Are you searching for the ultimate 18-inch BMX bikes because you’d like to start riding BMX?
Or are you a parent looking for the best solution for your kid?
Maybe you’ve been doing it on a 16-inch bike until now, but you decided it’s time for an 18″.
That’s great!
But even if you’re ready for an 18-inch BMX bike without prior experience.
That’s great, too!
I present you with the best, tested, proven, complete bikes for smaller dudes.
Generally speaking, these all fit riders between 3’8″ and 4’10” in height.
But with some chainstay (CS) and bar adjustment, smaller or taller riders can also enjoy them as well.
Are you ready for the big reveal of the greatest rides?
Tip: I don’t recommend picking super cheap chain-store bikes because they are extremely low in quality.
Get a bike from PROMISING brands and support the BMX industry. The ones below will last A LOT longer than the super cheap (plus, they’re ugly – YUCK) alternatives.
Let’s go.
QUICK-PICK: Best 18-Inch BMX Bikes
- Best Overall 18″ BMX Bike: Kink Kicker
- Best 18″ BMX Bike for Stability: Fit Misfit
- Best 18″ BMX Bike w/ Shortest TT: Colony Horizon
- Best 18″ BMX Bike w/ Longest TT: Sunday Primer
- Best All-Around 18″ BMX Bike: Stolen Agent
Best 18″ BMX Complete Bikes
Note: Don’t forget to check my top tips for small BMX riders.
1. Kink Kicker 18″ BMX Bike
The Kink Kicker bike is among the most AFFORDABLE bikes for every smaller rider. It’s an excellent entry bike with a street-oriented look.
This bike resembles a full-sized BMX but with sized-down parts.
Kicker has chromoly Mission BMX cranks, Kink Bold HRD top load stem and Mission’s Tracker BMX tires in 2.4″. (You may also be interested in reading my articles on BMX tire width and how long do BMX tires last.)
The frame top load is 18″ with a 12.25″ chainstay and a 74.5-degree headtube angle. The latter gives the bike a slightly more stable feel, compared to some 75-degree variations.
Note: The steeper the headtube angle, the twitchier the bike; the mellower, the more stable.
The Kicker bike also comes in this AWESOME digital black color, giving it a nice appearance, as it’d be a pro’s bike.
Bike specs:
- Frame: Kink high-tensile frame
- Top tube: 18″
- Headtube angle: 74.5°
- Forks: Kink Stryker 4130 Chromoly forks
- Bars: Kink T800 bars, 8″ rise
- Stem: Kink Bold HRD, 50mm reach
- Front wheel: Mission X7 rim, Mission Covert front hub
- Rear wheel: Mission X7 rim, Mission Function cassette
- Cranks: Mission Triumph 3-piece cranks, 152mm
- Sprocket: Mission Rank, 25T
- Tires: Mission Tracker, 2.4″
- Pedals: Kink Hemlock pedals
- Seat: Mission Cypress slim combo seat
- Brake Mounts: Welded
- Weight: 24lb 14oz
- Price: $359.99 (may vary)
2. Fit Misfit 18″ BMX Bike
While at first look, all these 18-inch BMX bikes LOOOK the same (except for the color), they’re pretty different.
For instance, the Fit Misfit bike also has an 18″ top tube frame, like Kink Kicker, but with a 74-degree headtube angle, which makes the bike even MORE stable.
This makes it excellent for riding fast around skateparks, neighborhoods, trails and streets.
What’s also interesting is that the frame has Chromoly toptube and downtube, which makes it EXTRA strong and improves longevity.
Instead of a 25-9 gear ratio, Fit’s Misfit bike has a 24-9, making pedaling a little easier.
Moreover, this bike also has much SHORTER crank arms, at 130mm, so the legs are closer together, which makes it better for bunnyhops and manuals, but other tricks, too.
The 2.3″ tires are nice and fat, but not too fat, creating additional cushioning and a look to be proud of.
The bike comes in blood red and emerald green with polished parts that make it look extra fun.
Bike specs:
- Frame: Fit frame w/ Chromoly top- & downtube
- Top tube: 18″
- Headtube angle: 74°
- Forks: Fit fork w/ Chromoly steerer tube
- Bars: Fit bars, 8″ rise
- Stem: Fit mini top load stem
- Front wheel: Fit Wider rim, Fit unsealed hub
- Rear wheel: Fit Wider rim, Fit sealed cassette hub
- Cranks: Fit 3-pc tubular Chromoly cranks, 130mm
- Sprocket: Fit sprocket, 24T
- Tires: Fit OEM, 2.3″
- Pedals: Wellgo pedals
- Seat: Fit seat & seat post combo
- Brake Mounts: Welded
- Weight: 24 lbs
- Price: $489.95 (may vary)
3. Colony Horizon 18″ BMX Bike
With a frame that has a 17.9″ top tube length, Colony’s Horizon is the SMALLEST 18″ bike on this list.
This bike has a short chainstay (12″), so getting it into a manual and learning spinning tricks is much easier.
It’s also the LIGHTEST 18″ BMX bike that’s still high-quality and reliable. However, I wouldn’t recommend this one for street riding – more like transitions and trails because of the Aluminum frame.
The forks are high-tensile with Chromoly tapered legs for added strength, while the bars and cranks are BOTH 100% Chromoly.
If you’re a smaller dude (or your kid is) looking for a lightweight BMX bike that allows you to learn new tricks confidently, then the Colony Horizon bike is a smart move.
And you can get it in three colorways, black, blue and black/red fade (all coming with some parts polished for added detail).
Bike specs:
- Frame: Colony 6061-T6 Aluminum frame
- Top tube: 17.9″
- Headtube angle: 75°
- Forks: Colony hi-tensile steel forks w/ Chromoly legs
- Bars: Colony bars, 8″ rise
- Stem: Colony Horizon alloy stem
- Front wheel: Alloy rim, Colony sealed front hub
- Rear wheel: Alloy rim, Colony sealed cassette hub
- Cranks: Colony 3-pc cranks, 140mm
- Sprocket: Colony Horizon, 25T
- Tires: Colony Family tire, 2.1″
- Pedals: Plastic BMX pedals
- Seat: Colony Horizon railed seat
- Brake Mounts: Welded
- Weight: 21.6 lbs
- Price: $449.99 (may vary)
4. Sunday Primer 18″ BMX Bike
If you are TALLER than most but not yet ready for a 20″ bike, then the Sunday Primer is the way to go.
Why? Because it has the longest frame top tube length – 18.5″.
Furthermore, this bike also has the shortest chainstay length at 11.7″ (slammed), but you can adjust it to 12″ if it’s too short.
The shorter the CS, the more responsive the bike, making manuals and spinning tricks easier to learn.
But if you’re too tall, you might be looping out, so extending it to 12″ may work better. Luckily, you can test it out with Sunday’s Primer 18-inch BMX bike to see what fits best for you.
Surprisingly, Sunday decided to go with 7.65″ rise bars and a front load stem, so the bike’s front-end doesn’t feel as tall as some others on this list.
Last but not least, sealed cassette and bottom bracket bearings will keep you rolling SMOOTHLY – and fast.
The bike is available in matte black and orange soda frames, while all the other parts are black – EPIC.
Bike specs:
- Frame: Sunday Primer frame, high-tensile
- Top tube: 18.5″
- Headtube angle: 74.5°
- Forks: Sunday Primer forks
- Bars: Sunday bars, 7.65″ rise
- Stem: Sunday Freeze stem, 48mm rach
- Front wheel: Sunday P-7X rim, Sunday front hub
- Rear wheel: Sunday P-7X rim, Sunday cassette hub
- Cranks: Sunday 3-pc cranks, 140mm
- Sprocket: Sunday Sabertooth sprocket, 25T
- Tires: Sunday Current tires, 2.2″
- Pedals: Wellgo platform pedals
- Seat: Sunday combo seat
- Brake Mounts: Welded
- Weight: 23.3 lbs
- Price: $409.99 (may vary)
5. Stolen Agent 18″ BMX Bike
Stolen’s Agent bike is another FANTASTIC example of a bike for anyone who’s in the process of transitioning to a 20″ bike but not there just yet.
It’s a pretty all-around bike with an 18″ top tube length, 74-degree headtube angle and 12.25″ chainstay.
The bar is, in my opinion, slightly low for today-standard – 7.25″ rise – but that makes the bike great for someone who’s not too tall.
Keep in mind, the Agent bike has Fiction’s Spartan XS top load stem that raises the front-end JUST enough.
2.3″ wide tires, Chromoly crank arms and spindle, railed seat for adjustment and 25-9 gear ratio are all great additions that make the bike meant for your progress.
Enjoy the ride!
Bike specs:
- Frame: Stolen high-tensile steel frame
- Top tube: 18″
- Headtube angle: 74°
- Forks: Stolen 1020 forks
- Bars: Stolen TIG welded bars, 7.25″ rise
- Stem: Fiction Spartan XS stem, 40mm reach
- Front wheel: Fiction Trojan rim, unsealed front hub
- Rear wheel: Fiction Trojan rim, cassette hub
- Cranks: Fiction Zeus 3-pc cranks, 152mm
- Sprocket: Stolen sprocket, 25T
- Tires: Fiction Troop tires, 2.3″
- Pedals: Wellgo Mini PC pedals
- Seat: Railed seat
- Brake Mounts: Welded
- Weight: 23.65 lbs
- Price: $349.99 (may vary)
FAQs About 18-Inch BMX Bikes
Who are 18-inch BMX bikes designed for?
18-inch BMX bikes are typically designed for younger riders or those too small for a standard 20-inch BMX bike. They’re ideal for kids and early teenagers, offering a size that’s more manageable and comfortable for smaller riders.
Can 18-inch BMX bikes be used for tricks like larger BMX bikes?
Absolutely, 18-inch BMX bikes are capable of performing tricks and stunts. They are designed to offer the same functionality as their 20-inch counterparts, just scaled down for younger or smaller riders. Their size can even make certain tricks easier to learn and execute.
Is there a significant quality difference between 18-inch & 20-inch BMX bikes?
The quality of an 18-inch BMX bike depends more on the brand and model rather than the size. Many reputable BMX manufacturers produce 18-inch bikes with the same high-quality materials and components as their 20-inch models.
Are 18-inch BMX bikes good for learning?
Yes, 18-inch BMX bikes are great for learning, especially for younger riders. Their smaller size makes them less intimidating and easier to handle, which can be crucial for building beginner confidence and skill.
How do I know if an 18-inch BMX bike is the right size?
The best way to determine if an 18-inch BMX bike is the right size is based on the rider’s height and age. These bikes are typically best for riders aged 7 to 13 years old, or those between 4’2″ and 5’2″ in height. However, comfort and fit are subjective, so it’s always a good idea to try the bike if possible.
