[mkesling]

I have 7 and 8 yr olds that started racing at Sycamore Raceway in Simi Valley last March. Suddenly life is all about BMX. Their first few practices were on very heavy Mongoose bikes that they already had. I picked up a Crupi mini that is about a thousand years old for the 8 yr old and an ancient GT Mach 1 mini for the 7 yr old once they decided they really wanted to race.

They both just advanced to intermediate and are deadly serious about BMX racing. They are getting close to 75 lbs in weight and both their bikes have stickers that say not to exceed 75 lbs. So time to start thinking about new bikes.

I want to provide the best stuff I can but am relatively clueless about what the best is. I am also suffering from "cash for bike stuff deficit disorder" so tend to buy used stuff.

At the tracks I see mostly redline followed by intense, supercross, ghp, free agent, and a smattering of redman. What I want to get a feeling for is how all of these rank with one another? What bike do you wish you had?

 

[cmc]

I have 7 and 8 yr olds that started racing at Sycamore Raceway in Simi Valley last March. Suddenly life is all about BMX. Their first few practices were on very heavy Mongoose bikes that they already had. I picked up a Crupi mini that is about a thousand years old for the 8 yr old and an ancient GT Mach 1 mini for the 7 yr old once they decided they really wanted to race.

They both just advanced to intermediate and are deadly serious about BMX racing. They are getting close to 75 lbs in weight and both their bikes have stickers that say not to exceed 75 lbs. So time to start thinking about new bikes.

I want to provide the best stuff I can but am relatively clueless about what the best is. I am also suffering from "cash for bike stuff deficit disorder" so tend to buy used stuff.

At the tracks I see mostly redline followed by intense, supercross, ghp, free agent, and a smattering of redman. What I want to get a feeling for is how all of these rank with one another? What bike do you wish you had?

Great job on getting your boys into bmx at a young age. They'll acquire bike skills very fast. Although my parents had me riding the same cheapo Murray for years, I think you're doing the right thing by getting performance-oriented bikes that actually fit properly and have reasonable light weights in relation to the boys' weight.

If you ask around at your local track, and check craigslist, you may get a good deal. Unless a frame is cracked, fork is bent, or wheels are thrashed, used bikes generally are fine.

Even old model race bikes can still be great quality and value. So, your ancient Cruipi and old Mach 1 mini are probably still highly competitive bikes if the parts are in good condition. If you decide to sell those, take a look at bmxmuseum buy/sell forums, there are always guys going for vintage stuff.

The best online store for bmx racing is JR Bicycles https://www.jrbicycles.com/storefront/. The brands you mentioned are all quality. Haro has quality race stuff as well that is reasonable for the price.

The next step up from a "mini" size is Junior then Expert.

Good luck.