Danster

I know nothing about BMX other than the 3 disciplines that it involves. Last year my son and I went over to the local skate park with his Canadian tire brand bike and a couple of teenage kids helped him around getting to know the "do's and don't's". It was a great experience for him and now he wants to race and play around at the local skate park all the time. I'd like to get him and I started ( I won't be racing). Is it possible to buy 2 bikes and gear in the $1000.00 price range? If anyone can help us out, I'd like to know brand names of bikes to consider and approximate prices. Any other words of advice would also be hugely appreciated.

mude

if he's seven he should probably go with a 16 or 18inch bike but that really depends on height and weight.....as for gear check out
www.danscomp.com and they have a bunch of safety gear.

BMXZ

Wait what i got out of this your getting 2 bikes for your son or 1 bike for you and 1 bike for your son.Even so your son cant race and play at the local skatepark with the same bike.Race bikes are meant to be light put not too supportive in jumping and in skateparks.But if he wants a freestyle bike i would go for the Haro Mirra 360.Also how tall is he and how much does he weigh.I dont think you will be needing alot of gear maybe some elbow pads,knee pads,and ofcourse a helmet for the little guy.but for you i dont think you need much besides a helmet.Oh and you dont need to be spending $1000 on bikes if you are a begginer.My little bro bought his bike for $350 and he has a Mirra 540 I hope i helped.

Bikebros

Dan,

I posted a reply in your "introduction". check that out. to sum it up. your kid needs 2 bikes because a race bike will die a quick death at the skatepark and your kid will get frustrated racing a heavy freestyle bike and losing.

At 7 years old he is likely going to need a Junior race bike with 1-3/8 tires and about 155mm cranks (for average sized kid).
For a freestyle bike, I like the Free Agent Lil Homie with 16" wheels. It is tough enough to take serious abuse and is basically a small version of a real freestyle bike.

If you have questions, check my website at https://www.bikebros.ca . feel free to email me there if you have more questions. I have bmxed since 1978, have competed at BS competitions and raced and own a Calgary bike shop that specializes in BMX.

cheers.

PS. do what you can to encourage your child falling in love with cycling. it is a healthy sport that can be enjoyed for a lifetime. BMX is probably the best way to get kids hooked on bikes at an early age.

Brian

Danster - the bloke above appears to know what he't talking about. So does Beerman, Hypersnazz, and for racing, Darin is a bit clued in as well. I'd disregard advice from most others.

Your son will need a race bike and a park bike. A junior frame is perfect for a 7 year old, and should last him a few years. If you've got a grand to burn, you should be able to outfit him for track and park, keeping in mind that you don't want to go overboard on gear he'll outgrow. I do suggest that you consider a cruiser for yourself. As long as you two are spending time at the track, you should give it a go as well.

Cheers.

Darin

I didn't read all the post above this. But I wouldn't get anything smaller than ta 20" mini. The look on ebay, you will find minis. Kids that age are light, thay arens breaking things and wearing out bearings. An older bike will be fine. You can easily get everything you need for well undr a grand. But you can easily spend a grand if you want. As long as you don't get caught up in keeping up with the Jonses at the track, you'll be fine, and have fun. Let us know how you make out.


https://search.ebay.com/search/search...title=BMX+mini

queensrider86

what about me bro? don't be dissin me

Darin

I agree, GET A CRUISER FOR YOURSELF. Just riding the track, not even trying to be competitive againts the fearless ones is great fun. My son and I have been riding/racing together since he was 8. He's 10. We have our own "track" ot our house and ride when ever the weather is permitting. We took last year off. But are planning on hitting the track hard next season. I missed the part about wanting a park bike. The guys on here will be able to hook you up with good info there. A bunch of park nuts around here.

queensrider86

get a 20" bike. it may be hard for him to jump, but if he learns tricks on a 16", he would have so much trouble when he tries to learn it again on a 20". just look for a short frame, like a 19 inch. https://www.harobikes.com/2006/bmx/f1c.php

Brian

If he's 7, and you're not a family of midgets, a mini is too small. He'll outgrow it 1/2 way through his first race. Best to start on a junior.

Bikebros

A 7 year old kid on a full sized bike with 20" wheels is hopeless. The handlebars will come up to the kids armpits and he won't have a hope of doing any more than just staying upright. Hoffman Bikes makes freestyle bikes in both 16 and 18 inch sizes because he understands the importance of the bike being relatively the same size for a small rider as for a full sized rider. Once the rider gets to be over 5 feet tall, then you can start with a short top-tubed bike with 20 inch wheels.

As for prices, you will easily be able to get two bikes, a full-faced helmet (required for racing in Alberta), some gloves (also a requirement) and a jersey (not required, but it makes the kids feel like superstars) for under a grand.

As you have said, you know nothing about BMX bikes, so probably avoid used stuff. As Murphy's law has it, every time a nice guy, just looking to save some bucks goes out and buys bmx stuff, there is someone waiting to pawn off old crap that is outdated and has mechanical problems. I often see people spend more getting an old bike updated and working properly than if they had just bought new to start with. Otherwise, talk to the local BMX association and see if there is someone trustable AND knowledgable enough to advise you. If you stay in BMX long enough, you'll soon find out that there are a bunch of self professed experts who pass along really stupid information. Who knows, maybe I'm one of those guys. I have been spewing off ******** information like this for over 20 years to anyone who would listen. If you choose to go to the local bike shop, do some research. Lots of places sell BMX, but most of them are absolutely clueless to the subtleties (like sizing kids bmx bikes).

cheers,

Brian

More good advice from Bikebros (Where have you been hiding?).

Apologies to Queensrider. He does know a thing or two.

As for the bike, how tall is this kid? I hate to keep repeating myself, but size matters. He should try a compact 20" and a 16" before deciding which one he needs. Personally, I don't see a 7 year old doing that many tricks. Only the parent can judge how well their kid is going to progress though. And if he gets a lot of stuff dialled in on a 16", he'll adapt to a 20".

queensrider86

he will be hopeless when he starts out. after i while he would learn how to jump and progress.

I ,met this kid at the brooklyn banks riding a 16 inch. kid was about 13, pretty short, about 4ft 6 inches tall.
he was nice, throwing 180 bars like nothing. soon after, he got to big for it, and got a 20 inch. couldn't even jump it.

for this 7 year old kid, you don't need a full size frame. a 19 would be good. i remember seeing 18 inch pbrs. a small crank would be good. short bars, 36h wheels.