Anyone who has rode BMX has probably wondered what size BMX bike is right for me? or what size BMX frame is right for me? at some point. After riding for a while, most riders tend to find their size and stick to it, but sometimes changing things up can make riding feel better or even make some tricks easier for you. The crew at Kink put together these really helpful guides to help figure out what size BMX bike is right for you based on your height in inches and centimeters for the metric users out there. These guides show everything from the 12″ bike all the way up to 21″ top tubes, making it easy to get an idea of just where you should be looking if you aren’t sure.
Now, these guides can help figure out what size BMX bike or what size BMX frame might be right for you, but it’s also a bit of personal preference as well. Generally taller riders over that 5’11” height will want to stick to that 21″ + size, but I’ve also seen shorter riders shred the hell out of a 21″ frame and tall guys shred on a smaller frame, so it’s not an exact science, but more of a recommendation than anything else. The size can be a factor in the types of riding you do whether it’s technical street or ramp riding, or you love sending it over some big gaps at the trails. It’s something you’ll want to try and play around with whether it’s mixing it up when you change up frames or by simply trying out your friends bikes that run different sizes or setups to find that sweet spot that feels just right.
Not only that, but there are other things you can do to make the bike feel a little bigger or smaller like switching out the stem with more or less reach, changing up the fork with a different offset to bring in the wheelbase or spread it out a bit. So sometimes you don’t necessarily have to replace the frame to make some adjustments to help with sizing.
Either way, BMX bikes come in a lot of sizes and although they might not seem like big jumps between 20.75″ and 21″, that quarter inch can make a difference on just how your bike feels and rides for you, so definitely put some thought into it when it comes time, because you would be surprised at the difference it can make for you.
What do you think? Do you have any questions or suggestions? What size top tube do you run? Any tips that helped you figure it out for yourself? Let us know what you’re thinking in the comments below!
Now, go check out these BMX frames and Complete BMX Bikes.
Shout out once again to Kink for making these graphics to help show what size BMX bike is right for me!
