Writing this article has been on my mind for a while now. The article is written to represent parents everywhere they search for the first BMX bike of their boy or girl!
I have been operating my own bike shop from my parents ‘ home in Phoenix, Arizona, Donnie’s Bicycle Store for over 7 years, and I’m thrilled to be able to share some important information with you!
Next, let’s think about the terms for BMX bike and where you ought or ought not to purchase the first cycle from your son or daughter. With Haro, you can’t go wrong. HARO BMX has been around for so long, and new and innovative models are still being produced. DiamondBack is also trustworthy, lightweight, and the company is solid rock again. Even highly recommended is the Red-Line BMX.
Mongoose is my favorite BMX line when it comes to purchasing from a real bike store that understands what they’re doing. For years, Mongoose has been making BMX bikes that knock the tails of everybody, creating the most stunning bikes! But you’ll need to find the real, local bike shop manager because you don’t want to purchase from Wal-Mart or any other chain store. You may also want to email Mongoose directly and ask for a BMX race-bike collection only.
My first BMX bike was Mongoose’s JAG BMX bike, and for many years the bike has served me well. If you can get one, it’s definitely worth it. My first motorcycle, with white MotoMags, had a shiny cream-orange body. I suggest Motomags. But be careful, no imitations of Motoman, and there’s a ton of them. Motomag must be told by the mag.
A note about the handles! Today’s BMX bicycles are coming out with some of the children’s hands ‘ most awkward handles! Have the owner of the bike shop show you the variety of grips available, and for me, the strongest is a silicone type, or a really soft rubber gel is OK too. Once I fell, I just liked the foam grips as they withstand the drop pain!
Look out for the Dyno series for GT. The components are not as good on most of them and if you don’t trust me, go to the thrift store in your area, and you’ll see a lot of GT Dyno’s. Personally, I wouldn’t purchase a GT bicycle from my son or daughter unless it was one of the top models in the series. I also had an airborne struggle with them on landing when my dad bought me at the local bike shop in Mesa due to the awesome Mongoose BMX.
Buy a bike from a regular bike shop for your son. Do not buy it from Wal-Mart, Target, Walmart, or Sam’s Club. Such bicycles bear the names of Schwinn, Mongoose, and more, but let me tell you that they are not the true Mccoy!
That said, watch out for sellers of high-pressure bikes, too. Believe it or not, it’s out there! If they have such a good product, why should they subject you under pressure?
Return to the titles of the labels. If you’re buying a Schwinn, Mongoose, or another formerly well-trusted bike, deal directly with the company or a reputable local bike shop. In your nearest bicycle shop, you won’t find any Wal-Mart BMX bikes!
As for the equipment, now! If you’re planning to get a bicycle for your son or daughter, make sure you’re invested in ultra-light aluminum or Chromoly rims. There are so many bicycles selling out with inexpensive rims and cranksets. To get your kid the right parts, it’s worth the extra one for two hundred bucks. They will last longer and one of the best and worst BMX bikes on the block will be your child!
That said, invest in three pieces of aluminum cranks or one piece of aluminum, titanium, or Chromoly or whatever another type of materials they have in the space shuttle! Don’t choose regular steel cranks. Get a bicycle with a lifetime or frame guarantee of at least twenty years.
Buy in the 1984 Schwinn Sting if you want to purchase a classic BMX bike from e-bay or a nearby sale. That bike to the bone man is totally bad. Any new Schwinn Sting versions should also be purchased.
Sure, let’s talk about the rims. There must be light on the rims. There are so many thick plastic rims on BMX bikes. Lightweight steel should be the rims. You also want to ask about closed bearing hubs because they almost always do not need repair, and they put them on the best BMX bikes all over the world.
Confide in your child, too. It’s a bike for them if they love the bike. But let them know that you love them to ask for upgrades on the rims, tires and brakes!
BMX bikes should also have the best brakes in the mid-range. Get alloy or dollar-high brakes again. For goodness ‘ sake, this is the protection of your son! Do you know how many cheap brakes on BMX bikes are there? Believe me; you don’t want to ask. Over the years, I have destroyed several of myself!
If the bike offers it, it’s okay to get the standard hub that also breaks with the right leg, and hand brakes double the stopping power! Even, I can’t count all the times I’ve been fishing on my BMX bike with this app in Mesa, Arizona! You might not get that on some of the higher-end bikes, but you’re still going to get that on many! Tell the two if they’ve had it, the handbrake model of the coaster!
Invest in a mid-range helmet, which is certified by ANSI and is marked by them. Get gloves that are also of excellent quality. Without them, every BMX bike should have goosekneck, handlebar, and top frame pads, bare minimum, not let your child take the bike.
Welded frames should have beautiful smooth welds that you would like to feed from. Don’t purchase that ugly-looking welded wheel. Even, look out for over-priced bikes with lovely welds but poor components.
I always like to buy the same gear for my BMX bikes! If all Shimano’s spokes, cranks, pedals, and so on, that’s a good thing. The wheel is built with Shimano. I would be steering away from BMX bikes with lightweight handlebars, but large cranks, spokes, and 10 businesses!
Ultimately, there are just a few crucial things to remember. Weight. Get the lowest weight rims, hubs, and highest quality materials. Getting a heavy frame is good, but don’t hesitate to tires, tires, or most all-brakes! Buy from a Bike Dealer a Haro, Diamond-Back, Red-Line, or Mongoose, and you’ll be happy! Can longer buy from local chain stores, ever! Purchase BMX directly from your local bike shop!
Have fun, hopefully, and run! Don’t purchase it if you can’t jump on the wheel. For running, the frames should be removed! And remember, most of all, for at least 5-7 years, your BMX bike will be part of the life of your son or daughter, so go ahead and spend a few hundred more on better components. And remember, hitting a ramp, flying up, holding the bars, kicking out the rear wheel, and just hanging on, feeling nothing but the air and rising above the ground, on a BMX bike, is something your child will never forget and will pass on from generation to generation.
Don Alexander is a writer and published poet with two online missions: sharing his writing and helping in the online business “all to succeed.” Don feels that today’s average American online home business is the financial answer.
