Cheap BMX bikes are the ones I see in the garbage most often. Maybe they are freecycling a prefectly functioning bike.

Saw the video, looked like kids at clown college.

Don't know about hipsters but I'm seeing kids in my area riding mountain bikes with upside down riser bars & bar ends, seriously.

When I was a kid, I had a Stingray, and was the hippest kid--except for one other, who had a Stingray with the tiny front tire (and shocks). But then BMX came in. I tossed my banana seat and hirise bars, and converted that poor Stingray into a BMX bike that I rode until I was 18 and went to college. And yes, I _did_ do tricks on it--mostly airborn. However I _never_ did any of the stuff that kids do today, simply because I never knew they were possible (this was the 70s--and earliest 80s)! I've always been kind of jealous of them. :-) And no, I don't knock teens who ride only BMX bikes. I did it too. Now, if you're in your 20s..... :-D

-Jon

This is the most ******** thing I've ever read on BF. You fail.

Funny, I had a Stingray style bike (I'm sure it wasn't a real Schwinn) in the 60's but by 1970 we all wanted "10-speeds". I grew through a couple of crappy department store bikes (remember the Sears Free Spirit line?) until I decided to buy my own bike. I bought a beautiful Italian "racing" bike for the princely sum (for a 12 yo) of $175. People (especially my parents) though I was crazy but I had the coolest bike in the neighborhood. An unpronounceable name, chrome lugs, a sprinkling of Campagnolo parts. Then in the late 70's I think, my freind's little brother got this new bike for Christmas or his birthday or something. It was a tiny bike called a BMX bike with a flashy metallic red paint job and all gold anondized aluminum components (very unusual back then) that cost $450! A generation gap had been created because none of us guys on our "10-speeds" had any desire to go out and get BMX bikes and the younger guys didn't want 10-speeds. Funny because we're only talking about a 5 year difference in age. We were probably in our late teens and this kid was maybe 12-13. There are parks around town here where you can bring your BMX bike or skate board to do tricks but I suspect mostly it's just a matter of having what's popular 'cause there just aren't that many kids at those parks. I think by the time many kids outgrow their BMX bike they're focused on getting their first car and loose interest in bikes so they don't replace it.