Cain Fotom

Hey Bikeforumgoers! So I am having a lot of trouble getting back into bmxing. I'm 22 and used to bmx when I was 15 and stopped when my bike was stolen at age 17. I went to a bike store to look at mountain bikes but saw a Stolen Casino bmx bike and it sparked the bmx in me! I purchased it and took it home to inspect and tighten/realign everything. The cranks are extremely wobbly and I have no idea how to fix that. I can't find any guides online. Everything else is fine though.

So I have been riding and trying some tricks for the last month. Riding about 2-3 hours a day. There are no skate parks near me that allow bikes so I have to ride street. I live in a pretty bad neighborhood and the only place to ride is a parking lot in front of a grocery store. I really suck at street. I was a vert rider back in the day so that is all I know. First off, the first week I worked on bunny hopping. I watched a lot of guides including Adam Lz. I just can't get high! I can get up curbs but when I tried to jump a 9 inch high 2 foot long gap my back wheel smacked the ledge and sent my flying... I try to go fast but I always feel like I'm going to lose control and not pull fast enough and get sent flying again.

The next trick I have been trying to learn that I could never do before is a decent manual. I once again watched a bunch of guides including Scotty Cranmers. I go out there and try it and can't stay up longer than a second or 2. I go too high or too low. I am locking my arms and keeping low with my center of gravity over the back wheel like the guides say but I am not improving after weeks of trying it. Like, not one decent manual so far.

Another trick I have been trying to get down is fakie. I have no decent hills and always go backwards too slow or not at all. I know how to do them in theory but I can't pull it off. I lean back and pedal backwards faster than my cranks go, turn the handlebars opposite and then I usually bail because the bike falls over. I know I have to turn my head and lift the wheel up but I never get to that point.

Now we have the move that completely destroyed my shoes. The footjam. I used to be able to footjam tailwhip back in the day pretty well. I have no brakes so I have to footjam to stop. Now the front of both my shoes is non existent. I can do them but have a hard time pedaling away from one.

Now the final trick. The 180. I can do them at about half crank speed and pedal forward instead of going fakie. I try them faster but always mess my shin up. I also have problems going higher than like, a foot while 180ing. My back wheel just kind of pops about 5 inches so I can't 180 over things. And like I said, I can't fakie so I can only do them at snail speed.

I am finding it extremely difficult to get back into bmx. I am literally not improving and that is frustrating. All I have is a parking lot with some small ledges to work with. If I had a skate park I could learn these tricks so much easier. I remember learning to fakie took me less than a day at a skate park as a kid. Does anyone here have any advice for me? Or any guide on how to tighten my wobbly cranks?

Sorry about the long rant but I am pretty frustrated =/

DMC707

If you have been riding on wobbly cranks -- the bottom bracket bearings are likely already destroyed

If you just bought this bike, why not take it back to the shop -- even if its a used bike, they should not let something out the door with a problem like that

elmore leonard

I agree. Take it back to the shop and see if they will fix it.

cbrstar

I haven't done this since the 90's....

But a couple things that helped me were doing endo's because I could get a feel of the fulcrum and balance of the bike. And also lowering my seat all the way. Also practicing what riders today call J-hops, with stacking wood higher and higher so if you knock it down you won't eat pavement.

I think the key is though it's not about physically pulling up on the handle bars with your strength, but shifting your weight. The trick is keeping your arms straight as you pull back, moving your butt over the rear tire. And then when you shift your weight forward try pointing your toes down towards the ground. The back snap up easy like that.