PFA. Currently have the Cannondale Dave in the pic; it's a 26in DJ. I'm lusting after a 20in bmx bike. Tell me im wrong (or maybe im right?).
Uses would be primarily messing around in the street near the house with the kids, some pump track fun, and maybe some dirt jumps (i live in Tulsa, OK and they're almost done with a pretty legit dirt jump park at Turkey mt). I cant imagine ever going on big jumps; im 39 and have 3 kids and need to be able to continue wiping my own ass (and theirs occasionally).
The reason I'm thinking about a 20in, is i remember being a kid on my 20in dyno vfr, and even as a kid that thing was so light and agile. I've been riding mtbs for the last 15ish years, and always gravitate towards simpler lighter bikes, so i picked up this Dave and it's better than the hardtail I was riding but still feels a little sluggish.
Thoughts? Am I remembering my bmx bike with rose colored lenses?
by SurprisinglySquare
14 Comments
Try BMX out if you want the pain.
Keep the DJ if space and budget allows. Wait for a good deal on a BMX. They are a lot of fun but terribly impractical. At least you can commute and shop run on the DJ. BMX is mostly suffering
All styles of bikes lend into just being a more rounded rider. While yeah the nostalgia pull is strong, modern bmx bikes have changed considerably since then, especially their setup and geometry. End of the day grab a decent used one and give it a go first
BMX is great. The slackest BMX will feel more twitchier than a DJ. Would suggest looking at trail geometry with slacker headtube and longer backend. Also 22inch bmxs are becoming popular especially amongst us grown up kids.
I have a 26” dj as well as my BMX. The DJ is great for pedaling around the neighborhood (it moves better and has disc brakes) but for screwing around/jibbing out front the brakeless/freecoaster/modern geo BMX is much more fun. It wouldn’t hurt to try and like Alvinf said trying various styles just makes you more well rounded rider.
I’m in my early 30s and got a dirt jump last year and eneded up sending it back to get a bmx bike instead. I think the bmx feels better and even switching back to my 170mm travel mountain bike feels pretty natural still. I’ve been hitting dirt jumps, trying to do flat ground tricks and learning to grind stuff. I enjoy pedaling it around town too, and even do some light communting on it, it’s fun! I am very sore though, from trying to do tricks and some minor low speed crashes, but it’s worth it.
You should get a bmx bike.
That Cannondale looks awesome. I need to get something like that for my wife
Try a 24in cruiser. Mine is a Free Agent Ambush. BMX geometry with a little more stability on 24s. It flies like a dream on dirt tracks
Similar journey here. In my case got 20” BMX after finding the 26” was a bit big for some 1/4 pipes and skatebowl features. BMX is indeed better for that, also fun on pumptracks. Check that you get a frame big enough for you, read up on top tube lengths
I’ve been asking myself the same question. I have a DJ currently, but I’m itching to get a BMX, because I mostly do street riding anyway. I’ve so far stuck with the DJ because I sometimes strap a shotgun style seat to it to haul my 4yo to and from her extracurriculars. I think as soon as that isn’t a hard requirement anymore, I’ll be on a BMX again, since that’s what I grew up on.
I rode freestyle BMX since the early 2000s and I am currently riding a modern frame with newer geo. The new geo is very twitchy. Chainstay lengths are so short I loop out just leaning back. Sky high handlebars make it even worse. The steeper head tube angles put me over the bars more than I’d like. If you’re trying to recreate the same ride experience from back in the day, these modern geo frames aren’t going to do it. If I didn’t already own the BMX, I’d be looking into a DJ.
I got back into BMX in my early 40s. So fun. Also have a 26 DJ, 24 cruiser and 27.5 MTB.
Bottom line: the bigger bikes are more comfy but less maneuverable . The 20” bmx is something I’d never want to ride for transportation. But man it’s so responsive and easy to throw around.
If you have the money just splurge on that we the people full-sus BMX.
You can pick up a semi decent second hand bmx for dirt cheap, it doesn’t make sense to have to only choose one.
I currently have a 20″ bmx and am really enjoying it for messing about, but for pump tracks I much prefer a DJ.