The Modern BMX bikes that many of us are familiar with have come a long way from the original bicycle invention and even from the BMX bikes of the late 60s which were specifically for jumps and dirt racing. After a while they even became desired even among those not into racing. These days you see kids riding them for everything to riding to school and visiting friends in addition to doing tricks.

These bikes like others come in many different sizes so that a diverse range of people can enjoy them. BMX is a sport that can be started as a young child and be continued well into adulthood. With the minis for kids up to the ages of six to nine, then the expert model up to thirteen year olds, and the professional size for that age through adult. These are only a guide since some kids are bigger than others, like my son who was over 200 lbs at 16 from lifting and surfing.

Another important factor that the bikes have is their lightweight construction which is crucial for jumping and racing. This is accomplished by the use of aluminum in many cases or with another low cost composite. By far the most popular metal used is aluminum.

One of the ways that a genuine BMX bike can be distinguished from regular bikes is that nearly all of them have 20″ wheels and knobby tires to assist with traction in loose dirt compared to regular bikes with smooth tires and smaller wheels. As mentioned before the frames are also much lighter but still sturdy which also sets them apart from the heavier recreational bikes on the market. Another way that BMX bikes stand out from regular bikes is that they only have one gear with one chain in order to do the tricks and so that they are easy to pedal backwards and forwards.

These bikes also generally do not have front brakes and they will have padding in place on the crossbar, the straddle bar, and the gooseneck. This is to protect the rider during BMX competitions as does the sturdy construction with the stem being held in place by 4 large bolts to keep the frame from coming apart when landing from a jump.

These bikes have been big business for 40 years and they definitely aren’t showing any signs of slowing down at all. You may think of kids when you think about BMX bikes but the fact is there are a lot of adults who ride them, especially when you think about the professional BMX riders. The extreme sports shows that are shown on ESPN and other sports channels have only added to the popularity of the bikes.

By: Gregg Hall