NBL (BMX) Rules Question

[62Higgins]

Some of you remember that I bought a Supergoose Pro Cruiser off CL a few weeks back intending to race with my son this season.

Seen here:

To date I have had it on the track at an open house/practice...and I am not thrilled with it. It is a very nice bike, but at 6'2" tall I was left with a very stiff lower back after riding the track about 6 times that day. I have been riding my road bike alot this spring in preparation for a charity ride and my back has not given my any problems.

My conclusion is that the cruiser is just too small for my less than limber frame. But I want to test that theory... :idea:

So...I stepped into the Muppet Labs Propulsion Dungeon (my basement) and threw together a 26" wheeled/16.5" Raleigh MTB framed BMX like device. I want to see if the bigger frame/cockpit relive the back issues on the same type terrain (track if they'll let me on it)

Here (finally) are my questions:

Can you legally run a 26" wheeled bike in the cruiser class under NBL rules?
Are quick release wheels legal?
Multispeed bikes legal?
Front brakes legal? (left those off for now)

And what's the deal with pads on BMX these days? It seems they don't run them any more. Are they illegal now?

Bonus question: Who was the doctor (Beaker's boss) at Muppet Labs?

I'll get some pics of the Raleigh up when I figure out what my wife did with the camera. :roll:

I also installed 8" rise bars on the Supergoose to see if that helps.

Thanks

Scott

 

[yyzmec]

The only one i can answer is Doctor Bunsun Honeydew....

 

[deorman]

The technical term for that problem is "geezerdom". I solved it by removing my rock shox(extra weight, busy steering) and no longer dive-bombing ditches and horse trail crossings. :lol:

 

[bmxerpete]

Yes, yes, yes, yes, and you don't need them anymore.

There are a bunch of guys down here riding 26" mountain bikes at our local NBL track. The only requirements/rules for bikes of any size are they cannot have kickstands, chainguards, or reflectors, the brakes must work properly, the tires must be in good shape, and everything must be tight.
They did away with the pad rule a couple of years ago, but you can run them if you want.

 

[bmxerpete]

On your handlebar question, I switched this year from the standard cruiser size bars to 7-1/2" pro bars on my cruiser, and it's the best change I've ever made on my cruiser. The bike pulls up and manuals so much easier now, wish I had done it years ago.

 

[62Higgins]

Good news all around.

AND I found the camera. I'll get some pics of the 26" er in the morning.

Thanks for the rules info bmxerpete. I do love the way those bigger wheels roll. I guess I need to shorten my chain and lose 2 chainrings tomorrow.

 

[62Higgins]

Here is the "BMX like device." 16.5" USA made Raleigh frame, STX RC shifter/brake (rear only) Alivio 7S roller clutch hub, Maxxis Flyweight 330 tires and clipless SPD's.

I still need to shorten the chain and remove the outer and inner chainrings. Looking at the pic I suppose removing the reflectors off the wheels would be a good idea too.

The challenge will be getting my son off of it when I want to ride it. We're the same height, so I know it will fit him too.

 

[elvis51]

^^^^^so thats a 26inch MTB set up as a BMX bike? cuz thats SWEET LOOKIN!!! i bet that thing rides like a dream!!! nice ride!

Easy E

 

[XXXBMX]

Being as tall as you are, you will need a frame with a top tube at least 21.5 inch`s long. There are very few that I can recall that make any longer than that stock. Standard Bykes will custom build just about anything you need if you get to the point that you really want to be a little faster on the track. I don`t know how long the top tube is on your "Goose", but at least try a longer stem to see if that helps. Those bars look pretty tall to me for cruiser bars already, and I see you are trying to get more length by pushing the bars forward on both bikes..... the tell tale sign that these bikes are just too short for you. I will tell you now, you will have severe handling problems with that mountain bike..... and that fork....toast :shock: . I`m sorry to sound soo negative,but I`ve been around BMX racing for about 12 years now and some things just work, and some don`t. If I can help you in any way, just PM me.

Up the Irons Mates

 

[62Higgins]

XXXBMX - since you rang in, I have some questions for you.

"I will tell you now, you will have severe handling problems with that mountain bike..... and that fork....toast"

I know the fork needs an upgrade if the ergonomics work, but no $en$e wasting money just yet...

But why will I have severe handling problems? Would someone used to riding a 20" or 24" have problems because they're not used to the bigger wheels? I am used to 26" or 29" (700c) wheels and I think the 24" handle like crap so far. I feel like that bear at the circus on the Goose with my limited experience on it.

Is it just a matter of what I am used to or is there a problem with 26" wheels and the typical terrain of a BMX track when used together? Millions of MTB ridden off road do OK with 26" wheels, and there is no rhythm section to the East Coast Singletrack I have learned to ride over the years. Our track has paved corners too, seems bigger would be better on them.

I am not saying this to bust stones, I really don't see the penalty I will face riding something I am used to in all sorts of adverse terrain. The track seems down right tame compared to the rocks, roots and perpetual slime of MTB'ing.

Plus I am old (41) and slow (@ 230lbs)...not seeking "big air."

 

[XXXBMX]

No stones busted here, and yes, I understand where you are coming from. I feel you will be at a big disadvantage with the mountain bike if you want to do anything more than have fun riding around your local track.......sometimes I wish that`s all I would have done all these years . When I went from a 24" cruiser to a 20" the first time,I felt like a monkey humpin` a football..... the toptube was just too short on the bike I tried. Once I found a 20" with the right length on top, the bike felt just like my cruiser but with smaller wheels.....all was good then. It sounds like your local track is pretty tame, my local track is a downhill rollercoaster ride with more speed than a old guy like me needs to be playing with. What work`s bike wise on one track might not work somewhere else....an example would be some of the flat bullrings that I have run on....tight in, and really tight off the corners. The natural arch of cornering on a smaller bike is just tighter, a 26" bike just won`t handle as easy as a smaller bike. Then, no matter how tame a track is, the gate start is whats going to really hurt you. A 24" cruiser will out perform that mountain bike every time off the gate. The geometry of a current BMX race frame is built to gate and handle. You need to get your butt low and over the back wheel...a smaller bike will allow this. I`m new to this site and I can only wonder how I may seem to be coming off, but I`ve seen this all before. Trust me, I love the idea of a guy getting into BMX, but I think you may be getting off on the wrong foot. Nothing is worse than riding something that is not comfortable at speed. I hope I have`nt rubbed you the wrong way, and I hope my advise was`nt too overbearing Thanks for reading.

Up the Irons Mates

 

[62Higgins]

No, I appreciate the feedback.

It is all just about getting on the track and having fun for me. My son (who's 15) and I are both running cruisers hoping to get on the track at the same time. We both lead training rides for a big charity bike ride in September and can't afford to get hurt racing and screw that up (not to mention me being out of work). He looped out of the tabletop (wind knocked out of him, hurt his lower back) on the day we practiced and does not want to actually race until we practice more.

His off road and roadbike skills are quite good but the whole BMX thing is new to both of us.

We are thinking about building another 26" wheeled one with an even smaller frame, we have a 14" we can use...and so many parts laying around we could do it in an hour or two. It's all just for fun. I'll let you all know how it turns out...if you see the Goose up for sale you'll have a good idea. :mrgreen:

Here is the link to our local track: http://www.tricitybmx.com

 

[XXXBMX]

Oh yes, that`s all good. You know how crucial it is to have that perfect on your road bike, it`s about that bad with BMX bikes. Hopefully someday you will get a chance to ride one that fits you. I do a little road biking myself, and am starting to train for a ride in Oct. called the Hilly Hundred in Indiana.......47 years old and 240 pounds, sounds like a bad combination to me :mrgreen: . I hope you and your son have a great time with the BMX thing, it`s a great sport. Have fun.

Up the Irons Mates

 

[bmxerpete]

If you're used to a certain bike there's no reason you can't ride it on different terrain, including a bmx track. As you get more and more into it you might want to get a dedicated race cruiser, but that bike should do fine.
The bars are pretty far forward, the only disadvantage to that is it will give you really slow steering. The biggest difference between bmx and mountain bike riding is on a bmx track you're standing up the whole time, as opposed to trail riding where you have a lot of seat time. I see tons of people at the bmx track adjusting their bars while sitting on the seat, but you don't race sitting down. I'll hold their back wheel so they can adjust the bars and brake lever from a standing position, and it makes a difference.
You want pretty neutral steering at a bmx track, and if you pull the bars back to a more straight up position you'll get that. It will also help to shift your weight over the middle of the bike instead of too far forward, which will help to keep you from flipping over the bars if you come down wrong over a jump.
Mainly it's just a matter of playing with the bar position until it feels comfortable.
I prefer my cruiser to my 20 when it comes to jumping big jumps, just because the cruiser feels so much more stable in the air...maybe it's the gyro effect of the bigger wheels? If that's the case the 26 will feel even smoother. I know my mountain bike feels smooth when I jump it at the trails, maybe I'll take it to the track this week.
Have fun!

 

[LIVE TO RIDE]

man 26'' is where its at!!!


Or find one of these!

You can build a sweet 26'' but make sure to run a chromoly fork,or youll be eatin your front teeth for lunch when your mountain bike fork breaks!!

 

[deorman]

:shock: 8) 8)