Cycroc 20 inch fixed

To be fair, that's not a fault with the bmx though, it wasn't designed to be ridden like that.

In the same way these will probably snap if you start spinning them down stairs but that's because they're not designed as a bmx replacement.

Just to be clear: I am not trying to justify these bikes in anyway. I think they are thoroughly ludicrous but that's all part of their charm. I will never need one, I just want one.

Actually I think they were designed to be ridden like 'that'. A smaller 'fixie' is obviously going to appeal to the tricksters and that is how they are being marketed by people like tokyofixedgear. Sillgey are suggesting uses like polo. In any cases it is a compact & robust simple bike that easily up to the odd bit of hucking in addition to commuting and a bit of polo. It is a little fun bike.

In terms of comparing it to a bmx, strength wise they would probably be very similar(possibly better except for thin lightweight wheels). A BMX is made out of similar materials, but has a relatively tiny headtube with massive 2pc handlebars. The puts a lot of stress on the headtube juction making it a common area for bmx frames to fail. You could argue that the bmx 2pc handlebar design it an outdated relic of the chopper/stingray/motorbike inspired early bmx's The fact that nearly all bmx'ers run bars inline with forks kind of renders the concept pointless other than for looking cool.

The geometry of these seem similar to a bmx with the seat all the way up, but design of the frame is optimised to be strong like this by the high top tube & long headtube. Such a setup would probably be problematic on a bmx because people would want to do tailwhips. But this bike is obviously not designed with that aim. It is designed to be as rideable for transport as your regular riser equipped urban fixie bike. But it has the merits of a minivelo, compact to store, lighter, stronger, less rolling resistance, easier to throw about etc.

I think its pretty pointless saying 'why not just get a bmx' it isnt a bmx and I dont think its trying to be. The riders in that video are just showing some of the bmx inspired fun you can have with it. But the bike is clearly useful for things a bmx is not. No one sell's OTP BMX commuter bikes. A diy setup with skinny fixed wheel & high seat would look stupid, and geometry would probably feel all wrong. It probably be tricky to get a brake to work on narrow rims too.