# Looking at a dirt cheap, used, starter DJ/Urban bike.



## mfiche (Apr 18, 2016)

So, I'm 27 now but raced BMX form 7-9 years old. For nostalgia reasons, I checked out the place where all my old races were held and it turns out it's now a public bike park with skinnies, dirt jumps, and pump tracks. I ended up bringing my 2007 Santa Cruz Heckler down and had a ton of fun on the DJ and pump sections, but full suspension bikes suck in that kind of setting.

So now I'm looking for a used, cheap, $200-$300, complete DJ/Urban bike to have some fun on.

The CL selection sucks in my area:
https://albuquerque.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=dirt+jumper&sort=rel

Are the fireball or P1 on CL worth looking into?

Source suggestions? Brands/models? Anyone in Albuquerque want to sell me a bike?


----------



## cmc4130 (Jan 30, 2008)

Specialized P bikes are worth looking at. But that one is overpriced for its age. Mongoose Fireball, I don't know too much about, but it also looks old and seems to have some random parts.

You might want to check out a new Haro Steel Reserve. You can get the all-rigid one for like $550. Then add a suspension fork later if you want to. (Although if you want to run a fork with a 20mm thru-axle, then you'd need a different front hub in the future).

Dirt Jump / Urban Mountain Bikes - Reviews, Comparisons, Specs - Vital MTB


----------



## PrincipalRider (Jun 24, 2005)

I might get flamed for this, but I have a Mongoose DJ682 from Walmart and it does just fine on pump tracks and jumps (with transitions). I don't think it could take urban stuff especially drops to flat, but it only cost me 99 bucks. Its a steel frame, probably hi-ten, and came with 3 piece cranks. The brake is awful, both wheels needed truing out of the box, and all of the parts with bearings all needed to be repacked with grease and needed bearing pre-loads to be set up properly. Most people who buy it replace the brake and bottom bracket, and bottom bracket spindle, but that all can be done for around 50 dollars. It fits like a BMX bike but has 26 inch wheels. It rides good now that I adjusted and fixed everything. I think it is a really good bike for 99 dollars.


----------



## cmc4130 (Jan 30, 2008)

PrincipalRider said:


> I might get flamed for this, but I have a Mongoose DJ682 from Walmart and it does just fine on pump tracks and jumps (with transitions). I don't think it could take urban stuff especially drops to flat, but it only cost me 99 bucks. Its a steel frame, probably hi-ten, and came with 3 piece cranks. The brake is awful, both wheels needed truing out of the box, and all of the parts with bearings all needed to be repacked with grease and needed bearing pre-loads to be set up properly. Most people who buy it replace the brake and bottom bracket, and bottom bracket spindle, but that all can be done for around 50 dollars. It fits like a BMX bike but has 26 inch wheels. It rides good now that I adjusted and fixed everything. I think it is a really good bike for 99 dollars.


If you're tall, you might benefit from some taller handlebars on that bike. I noticed the fork has a short axle-to-crown; so it's more like a 26" BMX than a DJ-MTB with a "suspension corrected" frame design. Some 5" rise bmx bars and bmx stem (22.2mm clamp area instead of 25.4 or 31.8) would probably work well on it.


----------



## 69tr6r (Mar 27, 2007)

I have one of those Mongooses too, and can confirm, it needs way taller bars.

Only V-brakes, but not bad otherwise.


----------



## jeffw-13 (Apr 30, 2008)

Like this?  Picked this up yesterday. PO replaced the crank, brakes, bar, tires and seatpost. Gave a hundo for it


----------



## cmc4130 (Jan 30, 2008)

jeffw-13 said:


> Like this?  Picked this up yesterday. PO replaced the crank, brakes, bar, tires and seatpost. Gave a hundo for it


That's a BIG BMX!


----------



## jeffw-13 (Apr 30, 2008)

Ha yeah Im 6'3" so...I'll use it at the pump track and I have some friends who raced bmx in the late 70's early 80's been doing reunion rides around the city. It'll be perfect for that. Some of them still have their race bikes from back then.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


----------



## 69tr6r (Mar 27, 2007)

jeffw-13 said:


> Like this?  Picked this up yesterday. PO replaced the crank, brakes, bar, tires and seatpost. Gave a hundo for it


Nice! That's the bike I have too. I need to get a set of cruiser bars for mine. I'm only 5'10" so I think anything taller would be too big.


----------



## .WestCoastHucker. (Jan 14, 2004)

69tr6r said:


> ..I'm only 5'10" so I think anything taller would be too big.


no way. i'm only 5'8" and would never run anything shorter than 8"...









(edit per posts below: this is a 24" not a 26" bike, so 8" bars might be a kinda tall)


----------



## cmc4130 (Jan 30, 2008)

69tr6r said:


> Nice! That's the bike I have too. I need to get a set of cruiser bars for mine. I'm only 5'10" so I think anything taller would be too big.


Wait are those 24"s or 26"s? My eyes be tricking me.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Mongoose-Dirt-Jump-682-Boys-Mountain-Bike-Teal/22861842


----------



## 69tr6r (Mar 27, 2007)

cmc4130 said:


> Wait are those 24"s or 26"s? My eyes be tricking me.
> 
> https://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Mongoose-Dirt-Jump-682-Boys-Mountain-Bike-Teal/22861842


26". That's the bike in your link.


----------



## .WestCoastHucker. (Jan 14, 2004)

nevermind my previous post about bar height then, i thought it was rolling on 24's...


----------

