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Just bought a Kink Whip on the cycle scheme at work......
I’m alright on my hardtail, can do all the important stuff OK, but want to get better and thought this would be a good idea.
Anyone got any tips or advice for a misspent winter at some indoor skateparks?
I live in Manchester.
Sell it!
Pad up! And don't be put off by the kids' "banter". They'll eventually warm to you and challenge what you think it possible.
'Pumps are for pro's, jumps are for show"
Seriously though they are a really good way to learn to be smooth and pump through rollers and corners. Enjoy!
You won't die, but you'll probably break your collarbone. Or an arm, or a....
The kids don't do the dead cat bounce, but we do.
Oh, and you'll have a ball. 🙂
ride to work on it
Ha ha ha hA ha ha ha
you'll be reet, just take small steps and learn good base riding before you try owt ambitious 😉
See if there are any over 20's/30's nights, our local skatepark just started doing a monthly over 30's one. I'm a total beginner and they were all really friendly, welcoming and encouraging, I had a total blast. No 12 year old kids pointing and laughing and hoping you'll fall.
I live in Manchester.
Errrrm :
go to the bmx at the velodrome ! you'll need full face and pads and gloves, it's brilliant. coming down the ramp the first time is a blast
can you wheelie and manual - I would get really good at those first*
*I have never owned a BMX so don't listen to my advice
Thanks for the replies so far!
Having re-learnt to drop in on my skateboard on a quarter pipe recently I have little fear from 12-year-old skooter kids mocking me in the skatepark...
Broken bones are another matter, but if I let that bother me I'd never ride at all!
There's a late night BMX session at Beastrampz every Thursday, so I'm going to check that out. I've skated at Projekts a bit and everyone is really friendly there.
Can anyone say riding BMX has improved/honed their MTB skills?
Who's ridden the track at the Velodrome? Do I need a race bike or will I be OK on the Kink?
Can anyone say riding BMX has improved/honed their MTB skills?
Caroline Buchanan's pretty good on an MTB now after years on a BMX 🙂
Who’s ridden the track at the Velodrome? Do I need a race bike or will I be OK on the Kink?
You'll be fine. It's just a bike, stop overthinking it 😉
I bought the Raleigh burner aero few weeks back. Expected it to be a bit shite but it’s really not. My skills or lack of is all that’s holding me back. Took my nephew to skelf bikepark last Sunday. It was great fun
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Can anyone say riding BMX has improved/honed their MTB skills?
Depends what skills you're looking to improve. I had about a year riding quite a bit of BMX when anonojnr was into scooting. I'm still rubbish, but it certainly helped develop technique for jumps/bunny hops.
Can anyone say riding BMX has improved/honed their MTB skills?
yes, I stopped MTB at Uni and rode street/park/flatland BMX for 6 years. You’ll probably never use SPD’s again once you’ve learnt how to hop properly on a bmx.
I never learnt how to manual properly but I can do no foot one handed jumps. 🤔
Get a proper skate lid as you will hit your head and you won’t want to keep replacing your nice MTB helmet every time.
Go to Pilates a lot beforehand, you’ll ache like nothing you’ve experienced anyway but it’ll help!!
Do they offer taster type sessions at the Velodrome? Always fancied a go...
They do offer tasters Craig - pretty cheap too if memory serves me right.
In terms of skills I'm trying to improve it's jumping/bunny hopping/pumping. I can do these things adequately, but I want to hone my skills, so I can shred even harder. It sounds like BMX park riding will be perfect....
Yes, we did a BMX taster and for the right sized group its cheap as chips and they provide the bikes.
Am tempted by a BMX myself. There's some on CRC going pretty cheap at the moment, like £130.
I rode our friends sons BMX when he bought it on a ride. I got 50m down some Singletrack before it had a tantrum about my age and riding ability whereupon I got thrown into the floor hard enough to rattle my teeth and scuff myself up.
I took two weeks to stop aching.
Your kink will ride the manchester track fine and you should be allowed to use it if it has a rear brake and no pegs but it'll be undergreared and less stable and accelerate slower than a race bike.
If you're over 5'10" I'd hire an XL or XXL race bike there. that extra inch upfront and the longer stays do make a difference hitting 30mph down the first straight.
Full face and full finger gloves will be compulsory, knee/shin pads will be if you're wearing shorts, but not if wearing race pants. same deal with long sleeved top.
If you’re over 5’10” I’d hire an XL or XXL race bike there. that extra inch upfront and the longer stays do make a difference hitting 30mph down the first straight.
Agree. Race BMXs look totally different for a reason.
First time I went to race at the indoor track at Manchester, I ended up £100 lighter due to buying Troy Lee armour.
It's an ace track, but at speed it makes your bum twitch.
Picked up the bike today from Evans at the velodrome and went straight over to the pump track. It feels amazing in the berms and pumping rollers. I had a lot of fun, but I ended up getting a bit cocky and now I have a black eye..Full face for me on a track next time.
There's not much room for error when you ride round a pump track quickly.
Does anyone run alloy MTB flats on their BMX?
The bike has a three piece crank, so should have a 9/16 axle and I have some V12s and a pair of Boarman alloy flats I could try on it.
Looking forward to taking it down to some ramps in a park near me tomorrow...
All modern flat pedals are derived to some extent from Shimano DXs from the early eighties - dual concave alloy platforms with pins rather than teeth (as were more common at the time).
Plastic pedals are common now in BMX but many still prefer the feel and durability of alloy.
The first DMR V8s and V12s were re-badged Wellgo copies of the original Shimano DX.
Can anyone say riding BMX has improved/honed their MTB skills?
Good training for pumping & jumping.
BMX made me much more aware of weight placement, on the tiny wheels you have to really get forward to weight the front - transfers to conering on a the MTB.
Cheers for the replies. Funnily enough losing my front wheel was the cause of my spill can definitely see how getting dialled on a BMX will help skills on my big bike.
Looking forward to fettling a bit, getting some alloy pedals on and taking it down the skate park...