How To Choose Skateboard Wheels Right
Skateboarding is a popular sport among the youngsters. Skateboard wheels allow the skaters to move around with an amazing speed. Skaters do try to experiment with various wheels while skating.
When it comes to choosing the best skateboard wheels, the choice depends on multiple factors, specifically the surface it will be used upon. Picking a new set of wheels requires you to assess these factors like size, the degree of hardness, diameter, durometer, durability, and colors.
These wheels are usually made up of polyurethane as its structural material. Size of the wheel is determined by its diameter and the hardness of the wheel is assessed by its durometer. The interests of the skaters determine the selection of perfect skateboard wheels. A huge range of wheels are available in the market and skaters can pick up anyone depending on their skating skills and needs.
Here we will be listing out the factors that will help in choosing the skateboard wheels. Based on the kind of skateboarding, the place of skateboarding and the variety of skateboards, the wheels should be picked. Check out these recommendations and suggestions before you buy the skate wheels:
Skateboard Wheel Size (Diameter and Durometer)
The size of the skateboard is mainly the combination of its diameter and durometer. Most of the wheels have the diameter of 50-75 mm. The diameter of the wheel determines your acceleration and turns. Larger wheels give a faster ride and smaller wheels do the opposite. Smaller wheels are ideal for street skating as they are close to the ground and that makes it easy to control the speed.
But the beginners who use skateboards for daily commuting must opt for wheels with a larger diameter. Increased diameter provides balance and speed together. Larger wheels are best for vert skating and low-key cruising. The weight and height of the skaters are also the decisive factors while selecting the appropriate wheels for your skates.
The hardness of the wheel is determined by its durometer that is assessed by “a-scale”. The hardness of 99a mark is selected by most of the skaters.
Bearings Of Skateboard Wheel
The skateboard wheels and bearings are embedded into each other. Most wheels need a set of 8 bearings. On both sides of the wheel’s core two bearings are fixed. To enhance the performance of the wheels most of the skaters insert a spacer in the middle of two bearings.
Bearings come in different materials and price range. Beginners can also opt for cheap skateboard wheels that are decent in quality.
Skating surface Another crucial factor while picking the wheel is to consider your skating surface. Very hard or slippery surface requires softer wheels as compared to softer or grippier surface that needs harder wheel options.
The Weight Of The Skaters
Though there’s no rule conn the physique of the skater and wheel size, it is vital for selecting a wheel. Every skater may need wheels with different durometer according to their own desires. In general, the higher the weight of the skater, more hard is the requirement of skates, simply because the bodyweight will put pressure on the wheels.
The opposite holds true for lightweight skaters. Parameters like diameter and durometer might not create much difference for the beginners but as you master the skating skill choosing the correct wheel becomes important. Bulkier skater must choose larger wheel size unlike skinny skaters such as kids, who may need a smaller size of the wheel.
Contact Patch
Contact Patch is the area of the wheel that actually touches the pavements. For large longboards, one needs a bigger contact patch. These larger contact patches help in distributing the weight of the skater equally on to the board.
Here are some of the most popular wheel options for the beginners.
Skateboard wheels Spitfire- Spitfire’s classic 99A offers you perfect grip to master your skating skills. This skateboard wheels Spitfire is a great option for beginners which are available in various sizes. Pick a perfect fit for your style, speed, and size. Cruisers mostly prefer 78-92A hardness in the size of 52-60 mm along with softer wheels for a super smooth ride for themselves.
Skateboard wheels bone
Bone skateboards are known for their performance, durability and excellent quality. These are the gold standard wheels in the skating industry for the skaters who look for speed and precision. Skateboard wheels bone is specifically designed for various surfaces.
Their Skatepark formula and Street Tech formula wheels are very popular. These are available in white and black colors and are sold in the sets of two.
Pig Head Conical Skateboard Wheels
These are wider than the standard wheels and provide a much better speed. Take your boards into the bowl and pools and enjoy its vert. Most skaters select 99a hardness and diameter of 55-60mm in these wheels.
Autobahn ABX Torus Skateboard Wheels
The all-around skateboarders love these wheels that offer unparalleled performance and amazing turns on different kind of surfaces.