Dont want to buy a bike, yet, but still want to DJ

[cheif_m]

hi guys
looking to get into dirt jumping and the like but at the moment dont have a specific bike for the purpose. before i dive in with a couple of hundred for a DJ specific bike i'd like to start jumping, an getting the feel of it to know weather it is worth the investment, because if i dont like it it will be a lot of money down the drain. my question is what can i do to get a feel for DJ's park ect without buying a bike.

 

[driftking]

hi guys
looking to get into dirt jumping and the like but at the moment dont have a specific bike for the purpose. before i dive in with a couple of hundred for a DJ specific bike i'd like to start jumping, an getting the feel of it to know weather it is worth the investment, because if i dont like it it will be a lot of money down the drain. my question is what can i do to get a feel for DJ's park ect without buying a bike.

run up the runs and jump over them and do mad air kicks.


Seriously though you cant know without the bike, you can do dj on other bikes (albeit if you're using a dh bike you cant go as vert), its also nowhere near as fun the feeling is different although might help you gauge if you like jumping/pumping/flow. The only way is to borrow a mates bike or get a cheap bike and see how ya go, you can always resell the bike if you are unhappy, just get something sturdy but cheap enough.
A mates old bmx anything that you can grab and that is safe ie the bikes construction is still able to handle force, so no pulling out the rusty bmx from under the house that is bent and messed up.

 

[unitec]

Don't bother

hi guys
looking to get into dirt jumping and the like but at the moment dont have a specific bike for the purpose. before i dive in with a couple of hundred for a DJ specific bike i'd like to start jumping, an getting the feel of it to know weather it is worth the investment, because if i dont like it it will be a lot of money down the drain. my question is what can i do to get a feel for DJ's park ect without buying a bike.

I think you have already talked yourself out of it. The first thing everyone finds when they try DJ is that they aren't as good a rider as they thought. Half the people deal with this by giving up straight away while making the excuse that DJ isn't for them & the other half persist with the scary & sometimes embarrasing task of learning a new skill.
You really need to be passionate about getting some air to put the effort into learning and it would seem that if you are just looking to dip your toe in the water you are going to run when you find the water is cold & scary.
Having said that my recomendation would be to get what ever bike you have, adjust the suspension as hard as you can & hit up your local BMX track. Once you have developed the nescessary passion buy or borrow a cheap hard tail. (lets face it they are the cheapest of all MTB)

 

[cheif_m]

I think you have already talked yourself out of it. The first thing everyone finds when they try DJ is that they aren't as good a rider as they thought. Half the people deal with this by giving up straight away while making the excuse that DJ isn't for them & the other half persist with the scary & sometimes embarrasing task of learning a new skill.
You really need to be passionate about getting some air to put the effort into learning and it would seem that if you are just looking to dip your toe in the water you are going to run when you find the water is cold & scary.
Having said that my recomendation would be to get what ever bike you have, adjust the suspension as hard as you can & hit up your local BMX track. Once you have developed the nescessary passion buy or borrow a cheap hard tail. (lets face it they are the cheapest of all MTB)

Not the nicest or most encouraging thing I have ever heard, I'd more likely be put off knowing there are people with your attitude out there riding.

I do have a dh bike and this is a big reason as to why I am doing this, to get better at dh, I also have a hardtail XC though I fear it might not withstand the abuse I would give it being a dead beginner.

If i do decide to eventually buy a bike, i cant see this happening anytime soon thanks to the double digit sum total of my worth at the moment, what would i be looking for?

 

[driftking]

Not the nicest or most encouraging thing I have ever heard, I'd more likely be put off knowing there are people with your attitude out there riding.

I do have a dh bike and this is a big reason as to why I am doing this, to get better at dh, I also have a hardtail XC though I fear it might not withstand the abuse I would give it being a dead beginner.

If i do decide to eventually buy a bike, i cant see this happening anytime soon thanks to the double digit sum total of my worth at the moment, what would i be looking for?

if it is to get better at dh it will help but how much id say little, dj is so different from dh you would be better off finding massive jumps that suit a dh bike or freeride bike and build that confidence and fear up in a more dh orientated way. Dj can help with body awareness etc but you can still learn these things without going to dj, the main reason to do dj for cross training is to keep it fresh and mix it up but still spending time on a bike, your time would be better spent on the dh bike mostly, if you get tired out or bored and need to switch it up then this is where the dj comes in, maybe try finding another outlet. If you are wanting to improve dh your best bet is to look and focus on weaknesses on the dh trai land hit the gym and xc bike up a lot. The hard part is going slower and doing the boring stuff.

 

[unitec]

Not the nicest or most encouraging thing I have ever heard, I'd more likely be put off knowing there are people with your attitude out there riding.

I do have a dh bike and this is a big reason as to why I am doing this, to get better at dh, I also have a hardtail XC though I fear it might not withstand the abuse I would give it being a dead beginner.

If i do decide to eventually buy a bike, i cant see this happening anytime soon thanks to the double digit sum total of my worth at the moment, what would i be looking for?

Sorry to sound so negative. When someone turns up at my local DJ track without a bike I am always the 1st one to lend them mine. Unfortunately the result is always the same. The rider is always put way outside his comfort zone (partucularly with DH riders) and as it is a risky one off situation hands the bike back pretty quickly.
Would definately recommend DJ as a way to improve your skills however without a regular steed to ride you will struggle.
Good luck.

 

[singlespeedfreeride]

Not the nicest or most encouraging thing I have ever heard, I'd more likely be put off knowing there are people with your attitude out there riding.

I do have a dh bike and this is a big reason as to why I am doing this, to get better at dh, I also have a hardtail XC though I fear it might not withstand the abuse I would give it being a dead beginner.

If i do decide to eventually buy a bike, i cant see this happening anytime soon thanks to the double digit sum total of my worth at the moment, what would i be looking for?

work with what youve got, go to the pump track or a bmx track and have a go. even with a dh bike, if its more of a freeridey setup itll still jump ok, so just run more pressure in your suspension (run the rear almost locked if you can, see what pressure the shock can take) and try some dirt jumps on it.

as unitec said its a steep learning curve and i also see a lot of dh riders struggle as its a different shape lip that they arent used to, it needs to be ridden differently and does require a good amount of bike control. dont be put off if you arent doing so well right from the beginning, dj is a completely different game to downhill.

 

[cheif_m]

i can see how it might not suit DH but still keen, especially since i live in the city and cant get myself easily to any decent DH tracks.
nearly forgot, i have an old BMX though it is not too small, i think. would it do though to get started? or would i be better off one my DH rig rather than an undersized BMX?

 

[nastylilweed]

I had this dilema recently as well.

I took the BMX to the Pump Track / Dirt Jumps and I HATED it. Coming off a DH bike it was just too different. I have since bought a 26" DJ bike, took it out for the first time this arvo. It is still a very different creature but it feels similar enough that I feel comfortable on it even after a quick session.

DH bikes aren't meant for DJ's. My advice would be to get the right tool for the job. If you're planning on getting into DJ just commit to it and grab a cheap bike to thrash around on. At the end of the day you will get the feel for it a lot quicker and probably enjoy riding something that is designed for that purpose.

At the end of the day if you find it's not your thing I am sure an entry level DJ bike will get snapped up fairly quickly if you decide to get rid of it. If you're that tight on cash then take the BMX. At least it's designed for that kind of riding.

 

[mlucko]

I had this dilema recently as well.

I took the BMX to the Pump Track / Dirt Jumps and I HATED it. Coming off a DH bike it was just too different. I have since bought a 26" DJ bike, took it out for the first time this arvo. It is still a very different creature but it feels similar enough that I feel comfortable on it even after a quick session.

DH bikes aren't meant for DJ's. My advice would be to get the right tool for the job. If you're planning on getting into DJ just commit to it and grab a cheap bike to thrash around on. At the end of the day you will get the feel for it a lot quicker and probably enjoy riding something that is designed for that purpose.

At the end of the day if you find it's not your thing I am sure an entry level DJ bike will get snapped up fairly quickly if you decide to get rid of it. If you're that tight on cash then take the BMX. At least it's designed for that kind of riding.

^^^+1
This is the way to go...

 

[cheif_m]

I had this dilema recently as well.

I took the BMX to the Pump Track / Dirt Jumps and I HATED it. Coming off a DH bike it was just too different. I have since bought a 26" DJ bike, took it out for the first time this arvo. It is still a very different creature but it feels similar enough that I feel comfortable on it even after a quick session.

DH bikes aren't meant for DJ's. My advice would be to get the right tool for the job. If you're planning on getting into DJ just commit to it and grab a cheap bike to thrash around on. At the end of the day you will get the feel for it a lot quicker and probably enjoy riding something that is designed for that purpose.

At the end of the day if you find it's not your thing I am sure an entry level DJ bike will get snapped up fairly quickly if you decide to get rid of it. If you're that tight on cash then take the BMX. At least it's designed for that kind of riding.

totally agree, BMX is just too different from a big lumbering DH, maybe i should commit..... sell the BMX and get a DJ, though i doubt id get much for it. What would be a good entry level DJ bike that isn't too damaging to my wallet?

 

[bmx]

Surely you know someone with a DJ bike that'll let you use it to see if you like it.

It's personal preference. I can go from my DH bike, to my BMX, to my DJ without any problems. I find the BMX better to ride than my DJ, hence me selling it.

It's one of those things where you're just going to have to go out there and do it. Then you will know.

 

[Cranker]

DJ virgin

What would be a good entry level DJ bike that isn't too damaging to my wallet?

Ok, I had the same dilemma as you, but properly worse. I'm old and been riding mainly XC on weekends.
Just want to start DJ so I can gain some skills to keep up with the kids that I ride with!
I finally pickup a cheap Specialized P1 off Fleebay this arvo. Went down to my local jump park! Oh, boy. I'm the king of Gumby!........ An hour later of just mainly rolling around the park! I was stuffed. But to tell you the truth, that was the most fun I had in ages! I'm going to persevere with it and should be able to get off the ground with about six months of practice!lol

 

[smoothwakey]

I had a friend in a similar position, he wanted to get better at jumping but didn't have a bike that made djs or Bmx tracks fun to ride. So took him to a four cross track and now he loves it and will probably buy a dj bike when his finances allow it.
If you live within reach of a four cross track go hit it up in the mean time, I feel like it is a really good transition for downhillers as the jump faces are a bit more mellow and there is less of a need for a bike that pedals well. Also there will probably be at least one rhythm lane that is do able for a beginner on a Dh bike so if you can build up to it you'll be hooked in no time.
As for a bike check out octane bikes, and ns bikes they have some nice entry level stuff.
Hope this helps.

 

[Trigger02]

I came from DH bike and got myself a P2 with a very low bottom bracket, There is no comparison. You have no hope of improving on a big bike. You need stability in the air and the low BB gives you that control, Use your feet to controll the ass end, Your feet are like hands in DJ. Get that ass end controlled and you will improve.

The BMX will be way too twitchy for what you are use to, Just buy a DJ bike, You wont be let down. I think DJ/ and park are a lot more fun, But things go wrong quick when you get cocky lol

 

[bikesarefun]

Not the nicest or most encouraging thing I have ever heard, I'd more likely be put off knowing there are people with your attitude out there riding.

I hear he drowns puppies and kittens also. He's such a mean guy.

But seriously, it is one of those things where you need some commitment. If you're serious, then budget for a shovel (at least) and be prepared to contribute. It's not like DH where it's acceptable to just turn up and slay someone else's hard work. Make effort to become part of the scene, or don't bother.

DJ is incredibly collaborative and fun. But it takes work.

 

[Trigger02]

I hear he drowns puppies and kittens also. He's such a mean guy.

But seriously, it is one of those things where you need some commitment. If you're serious, then budget for a shovel (at least) and be prepared to contribute. It's not like DH where it's acceptable to just turn up and slay someone else's hard work. Make effort to become part of the scene, or don't bother.

DJ is incredibly collaborative and fun. But it takes work.

I will rock up to castlecove with a shovel, nothing like good hard work for cross training ... Is homebush maintained by a company or just the community like castle cove ?

 

[stinky1138]

I will rock up to castlecove with a shovel, nothing like good hard work for cross training ... Is homebush maintained by a company or just the community like castle cove ?

Sydney Olympic Park. Technically no one else is supposed to do any work--spoke to a woman doing a survey on the park and we discussed the tracks quite a bit. People have changed things before, not always for the better. Someone is digging out the last berm at the moment, it's awesome. If I knew when they'd be there I'd be down, but I don't want to mess up someone else's work/plans. If you've been there, you'd realise it couldn't be maintained by the community anyway, the track is rather large and the numbers that go thru there are crazy. Fun tho. I'm planning to be there this evening if anyone wants to say hello (it's my birthday :whoo: )

 

[Trigger02]

Sydney Olympic Park. Technically no one else is supposed to do any work--spoke to a woman doing a survey on the park and we discussed the tracks quite a bit. People have changed things before, not always for the better. Someone is digging out the last berm at the moment, it's awesome. If I knew when they'd be there I'd be down, but I don't want to mess up someone else's work/plans. If you've been there, you'd realise it couldn't be maintained by the community anyway, the track is rather large and the numbers that go thru there are crazy. Fun tho. I'm planning to be there this evening if anyone wants to say hello (it's my birthday :whoo: )

Yeah i go to homebush a fair bit in the past, I just wanted to check that i was not using and abusing..., I may see you there one day, I will be there with the silver P2 alloy frame

 

[Macca99]

Yeah i go to homebush a fair bit in the past, I just wanted to check that i was not using and abusing..., I may see you there one day, I will be there with the silver P2 alloy frame

A trip to Tahmoor dirt jumps is worth the trip. There are 4 decent lines from beginners to pros. Don't know of any other council run and maintained dirt jumps. I travel to parramatta to work everyday from Tahmoor. Takes Me just over an hr. Homebush is more 4x than DJ unless they have built something new in the last couple of years