FlanderFlop's Full Review: Boys Magna 20" Invader Bmx Bike
While this bike is billed as a “BMX” bike it is really more suited as a kids bike, so right off the bat, if you are planning on doing any serious BMX riding, this is not the bike for you. On the other hand, as a kids bike this is not such a bad choice.
BMX style bike in general make great kids bikes, because with the 20 inch wheels a younger kid can ride it like a mountain bike and as he grown, he can slowly ride it more and more like a BMX bike without outgrowing it in a season.
Also given the tendency of kids to mistreat their bikes by leaving them out in the rain, dropping them on the ground and jumping them into lakes, it is perhaps not a bad idea to get an inexpensive one such as this until they learn a little more responsibility. So lets look at this bike.
The frame design is a leftover triple triangle design that was originally designed to make frames stiffer and more durable. In this case it just makes the frame heavier, but it does have that cool factor that kids like.
Front and rear brakes are a plus and it is nice to throw a cable detangler (a.k.a. Giro) on it. The cable detanglers are designed to allow the handlebars to spin around freely and still allow the brake cables to function freely. While most kids aren’t doing tricks that involve spinning the handlebars, parents will appreciate that the cables tend to survive better when the bikes are thrown down and twisted about. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen bikes come into the shop with “brake problems” only to discover that the problem is that the handlebar has been turned around a couple of times and the brake cable is simply wrapped up.
Pegs are a nice addition. Again, kids tend not to use these a lot unless they are giving their friends a ride around, but they do have that cool factor that kids like.
There are two real weak spots on this bike, and those are the brakes and the wheels. The brakes are made cheaply and they flex when stopping which makes for decreased stopping power. For most kids this is fine because they are not riding at great speeds, and the have lower body weights so they can get away without great stopping power. An older and heavier rider may have more trouble stopping.
The second is the wheels. These are a single wall rim so they don’t hold up as well to impact as nicer wheels. Again with a smaller rider you can probably get away with this, but I would not recommend these wheels if you intend to do any jumping or serious BMX riding.
So while this bike is heavier and more cheaply made than a real BMX bike, the quality is probably fine for a kids bike. The one thing, however, that I do recommend that you do is take the bike to a qualified mechanic to look it over before you put your bundle of joy out to ride it. Not to disparage the guys that put together bikes for the big chain stores, but it is not uncommon for them to be paid by the bike that they assemble. This gives them incentives to build quickly rather than well, so a lot of times you will see the bikes go out the door with misaligned brake pads, wheels not properly attached or any number of other problems. It is also pretty common for them not to grease the seatpost which can cause the seatpost to rust into position making it difficult to adjust as the child grows.
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
Features a deluxe freestyle frame with full rotor and cable set and front and rear bulldog-style brakes Includes front and rear peg sets Vinyl spring ...More at Amazon Marketplace
Features A Deluxe Freestyle Frame With Full Rotor And Cable Set And Front And Rear Bulldogstyle Brakes. Includes Front And Rear Peg Sets. Vinyl Spring...More at Target
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