Please Save My Son from a Box Store Bike! :D

Depending on how tall he is and how much you think he will grow, that Subrosa is a pretty sweet 18". If he is still short I'd go that route. Take him to a bike shop and have him try out a 20" and see how he handles it and then decide form there. At that age most of the time you can get away with a hi-ten frame. But crmo is always better. All those listed bikes in that $ range will work just fine.

you're a pretty rad mom. i would go subrosa just because ryan sher (owner) has been doing some great stuff recently. i wouldn't worry about hi tens steel at his age.

Sounds like he likes a few different types of riding. If you have the cash, you might want to check out a bmx bike and a cheap hardtail.

This kid rides 16" wheels (the bikes you were looking at has 20" wheels) I think, he is 9. But then again, he is on a whole different plain than most kids his age.

You might want to send Manimal a message. He has a little kid ripping around on a mountain bike with front suspension. And from the pictures I've seen, the kid can jump and ride pretty well.

Sunshine,
You are clearly on the right path.

As someone who grew up working in a bike shop I can't tell you how many times we had to "convince" parents that a quality bike can literally save a limb or two.

Is this a surprise? If not talk to him and see if he wants a BMX or MTB as they are two different styles.

Either way an 18 or 20 inch bike will gain him some of the fundamentals if he wants to go to a MTB someday.

What a great mom... I think I'll go call mine!

I got my son a Premium 18" for his 9th birthday this past summer. He's not that into riding but it's a great bike and fits him well. We got his down at Staff BMX (staff-bmx.com). The Subrosa and Eastern were also on the floor but I thought the Premium had the best geometry and components.

Like Cable said, it's worth it to buy a good bike - they last longer. He can hand it down to a sibling or cousin or at the very least sell it on ebay/craigslist. My oldest, handed down 2 bikes so far to his sister. They are still going strong and will be great for the youngest in a few years.

the fbm completes are the better specced as it seems. the heathen is worth the extra $50 or so for sure.

grom-dom said:

the fbm completes are the better specced as it seems. the heathen is worth the extra $50 or so for sure.

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hi-ten steel should be avoided like a diseased hooker....


hi-ten steel is a fancy way to say "we found some cheap metal scraps and welded a frame out of them". wallmart bikes are made of said junk. if you are going to go that route, might as well buy a mongoose from wallmart, the quality will be the same and you won't have been tricked into spending more money...

I don't know how tall your almost-9 year old is.... but I would guess it will be fine to go with a 20" wheel rather than an 18". the key the variations in sizes of 20" bikes is to watch for top tube length, rear end length and how tall the handlebars are. you can have an 18.5"tt bike with a 13.75" rear end and 6" or 7" tall bars (basically flatland bike size) that is great for a younger short dude. but a 20.75"tt with 8" rise bars is a bad idea.

here's an example of Redline's line of 20"s that are designed for young riders. note how the bars almost look like cruiser bars. maybe 5.5" - 6.5" rise.



if he's might be into freestyle, like maybe flatland tricks as well as some jumping or skatepark. . . . consider the DK Signal. flatland is good for your son to learn bike skills if you don't have a skatepark or jumps nearby (and is a sport in its own right).

http://www.flatlandfuel.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=883 It has a shorter top tube than normal, shorter handlebars, shorter cranks, and shorter back end. Basically a small version of the other DK bikes. The pegs, front brakes, and freecoaster hub are what make it a "flatland bike." Other than that, it's the same as any bmx.

if you do want to go with an 18", DK, Hoffman, and FIT all have them (probably others too). www.empirebmx.com sells the FIT 18" for $350.
I still think it's a better idea to go with a small 20" wheel bike rather than an 18". you said he rides off road trails etc. and a 20" wheel will roll a bit better over bumps etc. when i was about 12 i rode with a 9 year old neighborhood kid who rode on a 20" wheel diamond back viper and he shredded on it.


LASTLY.... don't rely on typical bike shop advice when it comes to bmx. most shops don't know or care much about bmx even though they sell the bikes. maybe it's different nowadays, but that's how i experienced it in the 80s and 90s. they won't talk to you about handlebar height, crank length etc. most of the time they'll try to get a little kid onto a 24" wheel mtb that is way too big for him and not fun.

sounds like a 16 inch would be a nice choice (although i havent looked at any responses above me)

Can you please adopt me?
If he likes bmx the DK 16 in General Lee could be a good option. I ride one once and a while and I'm 6'2" so he'll keep it for a while.

yeah, since he's 4'3", a 16" or maybe an 18" is probably the way to go.

here's a REDLINE 16" :


i sort of imagine a 20" as being for 5'0" and up.

check out this list of Redline bikes:https://www.jrbicycles.com/storefront/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=189

a mini has the geometry of a bmx race cruiser, only it is built around 20" wheels instead of 24"s or 26"s. note the handlebars are only 2"-3" rise, almost like mountain bike bars:



they are designed for bmx racing and are super light. not compatible with pegs, front brakes, or heavy skatepark riding. maybe not what he's into.... but minis are so much lighter and little kids have a tough time with the strength to do bunnyhops and jumps that he might really love it.

get the stolen nipper its a 16

i say get him on a mini like CMC suggested. it'll be much better for trails then a 16/18" BMX. having the larger wheels will be a plus and it'll be lighter. if he wanted to ride more BMX type stuff like parks and street then i'd definitely go with something else though.