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Continue Shopping2021 Kink Gap Review
Designed for new riders to get a good quality bike for a good price. The 2021 Kink gap mixes in some chromoly, giving it that pro feeling. While the specs will make it easy for a new rider to progress and get better at the sport.
Skip right to the good stuff where I give the bike a Dougsterbob Score based on 20 different aspects that determine how good the bike is overall.
Review Video
Overview
The Gap is a versatile machine ready to handle anything you throw at it. Featuring modern geometry, the frame, fork, and bars add 4130 chromoly into the mix and is available in both Matte Bone White and Gloss Black Chrome colorways. Components found on the Gap take things up a notch and are not to be missed.
Not only will it look the part, but the 9” Kink T900 bars, Kink Stryker forks, Kink Bold HRD stem, sealed Mission Engage cassette hub, and Kink Ridge 3-piece tubular chromoly cranks help it to feel and perform the part. The addition of a Stealth seat and seat post are not to be overlooked either and add both adjustability and modern compatibility. Modern frame geometry brings a lower bottom bracket and raised standover height to the Gap, for a stable ride.
from: kink
Highlights
- ⛔️ - Full Chromoly
- ✅ - Under $500
- ⛔️ - Double Wall Rims
- ⛔️ - Pegs
- ✅ - Fully Sealed Bearings
- ✅ - 3 pc. Cranks
- ⛔️ - Freecoaster - What is a freecoaster?
- ✅ - Brakes
- ⛔️ - Gyro tabs
- ✅ - 4 pc bars
Specs
Price: $399.99
Colors
Specs
| FRAME MATERIAL: 100% 4130 Chromoly HT, TT and DT |
| WHEEL SIZE: 20″ |
| TOP TUBE LENGTH: 20.5″ |
| CHAIN STAY LENGTH: 13.25″ |
| HEADTUBE ANGLE: 75° |
| SEAT TUBE ANGLE: 71° |
| FORKS: Kink Stryker 4130 Chromoly SteererTapered Fork Legs |
| BARS: Kink T900 9″ 100% 4130 Chromoly |
| STEM: Kink Bold HRD 50mm |
| HEADSET: Mission Sealed Integrated (41.8 x 45) |
| BRAKE MOUNTS: Welded |
| BRAKES: Mission Cease V2 |
| FRONT HUB: Mission Covert Unsealed 3/8″ Axle |
| FRONT RIM: Mission X7 |
| REAR HUB: Mission Engage Sealed Cassette 14mm |
| REAR RIM: Mission X7 |
| TYRES: Kink Sever 2.4″ |
| SPROCKET: Mission Rank 25T |
| CRANKS: Kink Ridge 3pc Tubular Chromoly 170mm – 8 Spline |
| BB: Sealed Mid 19mm |
| PEDALS: Kink Hemlock |
| SEAT: Kink Plymouth Stealth |
| GEARING: 25/9 |
| WEIGHT: 26lb 13oz |
Frame Geometry
A: Top Tube Length: 20.5" – Learn what size is right for you here.
Check the size guide to see if its right for you..
Getting a top tube that is taller than suggested will make the bike feel more controlled and less responsive
Getting a top tube size that is smaller than normal will make the bike feel a lot more snappy and responsive.
B: Chain Stay Length: 13.25" – Learn About Chain Stays Here
This is a medium chainstay.
A short chain stay makes the bike feel twitchy. Spins will be easy, but airing and jumping might feel hard to control.
A long chain stay will make the bike feel really controlled. Spins will feel sluggish, but manuals and air tricks will feel nice because it will be more stable.
C: Head Tube Angle: 75° – Learn About Head Tube Angles Here
Steep head tube angles make the bike “snappy” meaning more responsive to fast turns.
A less steep head tube gives you more control.
D: Seat Tube Angle: 71°
E: Bottom Bracket Height: 11.6″
F: Stand over height: 9"
This is a tall standover.
A tall standover makes your seat higher up and will allow you to pinch it easier when learning barspins.
Bar Geometry - Learn more here
The GREY Devotion has 4 pc. Bars the other colors have 2pc bars.
G: Rise: 9"
Riding a tall rise, will give you more leverage on the bike. Making it easier to pull back and lift the front wheel up.
H: Width: 30"
This is a wide width.
Narrow bars make barspins easier.
Wide bars give you more control and stability when steering.
I: Backsweep: N/A
What does backsweep do?
As far as I know, there is a sweet spot for backsweep. Too much will make the bike feel weird, and too little will make the bike unstable. It seems like the sweet spot is around 11º to 12º. If you need something a little more aggressive and straight feeling, go for 10º, but only do this if 11º is uncomfortable.
J: Upsweep: N/A
What does upsweep do?
There is a lot of discussion about 1º upsweep vs. 4º upsweep. Some people are running experiments and testing if the greater upsweep will make drops feel better. It seems like a lot of street riders run 4º to 5º upsweep. This helps for wrist pain and lessens the impact of big drops.
Dougsterbob Score
Now everything above the line is pretty basic info. I break down the specs, geometry and some highlights. But that doesn't really help you find the right bike. So I created the Dougsterbob Score.
What is it?
The Dougsterbob Score is taken from Doug Demaro's "Doug Score" (He already had the name so I had to get creative with mine haha) Anyway, this assigns a score to the bike based on 20 different aspects. This way you will know exactly what this bike is good for and how it holds up.
Read how I score the bikes here
2021 Kink Gap Rankings
| Category | Points | Percent of total |
|---|---|---|
| Dougsterbob Score | 82/200 | 55% |
| Street Score | 11/40 | 27.5% |
| Park Score | 11/30 | 37% |
| Dirt Score | 15/30 | 50% |
| Quality Score | 10/40 | 25% |
| Style Score | 22/30 | 73% |
Dougsterbob Score
The 2021 kink gap scored 82 out of 200. This is a typical score for a beginner level bike, the really cool thing about the gap is there are three different variations. So, the score varies depending on the variation that you get.
The biggest thing that I notice with this bike was that everything was designed to make a really well-rounded bike. Meaning that it's not way better in one discipline than the other. If you're a rider who likes to ride street, dirt, and park, the 2021 Kink Gap will be a good choice for you.
This is a 20.5" toptube so it will be for smaller riders. Check out the GAP XL if youre taller or the GAP FC if you want as bike with a higher street score.
Street Score
Sadly in the kink gap did it score very high in the street section. It does not come with pegs and it does not come with hub guards so that was really a big point deduction.
Now you can just buy some pegs and hub guards if this is really important to you and add them onto the bike later. However, pegs and hub guards can get somewhat expensive. So, if you're an aspiring street rider it's always better to get a complete bike that already comes with these parts.
The Gap is not full chromoly it's tri-moly. But this isn't enough to give it those extra points that I give bikes that can really withstand big drops in big gaps. Having a street bike requires having a bike that can hold up as you become a better street rider.
The 2021 Kink Gap is not the best choice for hardcore street riders. It will do ok for street riding, but it is designed to be more of a well-rounded bike.
Park Score
The Gap scored and 11/30 in the park section, and one reason for that is that the 2021 kink gap has gyro holes drilled but no gyro. This gave it a few extra points over other bikes that don't even have gyro holes.
Gyros are a pretty popular thing with aspiring park riders since you can throw the bars around without your brakes tangling. That's why I added this as an option when scoring bikes.
The geometry for the Kink Gap isn't really responsive so it didn't get any extra points in that aspect. While it will be OK for learning basic park tricks it just doesn't have the responsive geometry that you need in a progressive park bike.
The 2021 kink gap is not designed for park riding, although it will work fine for beginners to learn the basics in the park.
Dirt Score
To be fair, most bikes score ok on the dirt section, and that is because they have almost perfect gearing for dirt. 25/9 is good for dirt riding because it balances acceleration with top speed. But a lot of dirt riders like 30/10 or 28/9 gearing which can be found on the Fit TRL bikes.
The Gap has some aspects that make it ok for riding dirt. The tires will grip okay, and the geometry is pretty big and flowy. It will offer a lot of control on the jumps.
For a beginner, the Kink Gap will be good for learning the fundamentals of Dirt Jumps. But this is not a good choice for an experienced dirt rider.
Quality Score
A 10 out of 40 in the quality section is nothing to brag about. It is a little bit better than some really hardcore beginner bikes, but it's not enough to count as a mid level bike. The frame quality received a score of four out of 10 , since it is only partially chromoly.
Having chromoly bars and Forks also gave it a 4 out of 10 since only the bars are full chromoly. Sadly, it received a 1/10 for the single-wall rims. Single wall rims are not a good choice as you start to learn spins and tricks.
Overall, the 2021 Kink Gap bike is decent quality. Like I said the tri-moly frame and the chromoly bars take the quality up a notch but it's still not going to last for a mid-level rider. For this reason, it is a beginner level bike.
Style Score
The Kink Gap looks clean stylish and simple. I think it looks good so it did receive a good score on the style. Everything about it is visually appealing. However, this variation only comes in two different color options.
I understand that for a new rider color options are really important since the color of our bike is kind of the way we express ourselves. So a 22/30 Style score is to be expected.
The Kink Gap looks clean and stylish. All of the parts can be upgraded and customized with no issues.
Value
I just could not give the kink gap at 10 out of 10 in the value section. The gap is almost full chromoly but doesn't have double wall rims, and it still costs a high price.
I love kink as a brand I think they make really good bikes, but for what you're paying for the gap you can definitely get a higher quality bike. Your best bet would be to look at something like the Kink Whip since it has full chromoly double-wall rims and costs just under $500.
Should you get it?
The short answer from me is "it depends". If you want a FC or an affordable 21" top tube bike, get one of the GAP variations. But just getting the normal GAP is a bad choice. Just spend a little extra and get the higher quality Kink Whip.
Common Questions
What is the Price?
The 2021 Kink Gap costs $399. Like I mentioned above, this is a fair price for what you are getting. But spend that extra money and get a better quality bike.
How Much Does it Weigh?
The 2021 Kink Gap weighs 26 pounds and 13 ounces. If you decide to add pegs, the bike will weigh a litte more.
Where to buy it?
You can buy the Gap from my store here. (obviously i'm going to plug my new shop 🤫) But if for some reason it is out of stock, or you hate me and want to buy somewhere else, it is available below.
Buy if you are learning:
- Manual
- 180
- bunny hop
- 360 tap
- tire tap
- foot jam
Don't buy if you are learning:
- Tailwhip
- big 360
- big drops/gaps
- back flips
- grind tricks
Conclusion
Kink's 2021 Gap is a bike that a beginner will enjoy much more than something like a Walmart bike. The added quality allows you to try more tricks, and the geometry is designed so that you can hop on the bike and ride like the pros. So they say.
In reality, it is a good bike for beginners. But with it just being a little less than a bike with much better quality. I always recommend going with that higher quality bike.