Bmx bikes come in a bunch of different sizes ranging from 12″ all the way to 26″. The most popular sizes are in the 20″ range. Including 20.25″, 20.5″, 20.75″ and 21″. I see kids end up with the wrong size bike all too often and it makes me sad. When you ride the correct size you will be able to progress a lot faster.
I have designed this page so that all you need to do is click on your height and the page will scroll to your suggested top tube size.
Updated on 11-28-2020 to add links to each size choice, which will make you BMX research process much easier.
How Tall are you? (Click One)
2′ 4″ to 3′ 0″
| You need a 12″ Bike |
| With a 12″ to 12.5″ Toptube Length |
2′ 8″ to 3′ 6″
| You need a 14″ Bike |
| With a 14″ to 14.5″ Toptube Length |
3′ 2″ to 4′ 0″
| You need a 16″ Bike |
| With a 16″ to 16.5″ Toptube Length |
4′ 10″ to 5′ 3″
| You need a 20″ Bike |
With a 19.75 ” to 20.25” Toptube Length |
| Getting a 19.75″ Toptube will make the bike feel easier to maneuver. It will be very responsive and snappy. See 19.75″ bikes here. |
| Getting a 20″ Toptube will give you a bike that balances stability with responsiveness. This is the best option if you haven’t developed a dedicated style yet. See 20″ bikes here. |
| Getting a 20.25″ Toptube will give you a bike that feels really good when going high and fast. A bigger size is best for flowy park riders and dirt riders. See 20.25″ bikes here. |
5′ 3″ to 5′ 6″
| You need a 20″ Bike |
| With a 20″ to 20.5″ Toptube Length |
| Getting a 20″ Toptube will make the bike feel easier to maneuver. It will be very responsive and snappy. See 20″ bikes here. |
| Getting a 20.25″ Toptube will give you a bike that balances stability with responsiveness. This is the best option if you haven’t developed a dedicated style yet. See 20.25″ bikes here. |
| Getting a 20.5″ Toptube will give you a bike that feels really good when going high and fast. A bigger size is best for flowy park riders and dirt riders. See 20.5″ bikes here. |
5′ 6″ to 5′ 9″
| You need a 20″ Bike |
| With a 20.25″ to 20.75″ Toptube Length |
| Getting a 20.25″ Toptube will make the bike feel easier to maneuver. It will be very responsive and snappy. See 20.25″ bikes here. |
| Getting a 20.5″ Toptube will give you a bike that balances stability with responsiveness. This is the best option if you haven’t developed a dedicated style yet. See 20.5″ bikes here. |
| Getting a 20.75″ Toptube will give you a bike that feels really good when going high and fast. A bigger size is best for flowy park riders and dirt riders. See 20.75″ bikes here. |
5′ 9″ to 6′ 0″
| You need a 20″ Bike |
| With a 20.5″ to 21″ Toptube Length |
| Getting a 20.5″ Toptube will make the bike feel easier to maneuver. It will be very responsive and snappy. See 20.5″ bikes here. |
| Getting a 20.75″ Toptube will give you a bike that balances stability with responsiveness. This is the best option if you haven’t developed a dedicated style yet. See 20.75″ bikes here. |
| Getting a 21″ Toptube will give you a bike that feels really good when going high and fast. A bigger size is best for flowy park riders and dirt riders. See 21″ bikes here. |
6′ 0″ to 6′ 3″
| You need a 20″ Bike |
| With a 20.75″ to 21.5″ Toptube Length |
| Getting a 20.75″ Toptube will make the bike feel easier to maneuver. It will be very responsive and snappy. See 20.75″ bikes here. |
| Getting a 21″ Toptube will give you a bike that balances stability with responsiveness. This is the best option if you haven’t developed a dedicated style yet. See 21″ bikes here. |
| Getting a 21.5″ Toptube will give you a bike that feels really good when going high and fast. A bigger size is best for flowy park riders and dirt riders. See 21.5″ bikes here. |
26″ Bike
| You need to be 5′ 4″ to 6′ 2″ |
| With a 22″ to 22.5″ Toptube length |
Notes
1. If the rider is still growing you may want to buy a slightly bigger size
2. This is only a general guide, fine-tuning comes from experience, riding style, and preference.
3. For safe and comfortable riding, there should be a clearance of at least 1” to 2” between the riders crotch and top tube of the bike
Don’t Waste your Money
Shopping for a BMX bike can be really confusing. Especially when you consider all of the diffferent specs that affect the riders style and ability.
To make this process easier, and contiunue my mission of growing BMX by making it fun and easy to understand, here are a few tools that will help.
BMX Specs E-Book: Goes in-depth and explains all of the bmx specs, so you can understand it and make smart choices.
Free BMX Bike recommendation: Just fill out some basic information about the rider and I will make a custom PDF recommending 3 BMX bikes that would be a perfect fit. Check it out here
