Which BMX Bike Should I Buy?

You have questions, we have answers.

June 19, 2013

Image via Complex Original

All BMX bikes are decidedly not the same. There are racing bikes and street bikes, big bikes and small bikes, current bikes and retro bikes. Sorting through it all can be complicated unless you know exactly what type of bike you're looking for (or what type of riding you're looking to do). With summer on deck, we're here to help. Check out Which BMX Bike Should I Buy? and hit us with any questions in the comments.

I want to re-live my '80s childhood.

Bike: SE Racing "PK Ripper" Looptail
MSRP: $740

Back in the '80s—trust me, I was there—there were few bikes as coveted as the SE Racing "PK Ripper." The boxy aluminum frame was recognizable from across the street, and even the lettering looked aggro (still have no idea why there were/are quotes around the name). The remake offers a more modern feel (the old ones were really short) with the classic look, right down to the Skyway mags and the looptail rear. Faded denim jacket not included.

I want to grind a 46-stair handrail.

Bike: Sunday Soundwave
MSRP: $1,150

While the prices of damn near everything else has skyrocketed in the meantime, the cost of a legit, pro-level BMX bike has stayed more or less the same for a long time now. In this case, just more than a G buys you all the bike you'll ever need—at least until you destroy it trying something completely insane. Feel free to build up one from scratch, but prepare to spend nearly half again as much.

I want to race.

Bike: GT Pro Series Pro XL
MSRP: $650

You could opt for the more expensive Speed Series, but that's being presumptious. Maybe see if you can get through the first berm before dropping a G on a race bike. Besides, if you really get into it, you're going to change virtually everything on the bike anyway. Save the extra loot for a helmet and lots of Gatorade.

I want to cruise around the skatepark with my kid - but still be able to ride hard.

Bike: Sunday Model C Am
MSRP: $480

Sadly, it seems that Sunday has discontinued the Model C Pro—which was exactly as-described, a full-on 24" built for anything. The Am is a step down, but it still has the same cruiser-with-a-20"-bike's-soul geometry. It's a little hefty at 27-plus pounds, but hey, you probably need the exercise.

I just want to look cool.

Bike: Fit Bike Co Benny 2
MSRP: $450

The Benny 2 isn't a pro-level bike—there's some hi-ten steel in that frame, and the front rim is a single wall—but, for $450, it sure looks the part. And the whole no-brakes thing should be fine, if you're just looking to stunt rather than actually do stunts.

I want to re-live my '90s childhood.

Bike: Hoffman Condor
MSRP: $350

Mat Hoffman has done so much for BMX in his 41 years that it would take a separate post to chronicle them all. This Condor isn't the same as the bike the Condor himself made famous, but the chrome version has enough of the original's style to bring it back to the early '90s. And, if you were wondering, the Condor is still taking daily flight in his Oklahoma backyard.

I want to feel like a little kid on a big bike again.

Bike: SE "Big Ripper"
MSRP: $600

Getting back on a BMX bike is a sure-fire way to feel like a kid again—right until you realize that sweet GT Mach One in your parents garage was actually designed for someone two feet shorter and a hundred pounds lighter. The "Big Ripper" takes care of that with massive 29" wheels and a classic-style looptail frame. Even the colors are '80s correct, if that's what you're looking for.

I can't decide between a 20" and a 24".

Bike: S&M Holmes 22"
MSRP: $700

DISCLAIMER: We have never tried a 22" BMX bike, but they sound fun. Traditional 20" bikes can be cramped, while 24" cruisers can feel a little, well, cruiser-ish. A 22" should split the difference. DISCLAIMER 2: That $700 just buys you the frame, fork and wheels, so prepare to spend more than a grand for the full bike.

I want to ride in circles in a parking lot for hours.

Bike: Ares APLUS Pro Comp
MSRP: $650

Flatland bikes have evolved so much from their humble twin-toptube beginnings that it's hard to call them BMX bikes—or bikes—at all. The gearing is super-low, the frames are short and steep, and they're simply not made to ride for any distance. They're not something you'd ever use for regular everyday transportation, but specialized pieces of sporting equipment, closer to a catcher's mitt or fly fishing rod than any sort of regular bike. Know what you're getting into.

I want to leave a bike in the trunk of my car.

Bike: Cult Juvi 12
MSRP: $340

Well, no one said it would be easy to ride. The Cult Juvi 12 is built for lil' guys, but it'll take up less room than a spare tire and let you get a little (pun intended) ride in when you're far from home and your real bike. Plus, if you run out of gas, you can circus bear it to the nearest station.