6 Expert Picks: Best BMX Bikes For Beginners

Customer Review: “Light weight frame, good brake, true to size, well made.”

Customer Review: “I have to say I was quite nervous when the box came and the bike was in there unassembled. However, surprisingly it was super simple to put together. I do want to add that it is important that you know that you need tools to put it together… aka pliers, Allen wrench, etc. be sure and have at LEAST those two tools or you can forget about assembling the bike. The bike rode very well. I would say the ONLY issue I have is that the tires came flat and it required so many tools. So I had to walk it to the gas station to air them and borrow the tools from the guy installing my new flooring! Overall though it’s a great product and WELL WORTH the 214 dollars. :)”

Customer Review: “My kids ride casually and have grown out of their smaller bikes. I am a lifetime BMX rider and was looking for bigger bikes so that we can continue riding together. I wanted to buy two higher end 18″ BMX bikes but could not justify the cost. Global manufacturing of kids\’ bikes is at a low point, so the option seemed to be poorly designed department store bikes. Fortunately, I stumbled across the Cubsala 18″ BMX bike here on Amazon. The Cubsala 18″ BMX bike is a low-end product inspired by higher end design. Essentially, it is what I want for my kids\’ bikes and sacrifices only what I do not consider to be necessities for them. For instance, it features modern freestyle BMX geometry which made it easy to set up for them. It uses freestyle BMX U-brakes and does not have a coaster (foot) brake. It also has a clamp style stem instead of the antiquated wedge style stem. In order to decrease the overall cost, these 18″ Cubsalas use one piece cranks, unsealed bearings, hi-tensile steel frame, hi-tensile steel forks and off-brand parts. The 18″ Cubsala BMX bike is ideal for a kid who physically can fit the 18″ BMX size and will be mostly pedaling. It can also be an introduction to freestyle BMX bike. I believe that a kid can learn the basics such as bunny hops, fly outs, and pumping ramps on it. However, 180 and 360 type spin tricks will destroy the wheels. Grinding with pegs will bend axles and dropouts. The frame does not look to be reinforced and overall, the parts are not built to withstand the stresses of freestyle BMX. Therefore, any kid who advanced beyond the beginner stage of freestyle BMX should not be riding this bike. Given the target rider, there are two minor issues I found with the bike. First, the brake pads are terrible. From the factory, stopping power on the Cubsala is poor largely due to the brake pads and painted rims, even after the brakes are dialed. Depending on how the bike is being used, the brakes may or may not be an issue. In fact, most BMX riders do not use brakes. Regardless, the Cubsalas are for my kids and I am a BMX brake user, so I changed the pads on the Cubsalas to Kool Stops and this improved braking considerably. Secondly, the forks are welded in a way which leaves the front wheel offset to the right. Both of our bikes have this exact same problem, which leads me to believe the jig they use to hold the forks together for welding have an inherent offset problem. The offset is not really a problem unless you run front brakes and this bike does not come with any. And in reality, most people would not notice this. To fix the offset, I simply placed a washer on the right front axle inside of the dropout to push the wheel in the opposite direction. Assembly was easy since the bike is shipped mostly assembled. First, I checked all of the bolts, nuts and screws. These were all torqued adequately and the threads were lightly greased. Then I installed the bars, wheels and pedals. I went on to make adjustments such as bar angle and seat height to suit my kids. Finally, I disassembled the braking system and tuned it by greasing the brake mounts, cutting/adjusting the cables, changing/adjusting the brake pads and adjusting the spring tension. U-brakes are a little difficult to tune so I recommend checking an online tutorial for dialing u-brakes if you are interested in improving braking. The Cubsalas come with tools to assemble the bike if you do not have any. Each bike came with some extras which I did not opt to use such as a kick stand and chain guard.”

Customer Review: “Great buy No driving to Store got here on time for birthday All tools provided for build”

Customer Review: “I cannot say enough how much I love this bike!! I was looking at so many bikes and it’s crazy how affordable but well built and durable this bike is. It really is a great deal. The color is absolutely adorable. My son was so excited and thinks he has the coolest bike. It didn’t take long to put together. It has wide tires, easy breaking & as long as you put it together well & tight, it is very stable with no wobbling unlike a lot of other training bicycles!”

Customer Review: “I bought a few of the 12 inch model and am very happy with them. The quality is comparable to much more expensive “name brand” small BMX bikes. These have legit BMX geometry and a threadless headset. All the bearings were greased well from the factory. Be sure if your assembling it yourself to adjust the wheels, headset and crank tightness to let the bearings spin free and smooth. It has a rear coaster brake and also comes with a rim front brake with the handlebar brake lever. The seat is perfect size and nicely made and comfortable. The wheels are good quality and have 2.4″ wide BMX tires. I got the snow white color and am surprised at how good the finish is on the frame and fork. The frame has a little pearl in it that you can see in the light, the black forks also have a slight pearl that looks very good. The top tube checkered pad that matches the small graphics on the fork is also a nice detail that looks great. All the stickers on the frame and fork are easily removable if you wanted to change it up. I can honestly say that I\’m impressed with the quality and what you get for the price. I would recommend this model to anyone looking for a small BMX for kids or a Mini BMX for anyone.”

Customer Review: “Light weight frame, good brake, true to size, well made.”

Customer Review: “I have to say I was quite nervous when the box came and the bike was in there unassembled. However, surprisingly it was super simple to put together. I do want to add that it is important that you know that you need tools to put it together… aka pliers, Allen wrench, etc. be sure and have at LEAST those two tools or you can forget about assembling the bike. The bike rode very well. I would say the ONLY issue I have is that the tires came flat and it required so many tools. So I had to walk it to the gas station to air them and borrow the tools from the guy installing my new flooring! Overall though it’s a great product and WELL WORTH the 214 dollars. :)”

Customer Review: “This Cubsala 14-inch kids’ bike is a fantastic first bike for young children. The build quality is solid and feels durable, giving me confidence that it will hold up well to daily use and the occasional tumble. The BMX style design looks very cool, and my child loves the sleek black color. The training wheels are stable and provide excellent balance for beginners, making it easy for kids to build confidence while learning. They can also be removed later, which adds great long-term value as the child grows more comfortable riding. The coaster brake is easy for kids to use — just pedal backward to stop. It’s a very safe system for young riders who are still learning coordination. The seat and handlebars are adjustable, so the bike can grow with the child, which is another big plus. Assembly was straightforward, with clear instructions and tools included. Within about 20 minutes, the bike was ready to ride. Overall, this is a sturdy, safe, and stylish bike that makes learning to ride fun and easy. Highly recommended for parents looking for a reliable starter bike for children ages 3–5.”

Customer Review: “When it comes to bikes we’ve always bought higher end name brands, but because a 14 inch is such a quick stage for a kid to be in and out of, we wanted to save a few bucks. After lots of searching we decided to try this, and I will say I’m really impressed. If you think of quality in terms of a Walmart bike and name brand (Kink for instance) this bike leans much more on the brand name side. It’s very solid when doing a bounce test, no noises at all. It even held the weight of an adult without being sketchy. It was packaged very well, everything was padded in cardboard and foam, the dropouts (where the wheel goes on) were plugged to prevent bending, and the wheel nuts where protected with plastic caps as well. Assembly was a breeze. All that’s needed is to put on the seat, handle bars, front wheel, pedals, and double check the bolts are snug. If you’re using the training wheels then those too, but they made it easy for you by adding a double nut setup on the back wheel. The wheel is already lined up, tightened on and has the brakes connected, the second bolts are loosened as an option to easily put the training wheels on without messing up the rear wheel configuration. Also, it comes with all the tools needed to setup the bike and even with a pair of soft gloves to keep hands clean. The bike comes with an actual BMX style stem (part that holds the front forks and handle bars together). This is a big improvement of the cheap gooseneck style you’ll find on many other affordable options. We are also a big fan of the brake lever, its design brings it very close to the bars with lots of leverage when pulled making it easy for even the littlest fingers to use. On that note the only thing I’d change would to offer an option without the rear coaster brake and have a cassette option with just a hand brake instead. At a skate park a coaster brake is not ideal. Over all we got a good looking, decent quality BMX bike at a fair price. And to top it off the stickers come off in one piece with little effort if they are not your look.. Happy with the purchase.”

Customer Review: “Perfect bike for My 7 year old and me.. easy to put together, clear instructions… I suggest getting a pedal wrench ( the one that comes with the bike is good, but to short)… All I needed was a little bit of grease on the pedal screw and seat post (saw it on a YouTube video for this bike)…. Highly recommend it… I’m definitely ordering another one soon!”

Customer Review: “Got the Naruto 20 inch black, with orange accents, version. Currently here on Amazon the only version of the Elite Stealth at only $175. At the time of this review they have 6 left, just grab one. Bike was as expected for assembly. If you’ve ever put together a BMX bike before you already know what to expect here and this is no different. It does come with a few tools, including a multi sized wrench that’s great for putting on pedals. Only tool not included is if you want to use the included reflectors, which you’ll need a philips head screwdriver for. It is interesting, a bit, that it comes with handlebar & top tube vinyl pads, like some old school BMX bikes often times did. Brakes needed adjusting a bit. To give real stopping power and mainly because the tire was rubbing against the clamp portion/part. The look is clearly a matter of opinion. If you’re into or can tolerate Naruto you’ll be happy with the look. But that’s not what an Elite BMX bike is really about. It’s about affordable quality. Which this is. Already hit a local spot that’s a combo skate & BMX park. It definitely holds up well. It could be better if it were a chromoly frame, high ten steel here, which would obviously make it more durable and lighter. But accepting it as a budget yet decent quality BMX bike it hits all the right notes. Easy to recommend, just get the black Naruto version while they’re still available and pocket around a hundred bucks.”