BMX - cheap ways to lighten my bike

???

You can cut you handlebars ,remove the training wheel, and fill you innertubes with hydrogen.

Damn, to-bad you didn't have a mtb, I'd say lose 2 chainings and the front Der.

Cut off some seatpost, 4 inches inside the frame is enough.
Run only 1 brake.
Drill speedholes 'till your bike looks like swiss cheese.
Get hollow axles (q-release).
Find more places to drill speedholes.
Fill your tires wth helium or any lighter than air gas- NO, NOT HYDROGEN! Remember the Hindenburg!
Use smaller\ lighter tires.
Remove your valve caps.
Replace reflectors (if any) with reflective tape.

Or spend money on HQ parts.
BMX being a jump bike, I wouldn't worry about weight, stength is the major factor.

Remove every second spoke on both wheels. :lol:

seriously though. what should i replace/change that will lighten my bike?

Describe or pic your bike, might help.

Get hollow axles (q-release).

I've seen a total of one person ride those on a BMX bike over the last ten years.

His front wheel popped off his bike when he was tailwhipping a quarterpipe.

i have a really cheap bike because i am a not a HUGE BMX fan. what i mean is i go off little jumps, and i do wheelies,manuals stuff like that. so i don't worry about having an expensive bike (Haro, Diamondback)

i have a next flatspin. with steel frame/rims. i don't have the front pegs on. is there such a thing as lighter pegs? rims? tires?

O.k, hex out axles. ( I use 'cause yes, some joker opened mine and I didn't notice....for a while.. :eek: )

what do u mean hex out axles? can i buy lighter rims or pegs?

also u can laugh at my crappy bike. since it isn't as cool or stylish as what u guys have

A quick release axle is hollow, a steel shaft run through. Hex outs have a lock pin on one side that stops by slotting the dropout, this is the nut.
The other side is a hex key tightened bolt and shaft.
Man that's a lousy description. I'll get a pic.

Get some nice alloy rims, rotational weight (tires, rims) is the most noticable in weight reduction.

There is no way that that thing has steel rims. It's probably just cheap-grade aluminum.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=2073282&cat=61889&type=5&dept=4171&path=0%3A4171%3A61903%3A61904%3A4182%3A4182%3A61889

Lose the pegs, take off the chainguard, remove the front brakes, ditch the reflectors, cut the seatpost down so that there's only three or so inches in the seattube, and drop the kickstand.

A Next Flatspin nice. walmart bike?

yes. ha ha. i don't feel like wasting $400 just to do little jumps.

let me guess if the bike costs less than $400 its a piece of crap.

i don't know y u guys would want a bike that costs $400 or more. i would be to afraid to ride it. ( wouldn't want it to get stolen, busted)

i have a $200 bike if i had 400 dollars i'll buy a car off the streets. i'm just going to look for a job and update my bike

i don't know y u guys would want a bike that costs $400 or more. i would be to afraid to ride it.

I feel much more confident riding my $1300 bike with quality parts on it than a Walmart bike with one-piece cranks, caliper brakes, and plastic pedals, thank you.

u don't have to be an @$$ whole. i was talking about how i would be to afraid to ride it because it would probably get stolen or vandalized, thank you

Actually, you also said "busted", which would refer to parts being broken. As for it being stolen, that's what a good lock and good common sense is for.

i didnt mean literally busted. but someone could take it and scrape the **$$ out of it or knock something out of alignment

i didnt mean literally busted. but someone could take it and scrape the **$$ out of it or knock something out of alignment

You mean someone other than me! :mad:

I don't even have paint on my steel anymore, I put them dents in myself! :D

Doesn't matter if it gets knocked, I built my bike to survive crashes. :eek:

Build your bike tuff too. :)

if your not even serious about bmxing then whats the point of losing weight?

well his Next bike maybe weight like 42 pounds thats like a tank next to the bikes we have.

how much does your bike weigh

mine weighs like 17-20ish

Cut off some seatpost, 4 inches inside the frame is enough. Advice
Run only 1 brake. Advice
Drill speedholes 'till your bike looks like swiss cheese. Joke, but it is done.
Get hollow axles (q-release). Advice, maybe not good.
Find more places to drill speedholes. Advice..Joke, Sucka.
Fill your tires wth helium or any lighter than air gas- NO, NOT HYDROGEN! Remember the Hindenburg! Advice
Use smaller\ lighter tires. Advice
Remove your valve caps. Joke..C'mon.
Replace reflectors (if any) with reflective tape. Advice

Or spend money on HQ parts. Advice



Remove every second spoke on both wheels. Joke..really.

i didnt mean literally busted. but someone could take it and scrape the **$$ out of it or knock something out of alignment

It doesn't matter how it looks, it matters how it rides; look at my chainstays for example:

And my right pedal and crankarm:


As for alignment, that's what tools are for. It's not like it's all that easy to knock something around, anyway, if you tighten it properly.

i don't know about mines but my consin has a hoffman Dis El-2 and he says mines is lighter

i think i am just going to make sure everything is aligned and tightened right and that will be good enough for me. but i will replace the pedals, duh. does it really matter what kind u get. i am going to get clipless.

well i don't know much about pedals.

Do you have shoes with cleats for clipless pedals?

what do u mean by shoes with cleats?

clipless pedals are for racers, get some primo tenderizers (sp) are some snafu pedals.

The rims on the next flatspin are actully 6061 reinforced single wall rims. they are the nicesest of the "walmart" bikes. that doesn't make them strong as alex or sun single walls though

DMV are nice and I use Mosh, sealed bearings, removable pins.

Mosh are cheaper, seem to work for me. Called Halfstep platforms.

clipless pedals are for racers, get some primo tenderizers (sp) are some snafu pedals.

Odyssey Jim C's are far superior to those in my opinion, but they only come in 9/16" so they wouldn't do this kid much good (as his one-piecers will only accept 1/2").

beerman u got issues..he was just simply asking how to lighten his bike. it doesnt matter how crap it is hes allowd to ask wat he wants and not hav u open ur mouth and talk bout ur expensive bike..rememba he said hes not even that serious about it

right. i just do things like wheelies, manuals and small jumps. so i don't need a bike with top of the line stuff on it. (i will get different rims though)

Rice - Let's begin by being honest...

Your bike is bottom of the line and is not safe for ANY jumping. Next bikes are a low-end Wal-Mart/Toys-R-Us bike that is comparable to a Yugo (car)... That is, every time you get on it and ride, you are seriously putting your life at risk.

If you are even thinking about the most remote of thoughts to make your bike better - put it out of your head. Do not change one thing on your bike, because spending $10.00 to improve your bike is a waste of money.

I do not mean that in a bad way, I mean that if you enjoy doing some jumping, then you should get an entry level bmx bike.

Check www.danscomp.com and look at some of the bikes there. The DK Cincinatti for example is a pretty good entry level bike that is much more in line with the quality you should be looking at for well under $300.00. That may seem like a lot, but your parents spend upwards of $10,000.00 or MORE on their primary transportation (car) and kids who often use bikes to get around on often get sub $100.00 bikes and then parents complain about the quality of them.

No, if you are here to get advice on things to do to your bike, then what you should be doing is saving some money for a new bike, or not ask. You really can keep your bike running solid and not change anything out and you will be fine for a while. Don't change anything though, it simply is not worth it on that bike.

You paid $1300 US dollars for a _BMX_ bike!?

They must have seen you coming. Don't you know you can't buy coolness?

Thats how much I paid? who saw who coming? Thats the price of high end bmx bike.. My bike kicks ass and I love it and havent changed a thing on it in over a year... If a medium quality pre-built bmx bike is like 600 in dans.. why wouldnt a hand built top shelf bike be over 1000?

You can't buy coolness, but you can certainly buy a good bike..

beerman u got issues..he was just simply asking how to lighten his bike. it doesnt matter how crap it is hes allowd to ask wat he wants and not hav u open ur mouth and talk bout ur expensive bike..rememba he said hes not even that serious about it

If I may quote what he said:


i don't know y u guys would want a bike that costs $400 or more. i would be to afraid to ride it. ( wouldn't want it to get stolen, busted)

And I replied with why I would want a more expensive bike. I'm certain that most of the serious riders out there would agree with me that they feel a lot better riding a more costly ride, mainly due to the quality of the parts and the frame. And it's not as if I had my cheap bike days - I used a Toys-R-Us Huffy from '94 up until '97 or so, at which point I got a $200 GT.

edit:


You paid $1300 US dollars for a _BMX_ bike!?

They must have seen you coming. Don't you know you can't buy coolness?

I wasn't aware that I was trying to buy coolness. And all this time I had simply thought that I was trying to replace a bike that was stolen when someone broke into my car. Imagine that.

I dont understand why people are *****ing about someone spending 1300 dollars on a bike. Some people love biking and they just want the best so they can push themselves further. Beerman and sxe fbm rider are serious riders and I'm pretty sure they love biking. So whats the big f***ing deal about a dollar sign. Its not even your money. And as for buying coolness anyone who thinks they can be cool by buying something is bound to end up without hair in a miata trying to pick up 20 year old girls.

THIS IS LIFE find something you love and dont let anything stop you.

Most pro riders run upwards of $1,000.00 retail for custom bikes. I know my bike runs right in the $1500.00 range if I were to part it all up separately.

Some things on the bike are irreplacable or prototypes that are not 'generally' available to the public.

But, look at a top of the line frame: Standard STA-R Ox - That's $400.00 for the frame alone. It is also considered by many who ride it, to be the best and most durable street frame ever produced.

Add a good set of 3-piece cranks and a good wheelset with a top notch cassette hub and lightweight parts that are actually durable... The cranks are near $200.00 (Profile w/Ti Spindle) and wheels - let's call it an EASY $250.00 for wheels. So, without anything more to the bike than the frame, wheels, and cranks we have already spent $850.00

Not one of those items is 'garbage' or 'over-priced' they are exactly in line with the quality of the part and will make a built up bike that will survive things like jumping down 20+ stairs, or bailing seriously on a jump and launching your bike 40 feet and it landing on concrete. This is EXACTLY why there are high end bikes out there... Because some riders are very serious and demand high-end products.

In the past 12 months (other than normal wear items) I have not replaced ONE part on my bike. Not one thing has broken OR needed to be lubed, tightened, or generally maintained. The bike is about ready for some serious work, but it is still ready, right now, to be pulled out and ridden hard.

That is what $1,500.00+ will get you, reliability, strength, decent weight, and pure quality.

NOTE: Ares Choise, Titanium Frame: $1,100.00

How many of thsoe did Ares make, anyway? It must have been a really limited run.

cheap ways to lighten my bikeJudging by what you've said in this thread, the cheapest way to lighten you bike is to get off it. Beyond that, suggestions have been made.

u have a next? buy a new bike

do u have a job? if u do u are lucky.

i am only 13 so i can't get a job. thats y i can't afford a real nice bike. when i turn 14-15 i am going to buy about a $300+ bike

Hmm I dont ride BMX, but i can tell you NEXT is a bit under par for jumps, but if you want to use it, thta's your thing.

I would take the advice in this forum, and also look for some alloy handlebars/seatpost. After that save up for a diamondback or better....bug your parents to help you on it, etc. Really the quality difference is major.

Just be sure not to go beyond what your bike can take. Replacing cheap parts with upgraded parts will suffice for a while. Maybe you can get hold of some dia-compe bmx brakes...they should be a decent upgrade from whats on your bike. Even if its a tad heavier, the stopping power will be far better.

If you have a coaster brake, you could get it rmeoved for a standard freewheel hub, but at the cost of that, it's a bit more than what should be spent on that bike. Gain isn't worth the cash spent. Now if your rims are steel...going aluminum will lighten it up quite a bit, but is rather costly, possibly more than the cost of the bike.

Basically jsut rmeove unneeded stuff and cut down things you dont need. kickstands are first to go, then pegs, then reflectors (use tape), chainguards and spokeprotectors, and then worry about cutting excess seatposts, and cheap part replacements.

Check out your LBS to see if they have any solid used parts. Be sure thay are good though. Sometimes you can get a nice set of handlebars or setposts for a song.

alloy handlebars

Snaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap.

do u have a job? if u do u are lucky.

i am only 13 so i can't get a job. thats y i can't afford a real nice bike. when i turn 14-15 i am going to buy about a $300+ bike
When I was 13 I delivered papers - it brought me in about 100 bucks a month. Not much, but a LOT more than other 13 year old kids were bringing in with allowance alone. There are other 13 year olds who mow lawns at 20 bucks a pop or do other small work.

Really, not having money is fine, but if you can't afford something, then you likely can't improve it. It takes money to get a entry level bike and it takes a lot more money to get a high quality bike. Don't sweat the bike you are on, just talk to your parents and show them some of these posts. Do some reading and some research on bikes and see if they will help support you in getting a GOOD bike instead of something that could wind up killing you.

Now CATATONIC SAID
I would take the advice in this forum, and also look for some alloy handlebars/seatpost. After that save up for a diamondback or better....bug your parents to help you on it, etc. Really the quality difference is major.

Just be sure not to go beyond what your bike can take. Replacing cheap parts with upgraded parts will suffice for a while. Maybe you can get hold of some dia-compe bmx brakes...they should be a decent upgrade from whats on your bike. Even if its a tad heavier, the stopping power will be far better.

Basically jsut rmeove unneeded stuff and cut down things you dont need. kickstands are first to go, then pegs, then reflectors (use tape), chainguards and spokeprotectors, and then worry about cutting excess seatposts, and cheap part replacements.

Most of that information is somewhat inaccurate...

1. Alloy bars? What you want is good 4130 chromoly or better handlebars. Some of the best are things like 4130 heat-treated bars. They use stronger material, so less is necessary to provide the same strength as steel bars. They are upwards of $30.00 for any good bars.

2. Replacing brake calipers with Dia-Compes will do exactly NOTHING for your stopping power if you know nothing about brake maintenance. The single biggest thing you can do to make your brakes work is upgrade to a good chrome plated wheelset. Otherwise, just lube your cables with Tri-Flow and keep your rims and brake pads clean with Simple Green.

3. Yes, kickstands are a no-no. But, PEGS are there to be used. If you don't use them, throw them away - immediately after you throw away your reflectors. If you are riding at night then be on a proper road bike, not out doing tricks. If you are out doing tricks at night, wear something reflective. Reflectors don't typically go on any freestyle bmx bike.