possible to make 24" cruiser more DJ friendly

spikenet

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Getting keen on DJ after having a go on beginners line at a dirt jump park using my 24" cruiser bmx. Is it possible to make 24" cruiser more DJ friendly or am I kidding myself and maybe best off getting dj frame and using parts of the bmx or going all the way to a proper dj bike? Ive got some wrist issues and late 40's so suspension forks are very attractive :)
 

pink poodle

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Pop up some pix of the bike. Being a bmx it should already be dj friendly to some degree...a bmx race track (that kind of 24 cruiser yeah?) does usually feature a fair number of jumps.
 

stinky1138

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Not really.

I've got 2 24" dj bikes (and the household has 3 26" dj bikes, and 2 extra 26" frames..) and used to have a 24" cruiser.
We put suspension on the cruiser because we had the ability to do so, it did not make the bike into a DJ bike at all. The geo felt very wrong as the HA was already bmx steep, so even an 80mm fork made it feel sluggish and awkward. Buying a DJ frame and transferring the parts will only work for things like the cranks, and maybe not even that if you don't have bmx style cranks. A lot of newer cromo dj bikes are going towards spanish bb, so even mtb cranks are not a guarantee anymore. Plus, mtb cranks require a larger chainring which many DJ bikes won't accept. My dj's have a max of 30-32t chainring. I'm running a 30t on one and it is as close as it could possibly be. As for the wheels, you'll struggle to find a DJ oriented frame that will accept 110x14, if you do it'll be a street oriented frame which is significantly different to a DJ frame. A few of the newer DJs are moving towards 142x12 which I think is crap.

The cruiser should be fine to jump. However, a DJ with suspension is far friendlier for bad joints and, unless you're like a champ at riding cruiser, will be easier too.
 

Ultra Lord

Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
Grab a ns capitol and an 80mm dirt jump fork. Most parts should swap straight over
 

stinky1138

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^^ Unless the wheels are actually 110x10, which is what my cruiser was. Adapters are about $8 each. Choices for 80mm forks that are 9mm, straight steerer are......not many that are worthwhile having. From NS "The Capital is a dedicated street frame. It's available in two sizes, for 26” and for 24” wheels, both with radical geometry and ultra short chain stays." "The Capital is not a big street BMX cruiser. The geometry is radical but you can still use short travel suspension." Yeah, it can fit most bmx parts--which aside from hubs will fit pretty much any dj frame--but it's still designed primarily to be a street bike and the frames are not cheap, rrp 440E.

Buying a complete 26" is a far better investment as selling it second hand is way easier. Unless you find someone wanting a second hand Cap frame and maybe fork, it's gonna be a super hard sell--double or triple the difficulty for 24". I had a bitch of a time selling mine and it was a complete. If you wanna bunny hop 2times higher than you ever have before and learn flat 3s in a day...get a Cap.
 

spikenet

Likes Dirt
Time for a new bike...
Thanks for all the suggestions, I think pink poodle is right. Ive got someone interested in buying the cruiser so will start looking around for 2nd hand DJ bike. I'm semi warm to building something up but in reality getting a complete bike will be easier and cheaper (normally). I've never owned a DJ bike so really have no idea about the standards for wheels etc etc.

I'm about to pull the trigger on a czar 24" street bike, it will replace my 26" trials bike, but even it wont be a great DJ bike. so many bikes....
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
Thanks for all the suggestions, I think pink poodle is right. Ive got someone interested in buying the cruiser so will start looking around for 2nd hand DJ bike. I'm semi warm to building something up but in reality getting a complete bike will be easier and cheaper (normally). I've never owned a DJ bike so really have no idea about the standards for wheels etc etc.

I'm about to pull the trigger on a czar 24" street bike, it will replace my 26" trials bike, but even it wont be a great DJ bike. so many bikes....
Unless you have a really specific idea of the dj bike you want and an endless budget, building up from scratch probably isn't going to be the best option.

There's been a few sweet dj build up for grabs on here this year, so you'll be on a nice rig soon enough.
 

spikenet

Likes Dirt
Unless you have a really specific idea of the dj bike you want and an endless budget, building up from scratch probably isn't going to be the best option.

There's been a few sweet dj build up for grabs on here this year, so you'll be on a nice rig soon enough.
Thanks, I'm basically a newbie DJ'er so at this stage I'm not that keen to dive into custom build, something basic (but decent) with a suspension fork will be awesome :)
 

pink poodle

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Thanks, I'm basically a newbie DJ'er so at this stage I'm not that keen to dive into custom build, something basic (but decent) with a suspension fork will be awesome :)
What do you think for a budget on this? Time was $500-800 was a good window for the patient man.
 

stinky1138

Likes Dirt
The facebook trading groups always have dj for sale. Someone always buys one with the intention of getting into it but never does or buys a dh or upgrades or something.
While, imo, a true dj should be ss, geared is awesome when you're not sure what ratio suits best.
$500-800 budget will snag a very good second hand starter dj.
 

spikenet

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that sounds pretty fair to me, there are some "abandoned" dj's close to me that I want to revive some of the smaller ones and just have some fun! also want to have option of riding the DJ park at greenvalleys when I ride there

I have no idea about DJ bikes, geo, brands etc.. or especially their value. one bike that looked good last time I was out was the P3. thats probably beyond the (above mentioned) budget tho..
 
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rgy1993

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Have a look around on Ebay/Scumtree and just grab a complete used dj bike i reckon, I got myself a 2012-ish Specialized P3 off there for $200 from memory. Heaps of similar deals floating around, suffices for my needs down at the jumps/skatepark.
 

spikenet

Likes Dirt
Have a look around on Ebay/Scumtree and just grab a complete used dj bike i reckon, I got myself a 2012-ish Specialized P3 off there for $200 from memory. Heaps of similar deals floating around, suffices for my needs down at the jumps/skatepark.
Yeah thanks man, I'm lookin' :)
 

Mica

Likes Dirt
Sorry to derail the thread but curious about your experience on the 24 cruiser. Looking at getting one as a cheap simple plaything and to ride with the kids. Was also thinking a dj bike but love the low cost and zero/simple maintenance of a bmx.

Wondering what you had and how you liked it?

Thanks
 

spikenet

Likes Dirt
Sorry to derail the thread but curious about your experience on the 24 cruiser. Looking at getting one as a cheap simple plaything and to ride with the kids. Was also thinking a dj bike but love the low cost and zero/simple maintenance of a bmx.

Wondering what you had and how you liked it?

Thanks
The cruiser was good fun, was an avanti Cr 24. Not a fancy brand but a whole lot of bike for the money.
I just sold it. It was a racer so very long, great on bmx tracks but not idea for Street, DJ.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
 

Mica

Likes Dirt
Thanks for the response. Looking at a couple of race ones but there also seems to be the newer street style cruisers which catch my eye. Just have to see how patient I am waiting for the right thing to pop up on gumtree etc.

Happy DJ shopping.
 

Mica

Likes Dirt
Never quite understood some of those SE bikes. Really just seem to be throwing out every conceivable option and seeing what sticks.

Those plus wheels just look strange, though the promo video when it came out kind of made me want one https://vimeo.com/143159501, sadly at over $1k I'd rather just hang out for a good secondhand dj bike if I was going that way

So many options....
 
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