Aero Reflex - it aint no shorty!!

[punkdSICO]

Hi all

I often read peoples comments about the Aero Reflex saying "its a good buy but a bit small for some riders".  This point comes up time and time again.  So, tonight I decide to measure my Reflex frame, comparing it to a DP Freestyler and a Vincent Airzone.  The Reflex is the same size!!

Comparing various key dimensions, worst case, the Reflex is the same size.  In some dimensions, the Reflex is larger by approx 1cm compared to the DP and Vincent.

So, why do people constantly say the Reflex is small?  I even read this is a 1980's magazine review scan..  Maybe the welded on rear platforms (which can catch your feet) make it feel smaller than it actually is??

Thoughts?

ta,

Paul

[Retrodan72]

I rode a Reflex for a while, no problem, but i'm 5'10 and have size 9 feet so it was fine for me, I guess someone of larger proportions would suffer especially with those platforms.

[deeman]

probably the platforms.out of interest what was the top tube measurement?

[brettypeeps]

probably the platforms.out of interest what was the top tube measurement?

Platforms and feet catching

Other than that the geometry is great to ride

[punkdSICO]

probably the platforms.out of interest what was the top tube measurement?

18.5 inches on the Reflex, versus 18 inches on the DP and Vincent..

Paul

[deeman]

probably the platforms.out of interest what was the top tube measurement?

18.5 inches on the Reflex, versus 18 inches on the DP and Vincent..

Paul

quite surprising!I knew my top tube was insanely short!it measures 16.5 inches!!It felt great as a kid,but its a funny old thing to ride now.

[J69]

If you're around 5'10 & have average size feet - let's say around a size 9, you should have no problems whatsover with the dimensions on an Aero reflex build. By the way, it looks like Reflex's are starting to creep up price wise, especially NOS ones, just have a look how much they've been going for on ebay. Maybe they are now getting short on supply & people can actually see them for what they are - a very well made British freestyle frame with superb welding & chrome. I'm often surprised at the snobby comments of some people regarding Reflexes, look at the facts, BITD a DP Firebird freestyler cost around £65 compared to the Reflex that cost around £150 for F & F set. Either way, whether you own a DP or reflex, we should all just enjoy the hobby of old school BMX &leave the snobby comments out of it, we can't all afford gen 1 Haro's! 

[lk_97]

I really like reflexes, just wish i brought one when they were £35 nos...

[punkdSICO]

quite surprising!I knew my top tube was insanely short!it measures 16.5 inches!!It felt great as a kid,but its a funny old thing to ride now.

btw, my measurements are from the head tube centre to the seat post centre.  I believe this is the standard points to measure..

ta,

Paul

[deeman]

ah,i mightve gained an inch or so then,ill have another measure!

[ukoldschool]

If you're around 5'10 & have average size feet - let's say around a size 9, you should have no problems whatsover with the dimensions on an Aero reflex build. By the way, it looks like Reflex's are starting to creep up price wise, especially NOS ones, just have a look how much they've been going for on ebay. Maybe they are now getting short on supply & people can actually see them for what they are - a very well made British freestyle frame with superb welding & chrome. I'm often surprised at the snobby comments of some people regarding Reflexes, look at the facts, BITD a DP Firebird freestyler cost around £65 compared to the Reflex that cost around £150 for F & F set. Either way, whether you own a DP or reflex, we should all just enjoy the hobby of old school BMX &leave the snobby comments out of it, we can't all afford gen 1 Haro's! 

hmmm.. I think a lot of the 'snobbery' stems from the fact most british frames from BITD (with the exception of the TRM) were just snydes of something else. ie ammaco and DP are snyde Haro's, and the reflex was a snyde performer. Wasnt a lot of innovation with british bikes back then IMO. Oh and the reflexs angle are horrid!

[brettypeeps]

hmmm.. I think a lot of the 'snobbery' stems from the fact most british frames from BITD (with the exception of the TRM) were just snydes of something else. ie ammaco and DP are snyde Haro's, and the reflex was a snyde performer. Wasnt a lot of innovation with british bikes back then IMO. Oh and the reflexs angle are horrid!

Having both the DP and The Haro Master I would say other that there being both twin to tubes the two are nothing a like as far as geometry goes.  Even Bob Haro was impress with some of the Revolution on My DP in Germany this year

[ukoldschool]

hmmm.. I think a lot of the 'snobbery' stems from the fact most british frames from BITD (with the exception of the TRM) were just snydes of something else. ie ammaco and DP are snyde Haro's, and the reflex was a snyde performer. Wasnt a lot of innovation with british bikes back then IMO. Oh and the reflexs angle are horrid!

Having both the DP and The Haro Master I would say other that there being both twin to tubes the two are nothing a like as far as geometry goes.  Even Bob Haro was impress with some of the Revolution on My DP in Germany this year

not talking so much about the geometry, but purely the fact that the twin top tube is a Haro feature in the same way a bent downtube is a GT feature, didnt seem to be anything other than a rip at the time and still seems that way now

[brettypeeps]

hmmm.. I think a lot of the 'snobbery' stems from the fact most british frames from BITD (with the exception of the TRM) were just snydes of something else. ie ammaco and DP are snyde Haro's, and the reflex was a snyde performer. Wasnt a lot of innovation with british bikes back then IMO. Oh and the reflexs angle are horrid!

Having both the DP and The Haro Master I would say other that there being both twin to tubes the two are nothing a like as far as geometry goes.  Even Bob Haro was impress with some of the Revolution on My DP in Germany this year

not talking so much about the geometry, but purely the fact that the twin top tube is a Haro feature in the same way a bent downtube is a GT feature, didnt seem to be anything other than a rip at the time and still seems that way now

Does that make a Haro a Torker copy then?

[ukoldschool]

hmmm.. I think a lot of the 'snobbery' stems from the fact most british frames from BITD (with the exception of the TRM) were just snydes of something else. ie ammaco and DP are snyde Haro's, and the reflex was a snyde performer. Wasnt a lot of innovation with british bikes back then IMO. Oh and the reflexs angle are horrid!

Having both the DP and The Haro Master I would say other that there being both twin to tubes the two are nothing a like as far as geometry goes.  Even Bob Haro was impress with some of the Revolution on My DP in Germany this year

not talking so much about the geometry, but purely the fact that the twin top tube is a Haro feature in the same way a bent downtube is a GT feature, didnt seem to be anything other than a rip at the time and still seems that way now

Does that make a Haro a Torker copy then?

dont be silly.... of course the Haro wouldnt have happened without the torker, but as torker made the freestyler you can hardly call it a 'copy' can you?
If there wasn’t a Haro there wouldn’t have been a DP freestyler, and if there wasn’t a GT performer there wouldn’t have been an Aero reflex. Theres nothing inherently wrong with wither either frame, but they are always going to have the stigma of being copies for a lot of people. The Aero much more so than the DP of course 

[J69]

Reflex & the DP are both blatant design copies but both are very good frames in their own right, I should know as I had a gen 1 DP freestyler BITD until i :rant:t cracked at the headtube (a common fault with gen 1 DP's) due to the frame geometry being all wrong on the early frames. The point I was trying to make was that yes, we would all love to own Haro's & Hutch frames but we're not all made of money. Reflexes are starting to creep up in price because a lot of people are starting to realise that they are a very good frame set. 

[madall]

I see that dick biaggio is wanting 200 pounds for a frame and fork set lol, thats street beat money !!!

[Retrodan72]

I see that dick biaggio is wanting 200 pounds for a frame and fork set lol, thats street beat money !!!

Beyond SB money, I only paid 165 posted for my Beat recently.

There's a Reflex on the Bay now with a BIN price of 140, not bad imo.

[Wadz]

Biaggio sold me a Nos reflex frame and forks for £35 posted so can't complain , was 5 years ago mind.
Love it and would never sell it.

[Superkav]

Got mine when they were cheap too but back to the original point it's definitely the platforms. I like to ride with the front 1/3 of my foot on the pedal and per revolution I'm just a scrape away from clipping it.
6' size 9 and 175mm cranks