Rims
Browse used BMX rims for sale from riders across the UK. These are 20in (406mm) hoops, nearly all drilled 36 hole, in single-wall, double-wall and triple-wall builds from about 30mm to 36mm across the outside. Riders buy them to rebuild a wheel around a hub that is still good, which is the usual outcome after a flat spot.
Single wall or double wall?
Single-wall rims are the lightest and are mostly a race and flatland choice, where impact loads are low and rotating weight matters. Double-wall rims add a second layer of material under the tyre bed and take the hits from drops and cased landings, which is why almost every park and street wheel uses one. Triple-wall and heavily reinforced designs like the Alienation Deviant or Odyssey Hazard Lite sit at either end of that trade-off, one built for survival and one for weight.
What width and drilling do I need?
Match the drilling to your hub first: 36 hole is standard, 32 hole appears on lighter race wheels, and the two do not mix. Width should suit the tyre, with 30mm to 32mm rims sitting well under 2.1in to 2.3in rubber and wider rims squaring off a 2.4in tyre nicely. If you run a U-brake, you need a rim with a machined sidewall, as brakeless rims have no flat pad surface and wear through fast.
Should I buy a rim or a complete wheel?
A bare rim only saves money if you can lace and tension it yourself or already have spokes of the right length, since spoke length changes with rim depth and a rebuild otherwise costs a build fee plus a new set. Where the hub is fine and the rim is dented, it is the obvious route. Where both are tired, a built rear wheel or a matched wheelset almost always works out cheaper.
What should I check on a used BMX rim?
Sit the rim on a flat surface and look for a rock, then sight across the bead seats for a flat spot where a landing has been cased. Check every spoke hole for the fine cracks that radiate outwards once tension has been high for a long time, and look for a step or gap at the joint on pinned rims, which is where they let go. On a rim that has run brakes, feel the sidewall for concavity and gouging, and check the tyre bed for corrosion under old rim tape.
How much should a used BMX rim cost?
A straight, uncracked double-wall rim generally goes for a third to a half of new, and one with brake wear or a shallow flat spot for scrap value. Buying new is worth considering more often here than elsewhere, because the rebuild cost is the same either way and a new rim removes the fatigue history. If you are pricing a whole build, weigh it against the assembled wheels in BMX wheels and tyres first.