BMX - Getting into BMX. A few questions about the market.

Hey people I've just recently been overtaken by a huge desire to get into BMX. The sport is so stylish..kinda like MTB trials, but..rigid! So I'm getting really interested in BMX, and my brother says that it can't really be explained. That it's something I just have to try out and see for myself whether or not I like it. And I'm pleasantly surprised to see that the bikes are pretty inexpensive! So hopefully if I get enough money for Christmas I'll be able to get one. I'd be looking at the $250-$300 range.

I've got some questions though.....

~~Frame material. Besides weight, what's the difference between cromoly and aluminum frames? Is one more practical for a certain type of riding?

~~Cost difference. There aren't really a whole lot of components to a BMX bike, and that's a large part of its appeal to me. So when I see a bike that's more expensive than another, what can I safely infer that difference to mean?

~~Tires. In the bike shops I see come bikes with completely different tread patterns between the front and back tires. What's the deal here? Is that for a certain type of riding?

Just wondering. Thanks in advance. :D

well what kind of riding are planning? trail/park.street/other

frame wise---aluminum is mainly used for racing. otherwise that frame tends to break easy.next is cromoly. thats the good stuff. its lightweight and is still strong but exspensive. last is steel. extremly heavy but really cheap.

--cost wise usually means a lot of things. the higher the price the more you can assume. the higher grade bikes have better frames (cromoly instead of steel). also more aftermarkes parts will be on it instead of the companys basic parts.

--tires. im assuming your refering to the big treaded tire in the front and the flat basic like tire on the rear. thats a big trend nowadays. i do it myself. big tread=more tarction=good for trails, small tread=better for the street/park.

there you go. cheers
-bmxwarrior40

cromoly is steel

chromium-molybdenum STEEL

Owned.

Yeah but there's a big difference between 4130 chromoly steel and the hi-tensile steel that Walmart bikes are made from.