Discussion
My little boy got a balance bike a few weeks ago, and has taken to it like crazy. I made sure to buy him the best one I could find, because why not, and ended up getting him a Hornit Airo (£140) which I can hugely recommend to any other parents. It is extremely well designed and made, and even I've ridden on it 
It rolls so easily and absolutely flies along.
Because he took to it so fast over the last few weeks, I took him to a tarmac BMX pump-track thingy in a local park. I was expecting him to just pootle along the straights and not really tackle much else, but to my surprise and utter horror, after about 10 mins he was circling the whole track like a pro including going up the big hills and then absolutely flying down the drops, over the humps, and round the banked corners, laughing his head off the whole time.
Because I'm an unfit man who is fast approaching middle age, I have now realised that I'm on the verge of not being able to keep up with him on the level when he gets really pushing himself along. He can fly along and I'm having to 'Dad run' to attempt to keep up with him, which is pretty unsightly.
So I have decided I need a bike to cycle along with him. I don't want a road bike or a mountain bike, as these are just too large and ungainly. I want something small that I can chuck in the boot of the car, and also that I can just hop on and off really easily when out with him.
I have stupidly decided that I want a BMX as surely one of those will be small, light, can be put in the boot of my car, and I can also ride it on a BMX track with him for a bit of fun, which will no doubt result in me breaking bones and being off work for 3 months.
I'll probably try to buy a cheap used one locally and see how I get on. There appears to be a few cheap modern ones for sale.
The last time I owned a BMX was in 1988, so I have no idea what I'm looking at, but I have questions:
I note some bikes have chainsets where the front sprocket and rear sprocket are the same size, and some have a big front sprocket. What I am wanting for just casual cycling along and possibly some riding round a little track? I'm guessing that the bikes with larger front sprockets are for faster cycling with less rotations of the pedals?
Seat height - Most bikes advertised have the seat lowered right down onto the frame to a point where it looks like actually sitting on the bike and pedalling it is impossible. Do most of them have a long seat post that can be raised up to make them actually rideable or is the idea to have the seat so low to keep it out the way for doing BMX stunt type stuff?
Lastly - Am I stupid for buying a BMX to actually cycle on? I just thought it would be fun for the relatively short distances I do with my boy, but if you guys say they are horrible to actually cycle anywhere then I will reconsider!
Cheers
It rolls so easily and absolutely flies along.Because he took to it so fast over the last few weeks, I took him to a tarmac BMX pump-track thingy in a local park. I was expecting him to just pootle along the straights and not really tackle much else, but to my surprise and utter horror, after about 10 mins he was circling the whole track like a pro including going up the big hills and then absolutely flying down the drops, over the humps, and round the banked corners, laughing his head off the whole time.
Because I'm an unfit man who is fast approaching middle age, I have now realised that I'm on the verge of not being able to keep up with him on the level when he gets really pushing himself along. He can fly along and I'm having to 'Dad run' to attempt to keep up with him, which is pretty unsightly.
So I have decided I need a bike to cycle along with him. I don't want a road bike or a mountain bike, as these are just too large and ungainly. I want something small that I can chuck in the boot of the car, and also that I can just hop on and off really easily when out with him.
I have stupidly decided that I want a BMX as surely one of those will be small, light, can be put in the boot of my car, and I can also ride it on a BMX track with him for a bit of fun, which will no doubt result in me breaking bones and being off work for 3 months.
I'll probably try to buy a cheap used one locally and see how I get on. There appears to be a few cheap modern ones for sale.
The last time I owned a BMX was in 1988, so I have no idea what I'm looking at, but I have questions:
I note some bikes have chainsets where the front sprocket and rear sprocket are the same size, and some have a big front sprocket. What I am wanting for just casual cycling along and possibly some riding round a little track? I'm guessing that the bikes with larger front sprockets are for faster cycling with less rotations of the pedals?
Seat height - Most bikes advertised have the seat lowered right down onto the frame to a point where it looks like actually sitting on the bike and pedalling it is impossible. Do most of them have a long seat post that can be raised up to make them actually rideable or is the idea to have the seat so low to keep it out the way for doing BMX stunt type stuff?
Lastly - Am I stupid for buying a BMX to actually cycle on? I just thought it would be fun for the relatively short distances I do with my boy, but if you guys say they are horrible to actually cycle anywhere then I will reconsider!
Cheers
They are very twitchy and you need to be stood up aprt from that they are fun to ride. If you’re anywhere near East Midlands i have one you can have for a bargain price that will outlast you and can be passed onto the nipper.
Subrosa Malum
Subrosa Malum
Edited by Sheetmaself on Friday 28th June 16:38
I was in the same situation a few years ago.
I still had my bmx from 15 years before but it was old and heavy and felt cramped so i bought a new frame with a longer top tube. And this made a big differance to using it without getting a sore back.
I would recomend one with at least a 21" top tube.
Or if you have space in the car one with 24" wheel if its just getting used as a "cruser" rather than using a skate park and big jumps etc
I still had my bmx from 15 years before but it was old and heavy and felt cramped so i bought a new frame with a longer top tube. And this made a big differance to using it without getting a sore back.
I would recomend one with at least a 21" top tube.
Or if you have space in the car one with 24" wheel if its just getting used as a "cruser" rather than using a skate park and big jumps etc
I want a bit of both I think.
Something small enough to have a bit of fun chasing my little boy around a small pump track and something to cruise along on, but not very far, probably up to a mile per outing.
I'm somewhat confused about the differences between adult bikes and kids/teenagers bikes? Most online stores selling new bikes, or adverts for used ones, don't seem to differentiate between bikes for teens and adults?
I'm guessing this is because once a BMX reaches a certain wheel and frame size thats as big as they get? Essentially an adults bike is the same size as a teenagers?
I'm quite short if that helps with the assessment - about 5' 6" or 168cm.
Something small enough to have a bit of fun chasing my little boy around a small pump track and something to cruise along on, but not very far, probably up to a mile per outing.
I'm somewhat confused about the differences between adult bikes and kids/teenagers bikes? Most online stores selling new bikes, or adverts for used ones, don't seem to differentiate between bikes for teens and adults?
I'm guessing this is because once a BMX reaches a certain wheel and frame size thats as big as they get? Essentially an adults bike is the same size as a teenagers?
I'm quite short if that helps with the assessment - about 5' 6" or 168cm.
Le Gavroche said:
Very nice!
I had a blue Raleigh Burner with the yellow 5 spoke wheels when I was a kid. My parents hate throwing anything away so it's probably still in the garage or loft somewhere!
I imagine it's too small for me now
Sounds like a Tuff Burner, mag wheels would be Skyway Tuffs(hence the name)Raleigh changed to some sI had a blue Raleigh Burner with the yellow 5 spoke wheels when I was a kid. My parents hate throwing anything away so it's probably still in the garage or loft somewhere!
I imagine it's too small for me now
tty 6 spoke crap later I think.The Burners were hugely popular ,decent price and a trusted name but they were a bit basic on the construction side.
The join at the bottom bracket was essentially one end flattened and then welded on the surface instead of the tube being through a hole and then welded.
Only the Pro burners were the real deal as they were Tange tubing.
https://www.sourcebmx.com/pages/bmx-bike-buyers-gu...
Might be worth a read of that. When i rode properly up until i was 18 i had a 20.0" TT. The shorter TT helped with spins and tricks etc on ramps. But when i had to start following my son about (at the old feeling age of 28) pump tracks, skate parks or just normal parks. I felt it was far too small so i got a 21.5" frame and swapped other parts over.
This was much better and a lot more stable. I can do 5 or 6 miles on it with out getting a sore back.
Might be worth a read of that. When i rode properly up until i was 18 i had a 20.0" TT. The shorter TT helped with spins and tricks etc on ramps. But when i had to start following my son about (at the old feeling age of 28) pump tracks, skate parks or just normal parks. I felt it was far too small so i got a 21.5" frame and swapped other parts over.
This was much better and a lot more stable. I can do 5 or 6 miles on it with out getting a sore back.
As someone that has ridden BMX for the last 40 years, and still does. 
I'd say from your experience levels do not buy a 20" wheel BMX.
The tool for the job is a 24" wheel BMX, confusingly also referred to as a 'cruiser'
A 20" BMX especially a shortish top tube park style bike will be very unstable for an inexperienced rider, a BMX race style bike (especially a 24" wheel one) will have a much longer front end and back triangle which will make it much more forgiving on a pump track, add a longer seatpost and a quick release seatpost clamp and you have a bike that you can happily ride for up to 10 miles or so and than ride round the track.
These are more bike than you need but it's the type of thing you want.
https://alansbmx.com/collections/24-inch/products/...
https://www.sourcebmx.com/products/jet-bmx-acceler...
I'd say from your experience levels do not buy a 20" wheel BMX.The tool for the job is a 24" wheel BMX, confusingly also referred to as a 'cruiser'
A 20" BMX especially a shortish top tube park style bike will be very unstable for an inexperienced rider, a BMX race style bike (especially a 24" wheel one) will have a much longer front end and back triangle which will make it much more forgiving on a pump track, add a longer seatpost and a quick release seatpost clamp and you have a bike that you can happily ride for up to 10 miles or so and than ride round the track.
These are more bike than you need but it's the type of thing you want.
https://alansbmx.com/collections/24-inch/products/...
https://www.sourcebmx.com/products/jet-bmx-acceler...
Edited by raceboy on Monday 1st July 15:35
Thank you Raceboy... however it is too late... I went and bought a secondhand Blank Tyro at the weekend 
20" wheels and 20.4" top tube.
Only ridden it round my driveway and 10 metres down the road and back so far as haven't had much time spare yet, but I had forgotten how much fun a BMX was, or how much fun a bicycle was. As mentioned I'm 5'6"-5'7 ish and it made a refreshing change to hop on something so small, as I spent my teenage years and my early 20's trying to climb onto mountain bikes or hybrid bikes that seemed absolutely enormous, and I never really enjoyed it that much.
The gearing seems ideal for my needs.
First thing I did was try to move the seat up as far as I could as it felt like my knees were by my ears when sat on the seat, but I discovered the factory seat post was about 3" long
So I have ordered a 400mm long seat post so I can lift the seat up as required.
I modify anything I buy that has wheels, so I think I might do a few mods and maybe even a paint job to the bike.
20" wheels and 20.4" top tube.Only ridden it round my driveway and 10 metres down the road and back so far as haven't had much time spare yet, but I had forgotten how much fun a BMX was, or how much fun a bicycle was. As mentioned I'm 5'6"-5'7 ish and it made a refreshing change to hop on something so small, as I spent my teenage years and my early 20's trying to climb onto mountain bikes or hybrid bikes that seemed absolutely enormous, and I never really enjoyed it that much.
The gearing seems ideal for my needs.
First thing I did was try to move the seat up as far as I could as it felt like my knees were by my ears when sat on the seat, but I discovered the factory seat post was about 3" long
So I have ordered a 400mm long seat post so I can lift the seat up as required.
I modify anything I buy that has wheels, so I think I might do a few mods and maybe even a paint job to the bike.
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