BMX bikes

[cinek]

I am on the look out for a new bike for my son (10 years old).

He has mentioned that he would love a bmx.
Now, I have a fair bit of knowledge on mountain bikes, suspensions, etc.
I am however clueless when it comes to bmxs.

Has anyone on here got any experience on them? Any specific makes and models, any features I should ensure it has or maybe hasnt.

The budged is give and take £400.

 

[mymini007]

My last experience of a BMX was a Raleigh burner

 

[mat8n]

£400 for a 10 year old! for a bmx anything you get for that kind of price will be way way way beyond his capabilitys.
i'm 41 and have been a bmxer all my life(still do it now).
go to winstanleys bmx, custom riders,source bmx or alans bmx websites.
compare the prices of bikes and you'll get a rough idea of what you can get for your bike.

as for brand and specs, again for the price you won't really need to worry as they'll all be good quality. spec wise, they have two wheels! thats about it these days

I'm getting this when i get home
http://www.bmxcity.co.uk/pilgrim-quest-2012-gun-metal-gray-p-1262.html?cPath=1_84
that will be to long for a 10 year old. unless he's tall you want to be looking at a 20"-20.5" toptube(TT) length maximum. nothing else will really matter(20.5"+ TT is pro size)

 

[Rashman]

I had a Mongoose when I was younger.
They were the BMX to have back in the day.
Not sure what they're doing these days.

GT also make good BMX's.

 

[Sp!ke]

I had a Skyway Tuff very similar to this one.

I really wish I still had it.

 

[mat8n]

Gt's, Mongoose,Diamond back, Haro.....all the names you know from the 80's are now mass produced generic bmxs, avoid these bikes if you want a 'proper' bmx.

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if we're going to get technical, what kind of riding will your son be doing? park,street,dirt,flatland or racing? all the bikes differ slightly(flatland and race are completely different, although dirt errs towards race). brakeless or brakes? pegs or not?

a 10 year old will want a mid range bike. to short a front end TT and it will feel really twitchy, to long and it'll feel slow to trick on. to short a back end CS(chain stay) and it'll be hard to manual(wheely), you'll just keep coming off the back, to long and it'll be harder to manual but more controllable.
you'll be wanting 20"TT and 13.5"-13.75" CS, thats middle of the road all round bike. don't sweat it, they are nearly all around those sizes, but for £400 you could end up with a signature frame which has certain geometry suited to a certain riders style.
if he's only riding round the streets with his mates just get the one he likes the look of!

BMX is not what it was, it's very technical these days when you get into it.

 

[cinek]

if we're going to get technical, what kind of riding will your son be doing? park,street,dirt,flatland or racing? all the bikes differ slightly(flatland and race are completely different, although dirt errs towards race). brakeless or brakes? pegs or not?

a 10 year old will want a mid range bike. to short a front end TT and it will feel really twitchy, to long and it'll feel slow to trick on. to short a back end CS(chain stay) and it'll be hard to manual(wheely), you'll just keep coming off the back, to long and it'll be harder to manual but more controllable.
you'll be wanting 20"TT and 13.5"-13.75" CS, thats middle of the road all round bike. don't sweat it, they are nearly all around those sizes, but for £400 you could end up with a signature frame which has certain geometry suited to a certain riders style.
if he's only riding round the streets with his mates just get the one he likes the look of!

BMX is not what it was, it's very technical these days when you get into it.

Thats the thing, I dont want this to be too technical.
Most of riding will be park / street, with occasional dirt.

I would like to get something bit better than bog standard, but certainly not something a pro rider would use.
His height is about 145cm, but given his age, it does change rather quickly.

Suppose I would like this bike to last him for 3-4 years (if possible) before getting something else.

He doesnt know any tricks yet, but it is something he has been on about giving it a go for a while, especially after watching all videos of Danny Macaskill.

In summary, I am after a decent bike (not pro) that will suit a beginner 10year old, and will last for min 3 years considering he is getting taller quicker than I can type this.

 

[bing]

Had a Kuwahara, Mongoose, PK Ripper , Hutch and a GT . Can't remember the rest but those were the days . Oh I started with a Grifter on red skyways ! If I had the space I'd get one of these vintage BMX again.

@spike , remember the track of London road, Isleworth , near Martin's ?

Yes, BMX has come a long way since then. Just watching X games makes your jaw drop how much air they get and real technical tricks.

 

[mat8n]

Danny Macaskill doesn't ride a bmx.

Yea don't sweat the details, any bike will do him, if he gets into it and gets good he'll fit his style around the bike, if he wants to upgrade in a few years, thats when you get more technical.
Given his size he wont want to go longer than 20.5" TT. just stick with that and you'll be fine.

unless he's a complete brute it'll last for years. I'm 6'2" and quite hard on my bikes, and i cant break mine, amd it does go flying by itself on a regular basis

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I still have my Diamond Back Viper in the shed - needs a little TLC now though to bring it back to tip top condition after 30 years!

 

[RKC-benz]

I own a proper bike shop... we do fancy bikes for five figures when needed. And everything down to kids bikes. But with a kid's BMX like this, I'd heed most of the advice above which says buy a medium top tube that he can handle and don't overpay... Buy a bike he likes the look of for £250-350 and teach him how to look after it: tyre pressures, chain tension, bearing adjustment, lubrication, etc

 

[cinek]

Just bought this:




It's Eastern's Nightwasp

20" wheels, 20.5" frame for just over half of what I initially thought I will need to fork out




Once again, many thanks for all valuable advice chaps

 

[mat8n]

good choice, that will more than suit(and last) him

 

[Sp!ke]

Why dont any of them have front brakes anymore?

At least half of the tricks I used to know involved a front brake..

 

[mat8n]

they all come with a front brake, they just take them off.

i ride a front brake.

its not cool to have a front brake and these days brakeless is the way to go!!

the average to good rider will look stupid riding brakeless as its very hard! but when you see a good brakeless rider doing their thing it is very impressive as the control they have(this is where all the geometry comes into affect) is amazing. they do the front end stuff/tricks without the brake using the footjam technique or just simply balance!!

bmx has moved on massively since the 80's its nothing like back then.

 

[bing]

Why dont any of them have front brakes anymore? At least half of the tricks I used to know involved a front brake..

Coz no one does front endos anymore ...lol !

 

[Sp!ke]

Coz no one does front endos anymore ...lol !

Well it wasnt just endos LOL

I also used to use the old foot jam technique but there were plenty of tricks that needed a front brake.

 

[cinek]

I also used to use the old foot jam technique

I too remember when my foot got jammed and I went **** over tip...still got a scar to prove it

LOL

 

[poormansporsche]

does anyone remember "pro stars" or something - they were a cheap diamond back knock off and everyone used to hack saw off the decal on the tube to make it look like a diamond !!!! (or was it just me )

 

[mat8n]

Well it wasnt just endos LOL

I also used to use the old foot jam technique but there were plenty of tricks that needed a front brake.

You think?


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