BMX bike - help please!

quenching

I need to buy a BMX bike for a tall 9 year old but know nothing of BMX's. Its only for playing on so nothing fancy needed, but I'd like to avoid complete rubbish. What do I need to spend to get something acceptable and what do I need to look for or avoid. Are Halfords best avoided, this for example:

http://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/bmx-bikes/voodoo-malice-bmx-bike#tab3

Lumen

Looks fine. I've read good things about the VooDoo bikes (though not that one specifically).

That's a skate park bike (as opposed to a racing BMX), you can tell by the tiny chainring. Better clearance for obstacles.

3-piece cranks tend to be a sign of reasonable quality.

Dunno about sizing though.

quenching

Lumen wrote: »

Looks fine. I've read good things about the VooDoo bikes (though not that one specifically).

That's a skate park bike (as opposed to a racing BMX), you can tell by the tiny chainring. Better clearance for obstacles.

3-piece cranks tend to be a sign of reasonable quality.

Dunno about sizing though.

Cheers Lumen, always a font of knowledge I was wondering about the chainring size difference alright but wasn't aware of the reason for the difference. Might nip over to Halfords with son and check it out. Thanks again.

rizzodun

That Voodoo looks decent value, spec says steel frame but I think it's chromoly,, which is lighter which helps if he plans to learn doing tricks with it, and a decent frame is a good starting point as he can upgrade the parts down the road if needs be.
The weight advertised is 15.5kg on the website but it might be best to get that confirmed in the shop.

BMX can come 18'', 20'' or even 24'' wheel size, this one is the most common 20'.
The top tube is 20.5'', which I think covers normally a optimum rider height of 155-175cm, but don't quote me on this, everyone is different, get him into the shop and try it out.

We The People and Haro are the known names in BMX as far as I'm aware, but a We The People could set you back €400+
That's the limit of my BMX knowledge, been toying with buying one for over a year now, but need to sort out another MTB first!

Lumen

rizzodun wrote: »

That's the limit of my BMX knowledge, been toying with buying one for over a year now, but need to sort out another MTB first!

Been toying with selling my one for about the same time... :pac:

Will stick it up on the adverts subforum later in the week.

Harrybelafonte

When considering the chainring size, bear in mind the distances they might travel. My dude is on a heft enough size, but he commutes school. He'd be driven mad with the tiny skatepark size though. I have four here and thinking of selling the racing Redline as it's just not going to be used.

WillyFXP

One thing to consider about that particular bike, if your son wants to do tricks or freestyle that bike doesn't have a 360o headset ie. the bars cant spin round without the brake cables getting in the way.

paddydriver

WillyFXP wrote: »

One thing to consider about that particular bike, if your son wants to do tricks or freestyle that bike doesn't have a 360o headset ie. the bars cant spin round without the brake cables getting in the way.

The spinner headset was first thing I looked for too.. I longed for one of them back in my 80's BMX days.

luapenak

WillyFXP wrote: »

One thing to consider about that particular bike, if your son wants to do tricks or freestyle that bike doesn't have a 360o headset ie. the bars cant spin round without the brake cables getting in the way.

Giros! You don't see them on many BMXs at the minute. No brakes is all the rage so it's not a problem, but of course the shops can't sell bike brakeless.

ThisRegard

paddydriver wrote: »

The spinner headset was first thing I looked for too.. I longed for one of them back in my 80's BMX days.

Didn't know they even existed back then, I had to be satisfied with spinning them 180 and cycling off with backwards facing handlebars.