# BMX for family rides!?!?



## Emmaroid (9 Jan 2013)

I am soon to get a bike for road and light off road cycling. I was hoping to have some family outings thus meaning getting my 9 year old daughter and my 12 year old son a bike. My stubborn (almost teenage) son is stating he will only go out on a bmx! Am I right in thinking this is totally ridiculous? He is saying it is just like riding a single bike but as a newb I haven't a clue 

If nothing else please give me ammunition by way of fact for me to throw at him as to why it isn't an option! Or prove me wrong!


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## wisdom (9 Jan 2013)

With a bmx they pedal like billyo and go fairly fast,but only for short distances they'll soon tire though.I speak from experience,my teenage son who is quite fit being a keen sportsman soon gave up when we went for a ride.


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## sabian92 (9 Jan 2013)

They weigh a tonne as well. At least my ex's did when I had to push it 5 miles uphill when she couldn't be bothered to ride it home then wanted it. Those bloody stunt pegs made a mess of my shins as well 

He's probably just being a "Kevin". He's getting to the teens, he'll only get worse


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## I like Skol (9 Jan 2013)

He's sort of right. It has to be a bike he wants and want's to ride. It is just like riding a single speed. The only snag is getting the gearing right (this can be altered by changing the freewheel). I guess most bmxs will have quite high gearing for sprint starts and nimble manoeuvring but what you want for longer distances is taller gears that will reduce the egg-whisk effect. 'All' you need to do is find the right compromise gear that will allow longer rides and still not be too hard for messing about on and setting off from a standstill/riding up hills.

There are two ways to do this, one is to fit a smaller freewheel/less teeth or fit a bigger/more teeth chainring on the crank/pedals.

Hope this helps


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## mickle (9 Jan 2013)

Like a moped on a motorway a bike ride is not the right environment for a BMX. And it's the seat height not the gearing thts the problem. 

A 24" BMX, a 'cruiser', can cope if set up right. They're rare and exclusive but they are out there. I had one years ago and loved it for bombing around on. Look up 'Big BMX' too a 26" mountain bike scaled BMX styled one speed.


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## I like Skol (9 Jan 2013)

mickle said:


> Like a moped on a motorway a bike ride is not the right environment for a BMX. And it's the seat height not the gearing thts the problem.


 
Yes and no. Kids can be very adaptable (and stubborn!) so might well put up with the huge compromise of riding the bmx just to be seen on the 'right' bike. Also, reading between the lines of the OP I get the impression Emmaroid is new to cycling so I guess were not talking about killer 20+ mile rides here?


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## Emmaroid (10 Jan 2013)

Haha defo not Skol! I'm talking smallish rides but i'm kinda hoping if all goes well we will all be upgrading! I just dont want to put the money in now if the kids dont like it... Thank you for the replies, they have been really useful! :-)


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## MrJamie (10 Jan 2013)

Is it going to be one of those tiny ones with the seat way too low for actually riding? I remember having a kids BMX bike (late 80s), but im sure the frame was properly sized and the seat was properly raised, where as the popular BMX bikes at the moment seem to be the tiny ones designed for vert ramps/skate parks. 

My nephew (9) had a dramatic improvement to his cycling when he switched from a standard single speed kids bike to a 15 gear mountain bike even over flat routes. He was consistently a few mph faster, didn't struggle with short sharp hills (think underpasses/bridges) and went from 5 miles to easily doing 15+, but most of all it made him want to go out on his bike because it wasn't such hard work and it was a much less frustrating speed for me - I used to run alongside him instead.

Probably depends how far/fast you intend on going as to whether he can comfortably keep up on a 'less than optimal' bike. He'll probably be more put off if he can't keep up with his sister


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## summerdays (10 Jan 2013)

Quite a lot of the teenagers around here seemed to have swapped their BMX's for flashy fixed bikes....


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## Emmaroid (10 Jan 2013)

Thank you for all of the advice. after explaining everything to him h has decided if he can't have the bike exactly how he wants it (a 'small crank' he said) he doesn't want one. Happy days 

Looks lik i is me and my daughter out for rides in summer...!


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## Sandra6 (10 Jan 2013)

My youngest two daughters both have bmx bikes - one is a bmx-style, the other a "proper" bmx and in the summer we did quite a few 10 mile round trips -they are 7 and 10. They don't know about gears and these are the only bikes they've ever done "proper" cycling on so they don't know any different. 
I know a few bmx riders who do 20 mile trips on theirs without problems, though it amazes me anyone can go more than a few yards on one! 
If my son wanted a bmx I'd buy him one, I'd rather he had a bike he liked than no bike at all. 
And if he changes his mind you can sell it and buy a "proper" bike later.


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## Crackle (10 Jan 2013)

Get him a jump bike







It looks cool and can still be used for proper riding. My son has that one, uses it for scratting about on, mtn biking and even touring.


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## Boris Bajic (10 Jan 2013)

The OP is a noble aspiration, but the real world will intervene at the most inconvenient times.

I will mention and then drop immediately that a BMX will become hugely frustrating on a 'family ride' both for the rider and for the others who have to keep slowing and stopping. Now to the meat of the post:

All my children (13, 17 and 19) are keen cyclists and have been since they were first able to turn a pedal. I ride with them all, but in all those years have ridden only twice with all of them (for pub lunches) and only four or five times with two of them together.

A 12yo boy may not want to ride with mum and a 9yo sister. I do not recall any of mine (who all get on well) ever feeling the need or desire to ride with a parent and a sibling. When they did it, it was for some other reason not connected with the ride. 

It may not be helpful to say this, but mine seem to like riding with me because they've been doing it since they were tiny and it has become a 'normal' thing to do across years and years. But even the (just) 13yo does most of his riding alone. 9 may not be late to start with your daughter, but in terms of 'family rides', 12 might be a little late to start with your son. Apologies if this seems blunt or is wildly inaccurate. 

My feeling is that if he likes the idea of a non-BMX bike, he'll find a way of letting you know. Is he so much smaller than you? Would he be able to ride your new bike?

I wish you well with this. As a family, we've had excellent times on bicycles.... It's just that it was almost always in groups no larger than two.


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## Hicky (10 Jan 2013)

We're in a position that our eldest son(9) has a MTB at our house and a old type(not jump) BMX at his nannas(it was a hand me down and cost nowt), on either bike he copes on distances of 5+ miles rides and has done for over a few years on the BMX, on the MTB he's commuted from Rochdale to Manchester via the canal(10+miles) and home last summer.

If your son is fit / stubborn enough he'll cope I'm sure.

Also if he's allowed out on the bike in his own time, it has to be something he will make use of......unless it is a jump bike with the saddle about a foot off the ground


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## Kins (10 Jan 2013)

Jump/Stunt bikes come in a variety of types and styles. My step brother had one that had 6 gear cassette on the back and single front. Looks like a cross between a mountain bike and a BMX and the saddle post is "normalish" height.

Best bet is take him to a bike shop and let him have a look round, if its decent you might get a sales person to have a chat about the different bikes with him.


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## Crackle (10 Jan 2013)

Kins said:


> *Jump/Stunt bikes come in a variety of types and styles*. My step brother had one that had 6 gear cassette on the back and single front. Looks like a cross between a mountain bike and a BMX and the saddle post is "normalish" height.
> 
> Best bet is take him to a bike shop and let him have a look round, if its decent you might get a sales person to have a chat about the different bikes with him.


 
They do. The one I linked to is a Scott Voltage, normal saddle heights are part of its repertoire. Giant, Specialized etc. all do them in their range and they all look pretty cool whilst at the same time being fairly capable bikes.


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## mickle (10 Jan 2013)

Yeahbut jump bikes isn't BMXs. Turning up to the BMX park on a jump is like showing up to a knife fight with ... like something not very knife like such as maybe a spoon. Or a cup cake.


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## Emmaroid (10 Jan 2013)

Thank you for all of the advice guys! I think I am gonna hold off anything until I get out on mine.... Iincidentally, I just bought mine tonight! Yay!


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## mickle (10 Jan 2013)

Yay indeed! There's nothing better than a new bike.


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## simon.r (10 Jan 2013)

Emmaroid said:


> Thank you for all of the advice guys! I think I am gonna hold off anything until I get out on mine.... Iincidentally, I just bought mine tonight! Yay!


 
So what did you get in the end?


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## Emmaroid (10 Jan 2013)

Well.... I doubt I will be a laughing stock but I like it and it was a bargain!


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## Hicky (10 Jan 2013)

You like it, it was a bargain, mudguards , lights................ now it just needs riding to death!


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## Emmaroid (10 Jan 2013)

Amen!


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## simon.r (10 Jan 2013)

Looks good


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## Emmaroid (10 Jan 2013)

£70 says I couldnt go wrong. My mate came with me and couldnt believe what condition it was in! We've cleaned the chain with his lil contraption thingy, degreased the gears, adjusted the brakes, pumped the tyres up to th correct pressure and i've had a test ride. By god it is responsive in comparison to the old tanks I have ridden previously (no euphemisms there please!)!


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## Kins (10 Jan 2013)

Looks a bargain, very tidy bike for that sort of money.


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## simon.r (10 Jan 2013)

As already said, it just needs riding now!

Don't worry if the chain-guard (the silver plastic ring on the outside of the front chain-rings) falls off as soon as you take it anywhere near a moderately rough track


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## wisdom (10 Jan 2013)

Well youve gone and done it now.Good luck and take it easy to begin with,Post some more pics for us as you get going.
Wizz


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## MrJamie (10 Jan 2013)

Lookin' good!


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## Dirtlover2005 (12 Jan 2013)

Nice bike - gotta love a bargain


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## Lancj1 (12 Jan 2013)

Nice bike. 

Re the BMX - I have ridden many a mile with my son (14) over the last few years. On mountain bikes, out on country roads in our patch which is well sited and now and again at official trails like Llandegla. One of my fondest memories will be of my son, on different bikes, zooming off ahead.

Anyway, that's gone now. Its BMX or bust. He got a Reebok BMX shaped object last Xmas, started whizzing everywhere on it, his mates at school discovered skate parks and this Xmas he was a lucky lad and got a quality BMX from "we the people". Its the most expensive of our bikes..... one brake, no gears, tiny little seat....

Anyway he wont ride with me anymore. Tough but that's kids. My role now is to drop him of at a skate park in the morning and pick him up at night. But hes out there, exercising, and hes on a bike. That's got to be a good thing .....one day we will ride again.

Get him a BMX shaped object. It wont allow him to do the stunts he sees on youtube,but he cant do those anyway, and they can be got really cheaply. I honestly believe its the one area of biking where you would get away with a supermarket special.

Good luck


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## Emmaroid (12 Jan 2013)

Thanks, I think you are right. I think if I am honest he isnt too bothered about coming out with us, its more me who wants to try and pull us together as a family. I think I will just sort me and my daughter out bike wise and if he asks without prompting to com then I shall look then. He has a scooter and is well into that so I guess like you say, he has a hobby....


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## summerdays (13 Jan 2013)

Can you insist on having a brake on the BMX though? Followed a lad down the road using the old foot on the back wheel today!


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## Kins (13 Jan 2013)

summerdays said:


> Can you insist on having a brake on the BMX though? Followed a lad down the road using the old foot on the back wheel today!


 
Wow, they have wheels on them round your way, must be posh.


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## Lancj1 (13 Jan 2013)

Strangely enough, my job today was taking the remaining rear caliper off. The front came with the bike un fitted. I suppose brakes don't really work in the air, and as we have discussed no ones going out on a bike ride. I looked on the web site of BMX makers wethepeople, which is the brand my lad has got, and the high end ones don't have them, the low end ones do. None are cheap mind, low end in context. Amazes me it costs so much with no gears etc, but the frames seem really high quality.


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## fossyant (13 Jan 2013)

Thank god my lad likes MTBs. Proper disc brakes etc. etc. he actually has two MTBs, one for school, one for weekend.


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