Do Not Buy this BIKE - unless
Recycle Bicycle of Harrisburg, Pa
Unless you are a professional stunt rider on a closed circuit course.
And which bike is that you ask? - Why the most popular kid's bike in America!!
The BMX trick bike with a spin able fork and pegs
Reasons Why:
1 Professional stunts are done on closed - highly safety inspected courses -- not city streets or glass strewn lots. ( Evel Knievel inspected ever ramp personally before he jumped and look at what he broke )
2 Design flaw - The front brake in order to spin the fork must have a longer cable to go thru center of fork.
The longer the cable - the poorer the braking performance
Plus it's pinched at the bottom of the head tube by the brake mounting bolt - more drag.
And it then makes a "U" turn to activate the brake from the bottom - more drag.
AND the "U" lets water run into the cable and never out and gunk's it up - extreme more drag.
3 Design flaw - The rear brake in order to spin the fork must be split and then connect to a floating activating ring which pulls on another activating ring and then is attached to another split cable which then can operate the brakes. Way too complicated - because as soon as the cables stretch ( and they will ) - they disconnect from the activating rings and AUGH - NO BRAKES
4 Pegs - they are used for stunts. It's cool - apply front brake - do endo wheelie - step on peg - kick rear frame with other leg - hop scotch around front wheel - Real Cool - and I sincerely mean that
BUT - when you get a flat tire and you cannot change it because all the weight on that cantilevered peg on that axle has bent the axle and now the nut will not come off .( imagine screwing pegs on a Corvette's lug nuts - smack them a sledge hammer - get a flat - and them tell all your friends that you have the best car on road that you cannot drive )
5 In reality - most pegs are used to haul other kids - kid #1 sitting on handle bar & feet on front pegs - kid #2 driving the bike - kid #3 standing on rear pegs with hands pulling on shoulders of kid driving the bike.
The bike is overloaded and will handle real funny.
Plus can you imagine a police officer quizzing you as to why you drive your car with someone your size sitting in front of you and someone behind you pulling on your shoulders.
The scenario - kid#1 yells bump - kid#2 says where - kid#2 loses control - kid#1 hits ground - kid#2 pounds kid#1 into the pavement more - kid#3 is launched over everyone
The rest of the story - parents of kids #1 & #3 have no insurance - they want kid #2 cited for not hauling passengers legally on his bike ( state law says everyone must have a seat ) - then they can sue for medical bills caused by kid #2 -- Go Right on Believing that your kid never hauls anybody - except in emergencies - Go Right on Believing your kid never hauls anybody ( but MOM - I had to haul my friends )!
Test Time - take an adult bike - put an adult on the handle bar and another adult on the rear pulling and pushing your shoulder and then go play in traffic with your brakes disconnected or sticking - go ride ahead and then tell me it's SAFE!!!!
Oh yah - all that weight will eventually give you a pinch flat and the pegs will not let you change it --
Have fun walking home if you survive.
Argument #1 - The price was RIGHT - explain to me again how death or injury or inconvenience is the right price.
Go buy a plain jane no frills easy maintenance bike with coaster and hand brakes
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