BMX Brand
Kink
Kink is a BMX brand from Rochester, New York, founded in 1994, known for a wide range of complete bikes, frames and parts and for a long-running street team.
Updated 2 min read412 words
Kink is a BMX brand from Rochester, New York, founded in 1994 by Zack Phillips. It makes one of the widest ranges of complete bikes in BMX, from small bikes for children to pro level models, along with frames and parts, and it has run a respected street and park team for decades.
History
Zack Phillips started Kink in Rochester in 1994, during the period described in BMX in the 1990s when small rider-run brands were replacing the corporate companies of the 1980s. The brand began with frames and parts sold to the East Coast scene and grew slowly through the decade.
In the 2000s Kink expanded into complete bikes and became one of the main complete brands in bike shops, alongside WeThePeople and Fit. The complete range gave the company the scale to support a larger team and to release full-length videos, including Squash It, which showcased a team built mostly around street riding.
Kink remains based in Rochester, still owned and run from there, and continues to sell completes, frames and parts worldwide.
Products
Kink's complete range is the core of the brand and is organised by size and price.
| Product | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Carve, Pump, Curb | Complete bikes | Entry level, including smaller sizes |
| Launch, Gap, Whip | Complete bikes | Mid range completes |
| Williams | Complete bike and frame | Signature model for Nathan Williams |
| Titan, Contender, Backwoods, Crosscut | Frames | Street and all-round frames |
Because the range covers so many sizes, Kink is often used as a reference when working out what size BMX bike you need. The brand also makes handlebars, forks, cranks, stems, pedals and seats.
Team and riders
Kink's team has been consistent over many years. Riders associated with the brand have included:
- Chris Doyle, a long serving team rider across trails and park
- Nathan Williams
- Tony Hamlin
- Sean Sexton
- Darryl Tocco
- Dan Coller
- Travis Hughes
- Jordan Hango
Influence
Kink's main contribution is in making decent complete bikes available at a wide range of sizes and prices. Many riders' first proper BMX was a Kink, and the brand's smaller completes helped bring younger riders into the sport. Its team, especially Nathan Williams and Sean Sexton, produced video parts that shaped technical street riding in the 2010s, and the brand's longevity from an unlikely base in upstate New York shows that a core company does not need to be in California to last.
Related
Frequently asked questions about Kink
Where is Kink BMX based?
Kink is based in Rochester, New York, where it was founded by Zack Phillips in 1994.
Are Kink bikes good for beginners?
Kink's complete range starts with small entry level bikes and runs up to pro level models, so most riders can find a size and price that fits.
Who rides for Kink?
The team has included Chris Doyle, Nathan Williams, Tony Hamlin, Sean Sexton and Darryl Tocco, among others, with a strong focus on street.
Related articles
Street
Street BMX is the discipline of riding urban architecture such as ledges, rails, stairs and banks, with video parts rather than contests as the main measure.
5 min readPark
Park BMX is the discipline of riding skateparks, linking airs and tricks across ramps, bowls and box jumps, and is the format used in most major contests.
4 min readHow to Choose Your First BMX
Choose a complete bike with a full chromoly frame, sealed bearings and 3-piece cranks from a BMX brand, and avoid heavy department store bikes.
4 min readWhat Size BMX Bike Do I Need?
Most teens and adults fit a 20 inch wheel BMX with a 20 to 21 inch top tube, chosen by height first and then adjusted for arm length and riding style.
4 min readWeThePeople
WeThePeople is a German BMX brand founded in Cologne in the late 1990s, known for complete bikes, frames and parts, and for its sister parts brand Eclat.
2 min readChris Doyle
Chris Doyle is an American BMX dirt and trails rider known for huge doubles, 360 turndowns and several X Games dirt medals over a pro career of about 20 years.
4 min read