6 1/2 year old - 4'2" & 72#s
 

My son needs a new bike, and I want to get him a BMX bike. He has friends that are getting GTs for Christmas. I don't know anything about what brands of bikes are good. I have looked at both GTs and Haro brands, but want suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

he's six years old. get him whatever. I say buy the 50 dollar bike at toys R us. no one on here will agree with me....i'm sure.

he's going to outgrow it, so why spend a bunch of money on it? he may leave it in the driveway for you neighbor to run over, so why spend a bunch of money on it?

he's not really big enough to do any real stunts or ride it hard enough to really break it.

get a bike that fits him and let him have fun.

Agreed. You can even get away with a used bike as long as the colors and seat are cool looking.

Not big enough to do real stunts? that's no kind of attitude.. I've seen 8 year olds do 360s over my head and icepicks across picinic table benches.. but still, yea I wouldn't spend a million dollars on a bike for a 6 year old, he will grow out of it.. I don't know the name of the bike, maybe some one could help me out, but I know Hoffman makes a bike that chnages from either 16" to 18" or 18" to 20" as the child outgrows it.. that would be a good idea if he wants a decent kids bike that he can have for a while and upgrade if he really gets into bmx in the future..

Thank you.... I don't want to spend a fortune, but I just bought him a bike last year that he has out grown - kind of a beginner bike. I want to get him something that he can use for the next 3 years.

I'm considering a Haro X1 or X2... any thoughts? What about GT (his friends are getting GTs for Christmas).

Don't give me vague - get whatever since he is going to grow out of it answers, they don't really help.

At his age he would most likely be happy with what his friends have. Get him a GT. I wouldn't pay over $150 or so... Check ebay for a used one maybe.

I know there are kids that rip that are very young. but they are rare. most six year olds can not ride that well. at that age, it's usually about being with your friends and riding around.

at 34, that's still what it's like for me....;)

heres a deal a 16" mosh method mini $109.99 . item # 43-101823 at www.danscomp.com

I've gotta go with everyone else on this, whatever you buy, don't spend a lot and get almost anything.

He is big enough to need - or at least want - a 20" bike (20" tires) so I wouldn't go with anything under that size, especially if you want it to last until he is 9.

I would say the golden rule is to avoid Wal-Mart/Toys-R-Us... but your son is still not hard enough on bikes, and likely not serious enough with them for any of it to really matter. Whatever bike you buy will last a while. At his age, GT and Haro are brand names that aren't going to be utilzed for many years yet. So, you pay more, you get more, and your son won't be using it.

If you are looking for a very good price value - the Mosh Brass 1-Star on www.danscomp.com will be far superior to anything in Walmart/Toys-R-Us and is 125 bucks + shipping. It will last your son many years with proper maintenance.

MOST IMPORTANT: Like a car, a bicycle needs regular maintenance. It needs to be kept out of the rain and needs new brake cables annually and proper greasing of all bearings. Cars use seals on almost everything to keep dirt and gunk out, bikes do not. So, they require a little more maintenance to keep them going. Any bike you get, will last longer, if you (Dad) make sure it is tight and safe for your son.

My boy is essentially the same age and size - big for his age. In September I picked up a K2 Maintime Expert from rei (online), but it's a decent BMX with an aluminum frame and 20" wheels. The frameset is built for smaller riders. The only thing I wasn't in love with is the one-piece crank (I bought a 3-piece for $55 on ebay so I'm happy now). Got it here for $200 - frankly, Dicks might have something close to the spec and price, except maybe the aluminum bit. This bike should last him for many years, and after that, his little brother.

HTH,
Ron

i would get him a haro 360 or a 540 air, on the haro 360 you could just buy a new 20" fork and new 20" wheelset. Tell me if im wrong guys.

You're completely wrong. The Haro Mirra 360 is a 16" bike.

I'd stay away from a 16" bike, my boy has nearly outgrown his and he's about the same size (4'4", 66lbs.) as randallboones. They grow crazy fast at that age - my just-turned-5-year old just moved up to a 16." If you're talking about being competitive in races, that's a different issue. I got the impression this was a ride-around-and-have-fun bike though, in which case I'd absolutely go 20" wheels.

I just got him a Trek MT220. Here is the link... Let me know what you think....

http://bikebarn.com/site/itemdetails...=39&sort=Price

Its not a BMX, but a mt bike. I think he'll like the gears...

should have gotten him a bmx........

ditto's.

you got him a mtb bike cause you'll think he like the gears? take it back and get him a BMX bike

It's an allright mtb, but yea, I'de be all about the bmx when i was a kid if i was lucky enough to have been into bikes then.