We’ve got several BMX tracks near the house which my kids love and I love taking them to. I’ve been round them on my 29er and it’s fun, but not “that fun”, throw in that currently my mind isn’t in the frame of mind to go and MTB (long story). I don’t mind a pootle out on CX bike but I’ll only go if the weather is nice.
So this got me thinking about getting a BMX. I can blat around daft with kids (trying not to put myself in hospital) and it’s quite easy to go and have a play on the tracks by myself (no faff of kit etc).

I’ve been looking on ebay for used chromo framed bikes (less likely to crumple is my thinking) with 3 piece cranks. Am I right to discount hi tensile steel frames?

Also I want protection, as being 38 I don’t bounce too well. What’s recommended?

Cheers

The other week when I askes about jump bikes I was told that the most important piece of safety gear is a go pro…

Just gone through this after some mates dragged me back into it after a 19 year absence from BMX I’ve ended up getting a free agent ratio 24″ wheeled BMX and glad I did having tried a fair few it was best for price quality and feel as the geometry is BMX race if your near Lowestoft your more than welcome to try it out dude

I bought a Redline MX24 Alloy cruiser race bike to practice some skills. All my nearest tracks are over an hour away though. I went to a meeting and it was heavily tailored towards kids, which I don’t have. I wasn’t that comfortable trying to jump around them in case I crashed into them so I’ve not been back since. I do remember though that it took about a week for my calves to recover so I could walk properly again.

I’m 45 & still dabble.

As above, I had a lengthy break from BMX (20+ years), and ended up racing again a few years back. I no longer race but my 8 year old started last year; he actually stopped for a few months but has just been bitten by the bug again, which means I accompany him to the track again.

I sold my cruiser last year but have now started building another. I tried 20″ a few years ago but just couldn’t make the drop from 26″ mtb to 20″ work for me. I found 24″ cruiser the easiest to handle. I tried my mtb on the few bmx tracks but it was awful when compared to the real thing. At 38 you’ve got years of BMX in you..!

at least you’ll get to work out what went so very wrong…

I am 48 and just started going to the BMXSkate park with a few of my mates who are also in their 40’s. Absolutely loving it

I am 48 and just started going to the BMXSkate park with a few of my mates who are also in their 40’s. Absolutely loving it

Also I want protection, as being 38 I don’t bounce too well. What’s recommended?

Full length trousers and top, elbow and knee pads, full face helmet.

Am I right to discount hi tensile steel frames?

Yes.
If you’re buying a bike for the track then make sure you get a race bike, or a dirt jump oriented bike at least i.e. not a super short chainstay, steep head angled, 4 pegged, no braked, tiny chainring street machine.
Check BMX talk classifieds forum for good examples.

You can’t beat a bit of BMX 🙂

If you fancy a bit of old/mid school then take a look at http://www.RADBMX.co.uk THE best old school BMX site about 🙂

Whilst I admire people who can ride a BMX properly, at 6’5″ tall and 43 years old, I suspect I’d just look bloody stupid if I tried it myself.

from my experience (44 years old), 20 inch BMX’s are loads of fun, but feel odd, whereas 24inch BMX’s (cruisers) feel much more like mountain bike in comparison, are the same price and easier to wobble around on.

Just food for thought 😉

from my experience (44 years old), 20 inch BMX’s are loads of fun, but feel odd, whereas 24inch BMX’s (cruisers) feel much more like mountain bike in comparison, are the same price and easier to wobble around on.

Just food for thought

I see where you are coming from on this. I had a blat about on my eldest 16″ ridgeback and it’s hilarious, so 20″ is a must.

Sorry, forgot to mention protection. BMX tracks will eat knees if you fall off, though I still haven’t bothered with elbow pads.

My friends (all of whom are younger) wear pisspots, but I still insist on a full face, as once you have ‘that’ crash, looking cool becomes less important then face skin.

I am currently debating full face or pisspot ATM. I think knee pads are a must.

My elbows are still embedded with coal dust, 30 years after pretending to be Andy Ruffle.

We were poor, our local BMX track was banked up in the berms with coal muck, clinker and dust. so wear elbow pads, oh and a full face.

Went to a BMX park last Monday. Left with a broken tibia and dislocated ankle. They are lethal. But I did manage to land a backflip, abeit into a foam pit…..

I’m in for surgery tomorrow for some shiny plates and pins.

did manage to land a backflip,

You see that statement there. I will never, ever, ever think “hmmm. I’d like to do a backflip” 😆 I’d be happy to endo and manual properly 😆

I am currently debating full face

I would recommend a full face. See exhibit A.

Exhibit A.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBKcAB84gzo[/video]

I bought a 24 inch Cruiser for any foray into stupidity. A did try a 20 inch but after a 25 year BMX hiatus they just felt wrong.

As for foam pits and learning flips of any kind. You got to be kidding me!

My elbows are still embedded with coal dust, 30 years after pretending to be Andy Ruffle.

Your mistake there was pretending to be Andy Ruffle 🙂 I pretended to be Tim March (much cooler rider)

He actually lived just down the road from me and saw him from time to time at the track I used – I was no slouch but was 2 seconds behind him over a 25 second course!
My mate managed to buy a Greg Hill Products frame from him for next to nothing.

The tracks these days definitely give you a harder time if you fall off, the ones I used in the 80’s were hard packed dirt so in summer just wore vest and shorts for protection!

At least spell the lad’s name right- Ruffell.

I’ve got a 24″ cruiser which sees more use than the 20″ ones I’ve got kicking about the place. 20″ was great when I could, but more years than I care to remember away from BMX on MTBs have made me soft 😆

edit- full face lid. Chewing your own food is awesome!

Late 30s here, and got a 20″ BMX a couple of years ago so I could ride the Aberdeen skatepark when the weather was bad (that’d be all the time, then). It’s great fun, indoor skateparks are usually fairly easy to ride, and if you’re able to visit during school time you’ll often find it empty. I paid £150 for a United KL40, and it’s sound. Hi-ten I think but isn’t that what 4130 is anyway? Not been to a track on it though…

4130 has a low percentage of chromium and molybdenum in it (Cr-Mo or chromoly steel) as well as carbon. It’s a little ‘stronger’ than hi-ten (low carbon) steel so frames can be built a little lighter than hi-ten frame using thinner gauge tubes or stronger using the same gauge tubes. Mid-school freestyle BMXs were absolute tanks compared to the new stuff- I think the bike builders realised that ultimately something’s going to break if you crash wrong and that making stuff stronger and stronger and heavier and heavier was a dead end! You might not break a mid 4130 frame but the bars might bend, so you buy some stronger bars then the stem breaks, so you buy a heavier/stronger stem… before you knew it your teeny tiny kids’ bike weighed the thick end of 20kg 😆

Do it! I got a 20″ United SU2 2 years ago and use it every day at lunch to go down skate park and some early morning sessions to. I’m 6ft 3 and got a 21.5″ TT they great fun and this kids will respect you eventually! Will be heading down the newly open indoor skate park in Hastings soon! 🙂

I’ve been scouring ebay, facebook and gumtree and by ‘eck!!! Prices are not a constant 😆 One guy was after £60 for a 2007 wethepeople beyond that had been rattle canned black. Where as I’ve seen similar specced newer bikes for less???

I think after much internetz time, I’m going to go 24″ cruiser as it allows me to pootle distance with them as well as play on the track 🙂 I’ve seen this Which looks alright for my needs (I am no gnarcore shredder)

Now to find a full face helmet to protect my gorgeous and devilishly handsome mug