If you are a passionate biker who is ready to take his mastery to another level, you need to equip your BMX bike with the right gear so you can be able to pull off a host of tricks such as rail or ledge grinds and flatland manoeuvres. You can do all these tricks with the help of the BMX stunt pegs which are installed on the axles of the wheels. They are necessary for achieving great coordination and balance and successfully carrying out the tricks. As there are different types of bikes, there are also different types of bike pegs with different features. In order to choose the right ones for you, here is a guide on how to do it taking into consideration the different features.
First of all, the most important decision that you need to make is what kind of material should your bike pegs be. There are cheaper pegs which are made of steel in mixture with chrome but their low quality will prevent them from lasting long. On the other hand, there are plastic bike pegs which are made from tough, hard-wearing plastic sleeves with alloy inserts for strength. These plastic bike pegs offer a slicker surface for smoother grinds and there is a possibility to buy replacement sleeves if the original wears out. Another type is the nylon sleeve with chrome or steel inserts which also offers stability. An important tip is to buy a peg wax which is to be rubbed onto the pegs and rails or ledge edges in order to reduce friction for longer grinds.
There is an ongoing discussion between professional riders about which bike pegs are better: the plastic or the metal ones. Bike pegs made only of plastic wear off really fast although they last longer than you might expect, maybe even a year. The chrome pegs are the heaviest and last very long and they will stand up to rough, but you might not be able to slide too well with them as they are too heavy. The aluminium bike pegs are lighter than the chrome ones but they won't stand up well to rough ledges. The plastic sleeve bike pegs with alloy inserts, on the other hand, have been proven to be a better choice than the other because they are designed as a combination of the advantages of the different materials.
Finally, you should take into consideration the axle size, the length and diameter of the bike pegs. Most of the bike pegs come in standard axle size which is designed to fit the 14 mm axle found on most of the street and park bikes. There are also bike pegs which are designed to fit the 3/8 inch axle standard found on racing bikes. When it comes to the length, the typical length is around 100 mm but a 110 mm type can be found as well for riders with bigger feet or for anyone else who prefers longer pegs for better grinds. There are also bike pegs of just 30 mm which protect the axles without being obtrusive for air tricks. The typical diameter is 38.5 mm, however, skinny pegs of 35 mm or less may be found as well and they are usually preferred by riders for their lighter weight.
