Summertime is BMX time: How to choose the right bike

Summer is the ultimate time to start riding BMX. The sky is blue, the air is hot, and the days are extra long, which means more hours a day to practice your freestyle BMX skills.

It’s no secret that freestyle BMXing is one of the greatest things you can do. But before you can dig into this amazing action sport, you need a bike.

No matter if you’re new or an old timer returning to the world of freestyle BMX, getting the right BMX bike is important for your ability to grind curbs, jumping stairs, doing backflips on verts or riding bowls. Fortunately, it’s quite easy.

So how do you choose a good bike, when there are like a gazillion awesome bikes out there. Well to us it’s all about getting a versatile and durable beginner bike that you can grow on without blowing the bank.

Crashing is progressing

Freestyle BMX is all about doing grinds, jumps and tricks. These kinds of stunts put a tremendous amount of pressure on your BMX bike. But as a beginner there’s one thing that puts more stress on the bike than anything else, crashing!

It’s an inevitable part of your learning curve to crash, and even though it will happen less often as you progress, every BMX rider fails a bunch of times before they’re able to lock in a new trick.

Freestyle BMX bikes are made of either hi-ten or chromoly steel, which provides the strength to withstand harsh impacts. A great example of a durable and affordable BMX bike is the Arcade Freestyle BMX from Wethepeople. This bike features both hi-ten steel and chromoly steel, which are more durable, but also more expensive.

The guys from Wethepeople have designed the frame of the bike so the pressure points, such as the top tube, are made of chromoly steel, while the less stressed parts are made of hi-ten steel. This makes the Arcade Freestyle BMX the perfect choice for the newcomer and the intermediate rider who wants a bike that he/she can grow on.

A frame that fits.

Choosing the right bike size is crucial for your progression as a rider. Buy a bike that’s too big and you’ll end up jeopardizing your control of the bike. Besides that, you'll risk getting a BMX that’s way too heavy. Get a bike that’s too small and you'll decrease the bike's agility. Furthermore, you'll risk ending up with a weird ride and maybe even a back pain.

So you’re probably thinking what size to choose?. Well, the best thing is to go to our size guide. But in general, the most common adult sized bike is a 20", which can be defined as a medium sized BMX.

A bike like the Haro Boulevard 20” 2018 is available in several sizes, and thanks to its short top tube it’s especially great for the smaller riders. The bike is designed for freestyle riding, but it can also be used for riding around town, which is an actually a really good way to get the hang of the geometry of the bike, the handling and the overall ride.

Bearings: an essential for your bike

When you think of BMX, you probably don’t think of bearings, but they are essential for both control and for creating forward motion. They are an important part of the crankset, which helps to transfer power from the rider’s legs to the sprocket.

Furthermore, the bearings in the headset are responsible for the bike’s ability to do barspins and steering in general.

Whether you’re riding your BMX inside, in a skatepark, or out on the streets, your bearings will be subjected to all kinds of dirt and water. Consider getting a BMX like the Premium Subway, which comes with sealed bearings. These require less maintenance and are kept safe from dirt and water.

These three bikes are only a few of the many freestyle BMX bikes we have in our selection. Check out our vast range of Bikes here