Help with bmx purchase for son please
 

I'm usually posting over in the roadie section here but my 13 year old is wanting to purchase a new bmx bike and came to me for some guidance. Problem is, I know absolutely nothing about them so now I turn to you guys here. For starters, he is a rather tall and lanky kid who is right at 6ft 2in tall already and has been riding his wal mart bmx (according to him) comfortably for the last 3 years or so he's had it. He has also expressed the desire to have a chrome moly frame, three piece crank, and larger than usual handlebars? I guess my biggest concern is frame size at this point, should I be looking at 20, 20.5, 21, etc... Logic tells me to bump him up to a frame with 24in wheels but he resists that thought because at that point its just a cruiser?

Anyway, sorry for the newbie questions here but he's on a mission and I hope to have some insight as to what to look for. I'd also like to get some recommendations as to where to get a deal on maybe some leftover stock or closeouts on a decent entry level bike. Thanks!

Dans Comp has all sizes. BMX bikes are sized according to top tube length, with pro, pro xl, and pro xxl sizes.

Your boy needs a pro xxl machine. It won't be cheap necessarily but you may be able to find a deal there

As well, my sizing recommendations are for true BMX bikes-- I don't know how the clown bikes are sized (freestyle oriented bikes that is)

It depends on what kind of riding he wants to do... a 24'' is generally OK for racing, but is considered a "Cruiser" as most of them are extremely difficult to do tricks on.

If he's already been riding for 3 years he probably has a good idea of his want's and needs. To me it sounds more like he's ready to move up to a better quality more professional BMX.

I'm 6'2 and I can ride a 20.5 TT very comfortably, but that's because I grew up on 18''TT's. 21'' maybe the way to go for him, but it really depends on the geometry of the frame, and yes the size of the handle bars.

+1. your stunt riding BMX bike is not sat on .. so seat is way down. sat on while talking to your friends, stopped , not riding..
Trials riding, a more European sport. their specialist frames have no seat at all..

and the 406 tire 20" wheels will hold up better under the abuse of stunt riding and practicing..


Local bike shop here carries a few brands of BMX bikes, what does your local shop carry?




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Thanks guys, after doing a bit of research we are now leaning towards building up a frame. This way, he gets the components he wants and we get the enjoyment of working on the bike together. Now its deciding on which frame? Right now we're leaning towards this Redline Covet which is available in a 21 and only $160.00 2016 Covet | Redline Bicycles

Awesome! Frames come and go, so spend the money on a really good set of wheels and crank. Those parts always transfer to the next bike and so on.

BITD(90's)... I kid you not I went through over 20 BMX frames. But like a hermit crab I always kept the wheels and the crank for the next bike.

That's going to be my next question, what are some good choices for budget minded but decent wheelsets and cranks? Again, I'm completely clueless when I look at some of the bmx stuff. Is there anything I should stay away from? Maybe if someone could recommend three decent sets of wheels and three different cranks to consider and possibly a few websites to shop that are your go to for bmx parts that would help. Thanks.

Well the main website I use is Dans Comp https://www.danscomp.com/ (They have been around since the 80's, and 90% of BMXers have used them at one time or another)

It's tough to recommend wheels without knowing what type of riding he's into. What to look for is they come in three types. Triple, double, and single wall. Triple is the strongest and usually the most expensive, but they are getting harder to find because many doubles now days are just as strong but lighter. Single wall are a complete waste of time.

Id expect to pay at least $200 for a rear wheel, and $150 for a front... Some of the more popular brands are Cinema, Alienation, Colony. Most kids these days like to order custom wheels with a particular Rim & Hub.

Cranks: Well some or the higher end brands are: Eclat, Profile, Odyssey. Personally I have 1664 cranks on my bike and they are pretty awesome.