I had someone send me an e-mail. They asked me “what is the best bmx bike?” And there are so many options when considering all of the bmx bikes. However, the best BMX bike (in my opinion) is the 2020 Cult Devotion
. The Devotion is a little over $500, but it has strong parts like full chromoly. This bike is sure to last any rider for a long time.
People consider the best bike the most expensive one. However, this isn’t always the case. The best bike is the one that fits you, has quality parts that meet your skill level, and has a geometry designed around what you like to ride. Let me explain…
Getting the Right Size
I have a very helpful size guide here. All you need to do is click your height and it shows you the size bike that you need. So go the the guide and figure out what sized top tube you need, and then match it the options below.
Remember
Picking a bmx bike that is bigger than recommended will make it harder to snap around. But the bike will feel nice and controlled.
Picking a bike that is smaller than recommended will make the bike feel quick and responsive.
How-to pick the right size bmx bike
- Search for the size guide
- Go to size guide
- Click your height
- Study your recommended size
- Match those sizes with the chart below
Find the right size
Now you know what sized toptube is needed for you, you can look through the available options and pick a few that might work well for you. Remember to get the taller size if you want a more controlled and flowy feeling. Get the smaller option if you want a responsive and snappy feeling.
After you find the size you need, you can’t stop there. To find the perfect BMX bike, you still need to pick the skill level of your bike, and the discipline. We will do that next.
| Bike Model | Bike Price | Top Tube Size |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Cult Devotion | $540 | 21″ |
| 2020 Kink Cloud | $599.99 | 21″ |
| 2020 Kink Launch | $319.99 | 20.25″ |
| 2020 Fit PRK | $399.99 | 20.25″|20.75″ |
| 2020 Fit STR | $399.99 | 20.5″|20.75″ |
| 2020 WTP Crysis | $659.99 | 20.5″|21″ |
| 2020 Sunday Scout | $551.99 | 20.75|21″ |
| 2020 WTP Reason | $609.95 | 20.75″ |
| 2020 Sunday EX | $509 – $529 | 20.75″|21″ |
| 2020 Fly Orion | $690 | 21″ |
| 2020 Sunday Primer | $369.99 | 20″|20.25″|20.5″|20.75″|21″ |
| 2020 Fly Proton | $580 | 21″ |
| 2020 Subrosa Salvador | $459.99 | 21″ |
| 2020 Subrosa Altus | $309.99 | 20″ |
| 2020 Fiend Type R | $709.99 | 20.75″ |
Your Skill Level
Picking a bike that aligns with your skill level is really important. If you buy a bike that is for a lower skill level, it will get destroyed and you will have a bad experience. On the flip side, buying a bike that is a way higher skill, its going to cost more then you should spend.
Kids Bikes
Kid bikes don’t really have much to them. Sometimes they are strider bikes with no pedals, and sometimes they are just really small (12″-16″) bikes. Since these bikes are so small and easy to build, these bikes are always at the bottom of the list when it comes to price.
- Small Bike
- Hi-tensile steel
- Cheapest Components
Get a Kids Bike if you:
- are a small rider
- want to learn basic bike control
Beginner Bike
Beginner bikes are usually in the 20″ wheel size category. A beginner bike requires more materials to make. Thus making it more expensive than kids bikes. But since they are weaker quality, these bikes come out cheaper than mid-level bikes.
- Hi-tensile steel or chromoly
- Lowest quality parts
- Smaller top tube sizes
- unsealed bearings
Get a Beginner Bike if you:
- Are learning tricks like bunny hop, 180, feeble grinds, smiths
- are new to the sport
- trying to learn bike control
- just want to hang out and ride with your friends that ride
School is in session! – Sign up here
Mid-level Bike
A mid-level bike is usually represented by a hike in price. This is because mid-level bikes add full chromoly to the frame, along with double wall rims and aftermarket components.
- Full Chromoly
- Double Wall Rims
- Limited aftermarket parts
- Sealed bearings
Get a Mid-level Bike if you:
- You have been riding for a while
- You want to learn tricks like whips and bars
- You have dreams of going pro later on
School is in session! – Sign up here
High-level/Pro-level Bike
These bikes are at the top of the price chart. Usually, the most expensive, high, and pro-level bikes include a lot of strong aftermarket parts. This is on top of the strong Chromoly frame, double-wall rims, and so on.
- Full Chromoly
- Double Wall Rims
- Lots of aftermarket parts
- Sealed Bearings
Get a High-level bike if:
- Had a mid-level bike and broke it
- Ride at a high level
- Want to learn tricks like double whips, flips, feeble hard 360
Use the chart below to pick a bike that matches your skill level. Remember to plan ahead for a few years. For example, if you plan to ride at a high-level soon, It is a good idea to just save a little more and get a high-level bike. Doing this will save you money in the long run.
School is in session! – Sign up here
| Bike Model | Bike Price | Skill Level |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Cult Devotion | $540 | Mid/High-level |
| 2020 Kink Cloud | $599.99 | High-level/Pro-level |
| 2020 Kink Launch | $319.99 | Beginner |
| 2020 Fit PRK | $399.99 | Beginner |
| 2020 Fit STR | $399.99 | Beginner |
| 2020 WTP Crysis | $659.99 | Mid-level/High-level |
| 2020 Sunday Scout | $551.99 | Beginner |
| 2020 WTP Reason | $609.95 | Mid-level |
| 2020 Sunday EX | $509 – $529 | beginner/Mid-level |
| 2020 Fly Orion | $690 | Mid-level/High-Level |
| 2020 Sunday Primer | $369.99 | Beginner |
| 2020 Fly Proton | $580 | Mid-level/High-Level |
| 2020 Subrosa Salvador | $459.99 | Beginner |
| 2020 Subrosa Altus | $309.99 | Beginner |
| 2020 Fiend Type R | $709.99 | High-level/Pro-level |
Specific Geometry
This is the last component to picking the perfect bike, is getting one tailored to your style. While it is totally possible to just pick one and upgrade it to suit your style.. It usually takes a long time and a lot of money. So the closer that you can get, the better off you will be.
I wrote a really in-depth post about “ultimate upgrades for your bike” and this talks a lot about different upgrades that you can do
Street Riders
Street riders need a bike that can handle hefty drops, big spins, and riding around for miles. Sometimes a street bike has a free coaster and even brakes. This really depends on your personal preference and what kind of tricks you like to do.
Upgrades for Street Riders
Sprocket Guard
This can save you a lot of money in the long run. Doing a lot of grinds without a bash guard can absolutely destroy your sprocket.
Pegs
You can always upgrade pegs, or just add pegs if you have a complete that doesn’t come with any. You know why you need to run pegs so I won’t explain it. Here are some options.
Forks
Changing the offset of your forks will help you with your style. Most stock forks are around 32mm. Which makes the bike slow and stable. A snappy and responsive feel is much more common. Look at getting some r25 or if you are feeling really crazy, r15’s. This will make nose manuals easy and the bike will feel so much better.
Park Riders
Park riders need to choose between a really responsive and snappy feeling bike or a really controlled bike built for flow. Most people think about responsive double whipping machines. But sometimes the rider just likes to go really fast and really high.
Upgrades for Park Riders
Better Brakes
To be honest, I don’t know much about brakes. But I have some friends that love brakes. They like to get the best brakes and brake pads. If you don’t already have one, look at getting a gyro set up too. This will help keep your cables from getting tangled.
Stem
Getting a stem with a shorter reach will bring the bars closer to you. This will make steering more responsive, and also make bars so much easier.
Narrow bars
Narrowing down your bars will make your bike harder to control. But it does make bar spins easier. The best way to do this is to go buy a little pipe cutter, tape measure, cut a tiny bit off both sides. 28” is pretty narrow. So, if you have 30.5” bars and you want 28” you will cut off 1.25” on each side.
Dirt Riders
Dirt is pretty unique. A lot of people can ride some dirt on their park or street bike. However, building a bike designed specifically for dirk can make a pretty big impact. Bikes for dirt will have brakes, a bigger gear ratio, bigger geometry for better control, and knobby tires.
Upgrades for Dirt Riders
Mellow Forks
Getting some mellow forks will make the bike more stable. This is good for high-speed dirt riding. Odyssey R32 forks are the best option here.
Sprocket
Get a bigger sprocket so that you can have a higher top speed. Most bikes come with 25/9 gearing. A lot of trail riders go up to 28/9.
- Fly tractor XL 28t
- Cinema Rewind (28t) This is a spline drive sprocket. My personal favorite. You need to make sure that you have 48 spline cranks or the sprocket will not work.
Use the table below to see what bike meets your needs depending on your style of riding.
| Bike Model | Bike Price | Street, Park, or Dirt? |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Cult Devotion | $540 | Street and a little park |
| 2020 Kink Cloud | $599.99 | Street & Park |
| 2020 Kink Launch | $319.99 | Well Rounded |
| 2020 Fit PRK | $399.99 | Park |
| 2020 Fit STR | $399.99 | Street |
| 2020 WTP Crysis | $659.99 | Well Rounded |
| 2020 Sunday Scout | $551.99 | Well Rounded |
| 2020 WTP Reason | $609.95 | Well Rounded |
| 2020 Sunday EX | $509 – $529 | Street |
| 2020 Fly Orion | $690 | Park |
| 2020 Sunday Primer | $369.99 | Well Rounded |
| 2020 Fly Proton | $580 | Street/Dirt |
| 2020 Subrosa Salvador | $459.99 | Well Rounded |
| 2020 Subrosa Altus | $309.99 | Well Rounded |
| 2020 Fiend Type R | $709.99 | Street |
Similar Questions
What is the best BMX Brand?
Kink is one of my favorite brands for 2020 & 2021. They have a wide range of bikes at different qualities to ensure that you get the perfect bike for you. Kink also supports bmx by paying pro riders and throwing contests and events.
What Size BMX Do I need?
To ride at your best level, you need a bike that fits you. The size of bike that you choose depends on your height.
- A 20″ bike is for riders 4’10” to 5’6″.
- A 20.25″ bike is for a rider 5’3 to 5’9″
- A 20.5″ bike is for riders 5’3″ to 6′
- A 20.75″ bike is best for riders 5’6″ to 6’3″
- a 21″ bike is for someone 5’9″ to 6’4″
Check out the BMX Size Guide Here
