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The Best BMX Bikes 2018 – Complete BMX Buyer’s Guide

This year's best BMX bikes, reviewed by the Ride UK BMX team

A selection of the Best BMX Bikes available in 2018

Complete BMX bikes come in many varieties. From street riding setups to ramp slaying machines and everything in between, we’ve tested the best. Value for money, quality and brand credibility are the things we care about here at Ride UK.

A BMX bike is a fairly simple machine but we’ve got lots of proof here that there are many clever solutions to designing crucial parts of it. The 2018 product lines from the top brands show great refinement all round. BMX frames and components have become fine examples of clever product design and you’ll find some of the most useful features appearing on these complete bikes.

The best BMX bikes available in 2018 come from a healthy spread of manufacturers – these are all brands that the Ride UK team can recommend. They’re legit.

We’ve covered all price ranges. From entry level prices up to the mid and high range offerings, these are the finest BMX bikes on the market right now.

“Any of the bikes on this page would serve you very well as a first BMX.”

For the majority of riders, a complete bike is their way into the world of BMX. From there, you might change a few parts to suit your taste and intended use, but that first bike will be what gets you hooked. This choice is important. You want to choose a bike that suits you, will give you the tools to progress and learn tricks and will have the strength to last. Well, if you’re looking for an ideal first BMX bike, you’re in luck. Any of the bikes on this page would serve you very well as a first BMX.

Check out the individual reviews for all the finer details on the best BMX bikes for 2018. Browse by brand below.

For further reviews on everything BMX from frames and forks to tyres and tools, have a browse through the Ride UK 100, our in depth buyer’s guide to the 100 hottest BMX products on the market.

Cult

Cult is quite the revered brand. Started by Robbie Morales in 2010, it has been a huge success, with a strong company image, a diverse team of riders and some of the most trustworthy products on the market.

Cult Gateway 2018 Review

RRP £399.99

This is quite literally the Gateway into the Cult Crew… Things that stood out to us on this bike were all the points of contact – grips, pedals and tyres. With all these parts on point, you get a good feeling, nicely handling bike. We also liked the seat – although simple (just a one-piece post and seat combo) it looks the business. Matched with a paint job that looks well beyond its price point, this is a winner.

Cult Control 2018 Review

RRP £399.99

There are several things we really like about this bike. Up front, it’s dialled – 4-piece bars, Cult Salvation V3 top load stem, Cult-branded toptube gusset and the Sean Ricany signature grips. With all parts in black, it seems like a sleek machine. With many products stamped with Cult branding, as a first bike, the Cult Control has a hell of a lot to offer.

CULT GATEWAY 2018

CULT GATEWAY 2018 – REVIEW

CULT CONTROL 2018

CULT CONTROL 2018 – REVIEW

Fitbikeco.

Fitbikeco was founded in late 1999 in Santa Ana, California. Since the beginning, Fit has had a legendary team of riders – Mike Aitken, Van Homan, Brian Foster, Shawn Mac, Tom Dugan, Justin Inman, Edwin Delarosa… The list goes on.

With S&M’s plentiful industry experience backing it the whole way, Fitbikeco has remained a formidable brand that offers a full range of USA-made parts as well as a huge range of more affordable complete bikes made in Taiwan.

Fitbikeco Dugan 2018 Review

RRP £449.99

Tom Dugan is known for being a pretty wacky character who blasts his bike halfway to the moon on a regular basis. Perhaps this steed will give you the means to achieve one of those things. A short and snappy frame, bold colours, that aftermarket look and some quality parts spell out a solid bike here from Fit.

Fitbikeco STR 2018 Review

RRP £399.99

STR means street. If street riding is the thing that really grabs you in the world of BMX, this could be the steed for you. It’s got street-specific geometry, four pegs and four-piece handlebars. The frame has a 75.5º headtube angle and 13.1” chainstays, with an 11.8” high bottom bracket for plenty of pop. Straight out of the box, the Fit STR is one of the best BMX bikes we’ve seen for modern street riding.

FITBIKECO DUGAN 2018

FITBIKECO DUGAN 2018 – REVIEW

FITBIKECO STR 2018

FITBIKECO STR 2018 – REVIEW

GT Bicycles

GT is a legendary brand. Their history goes back to the mid 1970s, when Gary Turner first welded together a BMX race frame. GT went on to do great things in the mountain bike world, but BMX was the foundation for the GT empire. A few years ago they returned to BMX and started making some serious moves, getting a solid team together consisting of heavy hitters such as Brian Kachinsky and Jason Phelan.

GT JPL Team 2018 Review

RRP £379.99

The 2018 Jason Phelan complete bike features big, bold colours, with greens and oranges set on matte black. The GT branded parts look good, especially the tyres and raw silver top load stem. Jason continues to believe that a bike can take you anywhere… This BMX could get you dreaming just like him.

GT JPL TEAM 2018

GT JPL TEAM 2018 – REVIEW

Kink BMX

Established in 1994, Kink still has the same mission today as it did when it began – to help its customers have a good time, enjoy being on their bikes, and spend time with friends. A brand thoroughly respected the world over.

Kink Whip 2018 Review

RRP £479.99

This thing looks the nuts – a nice, rich, dark blue translucent finish, bold red stickers, with branded parts and careful design. This is a quality bike – we’re talking full 4130 chromoly tubing and sealed bearings all round. The good stuff.

KINK WHIP 2018

KINK WHIP 2018 – REVIEW

Subrosa

Subrosa Brand, the brainchild of pro BMXer Ryan Sher, came out strong in 2006 with a solid line of complete bikes that got the attention of everyone in the sport.

While leaning towards the darker side of things with their designs and imagery, Subrosa have since built up a solid, wide-ranging line of products, but have kept true to their quality completes throughout.

Subrosa Malum 2018 Review

RRP £599.99

The Subrosa Malum 2018 is a bold-looking bike. Immediately it gives you a sense of strength and poise, with its chunky features and classic design. Riding it, you get the feeling it can take a bit of abuse. It’s not too hefty, but there’s a good sense of togetherness and stability with the Malum, from the frame to the branded aftermarket parts by The Shadow Conspiracy.

SUBROSA MALUM 2018

SUBROSA MALUM 2018 – REVIEW

Sunday Bikes

Sunday do things differently. Their flagship ‘Soundwave’ frame features many unique kinds of technology that Sunday have developed and patented – things like the wave tubing that resists dents and enhances stiffness. They look different, have different handling and are often chosen by those riders who like to be a little different. Sunday have been treading their own path since the beginning and we respect them for it.

Sunday Scout 2018 Review

RRP £469.99

2018 sees the Sunday Scout built with more legit aftermarket products than ever before. Highlights include the new Odyssey Path Pro tyre and Twisted Pro pedals, Sunday Freeze top load stem, Broc Raiford signature grips and Odyssey’s bestselling Springfield brake. With different colour and sizing options available, this is a great choice.

Sunday EX 2018 Review

RRP £599.99

The EX is a solid bike. It’s a bike ready for anything, so it had to be in our list of the best BMX bikes this year. With a host of Odyssey and Sunday parts built around a frame that shares many key features with the super high tech Soundwave, this bike is, as they say, difficult to match.

SUNDAY BIKES SCOUT 2018

SUNDAY BIKES SCOUT 2018 – REVIEW

SUNDAY BIKES EX 2018

SUNDAY BIKES EX 2018 – REVIEW

Wethepeople

WTP has been doing good things in BMX since the mid 90s. The German brand, with its top-notch design principles and bold graphic signatures, has built and maintained a credible reputation in BMX worldwide.

In recent years, Wethepeople have been on top of their complete bike division, making some of the best BMX bikes out there. With a huge range, both in terms of price and style, it’s no wonder so many people choose a Wethepeople as their first BMX.

Wethepeople Arcade 2018 Review

RRP £499.99

The Wethepeople Arcade has been a bestseller in the last few years. The 2018 model comes in two sizes and two excellent colour options – ours came in the Translucent Blue colourway, which is a very impressive paint job. It definitely looks better than you’d expect for the money, more like a pro aftermarket frame. With its looks, spec and options, the Arcade is clearly a good choice for getting into BMX.

Wethepeople Nova 2018 Review

RRP £419.99

First BMX is the Nova’s target position, without doubt. It’s short, light and responsive enough for younger riders, but there’s enough quality in the build to make it last some progression time. Plus, it comes in this mad neon red colour.

WETHEPEOPLE ARCADE 2018

WETHEPEOPLE ARCADE 2018 – REVIEW

WETHEPEOPLE NOVA 2018

WETHEPEOPLE NOVA 2018 – REVIEW

United

Started by Ian Morris in 2006, United Bike Co. has been pumping out some of the finest, most durable products on the market since its inception. Not unlike Ian’s riding, the brand is full-commitment and steadfast, all whilst maintaining one of the greatest BMX teams on the planet.

United Supreme 2018 Review

RRP £379.99

The United Supreme 2018 is a tidy set up. It has a 20.25” toptube, which is a good shorter size for the younger rider, matched up with a 75º headtube angle and a 13.25” rear end. All this adds up to being a responsive frame, perfect for getting into BMX and learning a few tricks.

That’s our round up of the best BMX bikes in 2018! If you want to see more than the best BMX bikes, from the finest parts available to the most useful accessories, check out the Ride UK 100.