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Sam Nichols

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I've just taken a step back and had a thought about the way I think about bikes and more importantly the parts I purchase for my bikes.

Now I am currently saving and slowly building myself a bike completely from scratch with all the parts new, one of the first decisions I came to was the colour of my frame... This took me ages! But why? Because I, like many other people have this peculiar idea that bikes have to look sexy to ride sexy. It's a bit like people who mod cars or people who spend all of their cash buying the latest trendy phone or clothing... Are we becoming an aesthetic sport?

I really started thinking about all of this after watching a BMX vid (came free with ridebmx mag, go buy it now - awesome) and basically I realised two things...

FACT1: All BMXES are shit hot, no matter what they all look so stylish. Even the scruffy ones are beautiful in their own right.

FACT2: BMXERS dont really give a shit what their bikes look like, the number of bmxers I see that swap frames leaving ALL of their components clashing, or buying a new part since their old one is knackered completely disregarding the fact that its bright orange and the rest of the bike is green... you get the idea!

Really I've just noticed that (sublimely) I have been sucked into this world where everything has to be colour coordinated or be shiny with fan dangles on it... Whilst loosing site of the more important things like function! Why do I work my saturdays earning money only to blow it on a front CK hub that costs 100+ pounds when there is absolutely nothing wrong with a hope costing around £40 !! It's madness. Sure Chris King have all the bells and whistles but I refuse to accept that a hope hub won't be top banana for a trials bike.

So really what I'm trying to say is that a bike that was going to cost me say £30 is now going to cost me £20 which means I can spend £10 on beer and a bird... Which results in A: a fully functioning bike offering endless hours of enjoyment B: A bird offering endless hours of enjoyment C: A great life :turned:

I hope everyone gets where I'm coming from, god only knows why I thought I'd share this with you... But I just really wanted to say to you DONT think you have to spend all that money on fancy parts and then end up with a nice looking bike and nothing else, only spend money on the parts that WILL last and WILL do the job. Save your money for other things, you’re a liar if you tell me all you want to do is ride, it's just not true.

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Word Man! i think im the only person with a completely un coordinated bike, but i still love it to bits, i understand what your chatting bout completely and i think its about time that people should stop buying things that arent the latest edition or the same colour as the rest of there bike!

Ben

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My bikes co-ordinated but i wouldn't say i've sacrifced function over fashion. For example i have blue hope hubs and a blue bash on my burns yet there isn't anything better i could have got for my money. Although most of my bike was bought new i sosuppose buying bits second hand would prove a different story.

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You didn't quite get the point there, it's not all about colour co ordination... It's to do with buying what's gonna do the job.

You bought hope because it's shit hot not because it's pimpy and has a bit of bling appeal.

Do you get what I mean?

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I get you, but then, there is a reason people buy pimp bits, because they are generally the best.

If i had money left over from building a bike, and i had to choose a rear hub, then i would go for a king. Purely because, its the best out there, and i had nothing else to spend cash on.

Now if you have other things to spend money on, then its a different story.

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I think the best way to do it is go second hand. Most of my stuff is second hand, and its still good looking cos ive tried to pick out stuff that i want, but still at a good price.

I still cant ride to save my life though :turned:

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FACT2: BMXERS dont really give a shit what their bikes look like, the number of bmxers I see that swap frames leaving ALL of their components clashing, or buying a new part since their old one is knackered completely disregarding the fact that its bright orange and the rest of the bike is green... you get the idea!

Really I've just noticed that (sublimely) I have been sucked into this world where everything has to be colour coordinated or be shiny with fan dangles on it... Whilst loosing site of the more important things like function!  Why do I work my saturdays earning money only to blow it on a front CK hub that costs 100+ pounds when there is absolutely nothing wrong with a hope costing around £40 !!  It's madness.  Syour Chris King have all the bells and whistles but I refuse to accept that a hope hub won't be top banana for a trials bike.

Those bits nearly made me cry

Sorry. :turned:

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I get you, but then, there is a reason people buy pimp bits, because they are generally the best.

If i had money left over from building a bike, and i had to choose a rear hub, then i would go for a king. Purely because, its the best out there, and i had nothing else to spend cash on.

Now if you have other things to spend money on, then its a different story.

True. But that's a whole different ball game. I'm talking about haivng say a matching chris king hub on the front purely so it's not mis matched.

Nowt wrong with a CK on the rear 'cause they are great hibs, but why spend 100 on a hub on the front when you can have a similar quality one for 40?

P.S. Glad to be of service Dave :turned:

Edited by nichols_sam
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True.  But that's a whole different ball game.  I'm talking about haivng say a matching chris king hub on the front purely so it's not mis matched.

Nowt wrong with a CK on the rear 'cause they are great hibs, but why spend 100 on a hub on the front when you can have a similar quality one for 40?

Yeah, I definately see what your on about. Is there actually any difference between a Hope and Chris King headset?

I guess some people just have to much money, and they still have some left over.

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i agree with the bmxes generally look good part. they do!

i bought a complete bike about 14 months ago, with parts of all colours and materials. black, orange, silver, grey, polished, blue, red and yellow, alu, steel and carbon fibre.

14 months later, ALL parts have been replaced. I've only replaced things which have broken or have needed replacement. my bike is basically black and silver, with some gold. i replaced the old/broken parts with stuff i knew would work well, and some wild cards. all of the wild cards have been replaced, as they broke eventually, and quicker than the other parts. one of the cheapest parts on my bike is the rear hub. a 15 quid welded deore. the axle is bent, and it doesn't spin very well. but i don't notice it when riding, so it's fine.

i run a hope xc hub on front, and a 10 quid THN headset, which has worked flawlessly for 10 months.

my bike is worth a fair bit, and is specced with mostly "TF-safe" parts... they work though, and the bike looks pretty.

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FACT2: BMXERS dont really give a shit what their bikes look like, the number of bmxers I see that swap frames leaving ALL of their components clashing, or buying a new part since their old one is knackered completely disregarding the fact that its bright orange and the rest of the bike is green... you get the idea!

You lie.

I know a damn load of BMX'ers who are complete look whores for their bikes.

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Yeah, I definately see what your on about. Is there actually any difference between a Hope and Chris King headset?

Yeah they sit deeper in the head tube meaning reduced (almost elimination) of the likelihood of flared headtubes... "for people who like to ride into things"

Dammit, I'm starting to end up proving that CK parts are worth the money! (front hub is still extravagant though!)

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Buy a copy of DIG or RIDE and take a look at tose guys bikes.

Those guys are knarly but they aren't exactly pimping the sweet jesus outta their bikes.

But the whole battered bmx thing is a fashion within thier world whereas clean, tidy, smooth, shinny parts is the fashion in the trials world!

I think trials bike generaly look tidier because we filtered down from mountain bike( i.e Cross Country) frames.

But then again my way of thinking is usally bull doo doo.

I have a very nice bike in my onion so its staying that way

Edited by hazzyhaslam
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Again, I'm not talking about scratches or dings or whatever, I mean the parts you put on and the reason why you choose them etc.

BMXs are battered because they beat the shit out of them...But that wasn't the point I was getting at. Personally I really can't understand how people don't manage to scratch their bikes... Unless you're undercover road riders :turned:

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You lie.

I know a damn load of BMX'ers who are complete look whores for their bikes.

me too.

I used to be one of them (Y)

Black and white BMX..white frame..and black componants.

with my T-Pro I buy cheapish parts that will do the job. Purely 'cos I'm a little tight with money andnever really have enough for 'Pimp' parts.

But I see your point about most bmxers having non colour co-ordinate bikes, and yes, they do look sweet!

Still hate them though :D

:turned:

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i personally enjoy battering my bike, i like to sit and look at the battle scars and remember how i made them. Obviously i wouldn't batter it so hard that it breaks cos that would be stupid, but a little rough treatment is always good.

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You say its not about the colour co-ordiation - hence your point about most bmx's. But look through RIDE/DIG and yes a lot of bmxers have scruffy colour un-coordiated bikes (as it is fashion), but the components they have one the bikes will probably be the bmx evquivalent of having chris king front hub's etc.

Ti is becoming popular in bmx: spokes, hubs + other bits - but a steel/alu equivalent will often do the job as well/if not better.

But yeah trials riders seem to like shinier bikes and bmxer's often like the not duller but matt bike.

But yeah its best to get your bike working and I find get a frame a colour you like and then stick to black or silver components...piece of piss. I get bored of how my bike looks after about a few week and then I want to personalise it.

Mike

EDIT: So this dvd is pretty good then?

Edited by leedstrials
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I like to get shiny coloured parts when I get new stuff... Keep everything the same shiny colour... im paying a lot of money so might as well have it look nice. I totally agree that its sad to change hub colours and stuff as they dont match. I can barely believe that one guy in my area who already has a pair of King hubs is getting a new front one because his front is a light blue when his rear is a dark blue. Its stupid! As long as my bike works, i'll ride it!

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Actually while we are kinda on the subject has anyone seen the Mosh Bikes wood effect components? It was in RIDE a month ago.

They are awesome

Yeah they look mint, but I don't think we can get Mosh components over here because there is no U.K distributor.

Anyway back to main topic, I prefer the clean lines/looks of a bmx, and my 24" looks pretty similar I suppose, no bright silver parts or a long stem etc.

Tom

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