Any BMX Dads on the Board?

Triathlon Forum
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so my 6yo finally started riding his bike regularly and the first time he went over a small roller on a fire road he loved it and called it a “race bump”. Pure joy. He’s not talented yet, but he definitely likes individual sports and I was thinking maybe he could try it. I know there’s a track locally to me, but what’s the state of the art these days? Where are kids/dads who get bigger and older dumping their super small skinny wheeled 20" bikes? How much am I looking at for bike, helmet, protective gear?

I should also say that I still have my own 20" kicking around. Since I had this thought I’ve been trying to work on manuals and it’s pathetic, but I better get started because if my son races it will be a gateway drug for me and I’ll be doing it too before long.

Sidebar… my 20" has been kicking around since 2003 and there was zero rust on it until this Xmas when I took our bikes to the family and it rained on the way home.

Sidebar 2… the first time I ever clipped in on a bike was not on a road bike or tri bike but a BMX bike.

Anyway, thanks in advance.

E

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I bought my bmx bike new for 800 and spend another 200-300 on gear.
But if you buy everything second hand you should be able to get a decent set for 500 (bike and clothing).
Damn, this post brings back a lot of memories… :stuck_out_tongue:

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I bought my bmx bike new for 800 and spend another 200-300 on gear.
But if you buy everything second hand you should be able to get a decent set for 500 (bike and clothing).
Damn, this post brings back a lot of memories… :stuck_out_tongue:

I know the memories are horrible… I’m going to get myself roped back into racing and then it’s broken collar bones before long. My first stint in racing was as a teenager in the 80’s typical stuff and did the NBL Grands a few times. But there was no flow back then, no pump tracks, no six-packs, etc. My second stint started when I stumbled across a beautiful 6-pack in the woods on my MTB. Those things are genius! What, you can dig down into the ground instead of trying to build up over logs and stuff? What, if you go the right speed the jumps basically do themselves?

When I was a kid we just hucked ourselves over stuff and it was all just trial and error. Within a week of discovering the 6-pack I was doing them, and ironically the bigger they were the easier they were. I should have known that from my snowboarding days. The hardest part was just getting over the first one in the pack the first time.

E

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Haha yeah, in those days nothing could beat digging the whole day to create a big jump and then finally conquering the fear to actually hit the jump,

And there were no 6m hills :wink:
I live close to the Papendal sx track, it’s crazy to see how the sport has evolved over the years.
One day…

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I raced as a kid until I went to high school and started running. Then in 2013, I started racing again with the old guys. “Just for fun” turned into traveling to Nationals all over the country, factory teams, and UCI World Championships. Unfortunately, it all ended in 2017 with a severe concussion. My son who is almost 7 raced push bikes but never got into it, so we stopped going to the track.

Anyway, not too much has changed. Bikes are still primarily aluminum and parts are chromoly or alloy. Although carbon framesets and wheels are growing in popularity very quickly. Just not sure I would trust small BMX brands to manage QC from China and Taiwan.

I’d take him over to your local track to watch some races. Most tracks have loaner bikes, so he can give it a go with a properly-sized bike. He’d only need long pants, long sleeve shirt, and a helmet which the track might have, too. At 6, he’s probably on a mini. Brands like Chase, Haro, Redline, and DK all make good starter bikes for $300-400. If you don’t have a local BMX shop, J&R Bicycles out of FL, Dan’s Comp out of CA, and Powers Bike Shop in Richmond, VA are all very reputable e-comm sites. There are also a handful of Facebook groups specifically for selling used BMX race bikes and parts. Helmets start at about $100 and go up to $500. Just make sure you get him a BMX/MTB helmet and not a Moto helmet. The BMX helmets are lighter and designed for slower speed crashes. Brands like Fly, 100%, or Bell are good options.

Good luck and have fun.

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ShawnF has some great advice! I’m with him on everything he said, especially the websites and helmets.

My back story: I began racing BMX in 1981 in Australia, fell in love with it, and have never stopped loving it.

State-of-the-art is a right-size aluminum frame, right-size handlebars, 20 x 1 1/8 or 1 3/8" wheels and tires, three-piece cranks, and a uni seat or pivotal seat post with a small plastic seat. Carbon fiber is just creeping into BMX. Titanium still exists for young riders whose parents are willing to pay for it. For tires, you don’t run Comp IIIs anymore. Nowadays, tires are almost like slicks. Tioga and Vee are what you see most.

I concur with bike and safety gear costs. It’s 10% what it costs for triathlon and a welcome change! Some tracks have sell and swap nights. Otherwise, see where they recommend you buy a second-hand bike. GT and SE Racing are two other longstanding brands that still offer new completes for good prices.

Don’t skimp on the full-face helmet. Tracks have changed a lot. They are filled with big jumps and rhythm sections – that younger riders just roll over – and almost all have tarmac turns.

There are rules for number plates – white background and black numbers, for example. Read the USA BMX rulebook. There’s also a shift to flat pedals for not just beginners, but younger racers. I think that in 2021, everyone 12 and under will run flats.

Club days and nights are still great fun. There is a beautiful family atmosphere. With BMX, you spend a lot of time hanging out.

USA BMX does a good job licensing riders, coordinating with track operators, tallying points, and offering prizes at local, regional, and national levels. Their magazine, which comes free with a membership, is a bible for young racers. There are a lot of adults who volunteer a lot of time to make tracks smooth-running and, at a higher level, fund and run racing teams.

Online, you’ll see many complaints about USA BMX. The only thing you hear at your local track is parents suggesting competent riders step up and race regionals and nationals.

I hope this helps. I’m stoked if I can help someone whose posts on aerodynamics and bike fit have been valuable to me.

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Ah the memories…

My son did it for several years. Roped me into it after a few events. Bought a new Redline. Had custom window stickers made for the Tahoe :slight_smile: Fortunately, I never broke anything, but then again, I never won anything either.

Now that my son’s 32 (BMX was a LONG time ago - clip peddles? a, noooo.), he’s roped me into HIM (first one in Galveston in April). Why do I think I can keep doing his crazy ideas???

When we got out of it, I sold my Redline for a good price to another dad just getting into it because of his son. The track sold it for me. I bet you can get a good used bike by asking the track, “who’s a dad wanting to sell their bike?”

Funny thing I remember were other dads 50# overweight buying new lightweight handlebars and such to save weight. LOL - what we do and won’t do to get a little faster.

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so an update… we went to the pump track. My son was soooo psyched and rode straight onto the track and then became immediately terrified, so we’ve been working on it over the last few trips to the track. He loves it now, but is tentative.

Of course I went with him on my 20", and I followed him around on it. Occasionally I was able to take a lap by myself and was totally wobbly and cock-eyed and legs completely spent from pumping. Completely anaerobic. By the third hot lap however I was manualling comfortably and surprisingly, even doing a couple of double manuals by accident. It’s been over 15 years since I last rode and it came back.

Seeing me ride alone gave my son more inspiration and confidence and so he got back in the saddle so to speak.

Onward!

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Hey Eric,

I coach balance bike and 10 and under pedal bike classes at our local BMX Track in Des Moines. All three of my kids race, my son is a 7 intermediate, my daughter is a 5 Novice and my little daughter is a 3 year old balance bike rider.

The best deal for a new bike is the Mongoose Title available direct on amazon. Used bikes are best found on FB groups (5 and under BMX group has lots of little bikes). I agree with ShawnF about most everything he said. The only add would be to get a set of cranks that are short enough for your son…most Minis (what size I would get for your 6 year old) come with 145mm cranks or so but he would probably be better on 120 or less.

If you have any questions I’m happy to help. I fell hard for the BMX bug with my kids and love seeing them gain confidence and skills on a bike.

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Funny bmx dad story.

Took my son to the track for practice.

I saw a small kid catch air on the stutter bumps but augered in to the face of the next bump. He gets up, looks at mom, and you know he’s about to wail.
Dad comes sprinting past mom, slides 2nd base style to his kid, high 5s him and says “that was awesome!”
Props his kid back up on the bike and sends him off, no tears shed.
I was laughing at the whole display.

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Hey Eric,

I coach balance bike and 10 and under pedal bike classes at our local BMX Track in Des Moines. All three of my kids race, my son is a 7 intermediate, my daughter is a 5 Novice and my little daughter is a 3 year old balance bike rider.

The best deal for a new bike is the Mongoose Title available direct on amazon. Used bikes are best found on FB groups (5 and under BMX group has lots of little bikes). I agree with ShawnF about most everything he said. The only add would be to get a set of cranks that are short enough for your son…most Minis (what size I would get for your 6 year old) come with 145mm cranks or so but he would probably be better on 120 or less.

If you have any questions I’m happy to help. I fell hard for the BMX bug with my kids and love seeing them gain confidence and skills on a bike.

hi thanks for the reply.

You know it’s funny you mention crank length because based on my own triathlon bike fitting experience and BMX experience I’d go with way shorter cranks than my previous attempt 15 years ago. It’s really hard to spin long cranks, especially so for an aerobic diesel like me and for a little kid who’s pedaling more and pumping less than an adult. For me, I realize now, using only my triathlon bike fit experience, that I was also on too small a BMX frame back in the day. I guess if I were to race again now, it would be a battle between a small enough gear with long enough cranks to get out of the gate vs. not being able to spin that setup after the start. OTOH, I could ride a higher gear on cranks I could handle, like 45-16 on 175mm cranks but I’d have no second pedal and would be stuck following people the whole race.

OK, so just researched the Mongoose… I actually think the Micro with shorter cranks would be better than the Mini based on his height, and I totally see your point about having short cranks so he can spin.

Thanks for the input!

Eric

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Love this thread. I never raced but did some park riding and skateboarding. My 10 year old daughter started last year. I go along with my dirt jumping bike. Good gloves and full face helmet are the first purchase. My local club has loaner bikes. I got her a second hand bike for now.

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TJ, we went out to the local track this weekend to watch and it was really cool. Both my kids loved it but for different reasons… I don’t think I’ll ever get my daughter out on the track but she liked watching. My son thought it was cool and wants to try.

Balance bike motos were cool. Super fun to watch. The local track is legit, well designed with good flow. There were people my age there racing and they looked sooooooo old. That said, anaerobic power is sneaky and can hide in any body type.

I’m thinking of trying it… I don’t know how my Cat 3 power and Cat 5 skills will match up with this track, but everything was bigger than I thought which I think actually helps. I’ll need shoes (I only have clipped pedals) on my old bike) and a helmet to start and probable wrist guards and that neck thing. Going to pull the trigger on a micro Mongoose for my son.

It’s funny, before I even saw a BMX bike recently I thought of how things might have changed based on my triathlon bike and aerodynamics knowledge and sure enough, saw wider rims 303 style rims with narrower slick low Crr tires and super stiff carbon shoes. I’m sure my cranks were too long and cleats in the wrong position in the old days too…

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TJ, how are your kids spending quarantine? My son and I have been riding every day and we’ve graduated to box starts and uphill sprints.

My goal by the end of quarantine is to learn how to manual and manual from the top of my street to the bottom… it’s a light 2-3% grade not dissimilar to a first straight at a typical BMX track.

You were right, while he spins fine on 135mm cranks on his sit-down geared 20" bike, he’s a little awkward trying to spin the BMX bike cranks around.

Eric

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Avid BMXer growing up until I found triathlon at age 15. I still have a love for all things BMX and have an active profile on BMX Museum, Check it out!

www.bmxmuseum.com

Dan