BMX Bike Buying Guide - Redline, GT, Haro

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When you consider buying a BMX bike, you will need to think about which type you want. There are four different types of BMX bike and you can select the one that is right for you by choosing what suits your needs best.

• Freestyle
• True BMX
• Jump

The freestyle BMX bike is a very strong and sturdy bike which is used primarily to perform tricks and stunts. It has a thick bulky frame which is strong and acts like a powerful sturdy chassis. It can be a standard steel frame or a chrome molly frame. This type of frame is more common among the freestyle riders as it has a mixture of steel alloy and molybdenum metal. This is favored over standard steel as not only is it stronger but it is also lighter.

The wheels are ultra-strong too on the freestyle bike. Among the more popular types of wheels used on the freestyle type of BMX is the calamity rear wheel, a sealed 14mm rear cassette-style wheel. A favorite for front wheel use is the Bulimia Wheel 10mm with a front-hub laced into a rim using Demolition spokes and Demolition rim. Demolition is one of the more popular BMX wheel types.

The lovers of the typical dirt ready to go BMX bike, you will have been attracted to its knobbed tyres and easy to pick up light frame, as with all BMX bikes, you will be picking up and carrying it on several occasions.

The true BMX bike is often used for dirt track riding and going at top speeds over short distances whilst riding off road. These bikes are showcased every four years at the Olympic Games, where competitors from different countries battle over an undulating track with hairpin twists and turns.

Aluminum frames are the most popular frame material for BMX race bikes. The bikes used in the Olympic Games were reinforced by welding between the joints where stress is featured. A compound frame does offer a faster ride but is not as strong.

Often referred to as the "Dirty Jumper" a Jump BMX is a kind of hybrid between the true BMX bike and the freestyle BMX bike. It has a very strong frame, tough wheels and those knobble tyres. The Jump BMX is often seen blazing a trail around specifically carved tracks in woodlands.