bmx type single speed?

[useless_wrench]

as dumb as it might sound to some - i'd love to see companies that made good single speed bikes with a full bmx type drivetrain.

something hopefully with:
old standard sized bracket (simple and easy to maintain)
1 peice crank w/ sealed bearings(cheap and easy to fix)
OR us an existing
wide tire clearance (3 inch-ish)
regular BMX chain and free wheel (quality parts)
normal BMX sliding dropouts (with built in adjusters
o.d.i. lock on grips
front suspension optional

disc brakes all around and big mountain tires, finish it all off with regular mountain bike parts.

any thoughts?

[tryandgetme]

so far, the only thing that isn't already mtb singlespeed mainstream is the one piece crank...I've got the rest hanging on my Mia except for the sliding drops, but other bike companies do that..

[kpomtb]

No discs, but this seems as good a cross between bmx and mtb I've seen.

http://www.firemansbikes.com/

[CJones]

Have you seen the new SE Racing O.M. Flyer? I think it's about as close to a melding of BMX/MTB as you're gonna get and still have it be a BMX bike.

26" BMX bike
"Retro" BMX colors and graphics
Suspension corrected geometry and front fork (Landing Gear)
Horizontal BMX rear dropouts w/ tensioner
135mm MTB rear spacing
Removable derailleur hanger w/ cable stops for gears
Lots of room for big tires
Fairly cheap (msrp of $490 for the complete bike)

The others that make 26" BMX bikes are Kappa, Fireman's, and Thursday. But all of those are pretty much straight up 26" BMX bikes with very little mountain bike in them. The Thursday was reviewed in Dirt Rag #100 and was given a glowing review. I think Thursday has a copy of the Dirt Rag article on his website. Check 'em out:

http://www.sebmx.com/2007/bike-detail.asp?id=17

http://www.vintagebmx.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=9;t=00111 0

http://www.firemansbikes.com/

http://www.kappabmx.com

http://www.thursdaybicycles.com/

[shiggy]

as dumb as it might sound to some - i'd love to see companies that made good single speed bikes with a full bmx type drivetrain.

something hopefully with:
old standard sized bracket (simple and easy to maintain)
1 peice crank w/ sealed bearings(cheap and easy to fix)
OR us an existing
wide tire clearance (3 inch-ish)
regular BMX chain and free wheel (quality parts)
normal BMX sliding dropouts (with built in adjusters
o.d.i. lock on grips
front suspension optional

disc brakes all around and big mountain tires, finish it all off with regular mountain bike parts.

any thoughts?
As another said, SE has a few bikes that are close as are the Redline Monocogs. room for 3" tires in the rear is all that is lacking.

Otherwise:
I consider the threaded "euro" BB shell to be the "standard" size.

I have never seen a BMX bike with sliding dropouts. The rear entry horizontals (or "track tips") are the norm and the chain adjusters are not built in.

[useless_wrench]

perhaps i mispoke ..

what i meant by sliding droputs is that you slid the axle within the dropout inorder to change chain tension.

ideally this would allow me to run things as tight as possible in the drop out and just adjust my change to fit my current gear combo.

thanks for the firemans bike links .. i think i've came across these before. they're very close to what i'm talking about but a little more vintage BMX inspired.

has there ever been a 26" comp 3 tread pattern?

i'm beginning a search to start this .. probably at first it will be v-brake though (in order to keep cost down).

[CJones]

Atomlab just came out with a new 26" tire that is basically a copy of the legendary Comp III. The OM Flyer comes with blue Kenda skinwall Comp III copies.

http://www.atomlab.com/mtbtire.html

[useless_wrench]

thanks for posting that! i've ridden this tire on just about every bmx bike i've owned. comp 3s' in my opinion are one of the best tread designs ever.

[rattlecan]

I have never seen a BMX bike with sliding dropouts. The rear entry horizontals (or "track tips") are the norm and the chain adjusters are not built in.

i made a one off bmx cruiser in december with sliding dropouts. i used a 135 spaced single speed disc hub and got good chainline with profile bmx cranks.
i used 7005 aluminum tube set that a engineer friend of mine from yeti gave me. i had to make the dropouts from scratch. i also made the stem and because im a dork i also brazed in some mounts in the handlebar to mount the custom carbon fiber number plate i made for it. i got it back from the heat treat guy just in time to put it all together and race it at the indoor bmx track here in town last december.

these pics dont show the brake, but i am running a hope c2.

i love bmx.

eric.

[useless_wrench]

rattlecan - that's a sweet bike, as well as all of your work that i've seen.

i think i'll eventually end up with a monocoq, they're the closest i've seen to what i want .. the only trouble is waiting till i save enough for the flight version.

[rockhound]

I have seen a 29er with a BMX drivetrain, as well as a flat bar SS/fixed road bike with a BMX drivetrain, both made by SE Racing (it was in DR a few issues back, maybe the Interbike coverage).

[davkatreb]

the flight version...
...is aloomeeum. Why would you spend MORE for a bike not made of God's frame material?

Don't get me wrong. If it trips your trigger, go for it. But I gots me one of the old ones (BMX hub spacing, even) and I can't fault it.

[shiggy]

perhaps i mispoke ..

what i meant by sliding droputs is that you slid the axle within the dropout inorder to change chain tension.

ideally this would allow me to run things as tight as possible in the drop out and just adjust my change to fit my current gear combo.

thanks for the firemans bike links .. i think i've came across these before. they're very close to what i'm talking about but a little more vintage BMX inspired.

has there ever been a 26" comp 3 tread pattern?

i'm beginning a search to start this .. probably at first it will be v-brake though (in order to keep cost down).

I used 26x1.75 and 26x2.125 Comp IIIs on my mtb in '83-'86.

[rockhound]

...is aloomeeum. Why would you spend MORE for a bike not made of God's frame material?


Not anymore, Dave. The Flight is now a higher grade steel, Japanese-made frame with sliding dropouts.

[rattlecan]

yeah, thats the ones my friends are getting. the steel i hard and i can attest to that from drilling watterbottle bosses in the seat tube and downtube.

a third friend of mine just got one but he had to send it back due to sloppy slots in the dropouts. i think thats the most difficult thing with sliders- they damn near have to be perfect... my dropouts only have .001"-.002" clearance... any more slop and you can have wheel alignment issues. the redlines drops are laser cut steel with a machined aluminum slider. the finish isnt perfect but is adequate.
i really like the new redline.
the small frame weighs more than 5 lbs and i think a good part of it is in the over built drops.


eric

[useless_wrench]

is the flight steel as bone jarring as aluminum?

i've got back problems and wouldn't want an overly harsh ride ..

[davkatreb]

Not anymore, Dave. The Flight is now a higher grade steel, Japanese-made frame with sliding dropouts.
This is news to me. I suppose the sliding dropouts would make it easier to live with disc brakes as well.