Dewd

Now that my son has a nice BMX race bike, I've got the itch to do more than just sit on the sidelines while he has all the fun. Mainly I just want to ride with him on practice days, and if enough old guys show up on race night, I'll run backmarker for them. I've never done BMX formally, but I've ridden motorcycles/dirt bikes since childhood. I found a used 2006 Redline MX24 for $150 locally - is that a decent deal? More importantly, is that a decent bike for an entry level old guy? I'm 37, 6'1", 190 or so.

andymac

That is not a bad bike to start with but may cost you more than you think if it is stock. The stock model comes with 1 piece cranks and a 44*18 gearing with a 24 * 1.75 tire in the rear. 1 piece cranks can be pretty flexy under a bigger guy and you are stuck with 1/2 inch thread pedals so your pedal choices are reduced. That gearing (there are gear ratio charts on BMX sites all over the place) equates to 58.5, that is a tall gear on most tracks and is pretty tough to get out of the gate or out of the corners on. I run 56.5 on my cruiser. On the plus side the MX24 has a pretty long top tube so should suit you quite well. You can change the parts as you see fit, so long as it is in good shape you can certainly race it in stock form.

If your tracks are anything like the ones around Vancouver, there is no shortage of old guys to race, we often have a full gate.

Dewd

Yep, it's stock. And in brand new condition. After some obsessive googling and spec comparisons, I figured out it's a 2007 (41T chainwheel, Tektro brakes, single color paint scheme in red not available in 2006). The brakes appear to have never been set up, as they rub on the left side and the adjusters are all the way out. The guy had the book and the number plate, all of the pads, the little display model spec hangar referring to the 2007 catalog, etc. Just some dust on the tires and some annoying Schwinn grips, otherwise brand new.

The guy mentioned in his ad that he wanted a beach cruiser. I happened to have an old (late 90's) Dyno that I haven't sat on in years that needed new tires and some TLC, so he took that +$50.

So as I see it, the major upgrades would be the fork and the cranks. Which is most important? I've tried looking up cranksets, but they're all different - some have the cranks and a shaft, some have the cups/bearings - I assume I need a set that has the cups/bearings, no? Chromo fork?

Eh, none of that will matter until I can make it around the track without throwing up

andymac

41*18 with a 1.75 is 54.7 gear inches, that is not a bad gearing for most tracks, perhaps a little too easy but more reasonable than what came on the earlier version of the same bike.
I would suggest you go practice with the bike as is and run some races before you start upgrading as you will not be able to tell what is not working for you or whether you will stick with it until you get comfortable on the bike. I started out on a similarly equipped bike (Norco Speed Metal that I paid 100 for) and after I was sure that I would stick with it I got some 3 piece cranks, changed the gearing and bars and a few other bits and pieces and now it works well enough for me to be in the middle of the pack, which seems to be all I can hope for. If I were able to go back and start again the first thing I would have bought would have been a chest protector, I had 3 broken ribs within a few months of starting.
If you do decide to upgrade the cranks, the frame currently has a one-piece crank so you can be pretty sure it has an American bottom bracket. Pretty much any 3 piece cranks (two arms and an axle) can be had with an American bottom bracket. The bearings for most of the better cranks are a sealed bearing that is pressed into a cup that is pressed into the frame with a spacer between the bearings. Then you put in the axle and put an arm on each end and tighten them up. There are loads of choices for 3 piece, around here Profile are the most popular in the cruiser class but they are in the higher end of the price spectrum.

jonly

do it. just sign up and race. Theory craft really keeps you off of the track to the point where you're second guessing everything imo. it's a great family sport - have fun.

Dewd

Thanks for the info Andymac. Like I said, none of that upgrade stuff will matter until I can get around the track well enough. I tossed my chest protector in the trash after it snapped my collar bone during a get-off from my dirtbike (cracked a couple ribs too). Replaced it with a Thor compression suit (https://www.motoworldracing.com/thor-...ct-rig-se.html). I'll consider wearing it if I can get the kidney belt off.

Looking forward to it!