BMX - ..need help!..bmx for long distance ride???

hello there!..i'm new to bikes, i'm considering buying a mountain bike or road bike but i find it more expensive and more complicated because it has so many parts. so i guess i'll just buy a bmx. but 1 thing is bothering me, CAN I USE MY BMX FOR LONG DISTANCE RIDES? distances that a road bike/mountain bike could cover.

i want my bike to be durable, fast, and could cover long distances...

...any suggestion on how to set up a bmx for this kind of riding? tnx!

Have you looked on Craigslist? They have cheap mtb/road bikes. I suggest you don't want to use a bmx for long distance trust me. You can get somewhere in half the time you can on a bmx.

yeha, BMXs really aren't long range. if you must,m get one of those old '70s ones with the banana seat and sissy bars. still, most of those are considered classics or are really broken down, so yo'd be best to grab a mountain bike off craigslist. try a hybrid actually. I used to have one (pre-bmx days) and they're not as lame as they sound.

...any suggestion on how to set up a bmx for this kind of riding? tnx!

Start a similar thread in the "Folding Bike" section of Bike Forums, and ask there. There are guys over there who ride centuries on small wheeled bikes... they'll help you out.

Also have a dig in there for a thread that talks about "Mini Velo"


:thumb:

single speed mountainbike or fixed gear it up. you can get ss bikes cheap on craigslist and ebay.

replace the standard bmx handlebar (the big boxy two-bar type) with a simple mountain bike riser bar, and consider getting a wheel built for a 3-speed or 5-speed internally-geared hub and it'll be a lot more comfortable for distance than as a single-speed... i've done this to a mongoose frame i picked up for cheap on ebay ($40) and it worked out rather well!

Why not just sorta mod a smaller mountain bike frame to kinda have that BMX look but give it a derailer and cassette?

Thats what I did with my commuter.

I wouldn't take it more than 10 miles though.

http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/31/l_f137aa60b01e4a0ca03105f642b6de45.jpg

your tyres are on backwards. knobby on the front for traction while steering, slick on the back for acceleration

friends, thank you very much for your advice, inputs and suggestion...

your tyres are on backwards. knobby on the front for traction while steering, slick on the back for acceleration

nah, he's got it right if he wants the traction for bunny hops and wheelies (aka manual) :D

why would he need a knobby on the back for either of those? it's not like you're making hard corners on soft/loose ground, and a normal tyre will grip just as well in any other situation, and won't be squirming around on the knobs, either

nah, he's got it right if he wants the traction for bunny hops and wheelies (aka manual) :D

If you read what he said you would know that the person riding it doesn't do bunny hops or anything like that. Plus it is a mtb frame. I mean seriously look at the bike.

i was mostly being facetious.
as for myself i appreciate symmetry so i've got knobby tires front and back.

http://www.sebmx.com/Singlespeed/700cDraft.aspx

if you want to do a bmx bike for longer distances, you could get a mtb dirt jumper, those can be used for street riding, and the bigger wheels and frame will make it more comfortable over distances. just get a quick release seat clamp.

http://www.sebmx.com/Singlespeed/700cDraft.aspx

I second the motion. Se has some nice SS for those prices.

Hi , new member here and just wanna say I have been riding bmx for some distances. I don't do stunts. My dad bought me a Haro F2 bmx when I was young and I was simply too ignorant at that time to know the different kinds of bikes. I like riding long distances. I have simply added a SIGMA cyclo comp , bar ends and removed the gyro set up from my Haro. Just bought a Topeak wedge bag as a Christmas present to myself. Next option I am considering is mounting a Specialized kind of racy or mtb seat..
Greatest distance ever done on my comp with my bmx was 42 km. But I believe more is possible. All depends on your ability to pedal and stay single speed while riding on the different contours of the road...
Great! First time posting on the forums ,so ,this post is rather special ,isn't it?

we're similar class when it comes to distance... i've done 20-25 miles.
(but regretted it later :( pain.) 10-15 miles is a good workout, just about right.

When I am on my bike , Pain takes a new meaning. It now means pure freedom. Yeah but of course with that distance coke and burger comes in very useful. Seriously

i used to blast two miles to work on my twenty. it was fun, but hard.

you get really strong standing up that way and get really good at little hops.

but yeah, anything more than that, get something for real. track bikes are fun for anything up to thirty miles. after that get a road bike.

moutainbikes are for the trails and fat people. skip it.

moutainbikes are for the trails and fat people.

best quote ever!

thanks for reviving the thread. not the best quote ever. many mountainbikers are in much better shape than bmx'ers. for example, i dont see any 24 hour bmx events or any lengthy bmx races. i dont mean to come across harsh, but are all there fat people who ride bmx? i'm sure there are

thanks for reviving the thread. not the best quote ever. many mountainbikers are in much better shape than bmx'ers. for example, i dont see any 24 hour bmx events or any lengthy bmx races. i dont mean to come across harsh, but are all there fat people who ride bmx? i'm sure there are

Thats cause they don't actually "ride" the bike they keep it around just to look cool.

And How far is your version of long distance? I rode all over the place on my bmx, I was So sore afterwards because I told myself that I would NOT get off and walk just cause theres a hill in the way!...lol But its worth it I had legs like tree trunks! and an 8 pack.

The MTB'ers being fat thing was a joke, sorry if you can't understand....

As far as riding long distance and wanting a simple easy to maintain bike, get a track style bike, single speed is fine for commuting, fixed gear is even better. The problem with the BMX for long rides is the geometry, you want to be able to get your legs straight when pedaling sat down, otherwise you put a lot of stress on your knees and they will be destroyed! You can replace parts on your bike, but you can't replace your knees. Unless you ride standing up all the time, which will make you super strong but is damn tiring.

BMX's are pretty much the least efficient form of transport, I think only the unicycle is worse. BMX's are made for jumping, being really good to control for dirt racing or for pure free style tricks. I have done a few long rides (30+km), but I much prefer to do it on one of my other bikes.

If you can, have a bike for each style of riding you do.

This is my selection.

Commuting bike. recently sold:( will build a Nagasawa sometime this year.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/3005156320_4fe234c285.jpg?v=0

DH/AM bike.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3099/3161383401_06504b79ab.jpg?v=0

Fun bike for dirt trails and jumping around on.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3327/3232958885_8c4aca7bae.jpg?v=0