BMX - 26 inch cruiser

Hey

So when I was like 13 I, like every suburban kid, had a bmx. My first real bike was a bmx and it has a lot to do with why I still ride bikes today. That said, I don't ride bmx these days, but I do ride mtb, and road, and track.

For a while now I have been remembering the fun I had just messing around on that bike and I am looking to find another bmx like it. The only problem is that that 20inch bike seemed a lot bigger when I was five feet. Now that I am 6' 5" a 20 inch bike seems a bit small. I know that a 26 inch bmx probably isnt going to be as good for aggressive bmx riding, but I am mostly looking for a bike to ride around and do wheelies and hop curbs while I am drinking with my friends.


I rode a 26 inch volume sledgehammer a week ago and it was a blast to find a bmx that reminded me of when I was a kid, so I am looking to find another. That said, I am having a lot of trouble figuring out if anyone other than volume is making 26 inch cruisers these days. I don't know if anyone is, but I figure that you guys would know if any.

So thanks for any input, I really appreciate it.

Shadow Conspiracy has a damned nice one.

ya they do
http://www.theshadowconspiracy.com/

That's a 24" he's looking for a 26".
The Volume Sledgehammer is the only BMX 26" cruiser I know of.
You could look at Single-Speed mountain bikes. They aren't the same, but close.
-Bill

I thought of a SS MTB too. Check out SE's new old school OM Flyer also.

I have only ridden that 26 inch but I should go to a shop and try out a 24 inch cruiser, maybe it will still work... thanks for the info everyone.

When you say 26" BMX cruiser i'll assume you mean a more DJ/Urban/Park specific frame.

In which case there are many:

Transition Trail or Park
NS Bikes Suburban
Nemesis Project Secret Agent
Eastern Traildigger 26, Thunderbird, Nighttrain
Specialized P Series
Union Street Bikes Fall Guy
Cannondale Chase
Atomlab TrailPimp, GI

There are at least 50 frames/bikes that fit into this category. The new thing is to get super short chainstays and steeper headtube angles to give the bigger bikes a more nimble feel. Eastern's new Thunderbird and Nightrain, and the Atomlab Trailpimp have CS Length of 14.5", which is super short. These bikes manual like crazy and DJ like the best of them.

Also, don't count out a 24" bike like the Union Street Bikes "Molly" or DK General Lee or Xenia.

You're better off checking out MTBR Urban/DJ/Park forums or RideMonkey.com DJ forum.

Thanks for the list PHeller. A few others come to mind:
The triple cable guides suggest that marketing this as a BMX bike was an afterthought, but theFetish Sin Pro 26 (http://www.fetishcycles.com/bmx/sin206/index.html) is a beauty.
The Redline Monocog (http://www.redlinebicycles.com/adultbikes/monocog-29er.html) is classified as a SS MTB, but it might interest you.
Swobo's Folsom (http://www.swobo.com/catalog/product_info_b.php?cPath=201_205) is definitely no BMX bike but it would look pretty good with a big chrome basket on the handlebars.
I'm surprised nobody mentioned Texas Fireman's (http://firemansbikes.com/) cruisers yet.

When you say 26" BMX cruiser i'll assume you mean a more DJ/Urban/Park specific frame.

In which case there are many:

Transition Trail or Park
NS Bikes Suburban
Nemesis Project Secret Agent
Eastern Traildigger 26, Thunderbird, Nighttrain
Specialized P Series
Union Street Bikes Fall Guy
Cannondale Chase
Atomlab TrailPimp, GI

There are at least 50 frames/bikes that fit into this category. The new thing is to get super short chainstays and steeper headtube angles to give the bigger bikes a more nimble feel. Eastern's new Thunderbird and Nightrain, and the Atomlab Trailpimp have CS Length of 14.5", which is super short. These bikes manual like crazy and DJ like the best of them.

Also, don't count out a 24" bike like the Union Street Bikes "Molly" or DK General Lee or Xenia.

You're better off checking out MTBR Urban/DJ/Park forums or RideMonkey.com DJ forum.


I freeride mtb and I know about urban assault, I was hoping to find a bmx geometry frame, closer to the sledgehammer from volume, specifically a bike that was rigid, and didnt have a geo that was corrected for suspension. I appreciate the input though, and if I am unsatisfied I will probably get a dj frameset like a p1 or the on one gimp. I will keep looking.

Also, whoever suggested the fireman cruzer thats a pretty awesome frame, I like the rear triangle a lot on the bike, especially how the dropouts connect to the tubing. It reminds me a lot of the SE vintage 26 they make. Thanks for the suggestion. I still need to determine how much I am going to spend, and then figure out everything, but this helps me do that a lot. Thanks.

I totally forgot about SE's OM Flyer. I've tried one out at the track, real nice ride. The Texas Fireman cruzer is also a very nice ride as well. Again, just slipped my mind.
You may want to look at Kappa as well. They make 26" frames similar to Texas Fireman, but I feel their quality is hit or miss.
http://www.kappabmx.com
-Bill

When you say 26" BMX cruiser i'll assume you mean a more DJ/Urban/Park specific frame.

In which case there are many:

Transition Trail or Park
NS Bikes Suburban
Nemesis Project Secret Agent
Eastern Traildigger 26, Thunderbird, Nighttrain
Specialized P Series
Union Street Bikes Fall Guy
Cannondale Chase
Atomlab TrailPimp, GI

There are at least 50 frames/bikes that fit into this category. The new thing is to get super short chainstays and steeper headtube angles to give the bigger bikes a more nimble feel. Eastern's new Thunderbird and Nightrain, and the Atomlab Trailpimp have CS Length of 14.5", which is super short. These bikes manual like crazy and DJ like the best of them.

Also, don't count out a 24" bike like the Union Street Bikes "Molly" or DK General Lee or Xenia.

You're better off checking out MTBR Urban/DJ/Park forums or RideMonkey.com DJ forum.

The DK Xenia is a 26". All of the above bikes are good ina 26". If you do some research on SingleSpeeds, you will find almost everyone has one. I myself, just bought a 26" DK Xenia, and it is an awesome bike. Brings out the old school BMX rider in ya', but a more comfortable frame setup.

I freeride mtb and I know about urban assault, I was hoping to find a bmx geometry frame, closer to the sledgehammer from volume, specifically a bike that was rigid, and didnt have a geo that was corrected for suspension. I appreciate the input though, and if I am unsatisfied I will probably get a dj frameset like a p1 or the on one gimp. I will keep looking.

The P1 and On-One Gimp are at the bottom of the what is considered "new geometry" in DJ/Urban/Park frame styles. They work, yes, but they don't compete with the super short chainstays that the some of the bikes I mentioned have. I'm not downing those bikes, I'm just saying there is newer and more progressive stuff out there.

Have you checked out the Eastern Traildigger 26? Also NS Bikes has a whole lineup of 26" cruisers if I remember correctly.

Many of these new bikes are also setup to run 80mm forks, lowering the Axle to Crown distance, and giving it a more BMX feel with the give of a suspension fork. Also, don't go saying "a suspension fork will never ride like a rigid" because its untrue, as there are many spring options, especially for the Manitou Jumper, that can make them borderline solid.

While yes, the Volume might have that "big BMX" look, that doesn't necessarily mean it will ride any better than any of the bikes I mentioned. It also looks like it weighs 40lbs. I'd like to see frame geometry and weight numbers before I'd get to chubbed up about it.

Fireman Bikes in Austin, Texas builds custom 26" cruisers but they are expensive.

http://www.firemansbikes.com/

Ya I guess it depends if your looking for nostalgia or not.

Those fireman bikes just look like they are retro frames with short forks and cruiser bars.

The P1 and On-One Gimp are at the bottom of the what is considered "new geometry" in DJ/Urban/Park frame styles. They work, yes, but they don't compete with the super short chainstays that the some of the bikes I mentioned have. I'm not downing those bikes, I'm just saying there is newer and more progressive stuff out there.

Have you checked out the Eastern Traildigger 26? Also NS Bikes has a whole lineup of 26" cruisers if I remember correctly.

Many of these new bikes are also setup to run 80mm forks, lowering the Axle to Crown distance, and giving it a more BMX feel with the give of a suspension fork. Also, don't go saying "a suspension fork will never ride like a rigid" because its untrue, as there are many spring options, especially for the Manitou Jumper, that can make them borderline solid.

While yes, the Volume might have that "big BMX" look, that doesn't necessarily mean it will ride any better than any of the bikes I mentioned. It also looks like it weighs 40lbs. I'd like to see frame geometry and weight numbers before I'd get to chubbed up about it.


I appreciate the information but I am not exactly looking for a urban assault bike, I acknowledge that a dj geo bike is going to probably "preform" better in some regards, but I am not necessarily looking for a bike to get that aggressive with.

right now I am looking more for a nostalgia dink around with bike.