Description
Review of the cubsala Yaphet 20 Inch Freestyle BMX Bike
The cubsala Yaphet is a 20 inch freestyle BMX bike built on a high tensile steel frame, sold with a rigid fork, a single gear, an aluminum U brake, a gyro detangler and four pegs. It is aimed at street and skatepark riding rather than at distance or commuting. What follows is drawn from the manufacturer listing and the specification block captured with it. No unit has been ridden or assembled for this write up, and where the supplied data conflicts with itself the conflict is described rather than resolved.
What the Specification Actually Lists
The listed parts are unusually detailed for this part of the market. The build includes a 165 mm one piece crank turning a 25T chainring, a 9T cog on a sealed bearing cassette rear hub, 20 by 2.4 inch tires on aluminum single wall 36 hole rims, a front hub on a three eighths inch female axle, an aluminum U brake with hand brake levers, four pegs, a gyro and assembly tools. The frame material is given as high tensile steel and the suspension type as rigid, which is correct for a freestyle bike.
Gearing
A 25 tooth chainring driving a 9 tooth cog is the standard modern freestyle ratio and it is a sensible choice here. The small cog allows a smaller rear sprocket and therefore more ground clearance for grinds, which is the reason the industry moved away from the older large ring setups. It is a single gear, so this is not a bike for covering ground, and pedaling it at any speed on flat road quickly runs out of usable cadence.
The Gyro and the Brake
A gyro, sometimes called a detangler, is the part that lets the handlebar spin through a full rotation without twisting the rear brake cable around the steerer. Its presence tells you what this bike is set up for, since it exists specifically to allow barspins and tailwhips. It also means the brake cable routing is more involved than on a plain bike, and a gyro that is not set up correctly will bind or leave the brake dragging. Anyone assembling this at home should expect the gyro plates and cable tension to need patient adjustment rather than a quick tighten.
The brake itself is an aluminum U brake with hand levers, which is the conventional freestyle arrangement. It is worth noting that many riders eventually remove the rear brake entirely on a bike of this type. That is a rider preference rather than a defect, but a beginner should keep it fitted and working.
Frame, Rims and Where the Weight Is
The frame is high tensile steel, which is the entry level grade. It is heavier than the chromoly tubing used further up the market and it is less forgiving of repeated hard impacts, but it is strong and it takes abuse that would mark an aluminum frame. The rims are single wall rather than double wall. That is the specification most likely to limit this bike over time, because single wall rims are the part that gives way first under repeated hard landings. For a rider learning flatland tricks and rolling around a park, they are adequate. For a rider committing to drops and gaps, a double wall rim is the first upgrade worth making.
Two Descriptions of the Intended Rider
The age range field in the specification block records this bike as Adult. The manufacturer listing title describes it as a bicycle for teen beginner and adult riders. Those are not quite the same statement, and 20 inch BMX bikes genuinely span a wide range of rider heights because the fit is governed by top tube length and bar height rather than by wheel size. The supplied data does not give a top tube length, which is the measurement that would actually settle whether a given rider fits. That figure should be asked for if the bike is being bought for a rider at either end of the teen to adult range.
The Color Field Disagrees With the Listing
The specification block records the color as Gold. The manufacturer listing title says multiple colors, and the size field describes the item as a 20 inch Yaphet K with gyro and four pegs without naming a finish. Listings that cover several colors under one entry routinely carry whichever value was captured first, so the color should be selected and confirmed in the ordering options rather than taken from the specification block.
A Warranty Statement Filed as a Component
One further oddity is worth naming rather than tidying away. The included components field on this item lists the parts of the bike and then ends with a limited lifetime warranty, as though the warranty were an item in the box. That is a data capture artifact rather than a claim about the contents. It does suggest the manufacturer offers a limited lifetime warranty of some kind, but the supplied data says nothing at all about what that warranty covers, who it covers, or what is excluded. Frame warranties in this part of the market commonly exclude the frame’s intended use, which is to say jumping and grinding, so the terms should be read before they are relied upon.
Assembly
The listing states the bike arrives mostly pre assembled with the necessary tools included. On a BMX bike the work left to the buyer is normally the front wheel, bar, stem, seat and pedals, plus the brake and gyro setup described above. Two points need care. Pedals thread in opposite directions and the left one tightens counterclockwise. The stem bolts and the headset preload should be checked and rechecked after the first few sessions, because a loose headset on a bike that gets landed on will damage the bearing races quickly.
Who It Suits
This suits a teen or adult beginner learning street and park riding who wants a complete bike with pegs and a gyro already fitted rather than assembling those parts separately. The peg and gyro package is the main reason to choose it, since buying those items individually for a cheaper complete bike adds up.
Who It Does Not Suit
It does not suit riding any distance, since a single gear and 20 inch wheels make even a short commute hard work. It does not suit a rider already landing large drops, who will find the single wall rims limiting. Anyone who wants a bike for covering ground should look at the HILAND 21 speed mountain bike, anyone who wants motor assistance should look at the Jasion JC1 folding electric bike, and a rider who needs stability and carrying capacity should look at the VEVOR folding adult tricycle. The full product index covers everything else on this site.
Questions to Settle Before Ordering
Ask for the top tube length, which is the measurement that determines fit. Confirm the color in the ordering options. Ask whether the rims are single or double wall on the specific version being sold, since that is the part most likely to need replacing. Ask what the limited lifetime warranty actually covers and whether freestyle use is excluded. Budget for a helmet and pads at the same time, since this is a bike bought specifically to fall off.
