Are you thinking about purchasing one of the best BMX bikes on the market today? A BMX bike makes for a great gift, either for yourself or a loved one. The quality of these bikes has steadily risen over the years, so you don’t have to either build your own or pay a small fortune to get a solid ride any more. To make sure you get the best bike possible, however, you’ve got to know what you need.
| Picture | Name | Our Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Bounce Nemesis Mini BMX | 4.8 | $$ |
 | SE Bikes Ripper BMX Bike | 4.8 | $$$$ |
 | Chillafish BMXie-RS Balance Bike | 4.8 | $ |
 | KHE Bikes 25th Freestyle BMX | 4.0 | $$$$ |
 | Bounce Freak Mini BMX bike | 4.7 | $$ |
 | SE Bikes Everyday BMX Bike | 5.0 | $$$ |
| Picture | Name | Our Rating | Price |
What You Need to Know About the Best BMX Bikes
Riding a BMX bike is more about a lifestyle choice than it is an actual cycling purchase. It’s about exploring who you are, what you can do, and how brave you’re willing to be. Because of this, it is important to avoid the various gimmicks and tricks you’ll sometimes find on low-end BMX bikes.
Sure. You want your new bike to have a clean look. You also want it to be able to reflect your personal lifestyle in some way. Finding specific colors within a preferred bike brand is often a priority. Just don’t make it your top priority. Many BMX owners have shopped for color instead of quality and trashed the bike on their first ride.
And if the bike still has those stickers, number plates, pad sets, or other nonsense that come “free” with purchase, move onto the next bike. Those gimmicks are designed to help you ignore some of the major faults that are lurking within the design.
What you need is practicality and strength. Look for a BMX bike that weighs about 25 pounds as a complete. Use the best BMX bike reviews to see if your OEM parts are made from steel, Chromoly, or something lighter and worse. Are you getting an all-steel frame?
And then don’t ignore the service plan. Good bikes come with a minimum of 6 months and will give you the chance to take your new BMX bike to a local provider for a tune-up. You know, things like tightening your bolts, lubing your chain, and making sure your posts aren’t prematurely wearing out.
How to Find the Best BMX Bike for Me
Rule #1 in finding the best BMX for your needs: know where you intend to ride the bike. There are four different styles of BMX bike available today and each is a little bit different. Take a look.
- Dirt/Ramp BMX Bikes. This bike is elongated with a compressed frame and pedals that are slightly set back. It allows you to absorb more force through the legs as you’re landing tricks.
- Street BMX Bikes. This bike frame is less compressed, allowing you to sit slightly higher than a dirt or ramp bike. The pedals are still slightly set back and the frame is about as elongated as a stunt bike.
- Racing BMX Bikes. This bike moves the pedal placement toward the middle of the frame to maximize cycling power. It sits upright, is shorter in length, and might even have brakes on it.
- Flatland BMX Bikes. This bike is more like your standard bicycle. It has the BMX frame, but looks and feels more like a casual ride.
The best BMX bikes, no matter what the style happens to be, is going to have a frame that is primarily made from Chromoly. This lightweight metal gives you added strength in the fork and bar especially, allowing the bike to withstand some heavy hits. If you plan on flatland riding, a standard steel frame may be suitable and a lot cheaper for you, but any stunt, ramp, or street work is almost always going to require Chromoly.
Then we need to talk about size. Most BMX bikes today come with 20-inch top tubes. This means the bike tends to run a little small for most riders – though for kids, it’s about the right size. Some of the best BMX bikes have gone up to an inch or more in top tube size to accommodate adult riders, but you still have the narrow and low riding experience.
Look for wider bars on the bike – they can be made narrower to fit your personal preferences.
The Secret to BMX Shopping: Sealed Bearings
Let’s bottom line it: you can’t have one of the best BMX bikes on the market today unless you have sealed bearings in the hubs, headsets, and bottom brackets. Sealed bearings are going to give you a smoother ride and add overall durability to the bike.
Some of the cheaper BMX bikes out there today use unsealed bearings to save on cost. At first, the differences between sealed and unsealed bearings is slight. Kids aren’t going to notice a difference in the ride. Over time, however, you’ll notice unsealed bearings tend to work their way loose. The bike starts to wobble. You’ll be cleaning out and lubricating your bearings after nearly every ride.
Much. Less. Fun.
So make the investment into sealed bearings. It will save you a tough headache later on and there will be less risk of your new BMX bike becoming a fixture of the garage.
Price Guide
If you’re looking for a top quality BMX bike, it’s not unusual to find a price tag of $1,000 or more. These bikes are going to last for virtually forever at that price, require minimal maintenance, and give you a nice pop every time you give it a ride.
Entry-level BMX bikes may be less than $100. Although some of these bikes are good for riding, they won’t take much of an impact. One good drop in the ramp is enough to trash most cheap BMX bikes. They’re good for training and maybe some flatland riding.
If you want to take BMX biking seriously, expected to pay at least $250-$500 for your bike.
Here’s Our Reviews:
Bounce Nemesis
We love the innovative design of this mini-BMX bike. The gearing is perfect for high speed ramp work, while the lightweight frame gives you added maneuverability for street work. The tires are a bit wider than your average BMX bike, but much smaller as well, thanks to just a 10-inch frame. It’s the perfect beginner’s bike for kids or an interesting addition to your current BMX collection. Explore what you can do and we think this bike will soon become one of your all-time favorites.
Click here to view pricing on Amazon and get an awesome deal.
Madd Gear
This BMX bike features a strong steel frame with 18-inch forks and alloy rims. It comes with four pegs as standard and features a 3-piece crank with a Cromoly axle. Everything on this little bike is pretty solid, though if you’re expecting great brakes, you might be a little disappointed. Plastic levers are featured on this BMX and that’s the one real breaking point we can see happening if you need to bail for some reason. Think of this bike as a great starter so you won’t trash out your pro bike later on down the road.
Click here to view pricing on Amazon and get an awesome deal.
SE Bicycles
This 6061-aluminum alloy frame features flat side-oval tubing and a matching crankset for a lightweight and affordable experience. Though it does have a few gimmicks to it, like the racing number place, we do appreciate the sealed bearings and the strength of the landing gear fork. The two-finger pull brakes make for a good stop, though it is a somewhat prolonged experience. If you want to take BMX biking seriously, you aren’t going to find a better entry-level bike at this price point anywhere. Grab it and we know you’ll be pleased.
Click here to view pricing on Amazon and get an awesome deal.
Chillafish
Let’s called this unique BMX bike a “toddler BMX.” The airless tires have a rubber outer layer, with a foam interior for support, so that you can begin the learning process at a young age. The lightweight nature of this bike is because of the fiberglass frame, which gives it some strength, but not what a standard BMX bike would have. Height adjustments are possible, footrests can be removed to turn this into a balance bike, and ultimately it’s a great training experience for a pretty fair price.
Click here to view pricing on Amazon and get an awesome deal.
KHE Bikes
If you take your freestyling seriously, then this is the best BMX bike to take your skills to the next level without destroying your budget. It features Prism steel pegs, and Affix gyro system, and a hi-ten steel frame with a 19-inch TT and tapered fork. The 175mm crankshaft performs as expected. We did notice there is reduced spacing between the pedals and the front tire, so you’ve got to be careful on certain tricks or stunts.
Click here to view pricing on Amazon and get an awesome deal.
The best BMX bikes will help you enjoy the freedom of this style of cycling at a fair price. Grab your bike today, hit the ramp or the street, and be prepared to have a good time.
