The 2022 Sunday Soundwave Special is an expert-level BMX bike. It is very high quality and designed for experienced riders who are serious about BMX. This bike comes at a $1299.99 price point which is great for the value. Only one color option, but you will need to choose between LHD, RHD, cassette, or freecoaster. Dedicated riders will be able to take their BMX skills to the next level on this 23.41 pound bike.
Check out the most recent price of the Soundwave by clicking here
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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.
Review Video
Overview
If you are in need of a top-of-the-line build that is equipped with a cassette, then the 2022 Soundwave Special BMX Bike is the perfect choice. Gary Young’s official signature model features an aftermarket frame, forks, bars, hubs, cranks, brakes… Well, actually, just about every component is aftermarket. Chromoly and Odyssey’s 41-Thermal treatment and sealed bearings create a ride that is stronger and smoother than the lower level options on the market. If you are wanting to build a custom bike from the ground up, but don’t want to go to the trouble of making sure everything is compatible and building it yourself, then the Sunday Soundwave is your bike.
from: Danscomp
Highlights
- Pro-level quality
- 2 Hub choices RHD or LHD
- Lifetime Warranty on the frame, forks, bars, and cranks
- Everything is chromoly & aftermarket
Specs
Price
The 2022 Sunday Soundwave in the cassette version costs $1299.99.
The 2022 Sunday Soundwave in the freecoaster version costs $1279.99.
The Cassette version is more expensive because it comes with the Odyssey Calibur cranks instead of the Thunderbolt cranks. The Calibur Cranks are more expensive and carry a lifetime warranty, while the Thunderbolt cranks do not.
Colors
2022 Sunday Soundwave Part List
| Frame: Sunday Soundwave v3 Aftermarket Frame, 100% Chromoly, 41-Thermal |
| Fork: Sunday Darkwave Aftermarket Fork 100% Chromoly (28mm Offset) |
| Bars: Odyssey Super Highway Aftermarket, 100% Chromoly, 41-Thermal (29″ Width) (9.5″ Rise) (11° Backsweep) (1° Upsweep) |
| Stem: Sunday Freeze Top Load (48mm) |
| Headset: FSA Integrated Conical (1-1/8″) |
| Top Cap: Sunday Aftermarket, Aluminum |
| Grips: Odyssey Warnin’ |
| Cranks: Odyssey Calibur V2, 100% Chromoly (170mm Length) (Right & Left Hand Drive) |
| Bottom Bracket: Sealed Mid (22mm) |
| Pedals: Odyssey Twisted PC Pro |
| Chain: KMC Z1 eHX-W |
| Sprocket: Odyssey Utility Pro w/ Plastic Guard (25 Tooth) |
| Front Hub: Odyssey Vandero Pro Sealed (3/8″ Female Axle) |
| Rear Hub: Odyssey Antigram V2 Cassette, Sealed (14mm Female Axle) |
| Driver: 9 Tooth (Right/Left Hand Drive Switchable) |
| Spokes: Steel, Black (14 Gauge) |
| Front Rim: Odyssey Hazard Lite (20″) (36 Hole) |
| Rear Rim: Odyssey Hazard Lite (20″) (36 Hole) |
| Front Tire: Odyssey Path Pro Aftermarket (20 x 2.4″) |
| Rear Tire: Odyssey Path Pro Aftermarket (20 x 2.4″) |
| Seat: Odyssey Slugger Stitch (Pivotal) |
| Seat Post: Odyssey (Pivotal) |
| Seat Clamp: Sunday Aftermarket |
| Lever: Odyssey Monolever |
| Brake Cable: Odyssey Linear Quik Slic |
| Brakes: Odyssey Springfield U-Brake |
| Brake Mounts: Removable |
| Gyro Tabs: Drilled |
| Extras: 2 x Plastic Front Hub Guards (Front), 1 x Non-Drive side Rear Hub Guard (Rear) |
| Color: Classic White |
| Weight: 23.41 lbs |
Frame Geometry
A: Top Tube Length: 21″ – 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° – 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″
This is a medium standover.
A low standover will make tailwhips easier, but barspins harder.
A tall standover gives you more to pinch and grab when doing barspins & t-bogs.
Bar Geometry – Learn more here
G: Rise: 9.5″
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: 11
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: 1
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 | 6.9/10 |
| Street Score | 6.5/10 |
| Park Score | 5.33/10 |
| Dirt Score | 4/10 |
| Quality Score | 10/10 |
Dougsterbob Score
Dougsterbob Score: 6.9
The 2022 Sunday Soundwave scored a 6.60/10. This is a good Dougsterbob score. I like that this is a very high quality bike, with lifetime warranty to back it up.
Overall, Sunday put insane amounts of quality into this bike. It’s definitley one of the best complete BMX bikes that you can buy. Even though it costs a pretty penny.
Is the Sunday Soundwave a good bike?
The Soundwave is made from heat-treated chromoly with very strong double wall rims. It is a high-quality bike that will stand up to advanced riding and last for a long time.
Street Score
Street Score: 6.5
The Sunday Soundwave scored a 6.5/10 in the street section. It scored this because it is missing pegs and a freecoaster. Many riders will buy the Soundwave planning to ride advanced streets. It’s possible but you do need some upgrades first.
The other high-quality parts, however, will hold up well to gaps in drops in the streets. If you are intent on riding only street after getting this bike, plan on buying some upgrades to make it good for street. You will want to get pegs, freecoaster, and some street-specific tires. Read about the best upgrades here.
Is the 2022 Sunday Soundwave for street riding?
The Cassette version of the Soundwave is pretty good for street riding. However, it’s not designed for it like the Darkwave or the Fit STR. But with a few upgrades… it will be perfect for it.
Park Score
Park Score: 5.33
The Sunday Soundwave scored a 5.33/10 in the park section. This bike can have a gyro brake system but it doesn’t come with it. Aside from that, the geometry is pretty standard and does not offer the very snappy and responsive feeling that you want on a park-specific bike.
There are several things that need to be added to the Soundwave to make it a parking machine. Consider some park-specific tires and a gyro brake system. Or you might want to look at the Wethepeople Versus for a high-level park bike.
Is the 2022 Sunday Soundwave good for riding skateparks?
Riding Skateparks on the Soundwave is definitely achievable. But it will not be like those crazy responsive titanium park machines. It’s a like bike with a lot of strength but park-specific bikes have different make-up. This is a good bike for riding a skatepark occasionally, but not if park is your main focus.
Dirt Score
Dirt Score: 5.33
The Soundwave scored a 5.33. This is a pretty decent score considering the Soundwave is pretty plain and missing some crucial dirt-specific items.
For the section, I like to see a bike with dirt-specific tires, special gearing, and a long stable geometry. The Soundwave has virtually none of those things. Except for the 13.2″. chainstay. This is pretty stable, but that alone isn’t enough to make it dirt-specific.
Is the Sunday Soundwave good for riding dirt?
You will be able to take the Soundwave out on the trails and have a pretty good time on it. It is not fully designed for riding dirt jumps but if you occasionally ride dirt, this is a good choice.
Quality Score
Quality Score: 10
The 2022 Soundwave 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.
Riding a high-quality bike is important to have fun and progress safely.
Everything is fully customizable, which means that later on, you can switch up parts to your preferences. But this is not a necessary process since the parts that come with it are incredible.
If you are experienced with the sport, this quality will be just fine for you. The Soundwave is equipped with many strong and light parts.
Style
The Sunday Soundwave is a very nice-looking bike. I’m always impressed with how Sunday designs their bikes. This complete bike looks just like a custom bike that the pros ride because it is equipped with many of those actual parts. Style is certainly not an issue for the Soundwave.
Does the Soundwave have options?
The Soundwave has 2 different drive-side options and is fully customizable. Even if the bike is not the right style for you, you will be able to change and upgrade parts.
Value
The 2022 Sunday Soundwave is just under $1300. I really think that the value of this bike is high. As of right now, this is a good deal for a complete bike packed with many aftermarket parts. For $1300 you can probably build a custom bike with lower quality parts. Building this bike aftermarket would be much more expensive, so the value is incredible.
If you are considering this bike and have the money…go for it. The quality will last a long time, and you can always customize it as needed.
Should you get it?
The Sunday Soundwave is for someone who is shopping for a great bike with a high budget. This person plans to ride street and park since the Soundwave is pretty well-rounded. They want to keep riding BMX for a while and are willing to make an investment for it.
I think the color is bland, but there are not many similar options. If you fit the description, this will be a good choice for you. The quality of this bike is next-level!
Would I recommend it?
I 100% recommend the 2022 Sunday Soundwave. Not many bikes can even come close to this level of quality. The fact that you get to choose between LHD and RHD really gets me excited. (keep in mind this choice is only available on the FC version.) A lot of people returning to the sport like the Soundwave since it’s a hassle-free investment that will be ready to ride right out of the box.
Common Questions
What is the Price?
The 2022 Sunday Soundwave Cassette is for sale right now for $1299.99.
How Much Does it Weigh?
The 2022 Sunday Soundwave weighs 23.4 lbs.
Where to buy it?
You can get the Sunday Soundwave from Danscomp. I found it in stock here: https://bit.ly/3AoTKaH (if you buy through that link I make a small commission which helps with the costs of running the site/youtube.)
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
The Soundwave is a fantastic value. To build a custom bike of this quality, it would be much more pricey. The quality of the Soundwave will last a long time through many tricks. It is a great bike that I recommend if you have enough cash.
