Yep, my son and I are making it over to the freestyle side from the racing side.
He tells me about a week ago that it is not fun anymore. (racing)
We are in Indiana and he has seen all the b.s and drama first hand and it has gotten
to him but he likes to ride.

So needless to say we will be looking for a different bike now.
He is 11 yrs old and kind of small/lightweight but very strong.
Currently rides an Expert race bike built with high end parts inc. 165 cranks.
Can you all give me some guidance on what we should get?
I can't break the bank but I don't want something that he will not like either.
For myself I a mthinking a complete for now but I need a 21" Top tube and I have not seen any yet.

Thanks in advance for the help.
Nate and Tim Crane...I am sure that we will see you guys out on the trails and ramps.

David

My son is also 11, and also found racing "not fun anymore", and also got into freestyle as an alternative. I had gotten him a Felt base w/ an 18.5"TT a while back as a thrasher, and when it became his main ride we upgraded many of the parts to lighten it up. I got him a set of Eastern 7.25" bars and some Drive forks, taking 2.5 pounds (yes, that much) off the front of the bike. Then I got him a 9t driver wheel and swapped out the big gear for a 25/9 setup, dropping another 1.25 pounds.

I was looking for a sub-20" TT full chromoly frame, and they are very rare to find. I had to enlist the talents of a friend of mine at Mirraco to dig up what I was looking for, but anyone else may not be so lucky. If you`re willing to put him on an 18" wheeled bike knowing he`ll outgrow it sooner than later, Mirraco has the Blend series of bikes. Alloy frames and top of the line parts made specifically for the experienced younger riders. They`re light and agile, and a bit pricey. If your child isn`t a basher, Eastern has a complete with a 19"TT I think, but it`s an entry level bike.

(oh, and there are a few completes w/ a 21" TT. The Eastern Jane being one of them. Decent bike.)

Check out the We The People Trust... 21in TT, full cro-mo, $500 MSRP.. I got one for my stepson.. He loves it!

Brian

David, great to have ya... awesome he didn't get burned on riding, and you to... you will get the racing bug again, but sometimes ya just got to get away from the whole mess... lol. Seems like racers think the world revolves around their little 10 moto scene and the only thing BMX is riding around a little track over dirt humps...
Definitely see us there. come on over sometime, We have an outdoor park, I have a backyard track, and ramps, and Tim has one to with ramps... its awesome. later

here's what my son rides. he's 11 y/o 4'5" and 72lb.

he loves it. the bike wieghs 20.5lb. making it easy for him to throw around

i have more pics that i'll use to start another thread.

and as was stated before, you will probably return to racing.

ooops my pic is to big i'll upload shortly

Depending on your budget there are many choices. A good complete that has some decent parts in an 18 inch is the Hoffman Mantra PL 18. Check it out...

http://www.shopsidewalldistro.com/p-42-hb-...ntra-pl-18.aspx

Or the DK Intervol 18

http://www.danscomp.com/101125.php#

Just like racing if you want a light bike it is gonna cost ya. If money isn't as much of a concern and you want him to have a light bike so it will be easier there are a few companies that make frames with 19.5 to 20 inch top tube.

still trying to figure out how to upload a larger image

this bike is a 16" haro with all aftermarket parts

http://www.bmxhosting.com/is.php?i=1267&img=100_0749.jpg

We recently went through the exact same thing with our 10 year old. After finishing 2nd at the NBL Grands and second in the country in the 9 Expert class, he was just done with racing. In February we talked him into going to the Buckey National where he won both days and yet he still didn't want racing anymore. We've started hitting the skate parks a ton and in June he won the Gatorade Flow Tour Junior Jam in Milwaukee. Coming from the racing side, I'm no stranger to spending a good amount of money on a bike, so this was no suggestion. It's a Subrosa Pandora 18" frame with lime green Demolition parts complete with Ti spokes and Bottom Bracket. I think it weighs in at just over 19 lbs. If you don't want to spend the money, they do have a stock 18" which is pretty good and you can probably make it a little lighter with some race parts here and there.

My son has taken a break from racing as well and seems to be riding even more than when he was racing.

Skip the 18" wheel bike as he will outgrow VERY soon.
20" TT would be ideal... 21" TT will be way to big.

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