Bmx vs mountain bike? Bike help please?

Question
ok well im 14 and im small im only 5 feet and my dad gave me 160$ for my birthday for a bike. Im going to be using my bike to go around my neighboorhood on street/sidewalk. Theres alot of hills if that matters. I really like the idea of lik a simple small bmx bike thats durable but i think most of them dont have gears. I dont think ill be doing ramps or anything just like biking places. some will b dirt and rocky paths. also, where should i buy the bike..like at target and sports authority or an actual bike place? but yeah anyways wat i kinda mean is i like the style and look of bmx because of the simplicity of it but i want the atributes of a mountain bike. or are bmx good on roads and streets? i dont know im really not a biker so id appreciate any help. Thanks!

Answer
Hi Shane,

Sorry it took so long to respond to you.

I think it is great that you are really thinking about your bike purchase and not just going out and buying the first thing you see.  

You seem to know where you want to ride, but what I would like you to think about is what is the terrain? Do you have hills you will have to pedal up or is it mostly flat? How fast do you want to go? Would you be happy cruising at a fairly slow but steady pace or do you really want to get moving and maybe even going for a long ride on a bike trail?

A multi-gear bike, like a mountain bike, will give you more gear choices to get you up those hills down the road faster and for longer distances than a single speed bike. The down side to that is there is more work that you will have to do to keep the bike running right... and that can be a good thing (what teachers call a learning opportunity!).

You are right in that a BMX will be much more simple to maintain. But it is limited on speed, hill climbing ability, and for longer rides. They are OK for short distances on the streets and can be more fun in that you don't have to worry about shifting.

I think what you have to do is head to your local bike shop and ride a mountain bike and a BMX bike right after each and see what you like better. I always recommend a bike shop to buy a bike because they will stand behind their products and also help you select a bike that is right for you. They will also be able to fix the bike if there is anything that goes wrong.

One hundred and sixty dollars won't take you too far in mountain bikes, but you might be able to find a nice entry level bike at that price. It will get you a bit more BMX bike, but even there you can spend $500 -$600 pretty easy.

Save a little money, or have you Dad buy you a helmet as a late birthday present. I know they can look geeky but it is better to keep you brains where they belong instead of all over the road.

Good luck and ride - a lot!

Tad