You might be looking at buying a new frame for your BMX bike. Doing so will add strength and durability to your BMX bike and it is the most essential upgrade that you can make. Most riders get confused with the toptube size when buying a new frame since it can drastically change the way that your bike feels.
Frame Upgrade Quality
BMX frames essentially have 3 different quality levels.
- Hi-tensile steel – weakest and most common on low end BMX bikes.
- Chromoly – Much better than hi-tensile steel and found on $500+ BMX bikes
- Aftermarket Chromoly – A step above traditional chromoly. This type of frame will generally be more dent resistant, heat treated, and may even use sanko chromoly.
The list above mostly refers to frames found on complete bikes. After you have been riding for a while, you will be ready for an upgrade. Aftermarket frames refer to #3 on the list. These frames will last much longer than the one found on your complete bike.
Click here to see the best aftermarket frames.
Frame Upgrade Geometry
When you upgrade a frame, you unlock more toptube sizes than you will find on complete bikes. On aftermarket frames, you can get 20.3″, 20.4″, 20.7″, 21.5″, and more that are not available on a complete bike. Having these options will allow you to fine-tune your geometry.
There is a lot to know about frame geometry so I recommend researching that before you pull the trigger on a frame. The video below talks a bit about that.
Toptube
Check out the Dougsterbob Size Guide to see what toptube size is right for you. After you do that consider how your current bike feels. Understand that getting a bigger toptube will make the bike feel more stable, and getting a smaller toptube will make the bike feel more responsive.
