BMX - good for kids?

[Paul]

I'm fairly sure the answer is yes, but that's really just the intro.

Louis (5) saw his first bmx racing on Sunday (Perry Barr, Birmingham - just down the road from Granny's house).

He seemed to love it, but he gets enthusiatic about a lot of things. It's a closed book to me - I don't even particularly like it. But if he did I wouldn't mind encouraging him. It doesn't look as though it needs to be very expensive (unless you really get into it, and do it around the country, I suppose).

It might just be the case that I get him a half decent 2nd hand bike that he rides a bit, but doesn't get the bug for competing.

I'm just wondering whether anyone else has either been into bmx, or has/knows a kid/anyone who is, and what their experience was/is.

[DrMekon]

Been looking into this for my boy, having ridden BMX as a kid, and then again in my 20s (still got a WeThePeople in the garage). The conclusion I came to is that I'm not committed enough to do it properly. BMXs can be good for kids if you get the right bike. If not, they are overgeared beasts of burden. An entry level race bike was what I was looking into

http://www.customriders.com/prodshow.asp?prodid=14834&cat=67&parent=1010&sid=3

However, he'll turn up to races full of kids on ones like this

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=77661

Yes, £800 for a kids bike. Imagine what you can spend when you start upgrading.

If he's going to ride dirt (jumps) or street, wait until he's older (8+), IMO. Any steel framed bike that can take the abuse will be way too heavy, IMO. We don't like near a track, so have stuck with an Islabike for riding and got him a stunt scooter for jumping and tricks (the race bikes aren't built for that). He's really made a lot of progress on his stunt scooter - he's doing really nice no-footer ollies at the mo', and is currently learning to do x-ups.

[Paul]

Thanks DrM, that's really helpful. Frankly, I can't afford the first option, let alone the £800 race bike.

I'm gonna need a translator for this, though:

he's doing really nice no-footer ollies at the mo', and is currently learning to do x-ups.

[DrMekon]

Yeah, junior race bikes are horribly expensive. They always have been. I think it's because it's a relatively limited market.

Seems to me that the problem is because of what BMX are supposed to be able to do, so some conservative engineering choices get made. It's silly, IMO. I was a reckless kid, and I never got more than a couple of feet of air. I've not found a light, non-race BMX for sub teenagers.

I would love to get him one of those bikes, but it'd be silly when an Islabike is a much better bicycle for less money.

No footer (my 6yr old does them bigger with more style) - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/xn2_LaiLSDk&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/xn2_LaiLSDk&rel=1</a>

X-up -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8K4-1R6BLs

I can do both, and have just mastered an x-ride - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ORXtBoDNr

Scooters are great fun - much easier than BMX. I'm hoping that it'll be good prep for when he's big enough for BMX.