BMX Parts Questions?

Question

Recently I have become very fond of BMXing and I've gotten fairly good (grinding rails, ect.).

Since now I have come to do moree tricky things and my bike has encountered various problems I was wondering how much fixing it up would cost, and which parts would be the best for it.

My back tire's stitching has broken and after landing anything the tire looks like its going to explode in one spot, my tires are 20 x 2.25, park tred, if anyone has encountered the same problem, what did you do to stop it from happeneing again?

My chainwheel has bent from doing feble grinds, slipping off and the chainwheel hitting the grinding box. I could probably bend it back easily by hand, but i figure i myself get a thicker one so it doesnt happen again, my current one is 44Teeth, can I get one with less teeth or will it not fit on my bike?

Also my chain snapped in half yesterday, my friend said its fixable if you find all the pieces, but i didnt, so i guess ill just buy a new one.

Answer 1

Tire grinds are bad for tires.   :o)  

You can use one of the Park tire boot patches on the sidewall of the tire to help it last longer, but the best bet is to just replace the tire.  The boot patches are thick self-adhesive plastic....recommended for emergencies, but I've used them on my urban bike without trouble.  One patch has been going for over a year and is holding just fine.  Look around (or ask around) to see which tires have the thickest sidewalls, and try your best not to do the tire grinds (or keep a spare change jar filled up to support your habits).  

Don't buy a thicker chainwheel...buy a bashguard instead.  It will protect the teeth....buy one that will fit with your crank.   Yes, you can switch the size of the chainwheel, but you'll probably want to change your freewheel/cassette at the same time if you do this, so that you can keep the gearing ratio you want.  

If your chain snapped, chances are that you twisted it or scraped it up badly on grinds.....really it's just best to replace them when that stuff happens.  Chains need to be in good shape so that they mesh well with the gear teeth.  If they don't, they'll chew up your gears or give you problems with skipping/dropping.   Worst-case scenario is that your chain snaps on you while you're on a stall or grinding a rail, causing you to lose balance suddenly and sending you onto your face.  Also, be sure that you assemble them properly if you use a chain breaker....pins that aren't put in correctly are the #1 reason that chains snap (unless you grind them up into bits, that is!).  

Check out the half-link chains from Shadow and KMC.....they're bombproof (almost).  Grinds will kill any chain, but the half-links are super durable.  

Hope this helps....tear it up, man.   :o)