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How to Choose the Right Wheels for Your Skateboard
It may seem irrelevant, but choosing the right skateboard to match what you want in the game is of utmost importance and the choice will hinge on some of its most essential parts. One of such essential parts is the wheels of the skateboard. The wheels create the required motion that will move the skateboard to replicate what you need. This implies that when customizing your skateboard, choosing the wheels is as important as riding the board itself.
Choosing the type of wheels to use for your skateboard will depend on several factors such as your skill preference, style, usage for the skateboard, and the nature of the terrain that you skate regularly. All these will factor in the nature and type of material, including the size you may choose. The physical appearance of the wheel will include colors and decorative features as well.
We will look at the different wheels for different features that any good skater will consider when customizing his skateboard. It will be a feature for the best set of wheels that can be used for other circumstances. The considerations will be based on what the skater wants to achieve with his game. Establishing this fact will go a long way in deciding the nature of wheels he can get.
Various Wheels for Special Cases
Just like the same way that shoes have sizes, skateboard wheels do not have unique designs that can exhibit all characteristics. When shopping for one, skaters should bear in mind that they should get different wheels altogether if they need varied features. Wheels that will be used for tricks should never be soft cos they will experience a lot of landing. Cruisers would surely need softer wheels to get constant speed and acceleration.
Therefore, we will look at the different wheels for different situations and what considerations are made before getting them.
Wheels For Street Skating
Skaters should understand that smaller wheels will be the best fit for skating in the streets. Something with a small diameter will suffice. It makes it easier for them to perform special tricks such as ollies, backflips, heelflips, and other tricks that involve hanging on the air. A wheel diameter between 49mm and 53mm will be perfect. This will balance the wheel’s motion whenever a trick is landed without it getting stuck.
The wheels that can be used for this category must be hard and offer a high level of forgiveness. The durometer falls within the range of 93A to 105A. This is hard enough to absorb any level of landing from the skateboarder without a bounce. A bounce can force a rider to lose balance and fall off his skateboard, leading to serious injury. The best recommendation for street skating wheels’ shape is conical.
Mini Ramp skating Wheels
Ramps are hard surfaces that can either be smooth or rough depending on their structure, but it’s important to note that when skating there, speed is critical. To achieve that, a wheel with a larger diameter between 54mm and 56mm is recommended for achieving smooth glides across those surfaces. The durometer level should be from 99A to 101A. The design for the wheel is to add speed to the skating game.
Cruising Wheels
Cruises are stuff that deals with high adrenaline, which means that the focus is on skating speed, which softer wheels can accomplish with ease. To make it perfect, the skater should go for bigger wheels. This will give the skateboard more giant rolls and increase the speed of cruising. It’s also suitable to last for a long-distance cruise around town. The perfect diameter for the wheels should be around 60mm and a durometer of 78A.
A square-shaped wheel can achieve the level of speed needed by this type of skateboard.
Bowl Skating Wheels
Bowl skating is considered extreme by most skateboarders because of the extra effort needed to navigate between both sides of the surface. Because of the pressure on the legs, maintaining speed will demand that a skater uses wheels of larger diameters. This will roll more and reduce the tension between the feet and the skateboard deck, inducing a faster motion. The diameter dimensions are between 54 and 56mm with a durometer range of 97A and 99A.
Wheels for Concrete Skating Packs
Skating in parks made of concrete is a risky venture because of the tendency for one to fall off and get seriously injured. This means an average diameter of wheels of 53 and 54mm can do the trick. This prevents occasions of bounce and offers riders the adequate grip to achieve the kind of trick or skill he wants to achieve. The wheel can be round or conical with a durometer of 99A. Hardness is essential for occasions of bounces.
Wheels for Tricks on Cruising
Achieving good tricks while cruising along surfaces like ramps, staircases, and other irregular terrains will demand a wheel with an average diameter. It is done to encourage speed while establishing a connection with tricks at the same time. This means that riders can efficiently perform tricks at a faster pace. The diameter is usually between 54 and 58mm with a durometer range of 86A and 95A.
Transition Skateboarding Wheels
Transition skateboarding wheels are designed to accommodate different sets of tricks. Consequently, they require a diameter range of 53 to 54mm and a durometer range of 96A to 101A. The rugged wheels are to maintain good acceleration with a tolerance for landing good technical skills while riding. The best shape for this kind of wheel should be conical or having round lips.
Rough Surface Wheels
No skater would like to ride rough surfaces using hard wheels. This will make it extremely difficult for him or her to achieve good riding momentum. Another turn-off will be the noise that it can create, which discomforts people around the skater. Softer wheels are mainly used for surfaces like that. With reduced vibrations, any skater can glide through these kinds of surfaces with ease and fewer chances of falling off. Durometer level falls within 78A and 90A.
Threaded wheels are also perfect for rough surfaces because they will balance the skateboard’s movement with the terrain.
Skateboard for Vert Skating
Vert skating is not for the faint-hearted and requires a good level of control to achieve. This means that the skateboard wheels which are necessary for this should have diameters. The wheels should also have enough grip to counter the smooth roll of the skateboard on the vert, which may cause one to lose control. Wheel diameter of 56 or 58mm with a durometer of 100A or 104A is perfect for this.
How to make Good Choice of Wheel Diameter and Height
Before choosing the diameter for your wheel, you will have to determine what each size can do. Smaller wheel diameters are perfect for performing good tricks and skills. This means that experienced skaters will always go for that kind of wheel because they are lighter and faster for aerodynamics without getting stuck on landing.
Wheels with a larger diameter are built for speed and are suitable for skaters who cruise on any surface. They move faster because of the rolling of the big wheels. The acceleration of bigger wheels is reduced while they can gain top speed. The smaller ones cannot earn enough ground as much as the bigger ones but can accelerate quickly. The ability of the wheel sizes are classified below as:
- Small-sized wheels with 48 to 52mm in diameter are used chiefly for street skating and performing tricks without getting stuck. They can also perform well on other surfaces like mini ramps, railings, and others. Controlling them can be very hard when they start to slide faster.
- Medium Sized wheels between 53mm and 59mm are suitable for skaters that want to transition their game from one level to another. They can be used for street skating, bowl skating, vert skating, and are perfect for ramps.
- Large Wheels with diameters up to 60mm are designed explicitly for skateboards like old school boards, longboards, and dangerous slides down hills and mountains. They are suitable for steep skating because of their grip and they can easily be controlled when on top speed. Their durometer is lesser than the rest because of the demand for speed and smooth rides.
Small Wheel Diameter Pros
- It’s easy to perform tricks and other skills due to its lightness.
- It has good acceleration and can withstand landings without bounce.
- It is suitable for improving game ability.
Cons
- It cannot roll over small obstacles.
- It has lesser speed than its bigger counterparts.
- It offers little to no stability.
Big Wheel Diameter Pros
- It is perfect for cruises at top speeds.
- It offers more balance than the smaller ones.
- It is suitable for high-risk vert skating.
- It can easily ride through small obstacles like pebbles.
Cons
- It offers a little or small ability for tricks.
- It is pretty heavy to flip, hence it is difficult for skills.
Conclusion
Having a good knowledge of which wheel to get and how it will impact one’s game is essential for customization. This is a much-needed aspect of skateboarding knowledge for both beginners and pros alike. With enhanced wheel size understanding, game improvement is guaranteed.