BMX - Race Bike Durability

I would like to buy a BMX bike for stomping around the neighborhood, and short distances. I want to ride hard and fast, not cruise.

I would like to do BMX races in the future (for fun, I doubt I have a future in it). However, when riding on the street I would like to be able to jump curbs and driveways. I would also like to do some light dirt trail riding on the bike.

Can a racing BMX bike handle this light abuse? I would not mind getting a freestyle bike for riding on the street and trails, but I would prefer to have a lighter faster bike if possible. However, I do not want the bike to be unreliable. I want it is be as fast as possible, given the durability I need for the light abuse I described.

I do not plan on doing any big tricks or jumps, just some "spirited" riding using driveways and small dirt jumps. Would a racing bike hold up fine or should I get a heavier freestyle bike and then get a racing bike later when I start racing?

Thanks.

well i would get a freestyle bike. because my neighbor had a 1500 dollar race bike and i couldnt even go off the curbs cause it would of bent the forks

a lightweight bmx freestyle.

well i would get a freestyle bike. because my neighbor had a 1500 dollar race bike and i couldnt even go off the curbs cause it would of bent the forks

What was it like a freakin' mini? Even carbon forks withstand abuse. I've seen kids case jumps pretty hard with carbon's and they didn't bend. And it seems like most of the time when carbon forks do snap it's in the steerer tube.

Your question is pretty general being as there are a lot of race bikes/race forks available and they do not all have the same level of durability.

Even so, my opinion is "yes" a race bike will stand up to what you are suggesting. There is no shortage of people that believe that race bikes are fragile but they probably do not have a race bike so this is simply conjecture. I am 6'7" 235lbs and have two BMX race bikes, an aluminum race cruiser and a Staats chromoly 20 inch. Both are going strong after a couple years of racing and goofing around. I use chromoly forks on both, they will not bend going off a curb. Lots of the guys I race with are in my weight range and use carbon fiber forks with no issues but they are weakened by deep scratches and the non-track environment provides more chance for that happening so I would pass on those personally. The wheels may be an issue if you start to get more aggressive than you are suggesting, the race bike wheels are likely to be 36 spoke and narrower than a freestyle bike so they are not going to put up with as much. I would also pass on the light alloy bars that come on some race bikes, I have seen these snapped at the races so do not have much faith in them.
What you may not like is the geometry, lots of the race bikes feel really long compared with a freestyle bike.

Thanks for all of the input guys. I already went to a couple bike shops before I posted this, but now I can go back to the most-BMX centric of the shops in my area and refine my search. If they do not have something that flips my switch, I'll buy online.

It seems like both a lighter-duty freestyle bike or a not-totally-raced-out race bike will both suit my needs. I think I will look at the race bikes first and then settle on a light freestyle bike if I can find one.

I am currently considering a Redline Proline and DK Charger for the race side of things, and an Integral Expo for freestyle (not super light though).

Any further suggestions are welcome, but I think I can take it from here. Thanks again.

the race bike wheels are likely to be 36 spoke and narrower than a freestyle bike so they are not going to put up with as much. I would suggest a second set of wheels (36 front / 48 rear) with street tires for thrashing. That way you keep your race rims with knobbys in good shape and don't wear them out.

I ended up getting an Integral Expo from a local bike shop. It is a bit heavier than I wanted, but I decided I would rather have a bike that will be durable enough to grow with me as I learn more tricks and push myself further with jumps and such. I can get a dedicated race bike later when I want to get into racing. The Expo is a bit over 30 lbs, which as I understand, is about typical for a freestyle bike, if not a little heavy. I can live with it and enjoy knowing that I can trash on it and not have to worry. I know there are better freestyle bikes for about the same price, even lighter ones, but I rode the Expo at the shop and fell in love.

I am super happy with my first real BMX bike. It is a whole new world to me. As of now, I suck horribly at BMX-related skills but that is much of the fun. I feel like a kid again; and that was the whole reason I wanted one.

I rode my Expo 14 miles to work the first day I got it (took the train home though). While I won't be doing that again, it was done without any huge strain.

Thanks for the help guys.

Geez, how long did that take on a 20"?