bikes (an ’83 Laserlite and an ’84 Free Agent) and tbh, probably shouldn’t go down that route anyway. That leaves me thinking about something newer, and I’m guessing that means new school rather than mid-school from a geometry/weight point of view. However, this really isn’t my era, so I’ve no idea where to begin and am open to suggestions.
What I would say is that I’ve never been one to have the latest and greatest thing, and would much prefer to have a decent quality, used set-up rather than something new and shiny. Also, I don’t want to spend too much dosh in case I hate racing and want to give it all up after one meeting!!! Not forgetting that I also have to kit myself out with a helmet and some racewear.
Stats-wise, I’m 5’10” and about 65kg. More importantly I’m nearer 50 than 40!!!! The language barrier and high cost of things in Japan, bmx included, means that buying/shipping from the UK or US is not a problem. Back to bikes, I’m intrigued by the tt lengths being quoted for riders of my height/weight, namely 20” – 21”, which I think equates to a Pro XL size in new money. That sounds quite long to me, but having never ridden anything later than a 1984 frame, don’t know what new school geometry’s like to ride. I quite like the idea of having a brand that existed bitd, and see that Haro, SE, and Redline, as well as the afore-mentioned Kuwahara and Free Agent all have race bikes in their line-ups. However, as stated above, I’ve really no idea what’s what!
So Radsters, what say you?
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You're pretty spot on with the frame sizing in terms of looking for a Pro XL or depending on how it feels a Pro XXL might be an option. Which would be anywhere from a 21-22" top tube as some brand will differ on lengths.
I'm not sure how they are in Japan, but I know down here most people are willing to let you have a go on their bikes so you can figure out roughly what works for you, and the bonus seems that many people at the closest club have some of the new versions of the brands you are looking at. :daumenhoch:
it should give you a good idea of how the new school bikes feel along with how nice it is to not put the knees into the bars haha.
Your best bet would either to try to find a second hand complete that's up to a few years old, or to buy one from a shop that's up to a few years old. Most newer completes are pretty solid for what they are, although in your case I would recommend staying away from Carbon frames or forks. Sure they can be good and light, but in your case the benefits aren't there and they can be more expensive then just an alu set up.
Seeing as you are impartial to the Kuwahara, maybe a polished Lachesis could be up your ally?
Otherwise just have a look and see what you find and catch your eye. I see you haven't added GT to that list though :whistle:
as for race gear, When you start out you could possibly get away with a long sleeve top and pants (ie jeans) and would just need some gloves and a helmet. Plenty of brands out there at an entry level, try and find one that fits you best and feels comfortable.
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Thanks for the reply and ideas - much appreciated. :daumenhoch:
I'd forgotten about GT, and for that matter Hutch and Curtis! All we need now is for MRD to join the new school party!! Would love a Lachesis but don't imagine they pop up very often for reasonable money. Is it worth me joining BMX Talk or will I be laughed at over there?!
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I've got a ns Ripper, not one of the retro ones, a fully ns racer xxl elite it rides ace. It's going up for sale very soon as I don't have the time anymore
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I've got a ns Ripper, not one of the retro ones, a fully ns racer xxl elite it rides ace. It's going up for sale very soon as I don't have the time anymore
I suspect that it may be beyond my needs and/or budget, but am definitely interested to hear and see more! :daumenhoch:
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In complete disregard of my previous comment about not wanting anything new and shiny, I've just seen the latest PK Ripper Super Elite!!! :smitten: Out of my price range but a nice piece of eye-candy nonetheless! :daumenhoch:
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You should be able to pick up a decent 3/4 yr old complete for around the 200/250 mark Mick. Don't know if you're on fb but there's a couple of new school pages where you should be able to pick something up. If not BMXTalk is definitely worth a look. :daumenhoch:
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Thanks mate! I'm not on FB but may give BMXTalk a whirl! :daumenhoch:
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Recently picked up some BMX Plus mags from 2014, and the ad below jumped out at me!!! Yet more inspiration, not that I need it! On that note, I'm planning to head to a BMX shop tomorrow afternoon to have a browse at a few completes, including the above SE! :daumenhoch:
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Didn't get to ride them, but had a butcher's at the new PK Ripper Elite and Haro Race Lite Pro XLs yesterday & very nice they were too! :coolsmiley:
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Have recently been very tempted by these 2 used bikes:-
1. a 2005 Specialized Hemi-Comp;
2. a 2014 Ripper Elite
Both good-looking, starter-friendly, budget-friendly bikes though they are pro-sized (with 20.5" top tubes) rather than Pro XL, so I reckon are on the smallish side for me. :(
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both look pretty decent to start out on.
I'm guessing (and going by the other places you're scouring for info) that you haven't been able to have a go on anything yet to roughly work out the sizing you prefer?
How did you find the Kuwi when you went and rode the track the other time? did it feel short and like you were over the front quite a lot? Just going to go out on limb here and say, that maybe coming from such a bike that you may enjoy the shorter lengths or feel comfortable on them.
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No, I haven't been able to ride anything yet, so am shooting in the dark somewhat, and am therefore grateful for any advice and ideas! :daumenhoch:
The Laserlite felt great on the track but then that's no real surprise as that era/style of bmx is all I really know! However, I'm genuinely interested to see how a longer, lower, lighter, new school frame rides, especially over the rhythm section!! There's a practice day at the track next weekend, so I'm going to go along and see if I can get a ride on something!!
Back to sizing and the 2 bikes I've seen, I'm not the tallest/heaviest/strongest of riders, so wonder whether a Pro-sized frame would be ok, at least to begin with. If that turned out not to be the case, then I guess I could always use a longer stem to give me more room. Decisions, decisions!! :D
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Regardless of what I eventually end up with, I have to say that it's been interesting reading up on new school frame geometry, from head tube and seat tube angles to the "rider area". I wouldn't say I'm a convert, at least not yet, but I certainly have a greater appreciation of new school bikes now! :daumenhoch:
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More eye-candy in the form of a Kuwahara Lachesis Pro XL:-
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That looks fooking lush..
Deffo see you on the track wearing that bling.. explosion
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After going backwards and forwards with various options, prices, sizes and whatnot, I've finally made a decision and pulled the trigger on a bike!!! I won't get my hands on it for a month or so, so will save the big reveal 'til then but I'm super stoked and itching to ride it!!! :daumenhoch:
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Floval flyer??
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Floval flyer??
Nice bikes those but I've always ridden a 20" bike so have stuck with what I know albeit in a Pro XL size! :daumenhoch:
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The eagle has landed! I won't get it up and running 'til the weekend, but below are a few teaser pics, with more details and pics to follow in my blog thread! :daumenhoch:
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Me likely mate :coolsmiley:
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Cheers Ady! :daumenhoch: As you can see, I've gone for a bit of gold:-
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so parts....
that means it is a ground up build?
and if its a chrome/gold build should look sweet.
classical taste that will be clean.
Kinda funny, was at a national/continental event last weekend, was the only one on flat pedals, pretty much the only Cromo (Reynolds) frame. All set up in a classical way with Profiles (don't think there were many if any others) and a simple black colour way without any bling going on. Every other bike was full on with Hi Vis paints, parts and the style of them all was definitely to a "new school" taste.
Just have so much respect for those that give it the simple styling that is just clean and tidy.
Mind you, throwing out some one foot starts in practice left the starter and a few other officials dumbfounded, even more so when they were actually quicker then many of the others doing normal starts who aren't exactly slow haha.
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Cheers Ady! :daumenhoch: As you can see, I've gone for a bit of gold:-
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m572/Trident393/New%20School%20Racing/NB%20tensioners.jpg) (http://s1132.photobucket.com/user/Trident393/media/New%20School%20Racing/NB%20tensioners.jpg.html)
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Thanks for that Ady - it took me a couple of hours to get that bloody song out of mind after watching the vid!!! :nuts:
so parts....
that means it is a ground up build?
and if its a chrome/gold build should look sweet.
classical taste that will be clean.
Kinda funny, was at a national/continental event last weekend, was the only one on flat pedals, pretty much the only Cromo (Reynolds) frame. All set up in a classical way with Profiles (don't think there were many if any others) and a simple black colour way without any bling going on. Every other bike was full on with Hi Vis paints, parts and the style of them all was definitely to a "new school" taste.
Just have so much respect for those that give it the simple styling that is just clean and tidy.
Mind you, throwing out some one foot starts in practice left the starter and a few other officials dumbfounded, even more so when they were actually quicker then many of the others doing normal starts who aren't exactly slow haha.
I like your style!! How did you get on?
& yes, it's a ground-up build with a bit of chrome, gold and white! Took it out for a spin today, so will post some pics on the blog in a mo' :daumenhoch:
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:popcorn:
:popcorn:
fistblump
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No Dachshunds here, just a new school race rig getting its first track outing:-
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It seems like a long time ago now but since the Crupi was built up back in March, 6 months ago, the only thing that’s been done to it is general maintenance. Nothing’s broken or needed replacing, despite my riding exploits, which is testament to the quality and choice of parts, and to Dan’s bike-building skills! :bow:
However, despite the old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, I couldn't help but take advantage of the free shipping opportunity provided by a recent trip to North America! I'd originally planned to just pick up a few odds and sods but that turned out to include a set of wheels! I’m going to post the updates to the bike as they are fitted, build-thread style, but here’s a teaser pic to get this thread rolling again! :daumenhoch:
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My first purchase and upgrade are some nearly-new, DMR V12 pedals. These are bloody lovely – magnesium bodies, sealed bearings and cro-mo axles. They are also super light, at least in comparison to the Victors (VP-566) I was running with. Tbh, the VPs were fine and I never slipped a pedal on them but the V12s are definitely a step-up in terms of quality. They also ride bloody well too, despite having less pins than the VPs (10 compared to 14) and although I've only tried them on a short 10-minute spin around my neighbourhood roads, my Vans felt locked in like never before, so hopefully that feeling is replicated on the track. Check out the comparison pics below plus one of the pedals on the bike:-
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Very nice. Gotta love a nice set of flats like that.
Have to wonder if it could also be the pin location and shape of them in terms of being planted so well.
For example I have 2 sets of blackspires, exact same model but one is older with slightly different pin shapes (same locations) and the newer finer pins just feel so much grippier compared to the older more rounded pins.
Loving the fact you're keeping it real with flats.
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Yeah, I'm sure the design and placement of the pins is important. The V12s certainly get some rave reviews and from what I've experienced so far, DMR are definitely doing something right. As for clipping in, I've read about the advantages, which I can understand, but for me, the idea of being clipped in scares me and at my level (40-something, occasional Sunday racer with limited ability and a dicky shoulder!), that doesn't sound like much fun! So whilst I've embraced new school bike tech, it's definitely old school Vans and flats for me! :daumenhoch:
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I used the V12s in anger for the first time on Sunday and they worked fine (with the Vans), so with no issues to report I'm a happy chappy! :D
The new wheels are going to have to wait a while, as the 17t cog they came with means playing around with chainrings and chains, so I may leave that to the off season and concentrate on riding instead. :daumenhoch:
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With the race season now on its winter break, I can finally concentrate on upgrading the Crupi. Hopefully the wheels will be changed over during the next fortnight but in the meantime, I've just fitted Santa's seat. Or rather, the Tioga D-Spyder saddle that I found whilst rummaging through the bargain box in my lbs. I love the Velo-made, Crupi seat that I've been running with thus far but the leather's starting to wear and I don't want it to rip. Finding the Tioga was therefore perfect timing, helped by the 75% discount! The Spyder's also a little bit lighter, smaller and, dare I say it, more race-looking than the Crupi. I may still use the padded seat on longer rides but as per the online reviews, the Tioga's much more comfortable than it looks, so I may keep it on permanently. The change of seat colour has also changed the look of the bike as a whole, hopefully for the better but you can check out the pics below! :daumenhoch:
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Had a little play with the wheels yesterday. Or at least the front wheel as the rear wheel has a 17t cog, so is going to require a bit more spannerwork - hopefully on the cards for today. In the meantime, here's a couple of teaser pics! :daumenhoch:
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So I’ve finally got round to changing the wheels on the Crupi. Tbh, the unbranded alloy rims and freewheel hub have been fine thus far, holding up well to my newbie efforts, crashes included, but as we all know, it doesn’t take long to want an upgrade! In my case, this was mainly being driven (excuse the pun) by the desire to have something with better engagement than the 16t freewheel. My first thought was a White Industries freewheel but these aren’t particularly cheap, so that led me to thinking about spending a little bit more and picking up a secondhand wheelset with a cassette hub, thereby doing away with a freewheel altogether! Before I knew it I was looking at used wheelsets with rims and hubs from a whole host of manufacturers including Sun Ringle, Box, Bombshell, Crupi, Answer, Alienation, GT, Hope, Mavic and Chris King. You name it, I looked at it, but for various reasons, didn’t pull the trigger on anything until last summer when I found a custom set of Bombshell rims on Alienation Bullitt hubs with DT Swiss spokes. Built up by a Canadian bike shop, they were sold to a guy who decided to move up to an OS20 bike, so the Bombshells remained unused until I picked them up on my trip to Canada. They have a few storage marks and the stickers are missing from the rear rim but otherwise they’re sweet! :D
The seller had swapped out the 16t cog for a 17t version, which wasn’t a big problem as I’d wanted to experiment with gearing anyway. I found a used 47t Rennen chainring on the Museum and decided to give that a whirl since a 47:17 ratio is only slightly higher than the 44:16 I’d been running with. The larger-sized ring and cog also necessitated a longer chain and moving the rear wheel back a centimetre or so. Initial impressions are good, the gearing not feeling noticeably tougher to crank than before, though a bad back has prevents me from giving it a proper workout either on the road or track. Nor is the cassette unduly loud. Instead it has a very understated click, with a nice purr to it, which I love! :smitten:
In fact the biggest impact is not performance-related but an aesthetic one. Obviously the bike now has a red theme to add to the white and gold of the original. There were already a few smidgens of red on the bike and the wheels have helped to bring those out, aided by a red Promax seat post clamp that I also picked up on my travels. There’s no doubting that the bike is now much more bling than the previous, more somber-looking setup. The only downside was losing the Renthal chainring, which I think is cool as fook, but that can go back on at a later date if need be. For the time being, however, I’ve no plans to add or change anything else and instead need to focus on trying to sort out my back for the season’s first race on 28th Jan! Here are a few pics of the bike as it now stands:-
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A bad back and bad weather has delayed the start of my season, so that means more time to look at stuff for sale! >:D
The result is this Speedline Elite brake caliper, the birdcage design of which I love. I think Vos had one on his sweet-looking Supercross Nomorea. Now I just have to decide whether to go for a matching red lever or a gold one to tie in the stem! :D
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:) Looking good:) I hated my Speedline brakes TBH-springs are too flimsy and not much adjustability .Is that your Crupi with the new brake on-just wondered why it has Dkoi stamped on it?
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I’m not going fast enough to warrant decent brakes, so hopefully the spring issue won’t be a problem! :daumenhoch:
The Dkoi is the bike they were on (these are the for sale pics) but it’s a nice-looking frame, eh. Hopefully the caliper will be arriving here with a few other goodies next week! :D
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Finally got the Speedline caliper fitted and dialled! :smitten:
Unfortunately I couldn't get the grip lock off (those bloody hex bolts are as soft as shite and I didn't want to ruin the lock by drilling the fooker), so the Promax lever that I'd also bought will have to wait until I replace the grips. :2gunsfiring_v1:
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Going back to your wheels; I had a similar problem when looking for wheels for a cyclocross bike. Through axles had not taken hold back then. I wanted discs, I wanted full hydraulic and I wanted those shimano discs with an aluminium core..so trick!
In the end I went for IronCross rims (disc specific), shimano aluminum core discs and shimano calipers with Chris King hubs. I doi not know if the same is true today but back then Chris King hubs were the danglies...except it was like calling in a killer swarm of bees when on freewheel.
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I think they still are the danglies!! There’s a bit more competition now, certainly from what I’ve seen in the racing scene, with Profiles seemingly the number one choice for many, but I still covet a set of CKs and nearly bought a bike with a CK rear hub just the other week! :D
That said, I love my Alienations! I’ve not seen anyone else with them over here plus they sound great. Not as loud as a CK swarm of bees mind you, though they purr a little louder now I’ve put a few miles on them! :daumenhoch:
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Have upgraded a few bits and bobs on the ol' Crupi! First up are some new forks, in the shape of the Answer Daggers. Am hoping that the weight-saving carbon up front will make the bike a bit easier for me to manhandle around the track. :daumenhoch:
Also finally got round to removing the Turner grips, replacing them with some Odi Vans and while I was at it, swapped out the Sinz lever for a Promax one. Along with the Lizard Skins number plate, that should do me for the new season, though I'm toying with the idea of a shorter stem. We'll see. :D
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Carbon forks have got to make you faster!! Looking good Mick :daumenhoch:
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At the very least they should make me LOOK faster!! Or rather, look like I’ve got more money than skill!! ;D
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Lovely looking steed that fella! :4_17_5: Looks quick standing still lol :daumenhoch:
PS...Get some Rad bmx decals on it as your unofficial sponsor
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Good idea! Where do I get these?
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Am back out on track tomorrow! Looking forward to giving the Daggers their racing debut, and to seeing if the lighter front end makes a noticeable difference to how the bike rides and feels. Forks review (and race report) to follow next week! :daumenhoch:
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Looking forward to the update :)
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The full report's in my blog thread but in short, the new forks felt great on track, making the bike much more chuckable! Definitely a step in the right direction. So the next step in the ongoing evolution/fine-tuning process is a shorter stem. I love the 53mm Promax stem I'm running with at the mo' but have convinced myself that, in combination with the Crupi's roomy 21.5tt, it's on the long side for me. I've therefore been looking at alternatives and initially started with the logical step of a smaller Promax, namely a 48mm version. However, I wonder how much of a difference 5mm would make? That got me thinking about going smaller and since there's a far greater choice of 31.8mm mtb stems (to fit my oversize Box Maximus bars) and some of them look similar to frontload bmx stems, I've been looking at those. Below is a shortlist of three I like the look of, all of which get good reviews online though increase with price:-
1. Truvativ Hussefelt 40mm with 0 degree lift (£35-40 shipped to Japan);
2. Race Face Respond 45mm with a 10 degree lift (about £50 shipped);
3. Thomson Elite X4 40mm with 0 degree lift (about £80 shipped).
As I'm shooting in the dark a bit with this, my instinct is to get the Hussefelt then I'm not too much out of pocket if it doesn't pan out. But then the Race Face has a bit of lift and we all know that Thomson stuff is quality!! No decisions made yet, but am looking to try one in the next few weeks. Maybe! ::)
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Just to confirm how indecisive I am, I'm now also looking at this:-
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So I finally pulled the trigger on a new stem and went for the Funnduro mtb stem!! With a 45mm reach and zero degree rise, it certainly changes the look and feel of the bike. It's also a lot smaller and lighter than the Promax Impact, weighing in at 110g with Ti bolts! Riding around my local rice fields the front end feels a lot livelier than before, so I'm keen to see how that translates on the track. Stem comparison and bike pics below! :daumenhoch:
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After a few races with the new stem, I'm much happier with the way the bike feels and am glad I made the change. :daumenhoch:
With the Crupi now dialled-in, for the moment at least, the latest “upgrade” is purely for aesthetic value, as I don’t think it offers much in the way of performance or protection! Saw a Knucklebone crossbar pad for sale in a pad lot and the seller agreed to sell me it separately. I reckon it balances out the red grips just perfectly. :D
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Gotta love a padset on the race bike.
Something you don't get to see anymore. (although, I do run them for fun).
I remember you asking about making it easier. Inadvertantly I stumbled on another way and then had a mate confirm it.
Higher Bottom Bracket height. I have 2 bikes set up near on identical, except one is the OS and the other is the 22 (which weighs about 1kg more).
Exact same Geo, except the 22 has a higher BB as it was set up to also run as an OS. So would match that BB with those wheels on it.
The mate was saying, when S&M went from the 38 special to the speedwagon, the BB height changed by going lower and to compensate for manuals they shortened the rear end on the speedwagon.
Just some info for you.
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That makes sense. A higher centre of gravity would make it easier to lift and keep up the front end with your weight over the back. The Crupi has a BB height of 11.63" which I think is a little higher than more modern frames.
I know you like your pads! :daumenhoch:
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I love my Speedline brakes but they just stick out a bit too much for my liking, especially on the drive side. I've tried adjusting them but can't seem to fix it, so was going to leave them be as they work just fine but... then I picked up a box of spare parts which included a white TRP aka Tektro Donny Robinson signature series caliper! Pics of both are below. Sadly the carbon fibre lever was not included but the caliper was free, so no complaints! Since I’m going to whip the Speedline off for an end-of-season clean anyway, I may as well give the DR caliper a whirl and see how it looks. :daumenhoch:
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I ran the Gusset Boom brake a few years back which is a generic brake identical to the Supercross and thought it was complete rubbish-the arm centering bolts are too short and the springs are wafer thin.The D R brake is better but the slots for pad adjustment are short and the arm centering bolts are made of real soft metal so go easy with the allen keys:)
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Thanks James! Appreciate the heads-up on the bolts too. :daumenhoch:
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They are a pretty decent brake though.
Tektro seem to make some pretty solid set ups that are easy to adjust and have a good feel to them.
Had them as a set with the carbon lever, which I managed to snap over the course of a few crashes.
Ended up going with DXR brakes and lever purely because they have a great feel and the lever had a lot of leverage so it wasn't an on/off situation.
Put the old DR arms onto the boss ladies bike and they are super smooth.
Definitely do rate them, just put them with a good lever and you're all set.
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Thanks mate! I'm running a gold Promax lever at the moment, so will see how that looks/works with the DR caliper and take it from there. :daumenhoch:
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Out with the old, in with the "new"! Swapped over the brakes this afternoon. The DRs definitely have a slimmer look than the Speedlines, and of course the colour change makes a bit of difference too. Took them for a quick spin around the block to make sure they worked and they felt good, but the real test will be in tomorrow's first race of the season. Not that I get to use the brakes much anyway! ;D
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Saw these pads for sale and couldn't resist them. I usually race at 2 tracks, so can run a UGP set-up at one track and the Knucklebone set-up at the other! :daumenhoch: