How to Choose Parts for Your Retro BMX Bike Build - 20”, 24”, 26” Guide
Dreaming of building your own retro BMX bike? Whether you're a seasoned rider revisiting your passion or a newcomer to the world of BMX, this video is your ultimate guide. Join us as we delve into the exciting process of assembling a custom BMX bike, blending old school charm with modern technology.
🚴♂️ What's Inside:
Comprehensive walkthrough of selecting and assembling BMX bike parts.
⋆ A focus on popular brands like Skyway TA, Redline, GT BMX, Profile BMX, Billet BMX, Knight Bike Co, and Haro.
⋆ A special emphasis on the Skyway TA frame set, illustrating the blend of retro style with contemporary features.
⋆ Key differences between old school and modern bike parts, and how to choose what's right for you.
⋆ DIY tips and tricks for both beginners and experienced builders.
🔧 Featured Sections:
⋆ Frame and Fork Selection: Understanding the nuances of BMX frame sets.
⋆ Steering Setup: Choosing the right handlebars, stem, and headset.
⋆ Wheel-Related Components: Navigating through the world of BMX wheels, tires, and tubes.
⋆ Drive Train Details: Picking the perfect cranks, sprockets, and chains.
⋆ Seating Area: Balancing comfort and style with the right seat and post.
⋆ Exclusive Spreadsheet Tool: Track your parts and budget with ease.
👷 DIY Made Easy: Our custom spreadsheet tool, linked below, is designed to help you keep track of each component, ensuring a smooth build process. Say goodbye to forgotten parts or unexpected costs.
🛒 Shopping Guide: Discover the best places to shop for BMX parts online. Whether you're looking for high-end components or budget-friendly options, our guide covers it all.
🤔 Why Watch This Video? If you want a clear, step-by-step guide to building a BMX bike that blends classic BMX vibes with the perks of modern components, this video is for you. Perfect for those who love the DIY approach and want to ensure they're making the right choices in their BMX build.
✨ Join Our Community: Share your thoughts, questions, or your own BMX build experiences in the comments. Let's make this journey a collaborative learning experience for all BMX enthusiasts!
A big shout out to some of my favorite BMX related KZhead channels:
Kevin and Bernie / @cruisinginthe808
Brandon at / @bmx_dreaming
Isaac at / @bigbikebmx
Sean at / @radbmxbuilds
👍 Support Our Channel: If you find this video helpful, please give it a thumbs up, subscribe, and share it with fellow BMX aficionados. Your support helps us create more content like this!
🔗 Links:
⋆ Spreadsheet Template:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
⋆ Recommended Online Shops:
www.planetbmx.com/
www.porkchopbmx.com
www.bmxguru.com
📌 Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
01:21 - Spreadsheet Overview
02:05 - Frame Sets
05:09 - Steering Related
09:20 - Wheel Related
13:02 - Braking
15:37 - Drivetrain
21:22 - Seating
23:39 - Bike Tallies
24:58 - Closing Thoughts
Yah, this is the video I’ve been looking for!
Right on!!! Thanks for the feedback 👊
Literally saving my ass, wallet, and marriage. As I relearn BMX setting up my new Torker MX26
Dude...wicked value in this vid👊🏼 Thanks for your willingness to share the info and spreadsheet.
Thanks Jason! This one was a lot of effort, but super fun to make !!!! 👊
Dude...I can tell we would have been great friends growing up lol
That’s awesome!!! 👊
This is awesome man! What a cool resource! Definitely something that could help any builder to budget out a new bike build. However it does also show you EXACTLY how much you spent, which sometimes I donʻt want to know. Haha! Appreciate all the work that went into your spreadsheet and video! Thanks for always putting out great content!
Haha! I hear you about sometimes not wanting to know how much you actually spent, or better yet… my wife knowing exactly how much I spent 😳🤣😇 Thanks for the feedback. This one did take longer than normal to make, but was a good way to spend a few cold winter evenings here in Missouri. Come on spring!!!
very good content for an old school BMX guy like me.
Right on! Thanks for watching and leaving the positive feedback 👊👊👊
Thanks
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching and commenting 👊
Great video!
Thanks so much. I really appreciate the feedback 🙏
Awesome overview!! Wished I had this when I started a year ago. I have so many wrong parts sitting around because I purchased wrong size and what not. Just finished building a 24” quadangle that I purchased used. Needed powder coating, few new parts, and tune up. Looking forward to the hutch building! 🤙🤙
Thanks so much. Your Quadangle build sounds awesome. Hope you’re having a blast with it. The good thing with the extra parts, is it makes the next build easier to justify. “Well, I already have parts X, Y, & Z… might as well get a frame and put them to use” 🤣
Great video, Thank You. lots of great tips. and the spreadsheet was a bonus.
Awesome!!!! Thanks for the feedback 👊
Wow❤ this it's so easy to go over budget,this is a absolute game changer god bless,keep on riding.
Right on. So glad you found the idea helpful. Thanks for the feedback, and god bless you too! 👊
Awesome
Thanks! 🙏
Thank you kindly for your handy tips 😊 I myself have been working on a 1984 flatland raleigh racing freestyle frame ,also have 20"araya racing wheels, will send you some before an after photos if you like ,😊nz recycle to cycle bmx friend ❤😊
Right on!!! Yes, I’d love to see photos of how it turns out. So cool!! 👊
Awesome video! Also to note, the S&M and Turner frames are made in the US!
Thanks so much. Great points about those being made in the US! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thanks for putting this together. Great vid
Thanks for watching and leaving feedback. Stoked you liked it! 👊
This is a cleverly done spreadsheet. I do one for my builds but not one that automatically sums up prices. Great, simple idea!
Right on! Glad you found an idea to use in there 👊
Amazing Content
Awesome!!! Thanks so much for the feedback 👊
@@TheNostalgicNeighborhood perfect for 52 old Old school guy like me. I am about to build a 1986 japan Trick Star in Lavender… the Woody Itson Style. Over the years i got almost all parts together. 90% 80s. But the three end bosses are: Aero Speed Cranks, Freestyle Hutch Pedals and the Punk ACS Z-Rim. It is a lifetime project
@@FINEURBANART Awesome!!! I have one of the 2022 Trick Star reissues waiting to build up. Im using all reproduction parts except for the ACS rotor. Mine is going to be expensive enough, but I can only imagine the investment you’re putting into yours. How cool!!!
@TheNostalgicNeighborhood what i see is that in the US the prices are much higher than here in Germany. But yes the amount is very high also here
There are a few places I saw to get retro gear that are new and made to original spec for items one is Redline by Kastan, a site for Hutch and a site for Bullseye. They are pricey but for a vintage build would be worth it. I wish that Araya would repop the 7x chrome plated wheels in 36h and 48h models.
I haven’t purchased from Bullseye or Redline by Kastan, but JDB from Hutch has a bit of my money 💰 🤣
Thanks for another great video! The spreadsheet will be a great tool for a modern flatland rig I'm putting together!
Fantastic! Thanks for letting me know. Have fun with your build!!!
Love this video,what a great idea and thank you for that spread sheet,now i can really see if i went over 11k on thet 87 PFT build with og parts and also my 87 pro comp got alot more goodies recently too. 🤣🤘👍
Thanks Joe!!! Glad that you found the spreadsheet idea helpful. It would be interesting to know that about your 87 PFT. It's second to none, so it would be interesting to see how the parts break down in prices. And of course your 87 pro comp is amazing to. 🤩
This could be like such a broad topic you could do 20 videos on it... There's a local bike shop called epic BMX and they do this type of bike also. Along with the modern bikes. Should check out their KZhead.
Agreed!!! I’m familiar with Epic BMX, they have good content. 👍
I've been watching a lot of your videos, recently, and really enjoy your content. I'm looking for a bike and I stumbled upon your channel. Last summer, I found myself needing to find the owners of a lost dog. I didn't own a bike, so I did a lot of walking. Not fun (and not efficient). I'm looking for a bike just to have on hand and I'm down to a gravel bike, a MTB, and a BMX. I'm thinking a BMX would be just fine for what I need (and the others would be overkill and a waste of money). What do you think?
Thanks so much for watching and chiming in!!! I’m biased, so my vote is for a big wheel BMX. MTB typically have lower handlebars to lower your center of gravity for turns on the trails. So you’re leaning more forward and it’s not as comfortable on casual rides. I’ve never ridden a gravel bike, but assume it’s more like a MTB in that regard. Big wheel BMX bikes typically have you sitting more upright, especially if you go with taller pro bars and it’s more comfortable. Plus you get the cool factor of a retro bike that reminds you of the good old days 🤣
Do you ever go into where your source your materials from where you source BMX parts??
I haven’t done a dedicated video on sourcing parts yet, but it’s on my eventual todo list. 👊
Fun BMX 😎 Ever heard of hans rey?
Thanks!!! I know he was a big MTB pioneer and rode for GT, but I’m not too familiar with him.
@@TheNostalgicNeighborhood find them on KZhead You might get a kick out of his videos. He was doing stuff a lot of people today are doing but in the '90s. GT was bigger I guess back then BMX also.
@@BasicBeachCommunity1 Sounds cool. Thanks for the tip!
I have an old 1987 Hutch Trickstar (my original bike that I worked all summer for cutting grass) and I want to know where I can find parts for it. I want to build it back up with some parts from that era or repros. Where is a good place to find new old stock?
New old stock is probably gonna be the BMX Museum or eBay. If you’re not familiar with BMX museum, it’s an old school discussion forum that has a “classifieds” section where collectors sell parts. There is a feedback system so it’s a bit more trustworthy than navigating through all the BMX scammers on Instagram and Facebook. bmxmuseum.com/forsale/ For reproduction 80s parts, www.porkchopbmx.com is the best choice.
What are your thoughts regarding the Profile 19mm spline drive crank and sprocket, I can't make my mind up between that or the Redline flight crank/sprocket. They're similarly priced but it's hard to find a Redline flight sprocket without having to pay hefty shipping costs, plus I think the Profile is higher quality, better aesthetics, and I can't think of a reason to go with the Redline🤔
I’m not sure which Profile cranks you’re referring to, but since this is a new school take on a retro 80s model, I would go with the best value over the most period correct from the 80s. The profile ones are probably better. But I do have Redline flights on deck for my 2022 Trick Star reissue. They are fairly period correct (minus the double pinch bolts of course) and are reasonably priced. I’d rather of had Hutch or the retro Profiles, but those were both way out of my budget. On your Skyway, if you can get some Profiles cheaper than Redline Flights… I’d do that too 👍
@TheNostalgicNeighborhood Yeah Matt I agree, the period correctness is the problem. Choosing between the no boss 19mm Profile spline drive or the good old Redline flight, I'm even considering Odyssey. But I would never consider putting Sunday, Fit, WTP or whatever newschool company parts on it, that would be sacrilege. But then it's not much different with what I'm considering 🤔
@@TheNostalgicNeighborhoodI had profile cranks on a boss xl. Late 80s
@@justinkennedy1745 Awesome 🙌🙌🙌