400 pounds for a dirt jump bike?

Hi Lee,

Hope you have to time to offer some help 🙂

I’m new to dirt jumping. I went out twice yesterday for the first time, Having ridden extreme XC/enduro I now want to jump. Thing is I have to be careful. I’ve been out twice with pal on his jump bike and have tackled some doubles. Im 48 and have to be careful, I don’t bounce like I used to. Hence Im never gonna jump massive.

Im 6ft 1 and range between 13 and 13.5 stone. Will 100mm travel be adequate for me?

What about this then? I never land heavy, in fact incredibly light but yesterday afternoon I nearly lost it 3 times on landing. How I stayed on only God knows. My pal runs 80psi which I think is crazy. On the morning session the pressure was fine but on the afternoon the ground was wet, soft and slippery. If I am slightly off, do you think 80psi would have reduced my grip and caused me to wobble to the extent where I nearly fell off?

Ideally I’d like to spend about 400 on a second hand bike, will this get me something decent?

What should I look for in terms of spec when considering a purchase. Things which are a must, things to avoid etc?

Thanks in advance if you have the time.

Barry

Barry!

Thanks for reaching out.

Since you said “stone” I’m guessing you’re budgeting 400 pounds rather than dollars.

400 pounds ($516) is not a lot of money. You might be able to find a used dirt-jump hardtail for that. Since your price is capped at 400, you don’t have the latitude to worry about spec. Get whatever you can get. Given your height, get the longest DJ bike you can find. You’ll probably get a single speed, which is fine.

400 will get you a nicer BMX bike, but at 48 you don’t need to be messing with a BMX bike. You’ll want that 100mm of front suspension, which is standard for a DJ bike, plus the calming effect of the bigger wheels.

Or:

Learn to ride your current bike.

Drop the seat and put the handlebars somewhere that makes sense for handling.

That’s the best option.

You can learn all the skills you need and dial in your cockpit at the Lee Likes Bikes MTB School.

When you progress to the point where you “need” a jump-specific bike, don’t skimp on price. Depending on how you’re feeling, consider a dual-suspension slopestyle/slalom bike like the Enduro SX or a short-travel 26er trail bike. At your age, suspension is nice.

Lee (turning 48 in a couple days)

Know more. Have more fun!

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