BMX - Suggestions for a newb?

Hi everyone, I'm lookin' to buying a bike for a one mile apartment to school commute, (and something to ride aroudn campus)...

So I've been looking into getting a lightweight trick bike; something that would be fun to ride around campus, and possibly learn a few things on.

So some questions...

I'm lookin' for something cheap to practice on, nothing too fancy until I want to shell out some money for a new bike...

Brand suggestions? What to watch out for? (problems flaws w/ bike, etc.)

I also need something that I can take the front tires off of and fit in the trunk of my car. I have a decent sized car trunk, and I figured, bmx's are smaller than most conventional mountain bikes...

-thanks everyone.

When you say something cheap you mean $100 to $250?

Expect to pay at least 250-300 bucks for an entry level BMX bike you won't destroy in 20 minutes.

Beware the difference between a 'kids bike' and a 'BMX bike'. Kids bikes are sold at Wal-Mart and Toys R Us. BMX bikes are not. You're not a kid, don't get a kids bike. Since internet discount retailers have destroyed the profitability of BMX, you probably won't find anything worth bothering with locally, so go with the flow and check out www.danscomp.com for a decent selection. Hard to really go wrong there.

A BMX bike probably won't fit in your trunk, even if the front wheel did come off without tools (which it won't). If that's the only reason you're interested in BMX bikes, check out the Giant STP 2 or the Kona Scrap...they're entry-level mountain bikes designed for street, dirt jumping and light trail riding. Most people who aren't familiar with BMX bikes will find them a lot more comfortable, versatile and accessible.

Snazz, why is it so much harder to fit a cruiser into the same space as a mountain bike? Seriously, I seem to have a harder time getting the cruisers into our car than I did with a road or MTB.

Wow, I would love to be able to pick up the Giant SP2. That's a lot of money for a bike though. Damn.

Wow, I would love to be able to pick up the Giant SP2. That's a lot of money for a bike though. Damn.

Not really, but I'm no longer a college student. :D

Snazz, why is it so much harder to fit a cruiser into the same space as a mountain bike? Seriously, I seem to have a harder time getting the cruisers into our car than I did with a road or MTB.

Handlebars, maybe? I dunno. That always seems to be the limiting factor when I'm transporting 20 inchers. Hell, take the wheels off my road bike and it'll fit into my roommate's Honda Insight. No tools, no hassle, 30 seconds. My BMX bike requires some major jimmying and partial disassembly to accomplish the same feat. :eek:

I've got really nice roof racks off my old car, but Yakima isn't sold in Australia. Bastards!