Bombing down rocky trails on a full-suspension carbon mountain bike is a hoot and steadily racking up miles on a wirelessly shifting road bike is a great physical challenge. But there’s nothing like the unadulterated fun you get on a BMX bike on the street or track. BMX bikes, with the lack of gears and small size, were most guys’ first bike—think Mongoose, Redline, Haro, P.K. Ripper—and their popularity exploded in the 80s and 90s.
Nowadays, the BMX bike is having a bit of a comeback, with retro rides being featured in cultural hits like Stranger Things, and the birth of the big wheel BMX bike, which uses the same simple components attached to a bigger frame and larger (usually 29-inch) wheels. This new style of BMX bike was undoubtedly brought on by nostalgia: What’s a rider to do when they age or grow out of the standard 20- and 24-inch wheel sizes?
You size up, that’s what. BMX companies now offer larger bikes for adults who still want to enjoy the free-wheeling joy of riding BMX bikes. Here are our top picks to buy now.
Best New BMX Bikes for Tearing Up Trails or Cruising on Pavement
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1. Redline MX Expert XL
If you grew up in the ’80s and rode BMX you undoubtedly have the image of Redline pro Stu Thomsen doing a look-back over the tabletop mid-race burned into your adolescent psyche. Picking up the MX Expert XL will give you the chance to rock that stylish trick again, or maybe just carefully attempt it at your local park. The 6061 aluminum frame comes with an integrated headtube, alloy wheels, 170mm 3-piece cranks, and hollow point aluminum 1⅛” threadless stem, all of which will have you yearning to dust it up on the track.