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What BMX Chainstay Length Is Best?

bmx chainstay length

Do you want to know what BMX chainstay length is best for your riding style?

Chainstay (or CS) is the length measured between the center of the bottom bracket and the center of the rear wheel axle.

It’s one of the KEY BMX frame specifications to which you should pay attention.

Why? Because it can either improve your riding or make it harder to ride your bike.

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Buying a frame isn’t like buying a pair of grips, where, if you purchase uncomfortable ones, it’s not that big of a deal.

We’re talking about a few $100s, so I don’t want you to choose wrongly.

I did once, and it was a great learning lesson.

This post covers:

This brings us to:

Does BMX Chainstay Length Matter?

YES, it does.

In fact, there are many riders (even pros) out there who don’t care that much about the head tube angle, but they choose their frame exclusively by checking the CS length.

Before we go further to answer the following two questions, I’ll give you a quick one right now:

No chainstay length is better than the other because it depends on what you like riding more.

So it’s more or less a personal preference.

Is A Shorter Chainstay Better?

If you are more into the technical street and skatepark riding, then yes, a shorter CS is way better.

Pros of a shorter CS:

  • It takes much less effort to get into a manual.
  • Therefore, bunnyhops are also more effortless.
  • It makes spinning tricks a lot simpler.
  • You will easier whip your frame around.

While there are pros, there are also cons to a short chainstay:

  • The frame doesn’t feel as stable.
  • You can quickly loop out.

From my experience (I was riding Dan Kruk‘s signature WTP Network frame), it took me quite some time to get used to the 12.5″ slammed CS.

It also really depends on how tall you are. The taller you are, the less comfy a short CS will feel.

Is A Longer Chainstay Better?

A longer CS is only better if you like more stability, prefer riding transitions and enjoy the flow part of BMX.

However, this doesn’t mean you cannot go technical with it – because YOU CAN!

I preach this from my personal experience. I’m currently on David Grant‘s signature BSD Raider frame with a 13.5-14″ CS, and I love it.

By the way, I ride it at 14″ and have no issues with spinning. But I need to put a little extra effort into getting the frame around when doing a tailwhip.

Pros of a longer CS:

  • Your bike will feel more stable on the ground and in the air.
  • You won’t loop out of a manual that easily.

The only con I see with a longer CS is if you’re heavy into advanced spinning tricks. Or, generally speaking, you prefer extremely technical street riding.

I’m talking about hard 3s and hard 5s out of grinds or pulling tailwhips as quickly as possible, like Johnny Raekes.

Short & Long BMX Chainstay Frame Examples

3 BMX Frames With Short Chainstays:

1. WeThePeople Doomsayer

wtp doomsayer bmx street frame

Doomsayer specs:

  • Top Tube Length: 20.5” – 20.75” – 21”
  • Head Tube: 76.25° / 127mm
  • Seat Tube Angle: 71°
  • ChainStay Length: 12.95-13.5”
  • Standover: 9”
  • BB Height: 11.9”
  • Weight: 5.2 lbs20.5”
  • Price: $383.99 (may vary)
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2. Kink Crosscut

kink crosscut

Crosscut specs:

  • Top Tube Length: 20” – 20.5” – 20.75” – 21” – 21.25”
  • Head Tube Angle: 75.5°
  • Seat Tube Angle: 71°
  • ChainStay Length: 12.5” slammed
  • Standover: 9.25”
  • BB Height: 11.6”
  • Weight: 4lbs 15oz 20.5”
  • Price: $379.99 (may vary)
GET YOURS

3. BSD ALVX

bsd alvx

ALVX specs:

  • Top Tube Length: 20.3” – 20.6” – 20.8” – 21”
  • Head Tube: 75.5° / 117mm
  • Seat Tube Angle: 71°
  • ChainStay Length: 12.5-13”
  • Standover: 8.7”
  • BB Height: 11.7”
  • Weight: 5lbs
  • Price: $399.00 (may vary)
GET YOURS

3 BMX Frames With Long Chainstays:

1. Subrosa MR2

subrosa mr2 frame

MR2 specs:

  • Top Tube Length: 20.5” – 20.75” – 21”
  • Head Tube: 75° / 120mm
  • Seat Tube Angle: 71°
  • ChainStay Length: 13.3-14”
  • Standover: 9”
  • BB Height: 11.5”
  • Weight: 4.8lbs 12.8oz
  • Price: $399.99 (may vary)
GET YOURS

2. S&M ATF

sm atf frame

ATF specs:

  • Top Tube Length: 20.5” – 21.25” – 21.5”
  • Head Tube: 75°
  • Seat Tube Angle: 71°
  • ChainStay Length: 13.4-13.875”
  • Standover: 8.5”
  • BB Height: 11.7”
  • Weight: 4lbs 12oz
  • Price: $519.95 (may vary)
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3. Colony Blaster

colony blaster frame

Blaster specs:

  • Top Tube Length: 20.8” – 21.8”
  • Head Tube: 74.5°
  • Seat Tube Angle: 71°
  • ChainStay Length: 13.75”
  • Standover: 9”
  • BB Height: 11.5”
  • Weight: 5.58lbs
  • Price: $309.99 (may vary)
GET YOURS

Final Words

If you’re a more all-around BMX rider, even if you like technical stuff more, then choosing a mid-length chainstay is what I would recommend. This is something between 13-13.5″.

Of course, it also depends on how tall you are. If you’re shorter, then you can lean toward a shorter CS and vice versa.

But if you’re into the extreme tech wizardry stuff and like to follow the trends, go with anything below 13″. (Still, I like Felix Prangenberg‘s WTP Pathfinder frame because of the CS flexibility – you can go from 12.75″ to 13.2″. Feel free to check these greatest BMX street frames for more fantastic options.)

On the other hand, choose a chainstay length longer than 13.5″ for stability, trails, transitions and flow. You may also be interested in my collection of the best BMX trails frames.

FAQs About BMX Chainstay Length

What is BMX chainstay length?

BMX chainstay length is the distance between the center of the bottom bracket and the center of the rear axle. This measurement influences the bike’s handling, stability, and responsiveness.

How does chainstay length affect BMX performance?

A shorter chainstay length makes the BMX more responsive and easier to lift the front wheel, which is great for technical riding. A longer chainstay length offers more stability and is better for speed and transition riding.

How do you measure BMX chainstay length?

A chainstay is measured between the center of the bottom bracket and the center of the rear wheel axle. The standard CS length of BMX frames goes from 12.4″ and all the way up to 14″+.

What is a slammed chainstay?

A slammed CS is the shortest measured length between the center of the bottom bracket and the center of the rear hub axle. That sometimes means that the axle is almost touching the frame.

Remember, if the frame specification indicates a 13″ slammed CS, that doesn’t mean it’s the only length you can ride. If you place the wheel towards the end of the dropout, you can gain half an inch (or even more in some cases).

What chainstay length is better for street & technical riding?

A short BMX CS is better if you prefer technical riding, like pulling a lot of spins, doing rear wheel tricks and even tailwhips. The shortest CS currently available is 12.4″, making your BMX bike feel incredibly twitchy.

What chainstay length is better for transition riding?

A longer CS length is much better if you like to ride transitions and need that extra stability both on the ground and in the air. I recommend aiming for anything above 13.5″ (or, even better, 14″).

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Rok has been riding BMX for 20+ years, and when he's not having a session, he binges on videos, new product drops and works on creating the best content (sharing tips, tricks & more to make riding bikes easier for you) for The BMX Dude.