The 2022 Sunday Darkwave is an absolute beast. Build from full AFTERMARKET 100% chromoly, the Darkwave is one of the few complete bikes that can compete with the Envy and the Soundwave. This bike is street-specific with pegs, hub guards, and a freecoaster. The $1300 price tag is a bit of an issue though…
Here’s how it stacks up against my TOP 5 Picks…
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Skip right to the good stuff where I give the bike a Dougsterbob Score based on 20 different aspects that determine how good the bike is overall.
Overview
If your riding style is defined as “absolute beast mode”, then the Sunday 2022 Darkwave Authentic BMX Bike is for you. As Broc Raiford’s signature model this build is compiled of entirely aftermarket parts meant to provide the most durable and capable ride around. Components such as the Darkwave frame and forks, Odyssey wheelset, Thunderbolt cranks, and even down to the Broc tires will keep riding where others would disintegrate. The Odyssey Clutch V2 Freecoaster makes fakies easier than ever and if grinding is in your bag, the included hub guards will keep parts safe. If ever there was a signature pro model bike worthy of its namesake, this is it. Broc Raiford’s Darkwave Authentic is the pinnacle of complete bikes.
from: Danscomp
Highlights
- Full aftermarket parts
- Street Specific
- Best quality bike
- 100% Chromoly
Specs
Price
The 2022 Sunday Darkwave BMX Bike costs $1299.99.
Colors
2022 Sunday Darkwave Part List
| Frame: Sunday Darkwave Aftermarket, 100% Chromoly w/ Wave Downtube |
| Fork: Sunday Darkwave Aftermarket, 100% Chromoly, 41-Thermal (28mm Offset) |
| Bars: Odyssey Broc Aftermarket Bar, 100% Chromoly, 41-Thermal, (29″ Width) (9.8″ Rise) (10° Backsweep) (2° Upsweep) |
| Stem: Odyssey Broc V2 (50mm) |
| Headset: Odyssey Pro Conical (1-1/8″) |
| Top Cap: Sunday Aftermarket, Aluminum |
| Grips: Odyssey Broc Raiford |
| Cranks: Odyssey Thunderbolt, 100% Chromoly, 41-Thermal (170mm Length) (Left Hand Drive) |
| Bottom Bracket: Odyssey Sealed Mid (22mm) |
| Pedals: Odyssey Twisted PC Pro |
| Chain: Odyssey Bluebird Half-Link |
| Sprocket: Odyssey La Guardia Sprocket (28 Tooth) |
| Front Hub: Odyssey Vandero Pro, Sealed (3/8″ Female Axle) |
| Rear Hub: Odyssey Clutch V2 Freecoaster (14mm Female Axle) |
| Driver: 9 Tooth (Left Hand Drive) |
| Spokes: Steel, Black (14 Gauge) |
| Front Rim: Odyssey Hazard Lite (20″) (36 Hole) |
| Rear Rim: Odyssey Hazard Lite (20″) (36 Hole) |
| Front Tire: Odyssey Broc Tire (20 x 2.4″) |
| Rear Tire: Odyssey Broc Tire (20 x 2.4″) |
| Seat: Odyssey Broc Raiford Signature (Pivotal) -Alternate- Odyssey Big Stitch (Pivotal) |
| Seat Post: Odyssey (Pivotal) |
| Seat Clamp: Integrated |
| Lever: Odyssey Springfield |
| Brake Cable: Odyssey Linear Quik Slic |
| Brakes: Odyssey Springfield U-Brake |
| Brake Mounts: Removable |
| Gyro Tabs: Drilled (Not Included) |
| Extras: 2 x Plastic Hub Guard (Front), 1 x Non-Drive Side Plastic Guard (Rear) |
| Color: Matte Trans Red |
| Weight: 24.97lbs |
Frame Geometry
A: Top Tube Length: 21.25″ – Learn what size is right for you here.
Check the size guide to see if it’s right for you..
Getting a top tube that is taller than suggested will make the bike feel more controlled and less responsive
Getting a top tube size that is smaller than normal will make the bike feel a lot more snappy and responsive.
B: Chain Stay Length: 13.2″-13.5” – Learn About Chain Stays Here
This is a long chainstay.
A short chain stay makes the bike feel twitchy. Spins will be easy, but airing and jumping might feel hard to control.
A long chain stay will make the bike feel really controlled. Spins will feel sluggish, but manuals and air tricks will feel nice because it will be more stable.
C: Head Tube Angle: 75.25° – Learn About Head Tube Angles Here
Steep head tube angles make the bike “snappy” meaning more responsive to fast turns.
A less steep head tube gives you more control.
D: Seat Tube Angle: 71°
E: Bottom Bracket Height: 11.5″
F: Stand over height: 9.25″
This is a tall standover.
A tall standover gives the bike some added stability. It could make tailwhips a little harder to get around.
Bar Geometry – Learn more here
G: Rise: 9.8″
This is a tall rise.
Riding a tall rise, will give you more leverage on the bike. Making it easier to pull back and lift the front wheel up.
H: Width: 29”
This is a narrow width
Narrow bars make barspins easier.
Wide bars give you more control and stability when steering.
I: Backsweep: 10
What does backsweep do?
As far as I know, there is a sweet spot for backsweep. Too much will make the bike feel weird, and too little will make the bike unstable. It seems like the sweet spot is around 11º to 12º. If you need something a little more aggressive and straight feeling, go for 10º, but only do this if 11º is uncomfortable.
J: Upsweep: 2
What does upsweep do?
There is a lot of discussion about 1º upsweep vs. 4º upsweep. Some people are running experiments and testing if the greater upsweep will make drops feel better. It seems like a lot of street riders run 4º to 5º upsweep. This helps for wrist pain and lessens the impact of big drops.
Other 2022 Sunday Bikes
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Dougsterbob Score
Now everything above the line is pretty basic info. I break down the specs, geometry and some highlights. But that doesn’t really help you find the right bike. So I created the Dougsterbob Score.
What is it?
The Dougsterbob Score is taken from Doug Demaro’s “Doug Score” (He already had the name so I had to get creative with mine haha) Anyway, this assigns a score to the bike based on 20 different aspects. This way you will know exactly what this bike is good for and how it holds up.
Read how I score the bikes here
2022 Kink Launch Rankings
| Category | Points |
|---|---|
| Dougsterbob Score | 7.15/10 |
| Street Score | 9.75/10 |
| Park Score | 5.33/10 |
| Dirt Score | 5.33/10 |
| Quality Score | 10/10 |
Dougsterbob Score
Dougsterbob Score: 7.15
The 2022 Sunday Darkwave is one of the highest-scoring bikes in 2022. Finally another competitor to the Sunday Soundwave and the Wethepeople Envy.
The main difference between the Darkwave and the Soundwave is the geometry. Both are incredibly high-quality bikes, but the Darkwave has a huge 21.25″ top tube making it a dream for taller riders.
All of the parts are aftermarket and full chromoly. It’s like walking into the Sunday warehouse and handpicking the parts you want on this bike. It even has warranties on most of the main components.
Street Scor
Street Score: 9.75
The Darkwave almost scored a perfect 10 in the street section. As Future once said, “it’s built for the streets” or something like that. One of the few bikes that is made for street riding right out of the box.
Some of the street-specific parts include 4 pegs, 3 hub guards, a freecoaster, and top-of-the-line tires. Many people need to buy these parts and upgrade their bike. The Darkwave comes with these parts. Altogether, this is easily $300+ in after-market parts.
Is the 2022 Sunday Darkwave for street riding?
If you are a street rider, the Darkwave is perfect for you. The Darkwave is 100% build for street riding. You will not need to make any upgrades or changes in order to ride street with this bike.
Park Score
Park Score: 5.33
The Darkwave scored a 5/10 in park. Which is actually higher than 70% of bikes. Because of this, the Darkwave is suitable for people who ride a little park and street.
This bike has a responsive headtube angle and forks. Making the front end responsive. This is usually to help with nose manuals, but it will really help you out when cutting tight lines and corners in the park.
Is the 2022 Sunday Darkwave for Park riding?
The Darkwave is a decent choice for riding park. It’s not park-specific but it will work great if you like to ride a little bit of park here and there.
Dirt Score
Dirt Score: 5.33
The Darkwave scored a decent 5.33/10. Usually, a street-specific bike doesn’t score very high in the dirt section. But the Darkwave is an exception.
The Darkwave has a long chainstay and a tall standover. These two things award it with bonus points in the dirt section. It also has a bigger 28 tooth sprocket which will help you have a higher top speed in the trails. The freecoaster takes away some points because freecoasters are not very practical.
Is the Sunday Darkwave good for riding dirt?
You will be able to have a good dirt session on the Darkwave. You will be able to buy this bike and dabble in park and dirt while keeping street as your main focus.
Quality Score
Quality Score: 10
The 2022 Darkwave is one of the highest quality bikes available. It has full chromoly, and a huge list of aftermarket components. Many of the parts on this bike have Sunday’s lifetime warranty, so you know they are serious.
With the Darkwave you shouldn’t plan on replacing parts unless it is for aesthetic reasons. The parts on this bike are designed to last YEARS from even the most intense riders.
This is the quality that a “pro-level” rider needs. The Darkwave is too much bike for a beginner-level rider but will last a long time if a beginner were to get it. If you do not want to waste any time tweaking and replacing parts, the Darkwave is an excellent choice.
Style
The look and style of the Darkwave is one of my favorite aspects. This trans red is a beautiful color that helps the bike stand out. I love how the taller standover and bars make the bike look. It just looks so professional.
They have this listed on the website about the color. “Raw and Translucent colors may show small veins or patches of surface rust under the finish. This is normal and does not affect the integrity of the product.” So do not worry if you see some light patches under the paint.
Value
The 2022 Sunday Darkwave is very expensive. $1300 for a pro-level bike may seem crazy. But when you consider the fact that this bike will probably last you forever… it’s not such a bad deal. It’s like a fully custom Sunday/Odyssey bike since everything is aftermarket.
This price tag places the Darkwave next to the Sunday Soundwave and the Wethepeople Envy. All of these bikes are HIGH QUALITY and HIGH PRICE.
The Darkwave is totally worth the high price tag. Pro-level bikes like this have added features like heat-treated chromoly, double-butted tubing, gussets, and more. Any serious BMX rider needs a high-end bike like this or a fully custom bike.
Should you get it?
The Sunday Darkwave is for a rider who is serious about BMX. This level of quality is not targeted at newer riders. The person buying this bike likes to ride street and is already doing a good amount of tricks. Because of the tall 21.25″ toptube you need to be pretty tall in order to ride this bike comfortably. (Check out the size guide to see your size)
It is very expensive, but because of the insane level of quality, the Darkwave is totally worth the price.
Would I recommend it?
I recommend the Darkwave to anyone looking for a pro-level bike. ONLY IF you are 6′ or taller. If a smaller rider gets this bike, it will be too big and hard to control.
Common Questions
What is the Price?
The 2022 Sunday Darkwave is for sale right now for $1299.99.
How Much Does it Weigh?
The 2022 Sunday Darkwave weighs 24.97 lbs.
Where to buy it?
You can get the Sunday Darkwave from Danscomp. I found it in stock here: https://bit.ly/3yXahCy
Buy if you are learning:
Click the trick you want to learn, to see the BIKE SCHOOL lesson
Don’t buy if you are learning:
- Good for anything
Conclusion
This is one of my favorite BMX bikes so far this year. The Darkwave is such high quality, with a clean-looking color and well-rounded Dougsterbob scores. Sunday’s Darkwave will perform best in street but you can still shred it in the park or on the trails. Because of the full chromoly frame forks and bars, you will not have to worry about broken parts. What an amazing bike. 10/10
