Get A Reliable Freestyle BMX Chain

The chain on a freestyle BMX bike is responsible for transferring the pedal power from the rider to the rear wheel. It needs to be a strong and durable piece of equipment that can handle the heavy usage that comes with freestyle BMX.

Half Link BMX Chain vs. Single Speed BMX Chain

When the time comes to replace your old BMX chain, the first big decision you need to make is whether to buy a half link chain or a single speed chain. A link on a half link chain is designed to work as both the inner and outer link, whereas single speed chains have individual inner links and outer links. There are advantages and disadvantages of both.

The biggest advantage of choosing a half link chain is the precision when making adjustments to the chain length. The half links allow you to lengthen or shorten the chain a ½ link at a time. This means that you can make small changes to the overall placement of the rear wheel. The main downside is that the thicker side plates make the chain heavier than the single-speed chain.

The single-speed chain is the lighter option between the two, so if reducing weight is a priority, then this is the way to go. This design has been around since the beginning of bicycles, so it is a highly reliable choice. When it comes to adjusting chain length, you are only able to lengthen or shorten the chain 2 ½ links at a time. Therefore, it is not possible to make the small adjustments that you can make with half-link chains.

What Chain Do I Need For My BMX?

The typical width of a BMX bike chain is 1/8 of an inch. This is also the most common chain size you find on freestyle BMX bikes. Some BMX race bikers prefer a 3/32 or 3/16 inch width. This is a very narrow chain, and therefore it also weighs less - A big focus point among some riders. Most freestyle riders prefer the standard 1/8 chain.

Chainbreakers are needed to remove and add links on chains. You can find these, among many other useful products, in our BMX Bike Tools section.