BMX ADVICE
How to Make Your Bike Lighter | How to Cut Down Your Handlebars | Dealing with Slipping Grips | Tire Maintenance

How to Make Your Bike Lighter

Use a lighter frame
Your frame is the heaviest part on the bike.

Use lighter wheels
Go from 48 spoke wheels to 36 and select lighter rims with low flange hubs. Using a rear cassette hub lets you run smaller cogs at the back and therefore smaller, lighter chain rings. Also use tires made from Kevlar. These are more expensive but lighter.

Take your pegs off
Run 2 pages instead of 4, or no pegs at all. If you definitely need to use pegs, save your money and buy a set of titanium pegs.

Swap your chromoly parts for aluminum or titanium (Ti) versions.
Seat posts, axels, spindles, cranks, pedals etc. are all parts that can be made from aluminum or titanium (Ti). Note this can be very expensive but weight of your bike will be dramatically reduced.

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How to Cut Down Your Handlebars

Remove your old grips and decide how much you are going to cut off. Mark both sides of the bars evenly and using a pipe cutter from your local hardware store, Home Depot or Dad’s tool box, cut off at the marks. If there are any rough edges remaining, use a file to smooth them over. It is not recommended to use a hack saw. Hack saws do not always cut straight and often leave very “jagged” edges. You will have a lot of filing to do if you use a hack saw. Reposition your brake lever and put your grips back on. >TOP

 

Dealing with Slipping Grips
Here are a few tips to dealing with your grips twisting.

Remove your grips and make sure the bars are really clean. Be sure to remove any debris from your handlebars. Spray hair spray into grips and slide them into place and let them sit over night. If this does not work, buy some new grips. New Grips are inexpensive and provide comfort and control when handling your bike. >TOP

Tire Maintenance

It is extremely important to always have good tread on your bike tires. The tires grip the surface you are riding and give you control of your bike. When thinking of your tires you should always remember the following:

Never ride around on bald tires
Less tread, less control. Bald tires will make you crash. This is more important for riders who are riding on ramps or trails. Note some riders will use a “slick” tire on their back wheel, but not in the front. Unless, you are strictly a flat land rider, your tires should always have treads.

Use a tire liner
If you are tired of replacing tubes and dealing with punctures, this is one of the best ways to eliminate puncturing.

Use the proper tools
It is not recommended to use a screwdriver to get your tire off.
Use tire levers. This will lessen the chance of you damaging your tire.

Check your tire pressure
This is personal preference, but you should know that higher tire pressures will provide faster roll and result in less “pinch” flats. Lower tires pressures offer you more grip. Use your judgment and go by “feel”. Check the pressure because the air seeps out of your tubes very slowly over time and you may not even realize how soft they really are. >TOP