Do you need the best BMX rims?
This is my collection of the ultimate twelve that easily fit every rider out there, regardless of style.
However, I do recommend picking a wider rim if you run fatter tires or you do a lot of gaps and spins because it offers extra strength. (BSD Aero Pro is my favorite!)
But if you are an all-around rider, then a more traditional (Odyssey Hazard Lite) will do the trick!
I also have three solutions if you’re on a budget (Mission, Rant, Saltplus), but I recommend them only to beginners.
This post covers:
Best BMX Rims
1. BSD Aero Pro Rim
The BSD Aero Pro rim is a very versatile solution for every rider.
It doesn’t matter if you ride street, park or trails, with or without breaks, the Aero Pro will do the thing.
The rim may look very lightweight at first glance, but it was designed with extra strength in mind. So you get the best of both worlds.
It has thick and tapered sidewall and spoke seats with a curved inner strut (for additional stiffness).
Additionally, the rim has two intra cavity supports that give it even more radial strength.
The Aero Pro rim proved to work really well on all-terrain, so I HIGHLY recommend it.
Note: BSD’s Denim Cox rides the Aero Pro.
Aero Pro specs:
- Width: 36mm
- Weight: 498g
- Price: $79.99 (may vary)
2. Primo VSXL+ Rim
With the high popularity of the Primo VS rim, the dudes decided to create an even better version for the modern BMX rider.
The core focus of creating the VSXL+ rim was to make it wider than the OG.
It’s 12% wider, which is just enough to still work with all BMX tires, regardless of their thickness. Although I recommend only rocking a 2.2″+ tire with this rim.
VSXL+ rim is great if you’d like to give your tires an even bulkier look.
Note: Primo’s Miki Fleck rides the VSXL+.
VSXL+ specs:
- Width: 38mm
- Weight: 560g
- Price: $90.99 (may vary)
3. Cinema Reynolds Rim
This is Garrett Reynolds‘s signature Cinema rim that features all the modern technologies to ensure extra strength.
We know Garrett likes to go big and technical, so he needs a versatile rim to handle any abuse.
And that’s The Reynolds rim.
It’s a wider rim with extra thick (warped) sidewalls that give it the additional stiffness that you need for your heavy sessions.
And you’ll insert your BMX inner tube and tire much easier because the Reynolds rim is wider. The sidewall lip was also designed in a way to lock the tire more securely.
I’ve been told time and time again how strong the rim is by many riders. Also, everyone reported that their wheel stayed true for a lot longer.
Reynolds specs:
- Width: 38mm
- Weight: 530g
- Price: $89.99 (may vary)
4. Shadow Truss Rim
The Shadow Truss BMX rim follows modern standards with its wider shape.
I didn’t mention it before, but a wider rim absorbs the impact on a much wider area, ensuring you run it for much longer.
The Truss rim also has a somewhat simple but robust design with strength written all over it.
What’s extra cool about Truss is that you can get it in multiple RAD colors!
Note: Shadow’s Trey Jones rides the Truss.
Truss specs:
- Width: 38mm
- Weight: 503g
- Price: $74.99 (may vary)
5. Mission Honor Rim
The Mission Honor rim is one of the cheapest BMX rims you can get on the market.
But it’s still a double-wall rim (never buy a single-wall rim!) with oversized pins that add strength.
Note: I only recommend this one if you’re a beginner because it’s not as strong and stiff as the other (pricier) rims in his collection.
Honor specs:
- Width: 36mm
- Weight: 462g
- Price: $24.99 (may vary)
6. Odyssey Hazard Lite Rim
One of the most popular rims ever made, the Odyssey Hazard Lite rim is a more old-school version that’s still loved by SO MANY riders.
It’s a narrower rim at 32mm width, but it’s still perfect for all-terrain.
Street, park and dirt riders rock the Hazard Lite rim, and I haven’t heard anyone complain about it yet. (And I spoke to dozens of riders!)
Similar to the Shadow Truss rim, the Hazard Lite is also available in VERY MANY color options if you want to spice things up.
Note: Odyssey’s Jacob Cable and Broc Raiford ride Hazard Lite.
Hazard Lite specs:
- Width: 32mm
- Weight: 500g
- Price: $78.95 (may vary)
7. Rant Squad Rim
The Rant Squad rim is another budget-friendly rim, like Mission’s Honor.
The main difference between the Squad and the Honor rims is their width. Squad rim is significantly narrower, like the Odyssey Hazard Lite.
Moreover, it features a double wall structure with a pinned seam and four separate chambers.
All this gives this BMX rim enough stiffness, but I recommend using it for lighter riding.
In other words, don’t opt for this one if you do a lot of gaps and a ton of spins.
Lastly, Rant Squad rim is also available in multiple colors to fit every rider’s taste.
Squad specs:
- Width: 32mm
- Weight: 490g
- Price: $29.99 (may vary)
8. BSD NASA Rim
I still think this is the COOLEST name for a BMX rim. Honestly, I’m not really sure if there’s a connection with the NASA brand (although the logo looks pretty similar), but who cares.
BSD cares about creating an extra tough rim to absorb any impact you put it through.
And they succeeded at achieving that!
Note: This is BSD’s first rim.
It’s slightly narrower than their Aero Pro rim but still features the high-quality 6066-T6 aluminum structure.
Other specialties of the rim are thick and sturdy tapered sidewalls and spoke seats with a curved inner strut.
All this gives the NASA rim amazing stiffness laterally and radially.
A versatile rim that’s not too wide and not too narrow – that’s NASA from BSD.
Note: BSD’s Reed Stark rides the NASA.
NASA specs:
- Width: 34mm
- Weight: 550g
- Price: $77.99 (may vary)
9. Merritt Siege Rim
Merritt Siege Rim is the widest rim I included in this collection, coming at 39mm width.
While it may not be as extremely strong as the Merritt’s Battle rim, this one is still great for any street and skatepark riding.
If you’re more technical-oriented without doing too many gaps, the Siege is for you.
And because it’s so wide, it easily fits Brandon Begin‘s signature 2.5″ Phantom tire and any other fat tire.
And for this reason, you can also ride a low pressure tire much more comfortably.
But if you really want an extra wide rim, then go with the Stranger Crux XL rim (width: 42mm).
Siege specs:
- Width: 39mm
- Weight: 501g
- Price: $84.95 (may vary)
10. Eclat Camber Sleeved Rim
Eclat’s Camber Sleeved rim is a mid-priced rim that still guarantees the needed strength that the cheaper versions cannot.
The design is slightly wider with thicker sidewall and spoke hole areas.
The rim walls have a tiny angle to them, but they’re still 100% compatible with brakes.
If you have already progressed and need a stronger rim but don’t want to spend a lot, then go with Eclat’s Camber Sleeved rim.
Camber Sleeved specs:
- Width: 36.5mm
- Weight: 510g
- Price: $40.99 (may vary)
11. Stranger Crux Rim
Similar to Eclat’s Camber Sleeved rim, the Stranger Crux rim is also mid-priced for everyone who’s in the BMX game for a while.
It’s a lot narrower rim with a double wall design and a pinned seam, which keeps the cost low.
The Crux rim is great for everyone except for the burliest riders.
Go for it if you’re not too much into gaps (it’ll still hold some abuse here and there, but don’t put heavy stress on it too often).
Crux specs:
- Width: 32mm
- Weight: 516g
- Price: $42.00 (may vary)
12. Saltplus Summit Rim
Saltplus Summit rim gives you everything you need to keep your bike rolling even with the fattest tires.
Guys behind Saltplus reinforced this double wall rim, adding thicker sidewalls and an oversized 3mm pin joint.
It turns out that the Summit rim is a very strong one.
But if you’re a more advanced rider, I recommend picking any more expensive rims because they are even stronger and stiff. (Unless you’re a technical wizard who’s not a fan of jumping stairs and stuff.)
Summit specs:
- Width: 36mm
- Weight: 493g
- Price: $31.99 (may vary)
FAQs About BMX Rims
Do I need to pick a wider rim?
No. But if you need extra strength or you like to ride fat tires, then yes. Also, you can ride a lot lower pressure tires with a wider rim.
Single wall rims vs. double wall BMX rims
Never go with a single wall rim because you’ll quickly untrue it. It only has one chamber and is prone to twisting it without any heavy abuse.
Whereas a double wall rim (with two chambers) gives you the extra strength, you need whether you’re a more technical rider, a gap assassin or like trails.
A double wall rim also offers the best strength-to-weight ratio.
Note: There also used to be triple wall rims, but they were too heavy and offered very little extra stiffness compared to a double wall version. Thus, we’re not using them anymore in BMX.
Welded vs. pinned/sleeved BMX rims
A welded rim creates a completely smooth joint that’s necessary if you ride brakes. A welded rim is also typically a lot stronger, but the process costs more, so that’s why the higher price range.
A pinned or sleeved rim is much cheaper to create but can be slightly unbalanced (which you won’t notice when you ride it). Also, the joint can have imperfections, affecting only those who ride brakes. Tip: You can sandpaper the joint to smoothen it out.
