How to get into your first flatland BMX bike

[@markwilliamson6269]

I'm 55 and 6'5", and I am just starting my "real" flatland journey. I dabbled before. I'm going to be using my '96 GT Tour Team. Yeah, I've had it since 1996.

[@flatlandjourney]

That’s awesome man! Post some videos as you go and tag me. I’d love to see your progress and your GT!

[@rtaylor1105]

Nice...51 Wish I still had my pro performer

[@gamerscore88]

This is awesome, I’m subscribed. I’ve been wanting to learn some flatland tricks and there’s almost no tutorials

[@jmzan]

I just use a street bike but i like to occasionally jump and also use it as transportation im sure it probably makes things harder but i have fun and I've already learned more then I thought I could.

[@alainmichael1262]

I love flatland bmx! Subscribed and hope you keep posting videos to help expand the community!! 🤙🏻

[@polloloci21]

Great video. I still have an old Morales and GT Show. Time to get something new.

[@qpeighty]

One possible thing to look out for with option 3 is when buying a street bike you will probably be getting 175 or 180 cranks. With some flatland frames you could run into the problem of the cranks being to long and your foot or pedal hitting the front tire, or the crank arm hitting the ground. Also as a smaller note, you should make sure when changing from one bike/frame to another to keep in mind the type of bottom bracket(American, Euro, Spanish, Mid) and know what cranks are on the donor bike to get the proper spindle size(19. 22, 24).

[@flatlandjourney]

Absolutely, those are two great suggestions of things to keep in mind!

[@timaragon6099]

I need to invest in a flatland bike.. I'm still ridin my old 98 Dyno comp lol it works but I tried my friends flatland bike an it was was smoother n easier to move

[@flatlandjourney]

I had an old Dyno when I was a kid. It was my first bike I saved up and bought. It was pretty light actually. But, a modern flatland bike should be a bit easier to pull tricks on.

[@timaragon6099]

@@flatlandjourney cool, yeah i just turned 30 but still ridin learning again but still got it a bit cant wait to learn more, you have a good day! 👍 gonna subscribe to your page

[@DeezyBikeLife]

I ride the big bmx bike!! Currently building up a 20” to try some flatland. Dope video man

[@bmxbanditdude]

Heya, the 20" will feel like such a toy and will feel like you can absolutely throw it around. I think you'll like it 🤙

[@trailwomanrc]

Great suggestions. But I don't see what makes this red frames angles any more flatland then my kink gap xl. The steer tube isn't very steep and the fork has some offset. The chainstay and seat angle appear standard. Maybe the top tube is 20" or a hair shorter? I'm considering building a second bike for flatland and keeping the gap for dirt riding. Any size recommendations for a 6 foot rider?

[@flatlandjourney]

Great question, the short answer is that your kink gap would do just fine for flatland, as long as you have a freecoaster hub on it. I can give more details later about why you might choose a flatland frame though. Maybe I’ll make a video about it;)

[@trailwomanrc]

@@flatlandjourney After watching your build video it make a little more sense. The differences are subtle. My guess is it can all be done on my bike but with more difficulty. There's lots of riding videos, but info on bikes and where to buy are lacking. Not much out there outside of flatlandfuel

[@derricksmith2209]

I see alot of bmx bikes for sale on City Grounds and DansComp that come with freecoasters. Are complete bmx bikes that come with a freecoaster for flatland?

[@flatlandjourney]

Hey, I’m glad you are interested in getting a flatland bike. The short answer is yes, any BMX bike that has a freecoaster can be used for flatland, assuming you put pegs on it and a gyro (if you want to have a rear brake). However, most of the complete bikes that are sold are going to be a bit large for flatland, and are geared more for street riding, however they will work.

[@jaygrain2512]

I dont think its possible to get into one in physical form flatland or not

[@flatlandjourney]

Haha, you are absolutely right;)

[@813jitt6]

Will a Kink Switch or WTP Reason be a good bike to start off with for flatland new to bmx ? I’m 5’11. 175 pounds

[@flatlandjourney]

Welcome to flatland BMX! Ya either of those bikes would work for you. Both are great and have responsive geometry, which is preferred for flatland. There are two things to consider though: (1) if you are planning to do exclusively flatland, a 20.75 top tube (which both bikes have) would be a bit large, although if you plan to ride other disciplines, it would be good. (2) the Standover height on the switch is 9”, which is tall for a flatland bike. However this is standard for a normal BMX bike. It is really hard to find a complete bike that is perfect for flatland these days.

[@813jitt6]

@@flatlandjourney I mostly wanna do flatland but planned on doing other stuff too sometimes. What size top tube should I consider for flatland ? I don’t mind buying extra parts. Also what about the colony horizon bike vs these

[@flatlandjourney]

@@813jitt6 the more exclusively you want to ride flatland, the shorter the top tube. The more you want to ride other styles, the longer the top tube. For your height, the shortest I would go would be 18.9, and the longest I would go would be 10.5. The horizon looks like a good bike, but is much smaller than the switch and the reason. If you are going to go that small, I suggest the colony apprentice. It is already set up for flatland, and has the same 18.9” top tube. Another recommendation is the Ares Sword, which is a step up in size, and is set up for flatland, yet suitable for street and park riding. The quality is not quite as good as the colony apprentice, but it the key things you are looking for are there.

[@flatlandjourney]

*meant to say the longest I would go would be 20.5, not 10.5

[@813jitt6]

@@flatlandjourney thanks for the information!

[@derricksmith2209]

what bmx name brands sell flatland bmx complete bikes?

[@flatlandjourney]

Flatland complete bikes are rare to come by these days. Colony has one called the Apprentice, and Ares has a couple of options. Flatlandfuel.com is the best place I have found for these bikes.

[@BlindingSun_]

There’s a Canadian company making a bunch, called IGI