The BMX FAQ
will law
Compiled + Maintained: Will Law
See [14] for contributor list
Copyright(c) 1997 Will Law
The purpose of the BMX Frequently Asked Questions file is to provide a
resource for everyone who wants their questions about the sport of bmx,
answered cohesively and reliably. Nothing here is guaranteed correct. It
generally follows the FAQ format. Please note: At present this FAQ is for
freestyle, it isn't really for bmx.
This FAQ has been written with the intention of getting rid of as many
simple questions from the bmx list and newsgroup as possible. There are many
questions that are repeatedly asked and often have very simple answers. If
you think a section needs to be added/revised/redone etc, send me an e-mail
and I'll do whatever...
Contents
[1] About the bmx list
[1-1] How do you subscribe?
[1-2] How do you unsubscribe?
[1-3] What is the list for?
[1-4] What is it not for?
[2] About bmx.
[2-1] What are the different riding types?
[2-2] What are the differences between different bikes?
[2-3] What do you need to get started in BMX?
[3] Buying tips.
[3-1] What bar/stem/frame/fork should I buy?
[3-1-1] What do I need to mount a front AD990?
[3-2] Which shop should I buy from?
[3-3] Is there a list of bike shops anywhere?
[3-4] What are the advantages of.....?
[3-4-1] Threadless forks?
[3-4-2] 3-piece cranks?
[3-5] What's the best all round frame?
[3-6] What are the best pegs?
[4] What part of a bike is the...?
[4-2] What is an a-headset?
[5] Where can I find bmx information on the internet?
[5-1-1] On the WWW?
[5-1-2] Other BMX FAQs-
[5-2] By e-mail?
[5-3] On IRC?
[6] Riding
[6-1] How do you learn tricks?
[6-2] Where is there to ride in [replace with city of residence]?
[6-3] Are there any other riders in [replace with city of residence] ?
[7] Travelling with your bike.
[7-1] How much will it cost to take my bike on a plane?
[7-2] How do I have to package it?
[7-3] How do I bend the rules?
[8] Tech words.
[8-1] What does [xxxxx] stand for?
[8-1-1] TIG.
[8-1-2] S&M
[9] Bike maintenance tips.
[9-1] A-Headsets
[9-2] Axles
[9-3] Bar-ends
[9-4] Bars
[9-5] Brakes
[9-5-1] How do you stop brakes squeaking?
[9-5-2] Brake cables
[9-5-2-1] Cable routing
[9-5-3] Brake Levers
[9-5-4] Brakes
[9-6] Chainrings
[9-7] Chains
[9-8] Companies
[9-9] Cranks
[9-10] Forks
[9-10-1] How do you put a 1 1/8" fork in a 1" frame?
[9-11] Frames
[9-11-1] How do you clean chrome?
[9-11-2] Frame Building
[9-12] Freecoasters
[9-13] Freewheels
[9-14] Grind disks
[9-15] Grips
[9-16] Gyros
[9-16-2] The cable balls keep popping out of my gyro. What should I do?
[9-17] Headsets
[9-18] Innertubes
[9-19] Pedals
[9-20] Ppegs
[9-21] Seats
[9-22] Seat posts
[9-23] Shin pads
[9-24] Stems
[9-25] Tyres
[9-26] Wheels
[9-26-1] Lacing
[9-26-1-1] Twist lacing
[9-26-1-2] Radial Lacing
[9-26-2] Rims
[9-26-3] Hubs
[9-26-4] Spokes
[9-26-5] Wheel Trueing
[9-9] Wheels
[9-9-1] Why does my bike have a bigger front tyre than back tyre?
[9-9-2] Can you straighten up Skyway wheels by putting them in the
freezer?
[9-9-3] What about alternative methods of lacing?
[10] Building riding terrain
[10-1] Ramps
[10-1-1] How much does it cost to make a ramp?
[10-1-2] Where can I find ramp plans on the www?
[10-2] Trails
[11] How can I contact bmx companies?
[12] BMX literature.
[13] Making BMX videos
[14] Contributors.
[1]About the bmx list
[1-1] How do you subscribe?
Send a message to bmx-r...@hesston.met.tamu.edu and put the word
subscribe in the subject line. That will subscribe you with out you
bothering anybody. It looks like this:
Mailto: bmx-r...@hesston.met.tamu.edu
Subject: subscribe
[1-2] How do you unsubscribe?
Send a message to bmx-r...@hesston.met.tamu.edu and put the word
unsubscribe in the subject line. That will unsubscribe you with out you
bothering anybody. It looks like this:
Mailto: bmx-r...@hesston.met.tamu.edu
Subject: unsubscribe
[1-3] What is the list for?
The list is for general discussion on bmx related topics past and present.
We would rather see less on the product front and more on the lifestyle,
stories, scenes, experiences, news side of things.
[1-4] What is it not for?
Click here for the official list rules
[http://www.rosecott.demon.co.uk/transgression/faq/rules.htm]
Here is a list of the things that you should not do on the list:
1. First, don't write your posts in all capitals. This means you are
yelling, and it will only annoy people. If you take note of this rule it
will save people sending messages to tell you to turn off the capslock.
2.Quote relevant parts of the post you are responding to so we know what you
are talking about. If you are only responding to something mentioned in the
last paragraph don't quote the other 6 paragraphs in the post.
3. Take time to see how the list runs. Don't respond to everything your
first time on. Pay attention to the etiquete used.
4. Don't respond unless you have something constructive to add. "Those shoes
rule" is not a valid response. You are trying to provide information to
other people. The key is WHY do they rule. Strong soles, lasts forever.
Explain yourself. If you agree with something someone submits don't post
something like "Yo! Word to Kevin". This says nothing. If you agree say WHY
you agree, relate a similar experience, "I agree because...." etc.
5. Just because you are on the internet doesn't give you an excuse to use
poor english. The internet is about the free (or $19.95 a month) exchange of
ideas and information. Spelling doesn't count but try your best to make
sense.The idea is to get people to undersand what you are talking about. If
they don't it makes YOU look like a dick. Paragraphs and sentences are
always nice. It makes things way easier to read. My grammar and spelling
suck but I try my best.
6. Try to read at your Re: posts and think : "If someone hadn't seen the
original post would they know what was talking about?" After a couple days
"Re:Stickers you suckers" can turn into a conversation about who won at the
Play contest. No one wants to go back through all the posts to find out what
the comment/post "Yo dude, what's the addie" means.
7. All mail sent to the list is sent from b...@hesston.met.tamu.edu even
though your mail reader says it may be from peg...@aol.com.
Example Mail Properties:
Resent-From: b...@hesston.met.tamu.edu
Reply-To: b...@hesston.met.tamu.edu
X-Mailing-List: b...@hesston.tamu.edu
When you hit reply in your mail reader it will be sent to the list. If you
want to reply to the person directly and bypass the list MAKE SURE their
address is in the To: part of the reply. Before you post a message, just
think- "Is this message going to be useful/interesting to anybody else, or
should it only be sent to one person?". Use personal mail *wherever*
possible.
8.Do not send pictures to the list. A lot of people will not appreciate
having to spend extra time downloading their e-mail for the sake of a
picture you think is cool.
9. Likewise, don't send chainletters to the list.
[2] About bmx.
[2-1] What are the different riding types?
Flatland- This is arguably the most technically advanced riding type. It is
basically doing any tricks you can think up just on flat ground, including
spinning, rolling, scuffing and [a few] balancing tricks
Ramps- This is just what the name suggests. Doing tricks on mini ramps,
spines, sub-boxes, banks, quarter pipes, jump boxes etc
Vert- Vert involves doing airs and lip tricks on a half pipe or vert ramp.
Trails- Riding trails is basically riding through a section of several dirt
jumps in a row.
Street- This is using any object in the street to do tricks on. Banks,
walls, ledges, rails, steps etc are all things to ride.
Racing- This is when you race against other riders to be the first to
complete the dirt track.
[2-2] What are the differences between different bikes?
Flatland bikes are the shortest bikes at around 34-35". They often have
freecoaster hubs [these allow you to go backwards without the pedals
spinning round], 4 large diameter aluminium pegs, gyros, front and rear
brakes and 4-piece bars.
Next come street bikes they could be anywhere between 35" and 37" long. They
are strong with thick dropouts, that's about as far as any distinguishing
features go because people have varying numbers of pegs, might have a gyro,
a front brake or a grind disc.
Ramp bikes have roughly 36-37" wheelbases. They, likewise have strong
frames, gyros, front and rear brakes, 4 long pegs, peg-mounts, thick
dropouts, oversize axles.
Dirt bikes which are about 36-38" long have no front brake, no pegs so
large/thick dropouts aren't required, neither are oversize axles, most bikes
have 48 spoke wheels and cro-moly frames, but lighter/smoother sometimes go
for the aluminium frame and 36 spoke wheel option.
Finally are race bikes which are 37+. These can be made of cro-moly,
aluminium, and composite materials, they are lighter than all other types of
bikes, they have one brake [rear], no gyro, no pegs, regular size axles etc.
[2-3] What do you need to get started in BMX?
A bike- obviously.
gloves- If you start riding lots and don't wear gloves your hands will get
blisters and you won't be able to ride. After a while your hands will get
tougher and you might prefere not to wear gloves.
shin pads- It can suck not wearing them even if you just slip your pedals.
[3] Buying tips.
[3-1] What bar/stem/frame/fork should I buy?
For all questions like this check out my tips page
[http://www.rosecott.demon.co.uk/transgression/faq/tips.htm].
[3-1-1] What do I need to mount a front AD990?
You need just the same as for a rear one. A pair of AD mounts or a brake
plate. You don't need any other hardware at all, just thread you cable in
from the side.
[3-2] Which shop should I buy from?
Anywhere except Dan's. Support your local shop if you can. If they only
stock a few items like innertubes etc, pester them to get more stuff in. If
your local shop fails, go mail order.
[3-3] Is there a list of bike shops anywhere?
There is a list of most of the shops in the UK on the Transgression Page
[http://www.rosecott.demon.co.uk/transgression/indext.htm]. Go to the
homepage and click on 'contact'.
[3-4] What are the advantages of.....?
[3-4-1] Threadless forks?
[Most] threadless set-ups stay tighter than the old threaded systems. Plus,
they are much stronger, as you can make the steerer tube much thicker.
[3-4-2] 3-piece cranks?
3 piece cranks are much stronger, because they don't have to be threaded
through the frame they can be made thicker. They are also more adjustable
[for grind discs etc], smoother and you're less likely to get a tight spot
in your chain.
[3-5] What's the best all round frame?
You want a medium frame - medium length, medium geometry. If you've got the
$ try a Homeless Pornstar, Standard Lengthy or Shorty, Hoffman Big Daddy,
S&M Sabbath.
If you haven't got the $ then most Haro/GT/Redline freestyle F+F will be the
right sort of size. 36 inch wheelbase should be about right
[3-6] What are the best pegs?
Flatland - you want 2 inch diameter x 4 1/2 inch long aluminium
Street - you want 1 1/4 x 4 inch long steel
Allround - Try 2 inch x 4 inch steel
Buy them from any body and see how they do. Cheaper doesn't always mean
worse (as far as pegs go)
[4] What part of a bike is the...?
Here are two anotated diagrams, one for the various tubes that make up the
frame, and the other for the different compnents that make up a bike.
Frame- annotated diagram
[http://www.rosecott.demon.co.uk/transgression/faq/framdia.jpg]
Bike- annotated diagram
[http://www.rosecott.demon.co.uk/transgression/faq/bikedai.jpg]
[4-2] What is an a-headset?
An 'a-headset' is an oversize, threadless version of a 'headset'. The bottom
race is just the same as a 'headset' but the top part is different. Here's
the difference: A 'headset' is put together like this-
Headset A-headset
1 cup 1 cup
2 ball bearing race 2 ball bearing race
3 threaded cone 3 threadless cone
4 locknut 4 stem [acts as lock nut]
5 stem 5 star washer/top nut.
The clamp on stem used in an 'a-headset' doesn't go inside the forks. It
clamps round the outside of the forks and acts as a lock nut to hold the con
in place. The star flanged nut/top nut pushes the stem down to tighten the
'a-headset'. N.B. You can get 1" clamp on stem/fork combos but it's not
strictly an a-headset because that's just dia compe's trade name.
[5] Where can I find bmx information on the internet?
[5-1-1] On the WWW?
BMX companies
[http://www.rosecott.demon.co.uk/transgression/faq/faqcomp.htm]
Magazines
[http://www.rosecott.demon.co.uk/transgression/faq/faqmags.htm]
Mail-order companies
[http://www.rosecott.demon.co.uk/transgression/faq/faqmail.htm]
A list of useful links
[http://www.rosecott.demon.co.uk/transgression/faq/linksfs.htm]
[5-1-2]
Other BMX FAQs-
ESPN X-Games FAQ.
[http://espn.sportszone.com/xgames/summerx97/bicycle/index.html]
Flavour Zine FAQ. [http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~cullen74/]
[5-2] By e-mail?
The bmx list. See section [1-1].
[5-3] On IRC?
Check out the bmx group.
[6] Riding
[6-1] How do you learn tricks?
Check out Bobby's World 2
[http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bkcarter/Bobby's-World2.html.htm] for lots
of flatand videos and tips. I think in the majority of cases, flatland is
the only form of freestyle that tips really make a difference. But for most
other things it is usually a case of practising until you get the trick
down. I've included tips for tricks I think require them below. And before
you ask, bunnyhopping is just a case of practising and practising. There's
no other way. Two and a half years ago I couldn't bunnyhop at all. Now I can
bunnyhop 2 foot. All I did was practise.
[6-1-1] Manuals:
I find that it's best to have you ass low and far back and your front wheel
low, than having you ass high and your front wheel high. In other words get
you ass near to your tyre.
I suddenly got a lot better at manuals after watching Joey Garcia on
'American Muscle'. Maybe he has a good technique.
Keep one finger on your brake. If you have problems with leaning to one
side, focus your vision on a particular point and you should head towards
it.
[6-2] Where is there to ride in [replace with city of residence]?
Check out the riding spots section in Transgression.
[http://www.rosecott.demon.co.uk/transgression/ index.htm]
[6-3] Are there any other riders in [replace with city of residence]?
Check out the riders directory in Transgression.
[http://www.rosecott.demon.co.uk/transgression/ index.htm]
[7] Travelling with your bike.
[7-1] How much will it cost to take my bike on a plane?
If you do it the correct way, it will probably cost you more than $50. But
if you follow my easy guide [see part 7-3] you could save yourself some
money.
[7-2] How do I have to package it?
If you can't afford/hire/borrow a bike bag, go to a bike shop and get a bike
box. They are bound to have lots and will probably be pleased if you take it
off their hands. Depending on the size restrictions set by the airline, you
will have to remove various parts of the bike. Take the wheels off, loosen
the stem bolts and fold the bars over so they're flat to the frame, take the
seat-post out and remove pegs. Apparently British Airlines are really slack.
You can get away with just loosening your stem and twisting your bars round
90 degrees. Just remember to deflate your tubes.
[7-3] How do I bend the rules?
What you basically need to do is make the airline company think it's
something other than a bike.
1st. Find out the maximum package size the airline will allow. If they don't
give dimensions, just a length, it is basically the sum of the length, width
and height. Say for example, your 'suitcase' is 7' deep, 15' tall and 38
inches long, that would be 60'.
2nd. Dismantling your bike. If the maximum size is quite big you may get
away with not dismantling your bike that much, if however, it is small you
may have to do a bit of work. If you can only fit the frame and a few other
things in the case, just split the rest of the parts up and put them in your
suitcase etc.
3rd. Packaging your steed. Here are a few tried and tested packages.
1. Hockey bag [Graeme Burke], a big army bag [Bobby Carter], bike box [Ron L
& Pencilneck]
3rd. Labelling your package. Here are your choices-
1 'Box camera equipment' or 'drafting project' [Bryan Huffman], 2 'Bike
parts' [Pencilneck], 3. 'A display' [Bobby Carter], 'Engineering project' or
'Marketing display' [Ron L]
[8] Tech words.
[8-1] What does [xxxxx] stand for?
[8-1-1] TIG.
This is a type of welding. Tungsten Inert Gas. A nonconsumable electrode is
used to strike and arc, a shielding gas [argon] is used to shield the
electrode and weld pool. It is a really clean process.
[8-1-2] S&M
It has come to light in an interview with Moeller in Freedom Magazine that
S&M stands for 'Swingrover and Moeller'.
[8-1-3] DK
All you hardcore kids riding DKs will be pleased to find out that DK
actually stands for 'Dads and Kids'.
[9] Bike maintenance tips.
[9-1] A-Headsets-
How to run a potts mod front brake cable with A-Headset-
DO NOT take the "star flanged nut" out of the forks--you need that for
preloading the headset--if you knock your forks loose, you're screwed--it's
a bitch to get back in--it's like banging bearing cups in--no fun. On top of
that, don't even take the screw out, because then every time your headset
gets loose you have to take Get the Diatech aheadset. It uses no star
flanged nut. Just a clamp that tightens your headset with a 5mm allen bolt.
Tee rick. You now could run anything down that tube. Tell yer dealer to
contact - Quality Bike products, Seattle Bike Supply, or Riteway Products
(GT).
The ad is on Page 58 of the May issue of Plus! The thing is called a Conix,
and the company that makes it is FSA(Full Speed Ahead). They offer three
kinds: 1", 1 1/8", and their BMX/Freestyle edition that is drilled straight
through.
E-mail:f...@cmpedge.com
Snail mail address is:
Full Speed Ahead
7949 Woodley Ave.
Van Nuys, CA 91406
Telephone:818-375-5020
How to stop your a-headset coming loose-
The aheadset system does get loose once in a while. The best thing to do is
get really coarse sandpaper and sand the steerer tube and the inside of the
stem till it's nice and rough. I have to really slam to knock my head set
loose.
[9-2] Axles-
G-Sport hubs
I'll just add that because the 17mm (22mm in the centre!!) axle goes right
up to the inside of the drop-out the skinny little 3/8" bolt is better
supported than a normal axle (which is stressed all the way from the edge of
the hub and out). The hubs come with machined push in cones which are 1
1/4". When you look at the set-up you just can't imagine the bolt ever
bending; it is supported over nearly it's whole length. If you do need to
change a bolt you'll be able to get one cheap in any hardware shop and you
don't even have to take the wheel off your bike to change it. The bolts will
hold up longer than a good quality axle (King/standard) and they only cost 1
pound from G-Sport in England. Once you've found a good supply (where
they'll be cheaper) you can just keep a couple spare in your pocket. So it's
gonna be cheaper than replacing an axle and easier to carry spares (if you
think that's necessary).
DON'T GET A KING AXLE! I had mine for about a month, which I admit is a long
time to have a straight axle, but one day my wheel moved. When I tried to
loosen the axle to adjust my wheel, I found that it wouldn't turn. After
many a hernia trying to loosen it and a couple of scratches from hack sawing
it off, I found that neither axle nut would turn (cw or ccw). I even put the
hacked ends in a vice and tried turning them, to no avail. This same thing
hashappened to two of my friends. I had a 4140 axle from Indy and it snapped
in a day (higher yield strength but less ductility).
[9-3] Bar-ends-
The cool way to do it is to use a rubber donut thingy and a nut/bolt.
Bar-end- bolt - rubber thingy - nut. Pop in and tighten, no complex
machining....
[9-4] Bars-
A friend of mine snapped his Strip bars yesterday, isn't that amazing? He
only rides flatland and he had those bars for about 6 months I think. Aren't
they supposed to be really strong?!?! Well, according to Standard someone in
Europe was flogging duff bars, and if you buy 'em direct from Standard
you'll get the genuine bars. Or maybe the bars just suck. Make your own mind
up.
[9-5] Brakes-
[9-5-1] How do you stop brakes squeaking?
You need to *toe in/out* your brake pads. That is changing the angle of the
brake pads in relation to your rim. The leading edge needs to touch the rim
first. If you look at the back of koolstop brake pad packages they usually
have directions to set up your toe.
[9-5-2] Brake cables-
To keep your brakes running smoothly, make sure your cables are always well
lubed with a thin spray like WD40. Replace outers/inners when they get bent
and split/frayed and kinked.
If you have a problem with snapping cables you may want to try some braided
cables. In the UK you can get them from Reaction. Also, if you run a gyro,
using replacement 2-into-1 cable splitters [such as Primo or Static] not
only makes cables last longer but makes them easier and cheaper to replace.
[9-5-2-1] Cable routing-
I have the cable housing stop at the a-headset cap where I have an adjuster
barrel threaded in. From there I have the inner cable run through a hole
drilled through the fork race (the most unbreakable part of the fork)
directly to the crosspull cable. I also line the bare cable with that
Gore-Tex liner, so that it's SUPER smooth. I do the same thing, what do you
use for a crossover mojo?
I still like the way Morales handles their bottom cable routing. They have
no need for a "deflopitator" since they don't use a gyro cable for the
bottom brakes - they simply have each cable coming from the gyro going to
another arm of the 990's.
Outerless cables is definitely the way to go. It means there's so much less
friction. It's a bit easier on a morales because you need guides on the
seat-tube to use this method on a chain-stay mounted brake.
I was thinking about a way round the kink in the front brake cable in a
potts mod. If you have a cable 'stop' (outer-cable stops, inner continues)
brazed on to replace the cable 'guide' that most forks have at the top of
the leg. Then a roller near the bottom of the fork leg, so the inner cable
goes round smoothly. Then another cable 'stop' up the other side and a short
length of outer cable up to the caliper (the brake wouldn't work without
this bit of outer). This would definitely improve braking power, the lever
would be much easier to pull on because of the reduced friction.
You could also use a similar method on the lower gyro cables. Get a couple
of those gadgets that MTBers use at the rear mech. They're a 90 degree
roller mechanism. The great thing about them is that the roller doesn't have
to attached to the frame, it has it's own little thing that slots into a
cable stop. Anyway, you slot one of these into each of the lower gyro stops
and continue the outer cable from there. This system eliminates a lot of
friction, but you need to make sure there is a lot of tension in the cables
[i.e. you must setup your brakes well] otherwise the cable might slip off
the roller. Also, this system works well if your brake is on the seat stays
but you may want to add a bit of outer cable between the gyro and the roller
so it is alligned to go down the down tube if you brake is mounted on the
chain stays.
DO NOT take the "star flanged nut" out of the forks--you need that for
preloading the headset--if you knock your forks loose, you're screwed--it's
a bitch to get back in--it's like banging bearing cups in--no fun. On top of
that, don't even take the screw out, because then every time your headset
gets loose you have to take out your whole brake cable. That's how I had it
at first, but it began to drive me nuts. Just buy own of the hollow
replacements.
I have the cable housing stop at the aheadset cap where I have an adjuster
barrel threaded in. From there I have the inner cable run through a hole
drilled through the fork race (the most unbreakable part of the fork)
directly to the crosspull cable. I also line the bare cable with that Gore
Tex liner, so that it's SUPER smooth.
As far as being skeptical about drilling holes in your forks, mine have held
up for almost 2 years and although I'm not half the jumper I used to be, I
still land as hard as shit. A fork NEVER breaks at the race, so drilling a
little hole, if done correctly, won't weaken the fork.
[9-5-2] Brake Levers-
At the moment there seems to be a bit of a fashion for narrow bars amongst
certain groups of people, if you are one of them then you'll have to bend
your levers. MX99s aren't particularly good because both the lever and the
'mount' are liable to snapping. Tech 77s work better. To bend them, get a
pair of mole grips and clamp them onto the end of the lever over an old rag
and apply force. Don't clamp the mole grips further down the lever because
they're more likely to snap.
[9-5-3] Brakes-
How to improve the power of your brakes-
1] What type of brakes do you have? 990's and Canti's are the best nowadays.
2] For all brakes you need good cables. Either take them apart and lubricate
the cables or, if in need, replace and lubricate.
3] For calipers, take the springs and pull them farther out. Then put a dab
of grease on the arm where the spring pops in. This allows the spring to
slide inside the arms.
4] You can replace the brake pads with a HIGH quality pad or use sandpaper
to remove the buildup glaze on the pads.
5] Who care's about brakes squealing? Set your brake pads up so the maximum
amount of pad is touching the rim. i.e. put the block in the right place,
pull your brake lever so the brake block squeezes against the rim, then
tighten it up.
6] If you really need a lock up brake, use roofing tar. Two spins with DRY
tar on the rim will do.
7] If you don't want to get canti/ad mounts welded on you could buy one of
many add on brake plates for about $20 or 20ukp
8] Adjust the tension in your springs so both pads touch the rim at
*exactly* the same time.
9] Remember, the tighter you have the springs, the less power you have.
10 Forget the coke. It is probably just soaking into the small pits and
grooves in the rims and the (when heated) becomes gummy after the brakes are
applied a few times. Use something like Berryman's Chem-Tool and clean rags.
11] If you are lucky enough to find them, look for some old style finned
Mathauser brake pads. These are the all time best pads. I still have several
old sets, but I don't think they are making them anymore.
12] If you are not already riding chrome plated rims, they definately make
the biggest difference.
13] You can get some really good, cable yokes [straddle cable bits] that
have two extra allen bolts that clamp onto the straddle cable to stop it
moving/flexing.
14] When you are putting on new cables, use teflon lined [oddessy slick\gyro
cables.]
15] I put a little philwood grease on the cable, and put a little tri-flow
in the housing.
16] Make the cables as short as possible to stop flexing
17] Have well adjusted (no freeplay)and lubed brakes.
18] Have clean rims and brake pads. Clean rims with metho etc, rub pads flat
on concrete.
19] Use zip ties [cable ties] to fix your cables to your frame as much as
possible to stop flexing.
20] The pads may need to be replaced if they are very old because they go
hard.
21] Please DO NOT use that disk brake anti-squeak! I used that for a while
when I had a Mongoose Californian about 352 years ago on my pro class rims.
If you like having to use your hands to pull the pads off the rim every time
you brake.
22] Get some AJAX [you know that cleaning shit], and mix it with water- mix
it so that it becomes like a chalky just-bearly liquid- then using your
finger (don't be a panzy about it it's only bleach you can wash your hands
after-words) spread the mixture on your rims and your break pads- let it dry
over-nite - your breaks should now work a-lot better
How to make a Pit Bull spring back again.
Go to the hardware store and buy a strong spring that will go between the
roller cam and the cable stop.
Roller cam spring cable stop
-----\____//////////////___[----
-----/ ////////////// [----
When you select a spring make sure it is a "heavy duty" type, not a real
weak one, it should be about the same diamiter of your small finger and
about 1" longer that the cable that runs from the cable stop to the cam. You
can install it without undoing the inner cable, just twist it on (like you
do a key on a keychain ring). It work pretty good for me and cost about .30
cents!
The "Which is the best brake" debate-
Cantis-
I have it so that the cable housing stops at the nut at the top of the
steerer tube. Then I have that Gore-Tex cable liner the rest of the way. (I
have a hole drilled out of the fork race, Canadian-style, to a pair of old
'93Shimano XT canti's). It's the smoothest, most efficient set-up I've ever
had. They are kind of sketchy on nose wheelies, but I suck at them anyway.
Can anyone say one finger nosepicks--without cleaning the rim for a month?
I've got cantilevers and they kick ass as far as stopping power. The only
drawbacks I have found is that sometimes they work too well (I can't do nose
wheelies to save my life) and that the cantilevers themselves are pretty
high profile. For front wheel scuffing tricks the cantilevers sometimes stab
your legs or you step on the bridge cable. If I had to do it all over again
I would probably get 990s for these reasons.
If you want my advice I would strongly advise cantilevers. They are more
reliable than AD brakes. All you'd have to do is get your local bike shop to
weld some canti lugs (which are different to AD lugs) on. If you can afford
them, the brand new SHIMANO V-BRAKES look like a good idea. They use some
sort of a parallelogram design and are apparently better than hydrolics. The
cable goes in to the brake at the side already which would make them perfect
for a pott's mod. The only problem is- you have to use shimano brake levers
too. The brakes are £40 ($???) each which is cheap for what they are. The
Levers are £55 which is a bit (!!) much, but you get what you pay for. If
you want to see pictures pick up any mountain bike mag.
Canti's rule. They are 100 percent better than 990's. They are smaller,
lighter, MUCH easier to adjust and maintain, and they work better. Why more
people don't use them, I don't know. Just curious Ron . . . How is the cable
set up to the front brake? I also like rear canti's, but have never seen
them on the front (in person) up close. Now that my 990's are finally set up
right, I cringe at the idea of taking either of my wheels off! Pervert,
Gyro, crosspull cables, and those pads that are next to impossible to hold
while you tighten them down . . . The price we pay for power!
V-brakes
DO NOT use the new Shimano V-brake. The only thing that sucks about canti's
is that the pads sit very close to the rim, so if you tweak your wheel
pretty bad, you might have problems. The V-Brakes are insanely powerful--it
really is amazing--find a MTBer with a pair and check them out. The problem
with these brakes is that the parallelogram design makes the pads even
closer to the rims. So close that they wouldn't be functional on a 20".
These brakes will rub if you just have a hop in your rim, seriously! Leave
those for the MTB guys.
Calipers
ACS 860's are ok but the arms flex a little too much for me. I like BOAs,
are stiffer. 990s are exelent, but can have some freeplay on the mounts. I
put a bit a plastic (cut from margarine container)between the arms and the
mounts to eliminate any freeplay which causes squealing.A quick fix is to
wipe the rim with a KFC towel, or coke, but it doesn't last.
What to look out for-
Dia-Compe AD990
Shimano U-brake II
Reaction Mega Brake
any canti
See also- Gyros
Brake Cables
Brake Levers
[9-6] Chainrings
[9-7] Chains
[9-8] Cranks
Do not get KHE / DNA cranks. After a while, the bolt that clamps them on to
the spindle snaps and the cranks spins round on the spinde and flares out.
Mine lasted about 6 months before this happened.
Profile cranks rule.
[9-10] Forks-
There's a bit of controversy in this section because it used to begin with
the following paragraph written by Gregg Hansen of Homeless Bikes:-
The best forks, by far, are Homeless forks. Let me tell you why...We use
1-piece machined steerer tubes, machined in real 4130 heat treated chromoly.
Then we use the same mil-spec tubing to make the legs in an .065 thickness.
But the goocher is, we get our fork legs bent on a huge hydrolic with a
mandrell, so that the stress to the bend in minimal. You can get our forks
with regular 4130 drops, with peg bosses, with peg supports, with 990's,
with an aheadset/stem combo, or with a threaded/stem combo (or any
combination of those). But the best part of all, you'll have a little money
left over when you're done. Unlike Standard, WAL/2-Hip, or Indy - we make
our own forks. thanks gregg
But since then I've spoken to Ron Wilkerson. And here's what he said about
it:-
Gregg said that they make everything there and talked about how they bend
their forks, well in actuality, back when they were in business, they would
send their forks to SE in San Diego to get bent. hmmph. and then he listed
2-Hip in the companies that don't make their own stuff.....well,we at 2-Hip
used to get our frames made at homeless and they were the shittiest frames
we ever had made. I have always considered myself a friend of greggs, but
all gregg did was bitch about how hard our frames were to make and why it
was taking him so long. and then after all his bitching and moaning, when we
got them, they were COMPLETE SHIT, horrible workmanship, out of alignment
AND the chain would hit the seat stay. So we abruptly switched. We went to
another manufacturer, fabweld. They made a couple good batches for us, and
then when we made a couple minor changes, we got screwed again with a shitty
batch of frames where the sprocket hit the chain-stay. We got fucked by
them. So we switched to another manufacturer that we had used before and
ALWAYS had made top-quality products for us. They were always too slow, but
now have changed their operations and are producing the 1998 2-Hip frames as
we speak.
The standard forks aren't all that good. I went through two forks in the
last year. The strongest forks I've ever ridden are the Indy forks. I mean
standard forks and frames are strong (I've got a lengthy but, I have broken
that one too.) However, standard's are still the best frame co.
[9-10-1] How do you put a 1 1/8" fork in a 1" frame?
1. Take your 1" cones to a machine shop and have them make the hole in the
middle of it 1 1/8".
2. Put the rest of the a-headset on as usual.
[9-12]Frames
[9-12-1]How do you clean chrome?
Here's a list of possible solutions-
Try a wad of aluminium foil and a bowl of water.
An SOS pad. I wouldn't recomend this unless you want to risk dulling your
chrome.
Use a chrome cleaner to take care of it. Any autoparts store would have
stuff for that, look in the area where car washing/waxing stuff is sold. I
know Turtle Wax and Simonize make such a product.
Naval Jelly. Just put it on then let it sit for a while and wipe it off.
[9-11-2] Frame building-
- OK, here's the manual from one of my suppliers:
- 4130 Normal = 90KSI Tensile, 70KSI Yield
- 4130 Stress Releived = 110/95
- 4130 Heat treated = 125-180/100-165 (It varies w type of heat treatment)
- 4135N =95/80, SR= 115/110, HT = N/A
- 4140 Annealed = 90/65, SR= 120/100, HT = 140/115
- 4150 N = N/A, SR = N/A, HT = 160/130
- 4340 N = N/A, A = 110/75, HT = 140/115
- 8620 SUCKS!
Conclusion for why 4130 is Godlike. It is the most common and almost the
only available type in most OD and walls. If heat treated properly, it can
be stronger than 4340 anyway. Did anyone read a number higher than 180? So
keep calling yerself 4130, yer OK by me.
But considering Standard axles are 4140 and they have a stronger tensile
strength than 4130 , why wouldn't anyone use 4150? (For the axles, it seems
to have superior properties over 4130 and 4140).
Because the fifth time you did a handrail, your axle would shatter into
little pieces. Stronger material is also a lot more brittle, and that means
that it fatigues a lot worse. Elastic material can cope with fatigue much
better.
BMX bike parts pretty damn hard to design correctly... you want: light
weight, high strength, resistance to impact forces(which are pretty much
impossible to calculate), and fatigue strength( so frames dont brake every 6
months like clockwork)
Along that subject anyone thinking of buying an ALUMINUM frame better get
ready to watch it CRACK within a year of hard riding. aluminum is one of the
worst materials as far as fatigue strength is concerned. (the more times you
cycle the loading, the less strong the material becomes)
I've broken every bike I've ever had and NOTHING ever broke,as quickly as my
Holmes (both of them)
Cromo comes in .028, .035,.049,.058,.065,.083,.090 wall thickness, in
diameter increments of 1/16ths of an inch.
I think the reason they don't use extremely high wall thickness is because
they don't have to. There is a point at which simply adding more material
doesn't make it much stronger. Armored vehicles can be increased in strength
by making their walls thicker, but they are designed around projectiles
hitting perpendicularly or nearly perpendicularly to their surface.
Bicycles, one day the kid could snap it round the head-tube, the down-tube,
the top-tube, the stays might bend. Who knows how they're going to treat it
or how they're going to land.
The standard way to make a frame is to use like 1 3/8 or 1 1/2 .065 tube(for
a tank) and weld the puppy up. But if you use 2" .035, it will be lighter,
and stronger.
Well, that's kinda like the haro notion of things. That's also the mountain
bike notion of things. If you ask Cannondale, "Why do you use such fat
tubes?", then you're going to get, "Because the strength to weight ratio of
aluminum allows us to increase the stiffness of your bicycle by increasing
the diameter of tubing at no penalty in weight.". It's no wonder cannondale
isn't making BMX or Freestyle bikes (That trials frame is a joke). Aluminum
is a whole different story! Even look at the new specialized frame. The
thing looks like someone put a 6" diameter top tube on the thing. It can get
really ridiculous.Now, ask Bontrager or Scott Nichols why they always use
small diameter steel tubing, and you'll get, "Because it's lighter, more
forgiving, and just as strong.". Doesn't sound bad to me. Of course, all
this is if you subscribe to the mountain bike philosophy of things.
What paint to use-
5 out of 6 experts recomend tempera and/or acrylic. The sixth one works for
S&M
What about powder coating? That's what I like to use. It seems light years
more durable than paint. I've had everything from bicycle handlebars to
motorcycle frames done and there is no question it lasts.
[9-12] freecoasters
Bendix is the whip when it comes to coaster guts. They'll definitely fit in
other shells; I used to bust Suntours every couple of weeks, then dumped
some Bendix guts into the Suntour shell, and rode it for a year! The only
reason the thing stopped working good was cuz the walls of the shell wore
down; the guts are still in good shape.
I managed to salvage a neat little treasure from a neighbor's trash - A
hardly used Bendix coaster-brake hub! I took it completely apart, cleaned it
up, greased it, put it back together, and it works like a charm.
I must have missed some of the more important earlier messages about the
freecoaster debate, but here's my $.02... Correct me if I'm wrong, but I
believe the original freecoaster was the ACS Freecoaster which came out
around '86-'87. I had one at that time, and it was far different from what
we seem to be describing as the freecoaster of today. That f.c. was actually
a coaster brake AND a freewheel, with the added benefit of
anti-backpedaling. That freecoaster had two screws that you could adjust, to
switch between the coaster brake and the freewheel.It weighed at least a ton
(maybe two), but it was the first "real" antibackpedaling device out there
(besides the home-conversion we all know and love/hate). Shortly after that,
ACS came out with the RL hub (wasn't that what it was called?), which was
the first anti-backpedal freewheel hub. I've heard lots of bad stories about
that hub and its many flaws, but it was a start.
Since then, we've had the un-brake, etc. I'm not all that familiar with all
the new hubs out today, so I don't know exactly how they work. I've been
using the unbrake setup on my flatland bike for about 5 years now, so I
haven't kept up with the latest and greatest.
Anyone have the technical details on these latest hubs then? Are they just
improved unbrake style hubs, or are there any real technological
advancements?
here's the timeline as I know it:
coaster brakes ACS ACS **PULSE** nankai, khe
Freecoaster RL hub unbrake hubs
|---------------------------------|----|----------|--------------|--------..
.
stone age 1986/7 1988 1990/1 1994/5?
(a.k.a. 1970's)
Pulse came before standard and there were also those plasitc things before
that. where did those come from? pizza boxes? Nope, there were metal
unbrakes around back in 1983 if I remember right. One of my friends had one
in his Schwinn Scrambler's Tuff Wheels.
Where can I get some 48 hole flanges for an old style Shimano coaster brake?
Do I have to make them? I have the equiptment to make them, I just don't
know where I would get the material.
Umm...I didn't know you could take the flanges off of old style Shimano
coaster brakes. Unless you have some major manufacturing ability at your
fingertips, you're better off just buying a NEW $50.00 freecoaster, straight
from Nankai. Anyways, if you made a coaster brake hub, you would have to
throw a $15 unbrake in there to make it a freecoaster.
[9-13] Freewheels
[9-14] Grind disks
[9-15] Grips
[9-16] Gyros
How to get rid of "Gyro Flop".
I suppose you know how to adjust the gyro so the floating plate is level
(see Gyro instructions). However, the question may be, how do I get my gyro
to stay that way? I've found that, on new bikes, cable and cable housing
stretch tends to cause a lot of problems with keeping the gyro level.
However, once this break-in period is over, the next most common problem is
that the barrel adjusters loosen (no matter really how tightly you screw the
retaining nuts on) due to the vibrations involved when you land from a
trick, drop your bike, etc. If your gyro flops repeatedly even after you
tighten your adjusters, then try a few drops of nail polish, or a low-color
thread-locking compound. Both of these fixes might become permanent,
however, if you do a little too much, so don't go around with your two-part
epoxy and cement every shut :) Well, that's my advice... there might be
better ways around it? How to shorten your gyro cables.
If you were thinking about buying those knarps that standard sells, well,
you can buy those 4/package at hobby shops for like 1.25 (us) instead of the
5+ you have to pay at albes or where ever. they are called dura-collars and
i think airplane buffs use them, the model kind that is.and if you don't
want to spend that much just crimp some nipples on your cables. i would
recomend soldering them though saves some pain due to lack of brakes. Just
make sure you use brass nipples (the kind that come on 99% of the 20"
wheels).
I have a prototype cable stop that attaches to the crossbar. It uses a
cantilever crossover and I welded a bolt on each side of the gyro. The cable
runs from one side of the gyro (No top plate needed) to the crossover and
back down to the other side. Absolutely no gyro flop. I just need to beef it
up for no flex. I thought about welding cable stops on my new bars, What do
you guys think? Would everyone like to use this type of setup? E-mail
How to install a Perverter.
Just take your time and make sure you keep the twin cable parts the same
lenght (inner and outer). Also, when it is done, there should be a 5/8" gap
between the tip of the adj barrel and the cable stop. That is the same gap
as with a gyro cable.
0 cable stop
|
| 5/8" cable showing
|
|/|
|/|
|/| adjment barrel
|||
|||
The really big secrete is to take your time.
[9-16-2] The cable balls keep popping out of my gyro. What should I do?
You need to give more tension to the upper gyro cable... Unscrew the top
adjusters and the one on the lever until the moving part of the detangler
doesn't touch the bottom ones. Also make sure the tension is even on both
sides. E.g. if when you pull on the brake lever, the right side of the gyro
is higher than the left, you need to unscrew the bottom right cable stop,
and screw in the top right.
[9-17] Headsets-
How to stop breaking headsets-
Get a Chris King headset. They're well-known as the best headset in the
industry - they're also the most expensive (around $100). They come with a
five-year warrenty, but I doubt you'll use it.
Before you go dropping mega-$$$ on a headset, figure out exactly why you're
breaking them. Is your headtube ovalized, or your fork steerer tube bent?
Are you keeping them tight enough, but not too tight? Are you going through
cheap $5 headsets, or decent Dia-compe, Shimano, etc. ones?
The replacement cups made by Primo and Rekka etc are really good.
[9-18] Innertubes-
If you have problems blowing tubes regularly, get an old tube, cut the valve
out and slice it round the outside with a stanley knife. Put this between
your rim and normal innertube and you wont get anymore pinch falts.
[9-19] Pedals-
What are the best pedals?-
Do not buy the haro dx style pedals. mine lasted about an huor of jumping
before the axles bent a lot. I have had both haro's and gt's, and both were
bent within weeks, I dont know of a pedal that hasnt.
Buy Shimano DX. They're exactly the same as GT DXs [except better] but
Shimano doesn't make them anymore... Whats good on them is that the spikes
are made of steel instead of aluminium and they come with a spare set.
[9-20] Pegs-
What are the best pegs?
Here is a list [taken from the April 1997 edition of BMX Plus!] of the top
ten pegs-[thanks to David Bannister for submitting it].
10. Basic Silencers
9. Diamond Back Fat Daddy
8. Mongoose DMC
7. Haro Fusion Mega Tubes with grooves
6. GT Grinders
5. Odyssey Big Foot
4. Hoffman Loc'ed day Smith
3. Love Goat jumbo Love
2. Odyssey Liberty
1. Haro Fusion Rail Master
I personally think it's bollocks. If you ride street or ramps, get something
steel maybe with small grooves and no knurling, maybe 1.5" diameter. If you
ride flat, get aluminium, knurled with a big diameter. Pretty much all of
the gimmicks you see on pegs today are a waste of time, apart from anti spin
pins.
[9-21] Seats-
[9-22] Seat posts-
[9-23] Shin pads
I think if I were to buy a pair of shinpads, I'd get the XTRskins. All those
nice long straps make it look like they'd hold pretty good. The xtrskins i
think are pretty thin. not much better than hammers. play shin pads are
quite nice. they come with different protection inserts, rubber and hard
plastic. the jinx pads are the same deal as the play but they have material
on the edges of the neoprene so it doesn't fray, i would get these, they are
thick!!! The Jinks ones are really thick. I likes the Play ones.
[9-24] Stems-
[9-25] Tyres-
[9-25-1] Why does my bike have a bigger front tyre than back tyre?
The front tyre is bigger for extra traction [grip] and the rear is smaller
for lower rolling resistance [speed].
[9-26] Wheels-
First of all lets get this whole mags or spokes issue sorted-
Mags- Once they are warped, you can't true them up. Also if you watch
someone jump with mags, you can see the mags actually flexing when they land
and take-off. So not only are spoked wheels lighter, but they are stiffer,
able to be straightened, and your brake response will be better with the
chrome plated sidewalls. Spokes are the way to go. That's it.
If you do have mags and were wondering if the mythe about freezing them to
straghten them was true, then read this-
"I think that Skyway started that myth about freezing mags. My friend used
to have a Skyway freestyle bike, and the wheels on it were mags. I think
that it said in the owner's manual that if the wheels ever got a small crack
or got warped that you could just stick them in the freezer, and they would
heal themselves. We were about 12 then, and I think we tried it. Boy were we
surprised to find that the Skyway wheel we cracked just for that purpose was
still cracked! Pretty stupid to crack a wheel just to see if it would mend
it self when frozen, huh? I guess things just weren't meant to be that
easy." -M.J.
Lacing-
Here's my advice....NO TWIST LACING!!!!! Go radial lace on the front and 4
cross in the back. use short spokes. Cross over three lacing is good. Cross
over three means that one spoke goes over three spokes. Over the first two
spokes and under the third spoke.
I would like to know which lace style (either 3 or 4 cross) is best. I
always figured that the greater the number of crosses, ie 4. Would make the
stronger wheel. A few days ago I read an article stating that a 4-cross
pattern is used mainly for a shock absorbing wheel, as the spoke angle is
greater when compared to a 3-cross pattern. And that the 3-cross wheel is a
stiff wheel designed to transmit more power to the ground, and absorb fewer
road shocks, thus resulting in a bumpier ride.
[9-26-1] Twist lacing-
Twist lacing is a waste of time, don't even think about using it. Because
each spoke relies on the tension in the spoke it is twisted around, when you
break one spoke, you loose the tension in two spokes. This means if you
carry on riding your rim is going to bend straight away. It also looks crap.
[9-26-2] Radial Lacing-
If you want to use radial lacing, use it on the front wheel and rear drive
side only. Radial lacing wont cope with the energy of the pedaling going
from the freewheel, through the spokes, to the rim.
[9-26-2] Rims
The best rims out at the moment are probably the Alex fat rims. Which are
really deep and triple wall. UKAI/Peregrine make similar rims but they are
much more expensive.
[9-26-3] Hubs
Don't get Gack hubs. The G-Sport Fat Shaft hubs have a much better system.
[9-26-4] Spokes
If you are really heavy on your wheels look around for 13 gauge spokes.
Otherwise go for straight 14 gauge spokes. There are some new 12 guage
spokes out by Primo now which are super thick.
[9-26-5] Wheel Trueing
How to true your wheels:
1. Find where the bend is in your wheel (duh) and pick out the spokes on the
opposite side of the direction of the bend. If the wheel is bent to the
right you're going to want the spokes coming off the left flange of your
hub.
2. Tighten these spokes by turning them counterclockwise. Start with quarter
turns at first and keep tightening them until they're straight. As the outer
ends of the bend are pulled in line concentrate on the spokes in the center
of the bend, so by the time you finish you're only tightening one or two
spokes. Take your time.
3. If you overtighten your spokes and pull them out of line to the other
side you can try to loosen them back up a little and see if they'll go back
straight, if not you have to tighten the spokes opposite them to pull them
straight.
Take your time and good luck.
[10]Building riding terrain
[10-1]Ramps
[10-1-1] How much does it cost to make a ramp?
Here is an example fun box that Flap made-
Price depends on how much "fun" you want to have. Depending on how big and
strong you want to make it it could get expensive. Wood doesn't grow on
trees. Actually it does.... but anyway we built a 4.5' high box with 8.5'
transition takeoff, 8'x8' box, and a 12' landing ramp. All the main supports
and frames were 2x6 and the skeleton was made with 2x4's space 8" apart
supported in the middle with 2x6's. I can't remember the exact # of
materials but it was something like:
15 sheets 3/8" ply
2 sheets 1/2" ply
60 8' 2x4's
12 8' 2X6's
9 10' 2x6's
3 12' 2x6's
wood screws and nails
Total = $675.00 Canadian
We used all utility/standard quality wood. No econo stuff cause there will
be a lot of people using the ramp so it has to last. So if you want
something that big and strong call your local lumber yard, give them the
list and get some prices.
[10-1-2] Where can I find ramp plans on the www?
Here is a list of links to ramp plan resources on the net.
[http://www.rosecott.demon.co.uk/transgression/contact/ramps.htm]
[10-2] Trails
first: where are you going to build them? The best place is a woodland area
especially where the soil contains a lot of clay. grassy areas will make
crappy trails
second: how tall or how far do you plan to make them? - 3 feet high is good
for 8-10 feet long. - 4-5 feet high is good for 12-18 feet long with steep
lips.
third: rhythm is the best key...plan for sections, and make the jumps get
bigger and bigger as you go through the section.
fourth: put debris in your jumps...like logs, refridgerators..etc.
fifth: dig before and after the jumps...it lowers the ground, allowing the
jump to be twice as high..the ground is low and the jump is higher.
sixth: usually there's a rotting layer of soil at the surface, put this on
next, leave the best soil for the surface layer.
seventh: make lips that are pretty steep, yet not having a kink...similar to
a mini ramp transition.
eighth: pack the jumps down really hard. Hit them with your spade [make sure
it's not covered in dirt] or your foot, or put a piece of hardboard/thin
plywood on the transition and stamp on it.
ninth: add a little water to make the soil stick together and the surface
smooth.
tenth: this is a main point...don't jump it for a day so the lip has a
chance to dry.
eleventh: make little kids who are going to hang out dig..or throw mud balls
at them.
twelfth: make drainage ditches: more dirt and less flooding.
[11] How can I contact bmx companies?
Check out my list of manufacturers
[http://www.rosecott.demon.co.uk/transgression/contact/index.htm] with their
snailmail, email, www and telephone numbers
[12] BMX literature.
[12-1] Printed Zines.
Freedom Magazine - http://members.aol.com/freedombmx/
Life Cycles - http://www.bath.ac.uk/~hs6pja/lifer.htm
Snap BMX - http://www.snapbmxmag.com
Spoiler - http://www.byke.com/spoiler/
Ride BMX - http://www.ridebmxmag.com
Tension - http://members.xoom.com/underdog/tension/
Tread - http://www.propsvisual.com
[12-2] On-line zines.
DaGroove - http://www.uncg.edu/~jrholt/
Dirt - http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/njones/
E-Wire - http://ici.net/customers/wire/home.html
Flavor http://ccfw.cc.utexas.edu/~flavor/
Protyle
Underdog BMX - http://members.xoom.com/underdog/
[13] Making BMX videos.
Here's what Bobby Carter has to say:
There are different types of video tape. VHS, video8, Hi8, and dv. Those are
the main ones most people have to deal with. You want to get a camera so
that uses one of these types.
VHS= "vcr type" tape that is 1/2' in width.
video8= small tape that is 8mm in width. This is a bit better in quality
than vhs. Most video cameras that people have take this kind of tape.
Hi8= Small tape that is just like "video8" except that it has a lot more
lines of resolution (clearer image) than video 8. You need a Hi8 Camera to
use it.
dv=dv this type of tape stores the video information as 1's and 0's instead
of as a plain analog signal. It's the best format. You need a digital video
camera to use this.
With the best sony cameras you'll get the best image out of the Hi8 and the
DV tapes.
To do some basic "assemble" editing, you just hook up your camera to the vcr
inputs and put a vhs tape in the vcr. Push play on the camera and record on
the vcr. Wah La! You are now transfering from the type of tape that the
video camera uses to a VHS tape.
VCR formats go like this. If you live in the US then your copy of props or
whatever is in NTSC format. It will play on vcrs made in the USA. If you're
in England, you're bummed because you bought a copy while on vacation in the
USA. You bought your VCR in Europe and it only plays tapes in PAL format, so
you have to send the tape back to props and have them send you a copy in PAL
format.
[14] Contributors.
Thankyou to all the people who helped to make this FAQ:-
Yemi Adesanya, Graeme Burke, Bobby Kimani Carter, Dennis Dowling, Flapjack,
Bryan Huffman, Stephen Izen, Mike Kay, Ron Lesniewski, Pencilneck, Colin
Smith, Antao Vas De Almada, Justiano, Ely M.
will law
info/alterations/updates/better opinions on any part of the FAQ, e-mail me.
Thanks
--
Later,
Will
Terrible One - Transgression - Ride uk :
will law wrote in message
<923641500.20970.0...@news.demon.co.uk>...
> The BMX FAQ
>
>Compiled + Maintained: Will Law
>See [14] for contributor list
>Copyright(c) 1997 Will Law
>The purpose of the BMX Frequently Asked Questions file is to provide a
>resource for everyone who wants their questions about the sport of bmx,
>answered cohesively and reliably. Nothing here is guaranteed correct. It
<SNIP>