just starting and need some info

[cookie06]

I'm looking to get into BMX (street) and was looking for some info. I'm a 5'3" female and am looking to build my own bike. I have found some info on what size crank to get, but as far as the frame goes I was wondering if anyone could suggest a specific frame or size to use. Thanks a bunch!

[FireTeamCharlie]

I'd recommend a Honda Civic hatchback. J/k, get something like a redline race frame, or DK General Lee. Probably a 18-20" top tube.

[queensrider86]

get a 19.75 frame

[MadMan2k]

5'3 might be a little small for that size, right?

Look at some of the bikes at http://danscomp.com/, maybe get an idea of what stuff costs.

[cookie06]

I have the Dan's Comp catalogue. Looking at prices and stuff, finding out alot. The General Lee, I can only find it in a 16 or 20. Just trying to do a bunch of research to find out what's best for me. I hate to jump into it and spend money on something that's going to be crap.

[dooley]

If I were starting out I wouldn't build up a bike, I'd buy a complete from Mongoose or Haro. Got to a big shop and pick a few suitably sized bikes and have a go on them.

[sxe fbm rider]

If she wants to build a bike and can afford it, and even if she did decide to get a complete, why would she waist her time on a mongoose? Why would anybody? I have some friends who are around 5'3" and they dont need a super small frame. I am 6'3", so I dont really know about sizing for smaller people, but dont get a complete Mongoose, that would be a mistake.

[dooley]

Because Mongoose make some damn good completes. And if she did decide BMX wasn't for her she'd only lose a couple of hundred bucks on resale as opposed to 400 or so.
I'm sorry Mongooses aren't cool enough for you, but they still make some good bikes, more than good enough for a beginner...

And no, I don't ride one myself.

[sxe fbm rider]

I didnt imply mongooses werent cool, I was saying they arent good bikes. I think haro is as uncool as mongoose, but they make some decent parts. Mongoose bikes are not good, even for a beginner. Dont assume things about someone you dont know.

[BMXTRIX]

I would recommend that you look at your budget first and foremost. If you have about $500.00 - then buy a complete bike. It really is the best way to get a lot of quality parts for your $$$. Complete custom bikes easily START at close to 800 bucks and go upward from there.

So, if you have less money you get a few cool parts, then you compromise on all the other parts and end up with a bike that, overall, isn't as good as a stock bike from many companies.

The bikes you are referring to have 16" wheels or 20" wheels. At 5'3" you want one with 20" wheels, and now you should concern yourself with the length of the bike - 19-20" top tube is a good place to start. Expect the bike to weigh in around 30-35 pounds. You can spend more money, or remove brakes and pegs to get weight down, but it helps to ride a heavy bike and take a year for the right muscles to develop - they will.

If you haven't yet, look at www.wofbmx.com - look at what the other ladies are riding for some examples of not only what equipment they use, but what they are doing with it. There are some girls that could easily outride 90% of the people on this forum, and they really are on the same bikes the guys ride.

At the $400 - $500.00 price point there are some excellent completes, including bikes from Haro and Mongoose. Actually, at that price point the Mongoose bikes are definitely BETTER than the Haros. There are a ton of others to look at as well though.

[dodge]

i dont no what it currencey rate is at the mo but in the uk hoffman rhythm retails at £230 and for a beginer bike its damb nice build to work as a base and just upgrade as u need to,mines a 20.5 and feels just right and im about 5'6-8"

[iweargirlspants]

i would say if your willing to spend money on a bike go for a fit team complete or somthing they run about 400 bucks and they are really nice for being a complete bike DK also makes some good completes you might want to look into

[dooley]

Ok genius, why would a Mongoose be a mistake? What exactly is wrong with them?

[rndmrdr88]

Did you hear about the 3 car pile-up on the freeway? 100 Mexicans died.

[iweargirlspants]

Did you hear about the 3 car pile-up on the freeway? 100 Mexicans died.
good to know you werent one of them josh :)

[rndmrdr88]

good to know you werent one of them josh :)

Hahahah I Aint no mexican!

[lunchbox]

Get the fit pro complete, i bought one when my hoffman was stolen and i'm way satisfied with it, its nice an light and i can learn stuff easier on it, and it has better control.

[Fallen]

Get one of the fit completes. 19.75"- 20.25" top tube with 175mm cranks.

[queensrider86]

do not get a fit complete bike. not the pro, or the team. they are so weak. my friend dropped his bike on one of them, and the handlebar dented the toptube

[iweargirlspants]

do not get a fit complete bike. not the pro, or the team. they are so weak. my friend dropped his bike on one of them, and the handlebar dented the toptube


everyone i know who runs them likes them, but besides the point they have this really nice new fit complete out with a euro BB and S&M 101 pedals already on it as well as some other really nice extra's i think its going for about 600 bucks i would definatly buy one of thoose if i needed a new bike. or a DK six pack.



PS. did your friend dent his bike doing a toothpick grind?

[lunchbox]

do not get a fit complete bike. not the pro, or the team. they are so weak. my friend dropped his bike on one of them, and the handlebar dented the toptube

I runnin the pro, and i'd have to say your kind wrong, I'm a pretty burly guy and i land hard sometimes, so far i havn't had an issue with strength of my frame, Belive me i should know i've bent crank spindles in 2 days.

[queensrider86]

I runnin the pro, and i'd have to say your kind wrong, I'm a pretty burly guy and i land hard sometimes, so far i havn't had an issue with strength of my frame, Belive me i should know i've bent crank spindles in 2 days.


Ok, but did you ever hit your frame doing a grind or a wallride?

[lunchbox]

Ok, but did you ever hit your frame doing a grind or a wallride?

I grinded dropout a few times while grinding... but i guess maybe your talking about bailing and the frame hitting the ledge,or rail?? If thats the case then no, but my friend took my bike and tried to 360 the pyramid at the park by where i live and he fell side ways on the ground, i checked it and it didn't dent.

[Brian]

I'm looking to get into BMX (street) and was looking for some info. I'm a 5'3" female and am looking to build my own bike. I have found some info on what size crank to get, but as far as the frame goes I was wondering if anyone could suggest a specific frame or size to use. Thanks a bunch!

Take the advice of Beerman and BMXTRIX, and ignore the rest. Most of the little boys haven't figured out the differences between their bodies and yours (besides the obvious). You may have longer legs and a shorter torso, so it's best to try a few sizes first, to see what fits right. Go to your local park or wherever other riders hang out, and see what they're riding, and get some real world opinions on gear, not just what some kids that have never ridden a Mongoose or any other brand think. If you're just starting out, you have to weigh the fact that no matter how much you spend, until you develop your own style and tastes, you can't really spec a bike for yourself. Get a decent mid range bike with a good frame that fits, and upgrade from there as needed. You may need stronger rims, or different bars, or a gearing swap, but you won't know until you've done it a while. Otherwise, yeah, chicks look cute in Honda Civic hatchbacks. :D

[lunchbox]

I have owned 2 mongooses, A mosh, A redline a diamond back and a fit, the redline and the fit have held up the best.

[Brian]

Thank you for that fair and unbiased assessment. That's actually useful information. Of course, we're talking about a petite girl, who may not be too rough on her equipment. (Why does that sound vaguely dirty?)

[queensrider86]

I have owned 2 mongooses, A mosh, A redline a diamond back and a fit, the redline and the fit have held up the best.


wow...i'm guessing you got them stolen

[Brian]

I've owned a Mongoose, 2 Redlines, and a Haro. 3 of them before most of you were born.

[lunchbox]

wow...i'm guessing you got them stolen

One of the mongooses was stolen, the other mongoose was a walmart bike that i started out on i broke it in three months, after the mongoose a friend was selling an old diamond back frame, i bought it from him and he gave me a set of forks and bars with it, i bought a few parts from some other friends and i managed to use the parts i slavaged from the mongoose with it, I had the Diamond back for 2 summers at twoards the end of the second summer i got pissed since i kept busting out back hubs, since the diamond back was 3/8ths, so I bought my friends old Mosh Bagley frame off of him since it was 14mm, I had a 14mm fork on the diamond back so all i needed to buy was a back wheel which i did off of a friend, The friend who had owned the Mosh frame really ****ed the back end of it up the drop out was a lil bent, and if you look at the frame it looks slightly twisted, any way, i ended up running that for a week since the back wheel would always shift and start rubbing the frame everytime i would grind, so then I took money i had saved up and went and bought the redline then of course if you read the my hoffman sd40 before it got stolen thread it says what happened to the redline, after the hoffman was stolen i calculated how much it would cost to replace the parts that were on the redline that got put on the hoffman and decided that i could get the fit that i am riding for cheaper than that, the redline is still siting in my garge and if i mess up my fit frame i plan on riding the redline frame again.

[Brian]

Better look out, Raiyn is in his grammar police mode, and that was the longest run-on sentence ever.

[lunchbox]

i know.... l33t