What's a good beginner bike for me to get?

I already asked around on yahoo answers but all people said was to check danscomp.com, but nothing special about the bikes themselves. I was recommended to this site by one answerer and I decided to check it out, and gather lots of opinions before starting off.

So I was looking for a beginner bike for myself. I live in the suburbs, next to a small park, and two-three schools. I also live on the hills (not muddy or dirt) but neat paved hills. I have a budget of $300 which i can't exceed at all. I'll be looking to upgrade the bike later on when I get better. Also, I'd like it to last a while. You know, sealed so that it doesn't die in six months. some durable material. (Chromar WOULD BE A GODSEND) and maybe a stock gyro so that I could do some handelbar spins without tangling up the brake cables. but if not, I could always just find something and snap it on. For now, I'm pretty sure that I'll be using it for:
A.) street tricks
B.) MAYBE flatland, I'm not sure how it'll work though
C.) regular cruising around.

Thanks for any help in advance!

Ok just going to tell you right now flatland is extremely hard it takes years and years to get good at it because it requires very good balance and you have to find all the balance points for every trick.

All bmx bikes can be used for cruising when i go riding different spots with my friends we will rack up about maybe 6 miles easily and alot longer if we wanted to.

k i was looking at the kink gap bike but you would have to buy it this month because the promo code 39d1 only works this month https://www.danscomp.com/101667.php

right
i knew about flatland. thats why i'd said maybe, depending on how i think it's going
But I can only get a bike in march
:O
are there any deals for next month?

sorry for asking a lot of questions.

Also, would I need gyros for any handlebar spins that go over 180 degrees? and will gyros effect other tricks?

how's this one?
https://www.danscomp.com/101124.php?cat=BIKES

or this Kink:
https://www.danscomp.com/101664.php?cat=BIKES

it's not chromoly
how good is high tensile steel?

The DK is good if you really care about saving $10. Definately get the Kink if it falls in your budget. The Kink has some good stock parts that will last a lot longer than stock DK parts. Trust me I got a similar DK last summer, and now I have to spend nearly $200 to bring it up to speed.

the kink is 299, which is JUST under my 300 limit
WOOHOO
also, i could probably use the 15 dollar discount to bring it down even more
is it really that much better than the DK?
and is it well suited for street?

Extremly well suited for street. Especially with the smaller sprocket, you won't scrape curbs, and you will accelerate faster. The DK, if you want a smaller sprocket you need to buy a new cassete for the back, which if you look at cassetes on danscomp, aren't cheap.

yeah i just checked that out.
it looks like I will be getting the Kink
The only thing is the hi tensile frame
i was talking with my friend and he said hiten is way heavier than cromoly
and the weight is 28 pounds
i read somewhere the recommended weight was 23-25lb
or will it be fine?
ill just build muscles with the extra 3lb

you will be fine hi ten is not as strong but it will take you two or more years to even get good enough to crack it. As for the weight goes i used to be a scrawny little boy riding a 35lb hoffman and im not scrawny anymore you will just get used to the weight and when something messes up on your bike it will acquire lighter parts and you will slowly build up.

lol that sound weird
good enough to break the bike
ok cool. so ill get used to the kink, then upgrade as time goes on.
what about assembly?
could i put it together at home with my dads help?

Yeah it wont start breaking for about a year though the frame will hold up but some parts may break like the chain,pedals,tires etc.

It should be fairly easy to assemble you just have to put the pedals,front tire and bars on and air up the tires. If you have any problems though we will be able to help you out. Oh yeah seat also and brakes. It should be very easy though.

alright
cuz Dan's recommended a certified mechanic
And i wondered why because all other bikes i've put together were pretty easy
and whenever they'll break i'll buy a new set from Dan's and have it be a little upgrade
whatabout safety gear?
for my beginner stuff, I guess a normal helmet will be fine.

Yeah they say that so they are not reliable for injurys caused by the poor assebmly of the bike.

As for safety gear you wont really need a helmet for street riding like bunnyhops and other things but i would deffianetely reccomend a helmet for skateparks and maybe dirt jumps but its a must for skateparks because most require them and parks are pretty dangerous.

You should be fine riding street though ive only smacked my head once on the ground but it wasnt to hard and it was a very weird accident. I dont wear a helmet for street and never will but its fine if you do but its not a necessity like in a park.

Another thing of pads that would be good are possibly some shin guards because when you are learning you dont have the greatest bike control and you can do what we call "slip the pedal" where your foot slides off and the crank arm flies around really fast and hits you in the shin really hard sometimes cuting your shins open. You dont really need them but they are good to have if your going to go out in your front yard and practice. I have some but i have not really used them much but its just an option you have.

Another good option is gloves. They are good for the cold weather,sweaty hands,working on dirt jumps and they protect against falling and scraping your hands,they also provide some grip.

I know this is pretty long but its basically all you really need to know about safety gear.

So you deffinately need a helmet for skateparks not so much street riding, Gloves are very good aswell you dont need them but they are nice to have especially in the winter time or if your hands get a little sore.You dont need shinpads but its just an option i mentioned they cost about 30$ and you probably wont even use them enough because i got a pair for free and havent really used them and they can be very uncomforatable.

If you have any more questions feel free to ask i will set you up the best i can lol.

ok thats perfect
=D
now, i'm waiting for the month to get over so I can order the bike

That's enough for bike related
Just because i'm hella psyched im gonna ask for advice on what tricks to start out with.
I know I'll definitely learn the bunnyhop first, then Ill try for endos and manuals, just to get my balance.
What should I set off learning first?
so i dont waste my time on something uber hard and over my head

I too was refered to this site by the Yahoo Answers site, and I have couple questions along the same lines so am just adding on so not to add a similar thread. . .

Mostly I'm just wondering what's the best way to go about learning? Should I just buy a bike and wing it or where do I start? What shubbyalert asked about what tricks to learn first applies too. I'm on a Marine Corps base and I know we have a skate park here so I'm gonna go check that out and see if anyone here BMXs, I've seen a few bikes around so I'm sure, so I'm hoping they'll be willing to help. Thanks for any input though.

Yeah you will definately want a good bike not some wallmart crap.
As for the tricks go you will basically be winging them just a little but i have made a couple how tos that should be able to either explain it thoroughly or just give you a very good idea.

First thing you will want to learn is the bunnyhop,then the manual. an endo can come in anywhere its a very easy trick just put your foot in the front tire.

Then once you have the bunnyhop and manual down you can learn bunnyhop manuals ,180's, or 1 footers or 1 handers or learn how to grind. Those are just some basic begginer tricks but some of them can be hard like the 180.

alright cool
ill just wait for my bike to show up, then start asking more riding related questions

I'm gonna start a new thread too, asking about parts and stuff, because I wanna understand the parts of the bike better. Any help there is really appreciated too.

hey guys im back
i checked otu my local bike shop and they didnt have Kinks
so the one i chose (the Kink Launch) wont work out
also, my mom said i can now get up to $350sih
the guy at the store had tons of Haros and GT's
are they good bikes for a beginner starting out on street?

No if you can try and get it off danscomp because its tax free also bikes at local bike shops suck.

alright
hows Stolen for bikes?
http://www.danscomp.com/101444.php?cat=BIKES
that looks pretty neat
and its pretty light

is it better then the Kink Launch?

Stolen is alright but that bike doesnt have a sealed cassette or a chromo toptube.

The gap however which is 20$ more than the launch has that stuff.

sealed cassette is nice.
=D
however, my friend says Kink isn't that great of a brand.
is that true?

is GT a good brand?

shubbyalert wrote:

is GT a good brand?

Follow my precise instructions. Walk up to said friend. Greet him. And punch him right in his fucking face. Kink is my 2nd favorite complete bike brand. We The People being #1. GT's suck. I haven't seen some of their better bikes but the two I've ridden were heavy as hell, unsealed and rusty parts, and huge heavy sprockets.

lol
done and done
i just tried out the GTs they were heavy
but i didnt get to figure out any of the specs

so im all set for the Kink Gap
last check before ordering soon
its good for a beginner?
its good for street?

i'd like a gyro for spins. Don't really care if it cuts on breaking power. but ah well. It's a small sacrifice in exchange for cromoly top and bottom tubes, and a sealed cassette. Can i buy one later on and stick it on?