You've never seen a mountain bike look this cool.
You probably always see the usual hardtail mountain bikes pedalled up and down the street solo, or even in groups. The patterns, bright color schemes, and setups look exactly the same. They're like the casual guests at a party that come in early and wear the appropriate outfit. In other words, boring.
This Haro Mountain Bike review brings a maverick take on the mountain bike. If you want fun and unusual, you'll need a bike that has attitude and style. Something that comes in late to a party with guns blazing and a devil-may-care attitude. If you don't mind getting your hands and feet dirty, if you want to stroll down the road acting all cool and catching some hot stares, or perhaps get stoked by going airborne on half pipes down the local bike park, you'll want this bike— a Dirt Jumper (DJ) bike.
The DJ is a variety of mountain bike (MTB) with an upright stance. It has a lowered seat post, and sports a handlebar that rises from as low as 2 inches to as high as 8 inches from the stem. This setup enables you to shift your weight rearward so the DJ can get more power on steep inclines.
The geometry and weight of the DJ also encourage easy lifting of the handlebar so you can perform leaps better than with a standard MTB. The robust front and rear of the bike give the wheel full force on inclines. On the other hand, it's not advisable to ride this on trails with plenty of medium to big-sized obstacles. The lack of suspension will brutalize your frame, and your physical body will take the full impact of each shock delivered by the ground.
Thus, the DJ is commonly ridden on dirt tracks. It aims to give you short but sweet rides with speeds to match that of a hardtail. But, more importantly, the DJ's main purpose is to give you an opportunity to go airborne, at least for a couple of seconds.
The Haro Pete "Pistol" Loncarevich is a DJ bike from Haro that contrasts with the Haro full suspension mountain bike. This bike is a homage to the 6-footer, 20-inch wheel bike racer known as Pistol Pete. It has integrated certain features that make it look and function like a BMX.
We're putting the focus on this Haro 26-inch mountain bike because of the crossover between the DJ and BMX species, which is intriguing. Let's check out its style and features.
Frame - One characteristic of a BMX bike is that it has no suspension. Typically, BMX bikes come in small frames because the size improves handling. The Pistol bike frame, however, is a larger version built for speed. Unlike the typical DJ, the seat stay is slightly angled upward so it looks like a BMX. You can fit a 29" wheel on the frame that'll make you a bullet on the dirt track.
Paint Job - The overall color coating of the bike's frame is simple yet appealing. We love that it only runs on metallic gray but has a playful retro cartoon design added on prominent parts of the frame. It's reminiscent of the '80s to mid-'90s BMX boom. It would be rad to take this out for a spin and have the cool BMXer kids ogle at the frame in the bike park.
Bar Pads - The bar pads on the Pistol are another eye-grabbing style statement. These days, most BMX bikes you come across don't sport bar pads. Having them on the handlebar and the top tube of the frame is a pleasant throwback, not to mention a similar retro design that complements the frame.
Integrated Headset - Two good things about integrated headsets on a bike such as a Pistol are less maintenance and part replacement.
Rim Brake System - The rim brake is a classic setup for any BMX. But it is a compromise, and for a good reason. This is an appropriate braking system for a trick bike like the Pistol. It's better than having no brakes like extreme BMX riders, and it's not as strong as disc brakes. So you get a bit of allowance in terms of controlling the stopping power.
Lightweight - The bike weighs only 12.3 kilograms—good enough for the aluminum frame material. The bike has no elaborate brake or suspension systems which makes it lighter than trail or cross-country mountain bikes.
Safety Cushioning - The pads on the top tube and the handle are essential safety components of the Pistol. The padding keeps your head and teeth safe from crashing onto the top portion of the handlebar.
Highlights
Lowlights
The Haro Mountain Bike Pistol Pete edition, in summary, is a BMX bike that's larger than the usual BMX bike, although it has adopted a freestyle handlebar similar to the smaller BMXs so it can incorporate nimble capability.
This particular move by Haro, plus the homage to Pistol Pete, is meant to address the issue of height and bike proportions when it comes to dirt jump and motocross enthusiasts and aspirants. Haro built this bike for the big boys to enjoy the dirt jump tracks easily, while being able to practice doing tricks on an appropriately sized bike.
Pistol Pete has a Haro 24 mountain bike version for good handling, while the 29-inch variety is for higher jumps and faster speed on level ground. To get the best of both worlds, the 26-inch wheel variety is the perfect balance we would recommend for any riders taller than 5’8.
