What brand and size of bike should I buy for my 9 yr old boy?

My son is 53 inches tall (4ft 4in) and weighs 62 lbs. I want to get him a new bike for his 10th birthday. I'm not sure what size to look for. I know I want one that is made of light weight material and has shocks (he likes to jump) but won't cost me an arm and a leg. I'd like to keep it under $150 if possible. Any pros out there that can point me in the right direction? Pretty please :-)

I think it depends on how crazy the kid is. im not sure but i dont think he is gunna just hop on and start hitting 15 foot tall stair case drops so on that note, here are a list of realy good bike comapies that you can look at that i know are of good quality and for good bikes.
Eastern bikes
Haro bikes
GT bikes ( always a classic )
Felt bikes
Iron Horse bikes
there are lots more but those companies will give you the best bang for your buck. if you have any bikes that you looking to get him dont worry about shooting me a E-mail so that i can help you get the best that u can for your price range

stick with the haro X3 those are great bikes and 20" wheel is universal preaty much so dont worry about that. and im 6' 3" and i ride BMX all you have to do when he starts to get too tall just get taller bars. Report It

Trek is a great brand and you will have a choice of single speed-no gears, and with gears. Light weight is relative, and you can't meet your budget requirements and have a very light bike, but on the plus side he will get good exercise! You're probably looking at a 20-24 inch wheel bike, most likely the 20 inch.

Safety advice-unsolicited!
1. Get a helmet and one that is a true bike helmet-make him wear it.
2. With a mountain or BMX bike, you might want to think about elbow and knee pads. Gloves might not be a bad idea either. A local bike shop or REI, or Dick's Sporting goods in that order would be the place to look to get a bike person to help you rather than a department store area tender.

Well if he's doing 'jumps' as in dirt jumps, i'd suggest to get a bike more than $150, because if you get a bike under $150 i doubt it will survive any more than 20 trips to the dirt jumps. Also one that is lightweight material wouldnt be the best for jumping, because you need a good strong frame to keep your bike together when going over the jumps. It also depends on his biking skill level and what type and how big the jumps are. Well good luck!

Your kid wants a MTB. I'd say front shocks only for your budget. My daughter is a few " shorter and has been riding 24" MTB for a year. So 20" is out. In a couple years be likely will graduate to a 26" MTB.

The only problem is cheap bikes aren't made for extensive jumping etc.. With a lot of abuse they will all fail.

The best, cheapest 24" MTB front shock bike I found I bought for my kid. A Schwinn Solution AL. I got it last year for $145 + $30 shipping. I don't know if they're still available. Even then this bike couldn't handle daily jumping etc. for long.