First and foremost, remember this: Buying a BMX bike from Solano Avenue Cyclery will assure you that you get what you need, and that you get a quality product. We have been into BMX since 1986, have competed on the National circuit, have worked in the industry for bike companies and three of the major BMX magazines and spend our days studying what’s new and good in the world of BMX bikes.

The brands we sell aren’t necessarily the biggest names from TV. Why? Just because a company has the money to advertise and sponsor riders who win the X Games doesn’t mean the product is any good. Time has proven that guys with engineering degrees and no history in BMX can build bikes, but they won’t be worth riding (JAD, Mountain Cycle, Trek, Gary Fisher, Slingshot, and yes, even the early Specialized BMX bikes were pretty much all crap).

Generally speaking, the good products come from “Rider Owned” companies or companies who have a staff of dedicated BMX riders. Many rider owned companies, or ones with a good staff of BMX riders build only high-end expensive components or frames, so you might spend $350 just on a frame, however others have begun building complete bikes that cost less than that.

Here’s another important point, your money goes much further when buying a complete bike, then when upgrading later. Example: A $250 complete bike has a steel frame and fork, single-wall rims, loose ball bearing hubs, a loose ball bearing headset, and a cheap steel three-piece crank with a loose ball bearing bottom bracket. A $450 complete bike has a full chromoly frame and fork (much lighter and stronger), double- or triple-wall rims (WAY stronger), sealed bearing hubs (never come loose), an integrated sealed bearing headset (also never comes loose), and a high-end chromoly or aluminum three-piece crankset with a sealed bearing bottom bracket (these cranks will last many years and won’t creak and come loose). If you bought a $250 BMX bike and spent $200 on a pair of nice high-end wheels just like the ones the $450 bike comes with, you’ll have spent $450 but still won’t have a nice frame, fork, crankset, etc.

Now there is a diminishing rate of returns on anything, BMX bikes included. We have BMX bikes that sell for $1,400 and up. Those are custom built from high-end parts and are literally the same, part-for-part as guys making $250,000 riding BMX for a living. Is a $1,400 bike better than a $450 bike? Of course. But you get more upgrades for your money jumping from $250 to $450 than from $450 to $1,400.

Now having said all that, we’re not saying that a $250 bike isn’t a fine bike, one just has to consider what the bike will be used for and purchase accordingly. Will it see infrequent use or just be pedaled to school? $200-$300 is fine. Will it get used as a BMX bike (skatepark, dirt jumps, racing, or going BMX riding with buddies that like to get air)? $400-$600 is going to get a bike that will withstand almost anything.

Also remember that BMX bikes fit differently than “Adult” bikes, so a 13 year old and a 30 year old may very well ride the same size BMX bike. That means you don’t have to replace it every two years when a growth spurt kicks in, and assuming it’s taken care of, a quality BMX bike will easily last 10-15 years.

And for anyone thinking, “Man, those guys just want to sell me a more expensive bike,” remember this, we make more money selling you high-end parts down the road than selling you a nicer bike from the get-go. We really want people to get the right bike, and we want it to last because that is what keeps riders in the sport. Buying the wrong bike and wearing it out in 6-12 months doesn’t help the customer or us because they end up bummed out and then buy a PlayStation or X-Box instead of a new bike. And that, I’m pretty sure, both parties want to avoid.

Types-O-Bikes:

Freestyle Bikes
Freestyle bikes, as they are often called are basically what you see the guys on the X Games riding the vert ramp on. They all have steel or chromoly frames, have gyros (these allow for “barspins” without the brake cable tangling up), 2 or 4 pegs, oversized 14mm front and rear axles, and usually front and rear brakes. These bikes are very versatile since they have all the bells and whistles, but all that stuff adds weight. Freestyle bikes tend to be the heaviest of the three categories.

Street/Park/Jumping Bikes
Street/Park/Jumping bikes are built tough like the Freestyle bikes with steel or chromoly frames, but lack some of the bell-and-whistles the freestyle bikes have. These may or may not have a gyro, and pegs, may have a 3/8” front axle up front in place of a 14mm axle, and will have only a rear brake. Most of the time these bikes can have things like a gyro and pegs added down the road if they don’t already come with it.

Race Bikes
These are the lightest out of the three BMX bike categories. They are called “Race” bikes, though most people don’t actually race them, and there is nothing wrong with riding them around. In fact, they’re an excellent bike for the kid that wants to jump off curbs and get a little air, but doesn’t need a gyro and pegs, since these are so much lighter than the other two categories. These bikes may have either steel, lightweight chromoly, or aluminum frames, 3/8” front and rear axles, and a single rear linear pull “V-brake.” These bikes will fit pegs, but it’s for show only, as any kind of use will tend to bend the axles. Gyro’s are not compatible with these bikes. These are the types of bikes you will see being used by the BMX racers in the 2008 Olympics.

“Cruisers” (24” Wheel BMX Bikes)
Not as in Beach Cruiser, but big BMX bikes. Cruiser is a nickname these bikes got in the early days of racing about three decades ago, and it just stuck. It simply means any BMX bike with 24” (or sometimes 26”) wheels. Cruisers don’t have their own separate category because these bikes exist in “Race” and “Street/Park/Jumping” styles, but they are listed apart from the 20” wheel BMX bikes below for ease of finding them.