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If you are just getting into BMX,
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| Freestyle Bikes |
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DK Signal ($$):
For anyone interested in “Flatland” riding, ground riding where tricks are done standing on pegs and moving the bike around under you, there are not tons of bike choices out there. An absolute must-have on a flatland bike is a “free coaster,” a rear hub that allows the bike to roll backwards without the cranks spinning backwards. Believe it or not, some flatland bikes lack this necessary feature. The DK Signal however comes to you with not only a free coaster hub, flatland-specific frame geometry, four pegs, and a gyro, but even throws in an excellent set of front and rear brakes and chrome rims for ultimate stopping power. This is a well thought-out bike, with money invested where it's needed (free coaster, chrome rims, good brakes), and money saved in places like the cranks. The Signal comes with a nice one-piece crank that has far less chances of developing creaks and coming loose than a low-end set of 3-piece cranks that would raise the price of the bike, but not necessarily make it better. |
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Felt Ethic ($):
If you've gotta have everything in a freestyle bike, but you're cash flow has a bit of a supply problem, Solano Avenue Cyclery has what you crave. Your choice of orange, black or dark green paint on a slick looking freestyle bike with dual U-brakes, a gyro, four pegs and a set of low-end 3-piece cranks will have your friends thinking you spent all sorts of dough on this Felt. |
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Redline Single-X Park ($$):
First thing I gotta say here, is props to Redline for making this bike available with pink components. Pink is all the rage in high-end aftermarket BMX parts right now, but with this bike a kid can get the hot color without having to buy $1,000 worth of parts. Also available in black with green, and black with blue for those that don't believe that “Pink is the new Black!” The Single-X Park features a basic chromoly 3-piece crank, Tektro brakes with soft-compound brake pads, a gyro, four pegs, 39/14 gearing, and aluminum pedals with tough chromoly spindles.
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DK Dayton ($$$$):
If you want an ultra-slick bike for gettin' rad on all the ramps and parks around, the Dayton may be just the thing for you. You not only get a full chromoly frame with an integrated headset and euro bottom bracket, a full chromoly fork, handlebars, and high-end Chop Stix 3-piece cranks, but also a sealed bearing bottom bracket, a sealed bearing wheelset on chrome double-wall rims, high-pressure Maxxis tires, a gyro, pegs, and a beefy DK trail stem. That's about all the bike most people will ever need. |
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Felt Base 18.5 ($):
The Base 18.5 has been a shop favorite here ever since it's introduction several years ago. For 8-12 year old kids, a “full size” BMX bike doesn't always fit that well due to the reach. So, Felt, among others, have BMX bikes with shorter frames, in this case an 18.5” top tube (versus a more common 20-20.75” on many bikes). Among the other small-kid-sized parts are low rise handlebars and a shorter 3-piece crankset. Other parts include pegs, a gyro, and oversized 14mm axles so junior can go crazy with the pegs without bending the axles. Metallic Blue or Chrome. |
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Felt Base 20 ($):
Not wanting older riders to feel left out, Felt kindly enough also builds the above bike with a 20” top tube. All parts remain the same, except for taller bars and longer cranks. Blood Red or Chrome. |
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DK Cincinnati ($):
For someone looking for a true freestyle bike that won't force you to sell your prized collection of Frosted Flakes cereal bowl caddies, the Cincinnati is much easier on the wallet than it is to spell. Front and rear 990-style “U-brakes”, a gyro, pegs, 48-spoke wheels with Sun rims and a decent set of 3-piece cranks will get you to 7-11 in style or even allow you to get a little air at the skatepark or off your local curb-jump. Metallic Taupe, Metallic Green or Blue.
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| Street/Park/Jumping
Bikes |
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Integral Bel Air ($$$$):
This is one of the sweetest non-custom complete bikes you can buy. Loaded from head-to-toe in high-end Primo components this ride features a full chromoly frame with Spanish bottom-bracket and integrated headset, a full chromoly fork and handlebars, Primo Pro cassette hub with sealed bearings, Balance rims, Primo Hollowbite cranks with sealed bearings, sealed bearing Balance pedals, an aluminum seat post and aluminum railed seat, Primo tires, Primo lever and E-brake and an Integral stem. The wheels alone cost about $325, so at less than twice that for the whole bike, this is an insane value! Army with White or Burgundy with Yellow. |
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Integral Expo Blvd. ($$$):
If the Bel Air is what you want, but you're budget says you are a couple hundred bucks shy, this bike can save you from certain despair. Same frame, fork, bars and stem as the Bel Air, but with Integral sealed bearing hubs with a 13t freewheel, Powerbite cranks, chromoly seat post and chromoly railed seat, Tenderizer pedals, and a much more wallet-friendly price tag. Brown or Red. |
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Integral Slauson ($$)
Fortunately this bike is as nice as the name is weird. Full chromoly frame and fork, but this time with an American bottom bracket and regular press-in headset. The cranks are a basic set of 3-piece, and the wheels are loose ball hubs on Alex rims. This bike easily stands up to bikes costing a good chunk more because you get a terrific frame to build onto when the time comes. Most bikes in this price range have steel frames, or frames with just one or two chromoly tubes, so it's often not worth spending much money on upgrades, but with the Slauson, you can get better and the bike can grow with you. Black or Grey. |
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Felt Chasm ($$):
Back in the late '80's there was a great riding spot in the Oakland hills called Horse Hill. It was all dirt jumps, and one in particular was freakin' HUGE! It was called Chasm, and it was basically a modern-style dirt jump, but twenty years ago (most jumps were not super tall and if you came up short on the landing it wasn't the end of the world). That means it was tall, long, and had an unforgivable landing that would stop you in your tracks if you came up even 6 inches short. Only the raddest dudes hit that jump and got monster air. The Felt Chasm comes with a 100% chromoly fork, so if you come up short, it may very well be strong enough to not bend forward 45-degrees on impact. It also has a gyro in case you need to throw in a barspin or two, Tektro brakes if you change your mind just before takeoff, and a low-profile 36/13 gear combo so if you do 50-50 (one wheel makes it over the landing, the other does not) the landing, you won't leave a huge hole where your chain ring dug into the dirt. Available in any color you want, so long as it's Black.
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DK Step-Up ($):
The Step-up is named after a type of dirt jump where the landing is taller than the take-off, but there is no giant gap between them that you have to clear. Thus, it is a good beginner jump, much like the DK Step-Up is a good beginner bike. A half chromoly/half steel frame is connected to a gyro, oversized 14mm axles, pegs all around, entry-level forged steel 3-piece cranks, and aluminum pedals so you can get out there and test the water with BMX before jumping head-long into it with a high-dollar bike. Grey, Black or Red. |
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DK Rage ($):
This bike is a bit of an anomaly. It was originally supposed to be a race bike, but somehow between the drawing board, the prototype and the finished product it was mistakenly delivered with 14mm axles instead of the norm for race bikes, 3/8” axles. So, here DK sat with a container full of “race” bikes that had huge axles. Bummer. No, actually. Great! This bike has been one of the most popular bikes here are Solano Avenue Cyclery for several reasons. It is pretty much a race bike, so it has no gyro, no pegs, and powerful “V-brakes” meaning it doesn't weigh a ton, and it stops on a dime. The Rage gives up on the idea of a cheap (and often cheesy) 3-piece crank in favor of a nice, solid 1-piece crank that will stay tight and be more reliable down the road. A risky move in a world dominated by cheap 3-piece cranks looking to spice-up inexpensive bikes, but DK knows that people who do their research will be stoked on this set up. Add in the accidental 14mm axles and you have a bike that a kid can put pegs on without fear of destroying his wheels, all the while remaining light-weight and affordable. Needless to say, this bike stayed the same the following year when DK had a chance to fix the “problem”. Red, Yellow, or Platinum. |
| Race Bikes |
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DK Charger ($$$):
Whether you are actually going racing at a sanctioned event, or just want a super high quality lightweight bike to get around on, the Charger from DK is up to the task. A 6061-T6 aluminum frame and 4130 chromoly fork make an excellent starting point for a high-end race bike. All bearings on this puppy are sealed from the Euro bottom bracket on the high-end Chop Stix 3-piece cranks to the headset to the DK low-flange race hubs, so dirt will stay out and everything will keep spinning smoothly for years to come. Double-wall Rhyno Lite rims are beefy, yet light weight and the Maxxis Holy Roller tires will keep you glued to the track. Rounding out the parts are a set of alloy platform pedals, Tektro V-brakes, an aluminum Iron Cross Lite sprocket, a DK trail stem and 4130 chromoly handlebars. This is a lot of bike for a very reasonable amount of cash, so check out a Charger at Solano Avenue Cyclery. Black or Red. |
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Felt Sector XL ($$$):
If looks determined the winner at the finish line, then the Felt Sector XL might go home with the biggest trophy. Matte black with white trim looks hot, and this bike has the parts to back-up the looks. A 7000 series aluminum frame and 4130 chromoly fork mean you won't have a bunch of extra weight dragging you down when the starting gate falls. A set of medium quality 3-piece cranks are connected to an aluminum sprocket and driven by a pair of aluminum Felt pedals. Chromoly handlebars and an aluminum stem keep you in control while nice touches like the integrated chain tensioners keep your rear wheel right where it's meant to be, and puttin' the power to the ground. |
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Felt Revolt ($):
Not everybody wants a race bike to go racing on. Likewise, not everyone needs all the extras that come with many of the freestyle or park bikes. If you fall into one of these categories, then you should check out the Felt Revolt. Based on a race bike, but with a half steel/half chromoly frame to save some money over a lighter aluminum one, this bike will serve you well if all you want is to jump a curb here and there and get around town or to school. Metallic Blue or Chrome. |
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DK Fury ($)
Much like the Revolt from Felt, the DK Fury is built for anyone who wants light weight over street tough. Where the Fury kicks it up a notch is in the frame department, where the geniuses at DK found a way to give you a 6061-T6 aluminum frame to shave some weight, but without adding to the price tag. Low-end 3-piece cranks, fast-rolling and grippy Moto-85 tires and your choice of orange, black or green paint jobs make this a great pick in the entry-level race bike department. |
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Redline Proline Expert ($$$):
Most race bikes that are categorized as “Expert” size (for 9-12 year old kids) have 20x1-3/8” wheels and tires. These roll fast, but are super narrow and won't stand up to a kid that is getting a bit of extra air or starting to get a little big for his bike. Redline's Proline Expert puts a stop to this nonsense with a true “Expert” sized bike that runs 20x1.5” wheels and tires, which means not only a tougher wheelset, but also means you can get a huge variety of tires instead of a very limited selection for the 1-3/8” size. At 18 pounds this bike is also insanely light and comes loaded with trick components like a chromoly fork, aluminum AC cranks, Sun rims, an aluminum cassette hub and genuine Tioga Comp III tires. Very, very cool bike. Black or Blue. |
| “Cruisers” (24” Wheel BMX Bikes) |
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Volume
Sledgehammer-26” Cruiser ($$$):
Back in the day you had your pickins' as far as 26” cruisers went. Then, one by one they all went the way of the dinosaur until none were left. Now, once again, there is hope! The guys at Volume decided that they were sick of riding their 20” bikes to Wendy's for lunch and had a few 26ers built to handle that task. They liked them so much that the decision was made to put a couple hundred of these together as a limited edition bike. We here are Solano Avenue Cyclery put 6 on order the moment we got wind of this and people have been going nuts for this ride. We heard that the reason Volume's phone number is not on their website is because they were so overwhelmed by people wanting these bikes that they couldn't do any work or eat their Wendy's so they pulled the number offline. We are pushing for another run of these bikes by calling Volume several hundred times a day, but until they build more, we say get on down here and pick one up for yourself before they are all gone. You know you want one, so the only real choice is do you go all black, white with blue, or army with white. I went for the army and it ROCKS!
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Shadow
Conspiracy / Invisible Man ($$$$):
After almost two decades in the industry, I have never seen so much hype over a BMX bike. It is crazy. The Shadow IM is a collaboration between the Shadow Conspiracy and the artist, IM. The bike pretty much deserves all the hype it's getting because it is bad-ass. Matte black finish with gloss black trim. A very nice chromoly frame, fork, and handlebars are decorated with a full array of Shadow Conspiracy parts from the stem, seat and post, to the sealed bearing hubset. The only gripe is a mediocre 3-piece crank, but that can always go away later in favor of a pair of Profiles. |
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Redline
Flight Pro 24” ($$$$):
For decades Redline has been synonymous with light, fast, race bred bikes that perform as good as they look. No exception here. This baby features a Flight aluminum frame with a 4130 chromoly fork, the famous Flight cranks, Sun Rhyno Lite XL rims, sealed bearing cassette hubs, sealed bearing magnesium pedals, an FSA sealed headset, a Flight stem, chain tensioners, and genuine Tioga Comp III tires. At just 24 pounds this is one light ride that will keep rolling long after the finish line has been crossed. |
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Felt
Sector 24” ($$$):
The Sector 24 from Felt is a pretty
good bet for a middle priced cruiser. A nice aluminum frame
with integrated chain tensioners and chromoly fork are only
the start. Chromoly bars, a light alloy seat post, aluminum
pedals, and a basic set of 3-piece cranks with a sealed Euro
bottom bracket make for a bike that performs well and looks
great doing it. |
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Redline Proline Pro 24” ($$$):
This bike is another tremendous value from Redline. An aluminum frame is what you expect in this price range, but what you won't expect is a pair of butted chromoly forks, a set of Redline Proline sealed bearing cranks that are top-notch quality and a popular aftermarket crankset. There's also the chromoly bars, alloy pedals, aluminum sprocket, a cassette hub, Sun rims, Promax V-brake, real-deal Tioga Comp III tires, alloy chain tensioners and an aluminum seat post. Very good value and an extremely solid bike. Gold or Black. |
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Redline MX-24 ($$):
Here is another wild entry that most consumers don't see the supreme value in. The entry-level cruiser category tends to be dominated by aluminum frames and cheap 3-piece cranks, but Redline's MX-24 gives you not only a tough and relatively light full chromoly frame, but also a fork with a chromoly steer tube and a set of good ole' chromoly 1-piece cranks. Every manufacturer feels the need to jump on the cheap 3-piece crank bandwagon, but the problem is, you get what you pay for. So most of those cranks make noise, come loose, and are just not very solid when compared to the almost forgotten 1-piece crank that doesn't have the flash of a 3-piece but works better. Plain and simple. Kawasaki Green with Black or Red with Black. |
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DK Fury 24” ($$):
This bike has been very hard to keep in stock. It's priced right and everybody likes the all black look. Not only that, but it rides great. Fast rolling Kenda K-Rad tires on Sun hoops are linked up with a basic 3-piece crank, a 39-tooth Iron Cross sprocket, and alloy platform pedals. A beefy DK Trail stem and 5” rise DK cruiser bars with comfy DK logo grips round out a popular package that provides a killer bang-for-the-buck.
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Solano Avenue
Cyclery 1554 Solano
Ave. Albany CA 94707
510.524.1094
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