BIKE CHECK

ROB’S DITTO BERSERKER 22″ BMX

Photos by Max Rhulen

Hello and thank you readers for checking out this rant about my beloved 22” BMX. As the only bike I own that actually gets used, my BMX provides a welcome break from my typical schedule of mountain bike testing, helping me keep my skills sharp and simply providing a consistent tool on which to have near guaranteed fun on.

BMX may still involve two wheels, but in many ways I consider it an entirely different sport to a mountain bike ride, with slightly different goals and a generally different atmosphere. Thankfully though, the transferable skills and general improvements to balance and coordination make it beneficial to my mountain bike riding, so it’s really a win-win. I try to encourage any mountain bikers I meet to give BMX a go a few times at least, because it’s a sport I value very highly.

As for the 22” part? For skatepark and dirt jump riding, I’ve tried just about every configuration you could imagine. From small framed 20” BMX bikes to 26” Slopestyle bikes, and literally everything in between. I began on larger wheels, and switched to 20” when I started working as a BMX coach way back. But try as I might, I could never get a 20” wheeled machine to feel as natural as my beloved 24” dirt jump bike dream build that I regretfully sold to fund it.

That was until I got the chance to review a WTP Audio 22” wheeled BMX a few years ago. I had the inclination that 22” may be the best of all worlds for me, as a 6’2” (189cm) rider looking to blend park maneuverability with high speed stability. And I was right.

22” wheels offer a little more comfort and stability than a 20”, but for my height they don’t pose any clearance problems on the most dynamic moves. The wheels are notably stronger and stiffer than a 24 or 26”, which is great for the inevitable under-rotations and cases. And the general dimensions of the 22” work better for me, thanks to the longer 22” top tube length than most 20” wheels and the proportions of the bike as a result. Since my first ride on that WeThePeople, 22” has been my Goldilocks choice, and I enjoy park and dirt jumps more than ever because of it.

Now that I’ve rambled on about why you should try BMX and why I ride 22” wheels in particular, let me walk you through the rationale for what I’d like to call a “realistic dream build”.

FRAME | FORK

Frame: Ditto Berserker
Fork: 1984ork EVO

Frame Info:

TT: 22”
HT 74.5
CS 14”-14.75” (running at approx. 14.25”)
BB: 11.8”
Disc Brake and U-Brake Mounts
Tapered Head Tube

I had been contemplating a custom-built frame for a long time, as the available 22” frame options weren’t quite doing it for me. I always thought that a disc brake would be an absolute game changer on a BMX, from the improved modulation to the reduced hassle in setup and resistance to dirt/dust. But with no commercially available disc brake options available from more mainstream brands (until recently), it was looking as if either a modification to an existing frame by way of an adaptor or some welded-on brake mounts – or a custom frame – was the only way it could happen.

When the Berserker popped up from American brand Ditto BMX, it was as if they’d hacked into my wish list. Disc brake? Check. Lower BB than most? Check. Sliding dropouts with chain tensioners? Check. Clearance for a fat rear tire? Check. I was stoked to see my main desires, plus a burlier tubeset and even a tapered steerer tube (high tech BMX!) available. The bronze paint job is one that I’d have chosen myself, and the price was even quite reasonable. It took me a little while to convince myself it was definitely a worthwhile investment, since I’d also have to buy a new rear hub to work with the disc, but I’m so f**king glad I pulled the trigger.

To fit the tapered head tube of the Berserker frame best, I opted to purchase their tapered steerer 1984ork EVO fork to go with it. The extra bonus is the fork has tabs for a front brake, should I ever decide to fit one for front wheel maneuvers. Otherwise, it’s black and holds the front wheel.

DRIVETRAIN

Cranks: Odyssey Calibur V2 | 175mm
Sprocket: Pentra Steel | 28t
Chain: Cult 510
Pedals: Yoshimura Chilao SS

I decided to refresh my old drivetrain for this new Ditto build. I wanted a clean looking, classic tubular bmx crank that was designed with durability as the main priority, having broken a crazy number of bmx cranks over the years. Odyssey’s Calibur V2 cranks were on sale for a reasonable price, so I decided to give them a go. So far, so good, but it’s early days.

The sprocket is made by UK-based Pentra Parts. This is a new company owned and operated by my friend Andre Fowkes, and they happen to make some seriously badass looking sprockets. The ‘Gram 28t sprocket was an easy choice for this build, and I love how it looks on there. I went for the classic Cult 510 chain as they’ve never failed me.

The Yoshimura Chilao SS pedals were fitted to this build in order to log plenty of time testing them for the review to accompany their release. While the pins are more aggressive than I’d typically run on a BMX, they’ve been offering solid performance when mated to Vans BMX SK8-Hi shoes, and have given me no reason to switch them out thus far.

BRAKING

Brake: SRAM CODE RSC Hydraulic Disc
Rotor: 140mm Aztec Rotor

I wouldn’t have bought the SRAM CODE RSC brake for this build, as it’s undoubtedly overkill. But when I was offered it out of the spare parts bin in the office, I couldn’t say no. It works very very well, even with that tiny 140mm Aztec rotor.

WHEELS | TIRES

Front Hub: Profile Mini
Rear Hub: Eclat Exile Disc
Rims: Fit ARC 22 – Chrome F / Black R
Tires: S&M Mainline 22×2.4”

A few years ago I splurged for a pair of used Profile Mini hubs, as I had always wanted a set. Between their looks, durability and performance, they’re some of the best out there for BMX. Those were laced to chrome Fit rims, and served me well.

For this build though, I needed a rear hub with disc rotor mounts. Profile’s Elite disc hub costs absolutely insane money, but other quality options have been essentially nonexistent until lately. Eclat hit the market with their new Exile disc hub, to accompany the disc-equipped WeThePeople Chaos Machine bikes. After a lot of hunting down for the elusive hubs, I was able to find and buy one, and opted to have it built up with a new rim and spokes.

So far, this Eclat Exile Disc hub is proving to be a great option, and at ½ to a third of the price of the Profile Elite, it’s the sensible choice for sure.

The Fit rims are okay. 22” rim options are limited, so these Fit rims offer some of the best strength to weight. I’ll likely swap them out for some of the new Alienation Vandal 22” rims soon, as they appear to be a true high-quality option.

Tire choices are similarly limited, but I’m quite happy with S&M’s Mainlines, especially in the big 2.4” width. I’m thankful for the clearance in the rear of the Ditto frame, which lets me run these high-volume tires with enough room to spare. Inside the tires are standard 20” tubes, which work absolutely fine. I’ll likely experiment with Tubolito inner tubes when the right deal presents itself, as knocking off a little rotational weight could add further fun to the mix.

COCKPIT

Handlebar: Cult AK 10”x30”
Stem: United X 20Twenty Store
Grips: Cult X Vans Waffle

I’ve been running this cockpit setup for a couple of years at this point, and feel no reason to change it up. The handlebars have a comfortable geometry and the 10” rise puts me in a nice position on the bike. The stem was a gift from a friend, and is a callout to the bike shop 20Twenty in the North East of Scotland, who were heavily involved in creating the BMX scene in the area when I was growing up.

The Cult X Vans Waffle grips are my favorite of all time. I stretch them out a little to reduce their diameter on the bars, and couldn’t really ask for anything better. I’ve even gone to the trouble of gluing a set of these grips onto my mountain bikes in the past, they’re that comfortable.

The Result

On the trail (or in the Skateparks, mostly), this Ditto Berserker 22” BMX build is delivering everything I could have hoped for so far. It feels incredibly solid which helps to keep things precise, which is much appreciated as a heavy 220lbs BMX rider. The geometry is offering a fine blend of stability and agility, giving me enough confidence to push my limits on quarter pipe airs and skatepark gaps, while still allowing me to mess around with some tech moves without complaint.

And the disc brake…oh boy. It may seem ridiculous to get excited about such a thing as a mountain biker, but the contrast in performance between the standard BMX U-brake and this disc brake setup is insane, even with that tiny 140mm rotor. It runs quietly, meaning you can actually use it to slow down without risking the ears of you and everyone around you. It locks the rear wheel up without having to grab onto the lever for dear life. And you don’t need to keep the wheel nearly perfect in true to keep some consistency in the brake performance. I’m expecting that the BMX world will slowly adopt more disk brakes, much like the roadie world did after a lot of resistance.

As I mentioned, I’ll likely be experimenting with the lightweight Tubolito inner tubes at some point to drop a little weight in the wheels, and may switch out the rims in the future, but for now the only thing I’d really like to change with this bike is how much I’m able to ride it in cool places. And I intend to address this coming into Summer in Europe!

Otherwise, I’m currently feeling like I have the most dialed BMX – for my preferences – that I could possibly have. And I’m very stoked on that.