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. (Eclat Bondi is my favorite!)
Don’t forget to check my post on what’s the best BMX rim width.
But if you are an all-around rider, then a more traditional (Odyssey Hazard Lite) rim 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. Eclat Bondi Rim
Eclat’s Bondi rim is a heavy-hitting rim that guarantees the needed strength for all your insanse street, park, trails riding you do. Hey, this is the rim Sean Burns and Felix Prangenbeg ride, so you know what’s up!
The design is wider with thicker sidewall and spoke hole areas to prevent twisting and spoke pull. Also, the rim walls are 19mm tall, perfectly compatible with brakes.
If you need a rim you can 100% rely on, Bondi is it!
Bondi specs:
- Width: 38mm
- Weight: 538g
- Price: $72.99 (may vary)
Also available as a Cassette Wheel, Freecoaster Wheel or Front Wheel.
GET YOURS2. 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: $84.99 (may vary)
Also available as a Cassette Wheel, Freecoaster Wheel or Front Wheel.
GET YOURS3. Alienation Deviant Rim
Because I know weight matters to many of you, I’m adding the Alienation Deviant rim, the lightest on this list, at only 312g.
However, may the weight not fool you because the Deviant rim was designed with strength in mind. It uses a 30% stronger base, 6069 T6 Aluminum, instead of the classic 6061 T6 (like most of the rims on the market).
Plus, it features an arch shape, which makes the rim stronger than the traditional shape. Remember, because of this shape, Deviant isn’t meant for riding brakes.
While this is an epic and long-lasting rim, I wouldn’t recommend opting for it if you’re pulling a ton of huge gaps and drops. For anything else, and if you care about your bike’s weight, go for it.
Deviant specs:
- Width: 32mm
- Weight: 312g
- Price: $57.00 (may vary)
4. GSport Birdcage Rim
GSport has one of the strongest rims available on the market, the Ribcage, but they wanted to create a lighter rim while retaining as much strength as possible. And the Birdcage rim was born (weighing 60g less)!
The Birdcage has an aero-style look with an exclusively designed hollow bead to save weight.
Moreover, the rim also features a cross-lacing design and a re-engineering valve core (it has an offset valve hole – which also makes fitting a pump easier), both boosting its strength.
Birdcage specs:
- Width: 34mm
- Weight: 440g
- Price: $94.99 (may vary)
5. Odyssey Stage 2 Rim
If you are searching for an affordable but reliable rim that you can use for any riding style, the Odyssey Stage 2 is an excellent option, vouched by many of the dudes I talked to.
It’s a pinned, double-wall rim with extra-thick sidewalls and flat-top bead hooks to ensure the strength and tech of the higher-priced rims.
This is a superb upgrade!
Stage 2 specs:
- Width: 36mm
- Weight: 550g
- Price: $31.99 (may vary)
Also available as a Cassette Wheel, Freecoaster Wheel or Front Wheel.
GET YOURS6. Cinema 888 Rim
This is Cinema’s 888 double wall rim with aero-style and modern technologies to ensure extra strength.
We know Cinema team likes to go big and technical, so they needs a versatile rim to handle any abuse.
And that’s when 888 rim comes into play.
It features a 36mm width, fitting modern tires without extra weight.
Made of 6061-T6 aluminum with a welded seam, it offers durability, easy tire installation, precise spoke hole drilling, and enhanced strength in the spoke nipple channel.
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: 36mm
- Weight: 549g
- Price: $79.99 (may vary)
Also available as a front wheel and rear cassette wheel.
GET YOURS7. 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)
8. 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)
Also available as a Cassette Wheel, Freecoaster Wheel or Front Wheel.
GET YOURS9. 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)
Also available as a Cassette Wheel, Freecoaster Wheel or Front Wheel.
GET YOURS10. 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)
Also available as a Cassette Wheel.
GET YOURS11. 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)
Also available as a Cassette Wheel, Freecoaster Wheel or Front Wheel.
GET YOURSFAQs 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.
But don’t miss my complete guide on single-wall and double-wall rims.
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.
How important is the material of a BMX rim?
The material of a BMX rim is crucial for both durability and weight. Common material include aluminum, which offers a good balance between strength and lightness. Higher-grade alloys like 6061-T6 aluminum are often used for higher-end rims for their excellent strength-to-weight ratio.
