# BMX mini or micro mini?



## paulbu (Feb 17, 2004)

My son is 4.5 years old. He is 3' 8". I am looking at getting him a mini or micro-mini bmx bike as opposed to a 25-30 pound bike. Anyone have any experience with kids riding these things? General thoughts on going this route?

I would probably put fatter tires on the bike, the lowest gearing possible, add a front brake, and loose the bear trap pedals for something more shin-friendly. Any other tips on setting one of these things up?

Sizing?
I can't find one in a shop to try out and they are kind of expensive just to take a guess. According to the Redline sizing recommendations my son is right on the line between a micro-mini and a mini. I am leaning towards the mini because it would probably last him a couple of years, he might outgrow the micro in 6 months. The mini also has 20" wheels so it might be smoother on the trails.

Thanks 
Paul


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## DiRt DeViL (Dec 24, 2003)

Both frames have low standover, I would go with the Mini.

My kid started on one (Haro CR Mini) and the problem that he had was crank lenght and gear ratio, the cranks were too long and the gear to low. After swapping cranks and installing a bigger cog the problem was solved.

The skinny tires are puncture prong, fatter tires are a must for sidewalk attacks, parks and trails.

Give it a try and adjust as needed.


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## paulbu (Feb 17, 2004)

Thanks for the advice DiRt DeVil. 

I am looking at an Intense Mini XL. I think it brings 140mm cranks. I havent found anything smaller at QBP. Hopefully the 140s are small enough. The gearing is 36x16 in this bike. I can get it as low 34x18 or 34x20. I'll probably start with replacing the freewheel and work from there.

Not sure how i will handle the tires. They look too skinny for trail use. Not sure how big of a tire will fit but Schwalbe makes some sweet kevlar bead tires for BMX bikes that will shave a ton of weight and they are bigger to boot so hopefully more puncture resistant as well.

I think i am spending more time researching my son's new bike than i did on researching my own.


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## bubba888 (Mar 25, 2006)

my daughter used a Redline Pitboss, geared down to make it more of a singlespeed trailbike, and I'd recommend that over a mini unless you're going to race bmx. the 16" wheels gave her a lower center of gravity than any mini or micro-mini (they have really high bottom brackets, proportionally, compared with adult rides). we changed the 140 cranks to 135s, ran a 34t in the front and something like a 22 in the back. she was more confident and faster off-road than she is now on a mini.


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## Pete Fagerlin (Oct 15, 2008)

Mini for sure.

Much better than the "mountain bikes" aka tanks , that are marketed at kids that age.

Don't worry about the skinny tires, they work just fine!


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## Turbs1 (Jun 17, 2008)

*Mini*

Hi. My son has just turned 6. He's riding on a redline mini. He's quite a bit shorter than all his mates at his age so this will fit him for a while. Tyres can be an issue. He started riding the bike on our local trails in summer, but as soon as it got wet we had problems, mainly with the tyres sliding out on tree roots. Mini run a 20 x1 1/8 tyre. In reality this equates to a 21" wheel. I brought 2 standard BMX wheels and they fitted good. Only issue then is the lining up of the brakes on the rim. Redline mini came with a removeable brake post system which I just reversed and swapped sides. I also had to make up a bracket for the front brakes to reach the rim. I have photo's stored on another computer which I post when I get access to it again. My son loves his bike and can ride most places with me. I put this down to the light frame. It's making him learn some great riding skills (we all learnt this way didn't we?). Shane


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## paulbu (Feb 17, 2004)

I ended up getting my son a 2008 Intense Micro Mini for XMas. I went with the micro as opposed to the mini xl because I found a good deal on the micro. It looks like it will fit him pretty well but obviously he will outgrow it sooner. I have a daughter that can inherit the bike after my son outgrows it so it wont be a loss.

The big downside I see right now is that the bike has 1" tires. According to Intense I can fit up to a 1 3/8" tire on there (same goes for the mini XL if you were wondering). So I will probably get som bigger tires for it and lower gearing and be done with it.

After XMas I will get some pics of my son on the bike.

Paul


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## LNA07 (Sep 16, 2007)

You can fit a 20X 1" , 1 1/8 " or a 1 3/8 " tire on those rim . My kid runs Kenda Small Block eight 20 x 1 3/8 , at 75 psi.,40 x 16 gear and 160 mm crank , on her BMX race bike . Also take your kid to the local BMX track ( ABABMX.com for a location ) its a great place to learn good technique and parents could also sharpen their freeriding skills on mountain bike too .


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## gwillywish (Jul 1, 2005)

i think the skinny tires will do fine as long as you keep air in them, theres kids around here riding street on minis. if you cant find an aba track around you try looking up nbl. the fact that bmx in the us has two distinctly differently sanctioning bodies competing against each other i find ridiculous, but what can you do.


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## paulbu (Feb 17, 2004)

My son JUST started riding without training wheels (like on Dec 26, 2008). I dont think he is ready for bmx racing for at least a couple of weeks yet.  Rest assured, when he shows the slightest bit of interest in racing I will get him to the event. :cornut:

At any rate I ended up getting my son an Intense Mini. I think it sizes up more as a micro mini. It is just a tad bit too big for him which is exactly what i wanted.

I am going to replace the tires with 1 3/8" tires. I am also going to gear the bike down a bit to make it easier for him to get going and pedal uphill.

One thing I almost missed was the brake lever reach adjustment. Putting the lever closer to the bar made it much easier to grab the brake so we had no accidents. Other than that I cut the handlebars down 1" on each side. I could probably go another 1/2" or even a full inch on each side.

Here he is on his new bike, seat is lowered all the way down right now so he can touch the ground easier while learning to ride. I am going to slowly raise the seat on him maybe 1/8th inch per ride until he can pedal somewhat efficiently. Right now the seat seems kind of low for him but he needs that close to the ground feeling while learning.

Video of first day without training wheels:


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## vigitalmoe (May 2, 2009)

*Junior or Mini?*

Hey all... such great feedback on a topic I never knew existed! I can't stand the typical bike options from the stores and having been looking to convert an old Free Agent Jr full bike for my recently just turned 4 Year Old just at about 3' 5" tall. I thought about taking the bike down to the bike shop and seeing if they can put on some 16" rims, smaller cranks, better sprocket ratio. The last thing I'm wondering is if the headset can be turned around to make the seat to handlebar distance shorter until he grows into the jr frame... or is the deal breaker making me have to buy a mini frame?

Thoughts?

Thanks!


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## traffic002 (Dec 16, 2008)

I think the critical dimensions will be the top tube and crank length.

My 6y/o at 3'-8" is at the beginning part of the "mini" frame fitment. I've had to make all the adjustments to make things compact and it fits him well.


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## Jwiffle (Jan 26, 2004)

vigitalmoe said:


> Hey all... such great feedback on a topic I never knew existed! I can't stand the typical bike options from the stores and having been looking to convert an old Free Agent Jr full bike for my recently just turned 4 Year Old just at about 3' 5" tall. I thought about taking the bike down to the bike shop and seeing if they can put on some 16" rims, smaller cranks, better sprocket ratio. The last thing I'm wondering is if the headset can be turned around to make the seat to handlebar distance shorter until he grows into the jr frame... or is the deal breaker making me have to buy a mini frame?
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> Thanks!


vigitalmoe - go with a mini or, better at his height, a micro mini. You'll run into some issues trying the conversion you describe on the Free Agent. One, brakes won't line up to the rims if you put 16" wheels on a frame made for 20" wheels, so he'll have no brakes (unless you put a rear coaster brake wheel in, I guess). Second, turning the stem around will work, but will make for odd steering. And by the time you buy all of those parts and swap it all around, you'll probably be near to the cost of just buying a bike that already fits him. Save the bigger bike as for when he'll fit it in a few years.

OP: your son looks very happy on his bike. Now it's a few months later, hope his smile is still just as big!


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## RideToLive (Mar 31, 2007)

*Mini Single Speed all the way!!*

Both my boys started riding at 3yo. Both went from 16" RedLine PitBoss to 20" Minis (FreeAgent & Intense) at 4yo. I like the Intense better because it had 125mm cranks, as opposed to 140mm on FreeAgent. Both boys road/raced BMX, but I under-geared both bikes and let them race XC with them as well. SingleSpeed all the way. Keep it simple and let them learn how to ride the bike.

We have the advantage of having a 800m MTB trail around the house, as well as a small BMX/Pump track. My oldest at 7yo has graduated to a Spec 24" Hardtail w/ some crank/gear mods, but my 4.75yo still is best suited with the simplicity of the Intense Mini.

You can get alot of use out of a good mini. A little bigger freewheel, a smaller chainring, and you can get the perfect gearing for your little guy, and he won't have to push the big wheels around. I additionally went to 1.375" Intense MicroKnobbies as they are the biggest tire you can get on the 20" mini rim. I run my 40lb. 4.75yo at 32f/35r and he can handle the rooty trail stuff easier than higher pressures. Just enough not to pinch flat when he's sloppy. You can size up for a while with Stem and Riser Bars. Don't cut the seat tube, you'll need it later!

Check out JRBicycles dot com for some good deals on PitBoss and Intense Minis. The have the single speed parts as well.

My oldest with his FL XC State Champ Jacket of the FreeAgent from 2 years ago when he was five.








1


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## vigitalmoe (May 2, 2009)

Thanks for all the great info!


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## ransomweaver (May 7, 2009)

*@rideToLive*

Nice! What sprockets/cog combo worked well for trail riding on the bmx mini? My boy is about to turn 4 and has been riding well on a 12in wheel bike for over a year, but that coaster brake don't work so good on the trails.


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## paulbu (Feb 17, 2004)

Getting a new freewheel for my son's mini in the next week or so. I think it is a 16t out of the box. Probably going to get an 18t or 20t.

I just ordered some Kenda Krankit 20 x 1 3/8 tires on special for $4.00 each directly from the Kenda. Hopefully that will prevent some of the pinch flats as he is running the 20 x 1" now and flats every ride. The 1" was fine until he figured out how to go off curbs.


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## RideToLive (Mar 31, 2007)

*37/19 at the moment*

On my 4.8yo's Intense Mini, we're running a 37/19 at the moment. He can ride up steep stuff out of the saddle, but he's just about spun out on the flats chasing his big brother.

Our plan is to go to 39/19. I have 19t, 18t, 17t and 16T available with 35-40T chain rings. Remember, every tooth in the back is almost worth 3 teeth in the front. 16t to 18t is a big jump on a 20".

Here's a gear calculator you can mess around with:
https://www.jrbicycles.com/sizingcharts/jrgearcalc.html

I like the MCS Alloy Rings. Cheap, and work for the little guys:
https://www.jrbicycles.com/storefront/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=960


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## traffic002 (Dec 16, 2008)

My 6y/o runs 37/16 w/145mm cranks. Bike came with a 14t stock. I just geared it down a touch to help him with the hills.

He's plenty fast on the flats.

In fact, I think he's so fast, he's parked his bmx bike in favor of a Razor scooter lately. Likes just buzzing around.


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## paulbu (Feb 17, 2004)

Just got the Kenda Krankit 20 x 1 3/8 tires a few days ago. My son now does not whince when hitting small bumps.  No more changing tubes every time he rides the bike either. The knobies are much beefier than the Intense Micro Knobbies but really it just serves to make the bike look tougher. I now ride with my kid at least once per day. He is totally loving the new tires!

If you choose to get your kid a bmx mini that doesn't come with 20 x 1 3/8 tires then just go ahead and order the bigger tires and tubes when you order the bike. There isnt much reason to run smaller tires unless your kid is actually racing BMX and those 1 inch tires are just useless for anything else.

For reference, you cannot use any tire marked with decimals (i.e. 20 x 1.5 will not fit a typical mini), they are a different diameter. So for example, a 20 x 1.5 will not fit on a wheel designed to run 20 x 1 3/8. You need to stick with the tires that post measurements in fractions. Seems incredibly silly and i am sure that the underlying reason makes sense but it is still silly.

Oh, and one more thing, switch to presta valve tubes. The mini rims are really too narrow for schrader valves. With schraders it is very easy to pinch the tube when mounting the tire because the valve pushes the rubber underneath the bead. So what will happen is you might have rubber under there with no pinch flat at first. You have no idea that there is a problem. Kid rides bike for 5 minutes then has a flat. 

I just ordered a 34T chainring from the link mentioned above. My son currently has a 36x16 setup. He can get the bike going but he is clearly overgeared (he is now 5 yrs and 1 month, maybe 1" taller). However, the real problem is that once he gets on top of the gear he just starts gunning it and while it is great to see your kid hauling ass and loving it, it is not so great thinking about how bad he is going to hurt when he clips a tree at that speed. He also has problems on even moderate inclines with the current gearing so hopefully this will help with that somewhat.


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## traffic002 (Dec 16, 2008)

Great feedback!

Yeah, the first thing when I picked up the Proline Mini was to swap the 1-1/8 indoor track tires for some knobbies in 1-3/8". fortunately the tube was already presta and compatible with 1-3/8".

I also geared down from a 14T to a 16T in the rear. I agree that he can get going a little faster than I'd like. So I may look into possibly a 17T. My boy also has just a touch bit of difficulty on the climbs so maybe he just needs a little bit of gear help.


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## DWDW (Oct 7, 2005)

One more idea I'm looking into is a 0 reach or 20mm reach stem to help my son fit into a Haro Mini. He just looks too stretched out on it and has lost his ability to maneuver like he could on his old bike. Crupi is the manufacturer and they can be found online at https://www.jrbicycles.com/storefront/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=2133 .


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## cmc4130 (Jan 30, 2008)

This kid is 3 yrs old on a micro mini !










https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/2379642/The-Helmet-legs-it-on-track

_Watching Luca Berry speed around the Cambridge BMX track, it is easy to understand his nickname, "The Helmet with Legs".

The Tamahere 3-year-old, who weighs just 16kg and measures barely 95cm in height, is one of the region's smallest BMX riders.

As soon as Luca launches from the starting hill on to the track, he's jumping and sliding along without fear pedals spinning while his big helmet dips and bobs with every movement looking every part a BMX-ing natural.

"I like going up the hills and down the other side," he said soon after finishing a lap.

The youngster attended training sessions at the Cambridge track and was dubbed The Helmet with Legs. The nickname stuck.

Luca began biking about the age of two, and had his training wheels removed when he was 2 1/2, just two weeks after his sister Aliya, 5, rode without trainers.

His mother, Chantelle Berry, said Luca's "frustration" contributed to the speedy removal of those training wheels.

Of course, crashes are almost inevitable for Luca, who struggles to reach the ground on his "micro-mini" BMX with 20-inch tyres.

Mrs Berry remembers Luca going "over a big bank" on the Cambridge course this year.

"He cried for about five minutes, then stood up and said `I'm ready again'," she said.

But crashes don't really seem to crush any of the pint-sized speedster's enthusiasm for riding.

"I crash when I stand up, but then I jump on again," Luca said.

Ad Feedback - Waikato Times_


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## cmc4130 (Jan 30, 2008)

My buddy's son on his GT mini at a neighborhood pump track we built. He's become a way better rider after his dad got him a mini.









video:

__
https://flic.kr/p/4672976435


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## mijustin (Jun 9, 2011)

*Age*



> My buddy's son on his GT mini at a neighborhood pump track we built. He's become a way better rider after his dad got him a mini.


How old is he?

It seems like there's quite an age range that use Minis - ages 3-6?


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## traffic002 (Dec 16, 2008)

mijustin said:


> How old is he?
> 
> It seems like there's quite an age range that use Minis - ages 3-6?


Redline has a size guideline for their bikes. Kids heights range quite a bit.

My son at 8y/o still rides his mini.

My daughter at 4-1/2 can't fit it.


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## djska (Jan 30, 2005)

This article mentions fitting a Redline micro mini with 18x1.5" Schwalbe Marathon racer tires.

VeloNews test: Raceable kids bike, in time for Christmas

Does anyone know if they will they really fit the stock frame and fork? There seems to be hardly any space left at least in the front to fit a bigger tire...

TIA,


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## djska (Jan 30, 2005)

Best options are probably:
PRIMO Champ Slic 18x1 (19x400C) ISO ERTRO 355mm
Schwalbe Stelvio	28-355	18x1.125"
Schwalbe Kojak	32-355	18x1.25"


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## djska (Jan 30, 2005)

I ordered these: Schwalbe Stelvio 28-355 18x1.125", but they are too small, how very, very confusing. Schwalbe 28-355 is not the same size as the Primo ERTO 355mm.


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## El Flaco (Oct 23, 2011)

The Schwalbe Marathon Racer 18x1.5 are also too small. WAY too small.


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## Axxis (Sep 9, 2012)

I just bought my 4.5yr old daughter and Intense Micro (2009, 2nd hand) and she managed to ride it after 10 minutes of instruction. It was her absolute first time on a bicycle with her only experience being a pedaling on a cheap China made trike, a Razor scooter to help develop her balance and a couple of turns on her younger bro's Strider which is way too small for her to use properly. I've gotta say that buying this bike was about the best decision ever! Something I would have never considered had I not stumbled across this thread. Thanks to all who posted in here and gave me the confidence to buy this bike. :thumbsup:


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## wiruth (Feb 17, 2004)

My son has a Redline Micro and I am looking to replace the Primo slicks with something that has a little more volume and tread. From the posts above, it sounds like the Schwalbe tires listed do not fit? Does anyone have a suggestion?


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## cmc4130 (Jan 30, 2008)

mijustin said:


> How old is he?
> 
> It seems like there's quite an age range that use Minis - ages 3-6?


he was in kindergarden then, so, yeah like 5-6.


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## djska (Jan 30, 2005)

wiruth said:


> My son has a Redline Micro and I am looking to replace the Primo slicks with something that has a little more volume and tread. From the posts above, it sounds like the Schwalbe tires listed do not fit? Does anyone have a suggestion?


After ordering the wrong Schwalbe's, I didn't want to take another guess, and just ordered the original Primo Champion slics:

_Primo Champion Slic Micro Mini Tire 18 x 1" 110psi Black Skinwall. 18 x 1" (19 x 400c) 120tpi, ISO Diameter = 355mm_

I'd advise to only buy alternative tires if you can measure the inside diameter yourself, or have it measured for you.


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## Axxis (Sep 9, 2012)

djska said:


> After ordering the wrong Schwalbe's, I didn't want to take another guess, and just ordered the original Primo Champion slics:
> 
> _Primo Champion Slic Micro Mini Tire 18 x 1" 110psi Black Skinwall. 18 x 1" (19 x 400c) 120tpi, ISO Diameter = 355mm_
> 
> I'd advise to only buy alternative tires if you can measure the inside diameter yourself, or have it measured for you.


I just bought another Intense but this time an Intense Junior XL and I realized that the standard tires are a 20 x 1'1/8" versus the 20 x 1" on the Micro. They've got considerably a fatter profile and are much better IMO. I'm going to order a set to retrofit on the Micro.
(for the time being while my daughter is still using the Micro I just switched the wheelsets over as they're an exact match.)


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## mr_fungle (Jul 21, 2007)

This thread is awesome and full of great info!


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## rdblatch (Jun 6, 2008)

wiruth said:


> My son has a Redline Micro and I am looking to replace the Primo slicks with something that has a little more volume and tread. From the posts above, it sounds like the Schwalbe tires listed do not fit? Does anyone have a suggestion?


Did you ever find anything that fits? I would also like to find something with a little more grip.

Thanks.


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## kylant (Dec 4, 2011)

wiruth said:


> My son has a Redline Micro and I am looking to replace the Primo slicks with something that has a little more volume and tread. From the posts above, it sounds like the Schwalbe tires listed do not fit? Does anyone have a suggestion?


i am in the exact situation. just picked up a used Redline Micro for my daughter. come to find out, getting 18" tires is extremely difficult 
I am looking for something with a little more tread like the Kenda Powerblock 8. I know these are available for the 20" wheel, but for the 18??
Does anybody know if a 20" wheel will fit on a Redline Micro?

thanks


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## XJaredX (Apr 17, 2006)

Just bringing this up in case some people aren't aware, but there are other really nice alternatives to these kinda bikes that will fit 3-4 year olds-my son is on a Spawn Banshee and we're running 2.4" knobbies and the thing is still super light.


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## gsy971 (Jan 14, 2005)

sorry to hijack this thread but i need some help. Son will turn 7 11/6 and he is on medium smaller side if you can say that. Being he is asian we are not that tall but not short by any means. thing is i bought him a used junior redline and it seems a tad big for him as he is tippy toeing when seated on the bike and at a stand still. the seat is lowered all the way. By looking at the other BMX kids, they can all sit comfortably on their bikes with their feet flat on the ground while my boy seems to be tippy toeing around. should i go for a mini frame and just part out his junior and transfer it back to the junior when he is taller? thanks


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## Jim Mac (Jun 29, 2004)

How tall is your son? It sounds as if he might be too big for a junior and a mini might be better. There is one exception that I have found - the DK mini's and juniors sizing is weird. minis are recommended only up to 3'10" and juniors are 3' 10" to 4' 5". My kid is over 4' so he rides the junior sized DK. In other bike brands, he would be on a mini.


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## gsy971 (Jan 14, 2005)

he is a little under 3'10'ish. I've read up on sizing, albeit AFTER i bought the bike (duh), but it really comes down also to personal comfort too right? And if he looks " stretched" out and tippy toeing on the bike and not sitting comfortably when at a stand still then maybe its too big?

problem is he really doesn't know what should be considered comfortable nor do i for that matter


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## traffic002 (Dec 16, 2008)

How long is your riding season? Ours is starting to shut down (unless you ride through the winter like I do through cold and rain...) By Spring time, he'll be fitting that bike perfectly probably.

You can try raking the handle-bar back a bit if he looks stretched.

And yeah, I agree that it's all about feeling comfortable on the bike. You could buy a used mini, let him ride for a year, then sell it off and transition into the junior.

Is he a new rider? If not, just let him know he's not supposed to touch the ground while seated. He needs to stand up.


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## cmc4130 (Jan 30, 2008)

gsy971 said:


> he is a little under 3'10'ish. I've read up on sizing, albeit AFTER i bought the bike (duh), but it really comes down also to personal comfort too right? And if he looks " stretched" out and tippy toeing on the bike and not sitting comfortably when at a stand still then maybe its too big?
> 
> problem is he really doesn't know what should be considered comfortable nor do i for that matter


it sounds like it's too big. i think it's important for kids (or adults) who are learning riding to be able to confidently put their feet down.

maybe checking out some bmx racing would give you an idea of how other kids fit on their mini's. 
BMX Racing 5 year olds @ Manzanita Main Event 8-12-10 .avi - YouTube


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## Jordan300 (Jul 26, 2008)

My son has a Redline Micro and he is still a little stretched out on it. It has 18" wheels. He's almost 5 and almost 4 feet tall. It took a while for him to get used to the bike. It's much different than his MTB.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

On a BMX bike, your legs shouldn't even be close to stretched out when sitting.
If you ever check out the bike set-ups at a race, you'll see that you can't even pedal them while seated without your knees hitting you in the chest. If you've got the seat slammed down where it should be and he's still on tippy-toes to reach the ground, the bike is for sure a lot too big.

ie - The kid on the orange bike in this pic looks too small for it (or at least the seat and bars are way too high - you can see how he looks like he's stuck up on a perch compared to the other kids (mine's in the middle) who have a lot of room to move around on their bikes. In my experience, when it comes to having a kid really learn how to handle a bike, you need to take the sit-down option right out of the picture. The seat is there to rest on when your stopped and to prevent impalement, and that's it. You want them on a bike where they can move all around, and one they can get away from really easily if they need to.


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## gsy971 (Jan 14, 2005)

i am here in Hawaii so we ride pretty much all year around. He just started riding the track but not racing yet (fingers crossed he will). We have been to the track numerous times both as spectators and participants and the reason I brought this question up is that at the track I have noticed how others are sitting on their bike and he just didn't look right to me all stretched out.

I also raked the handlebars back a little as traffic002 said and swapped the 165mm arms on the junior with 140mm arms. I am trying to make the bike as comfortable for him as possible and YES he needs to learn how to stand! He keeps sitting for the most part and gets stuck on the 2nd to last table top. I removed his seat at home to force him to stand and he rides back and forth a little to get the feel. 

Alas I think my own thinking has been confirmed by the responding posts and I bought him a used intense podium mini xl which I will just swap parts from the junior. Hopefully when he is older and taller AND he is still riding we can switch back to the junior and sell off the intense.


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## Axxis (Sep 9, 2012)

My 4 and 5 year olds ride these bikes and with the seat in the comfortable position for feet flat on the ground their knee bend will be too extreme on the top of the pedal stroke. Basically your kids need to ride standing up on these bikes. The seat should be put at a height where they can just touch the ground, not quite flat footed but not fully tippy toed either. Get them to practice riding around (not at the track) standing up until they get comfortable with it. 
Next step is to teach them how to start and stop without using the seat. (braking while standing and then stepping off the pedals when the bike comes to a stop).
Once they can do this and they are fully comfortable you can raise the seat so that they can only touch one foot to the ground when they are slightly shifted to one side. This should work best as a combo position. For fully powered up riding though they should always be standing.


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## gsy971 (Jan 14, 2005)

anyone got some spare "not too expensive" used mini parts for sale? need fork, stem, low rise bar


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## rockbronc (Sep 13, 2014)

rdblatch said:


> Did you ever find anything that fits? I would also like to find something with a little more grip.
> 
> Thanks.


I did a write up here on a 1 3/8" tire option I was able to install instead of the 400x19 primo slic

read here before buying the tires:

http://forums.mtbr.com/families-riding-kids/bmx-micro-mini-18x1-tyre-options-868681.html


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## dcx5000 (Apr 22, 2017)

*Spawn Banshee is what you need*

My 38" tall 3 year old son has a redline micro mini for the bmx track. That is the only place he is allowed to ride it. He has a Spawn Banshee for everything else. The Banshee is set up with the proper gearing, crank length, handlebar reach. And it only weighs 15 lbs.
On the micro, I have had to replace the cranks (my kid should be on 100mm cranks) the chainring (34/14 gearing), and the handlebars (3" reach tilted back). This is getting expensive.
Unless you plan on racing BMX, get a Spawn bike. This company is trying to make the best bike for your kid.


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## cmc4130 (Jan 30, 2008)

The Haro 16" on the left weighs 25.6 pounds and the Redline Mini 20" on the right weighs 16.6 pounds.


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## cmc4130 (Jan 30, 2008)

The GT on the right is called a Micro even though it has 20"s. The top tube is 16.5" instead of 17.75" on the Redline mini.


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## thchen (Sep 24, 2013)

cmc4130 said:


> The GT on the right is called a Micro even though it has 20"s. The top tube is 16.5" instead of 17.75" on the Redline mini.


I bought exactly the oppo for the kids: Redline Mini and GT micro. Both made in USA and it is hilarious how light they are compared to the old 16" hi-ten Haro the kids learned to ride on.


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## Jackie_N (Jun 24, 2020)

What makes a kids BMX bike a "BMX" bike anyway? Those redlines look nothing like an adult BMX, what's the deal?

My 4.5yo is riding this 16" Garneau bike, but I put more dirt oriented tires on it. Would this be a suitable pump track / jump bike after I upgrade him to a 20" trail bike?

I'm noticing he lands front heavy on it all the time while his little buddy of equal skill tends to land flat, but he has those tall ape bars on his bicycle.

I wanna get him outfitted for BMX so he can expand his skills for trail riding.

Thoughts?


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## svinyard (Aug 14, 2017)

There are generally two flavors of BMX bikes. The racing bikes like the Micro minis etc that have larger wheels, longer geometry and are built to be ultralight sprint machines. We don't race so don't have these.

The Freestyle bikes are more common in that they are skills/trick/jump bike. They are alum in small sizes and 4130 steel in the adult stuff. One of the best bikes for kids of any age if you are looking to turn them into a grom. They are also the cheapest out of all the bikes. No expensive, sit and pedal BS. Blunt instrument that will hold up to 40 failed 360 attempts and being literally thrown off jump lines. That's a normal weekend for our 16" United Recuit (bought used for 150$). The only wear is two snapped spokes and some paint. My oldest also has the nicest custom enduro sled I've ever seen (aside from Dan's) and he loves his BMX equally and rides it just as much.

I'd just hunt down a 12" (maybe 14"?) Freestyle bmx bikes on Craigslist asap and add that to your collection. Sizing is way different and don't trust the retailer charts even from SourceBMC, they are waaaaay to big. Stuff from Cult, Fit, Sunday, we the people, etc are nice. Perfect pump track bikes.

For jumps, he should be able to land flat regardless. It's just body positioning and the compress and pop. I'm guessing he is in the backseat a bit too much. Hocking curbs to flat and speed bumps are an awesome way for young kids to develop their muscle memory in safe place and is very repeatable. Taller bars can actually make it easier to land rear wheel heavy as you get more leverage.


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## Jackie_N (Jun 24, 2020)

svinyard said:


> There are generally two flavors of BMX bikes. The racing bikes like the Micro minis etc that have larger wheels, longer geometry and are built to be ultralight sprint machines. We don't race so don't have these.
> 
> The Freestyle bikes are more common in that they are skills/trick/jump bike. They are alum in small sizes and 4130 steel in the adult stuff. One of the best bikes for kids of any age if you are looking to turn them into a grom. They are also the cheapest out of all the bikes. No expensive, sit and pedal BS. Blunt instrument that will hold up to 40 failed 360 attempts and being literally thrown off jump lines. That's a normal weekend for our 16" United Recuit (bought used for 150$). The only wear is two snapped spokes and some paint. My oldest also has the nicest custom enduro sled I've ever seen (aside from Dan's) and he loves his BMX equally and rides it just as much.
> 
> ...


Thank you, helpful as always.

He definitely lands front heavy because of lack of technique, and I'm sure he will overcome that very soon, but he's still only 4-1/2. I just found it interesting that the BMX ape bar style bike naturally lent itself better for the jumps with his buddy at the helm. It makes sense as the taller bars alone will shift his weight back further and flatten the landings with no further skill required. A clear advantage over his longer and lower bar bike.

I'll look for 14" bikes from the companies you mentioned. Thanks!

Edit: would the Spawn Yoji or older Banshee fit this bill?


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

Jackie_N said:


> Edit: would the Spawn Yoji or older Banshee fit this bill?


They would definitely work fine for pumptrack and some jumping, but IMHO, a true BMX bike is a better, more durable and cheaper choice in general.


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## Jackie_N (Jun 24, 2020)

slapheadmofo said:


> They would definitely work fine for pumptrack and some jumping, but IMHO, a true BMX bike is a better, more durable and cheaper choice in general.


I found a used one locally that's why I asked. It's also only 16lbs which seems amazingly light.

Thanks


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