HOW TO PICK THE PERFECT SKATEBOARDING WHEELS

New wheels are essential for our rough post Winter East Coast streets. A few milimeters could give you that much needed extra speed, a softer wheel could give you a smoother ride, a larger wheel could give you more control. In the wheels department, it's all in the details.

Even if they can seem like the easiest skateboard part to choose, skateboard wheels are more complex than they appear. Having the right set of wheels is crucial as they are the part of your skateboard that allow you to move, and help determine how fast you can go. Usually made out of polyurethane, skateboard wheels come in a range of sizes, colors, and durability levels to suit your skateboard style and riding preferences.

There's only a few things to evaluate when getting new wheels, but these details are very important. Skateboard wheels are measured by both diameter and durometer. Diameter is the size of the wheel, and durometer is the hardness of the wheel. Both of these factors are a matter of personal preference, and what you intend to do on your skateboard.

CHOOSING A SKATEBOARD WHEEL SIZE (DIAMETER)

Skateboard wheel diameter is measured in millimeters (mm); most wheels range from 50-75 mm. The lower the number, the smaller the wheel. Wheel diameter has a lot of impact on your actual skating. It affects how quickly you accelerate and how tightly you can turn. Smaller wheels result in a slower ride, whereas larger wheels result in a faster one.

Because they’re lower to the ground and easier to control, smaller wheels are ideal for technical or street skating. If you’re a beginner or someone who uses a skateboard as daily transportation, you’ll want to look into larger wheels instead. Their increased diameters offer speed and balance all in one, making them perfect for low-key cruising or vert skating. Additionally, your height and weight can affect what size wheels feels right for you.

50-53mm:

Small, slower wheels. Stable for trick riding and smaller riders skating street, skate parks, and bowls.

Average wheel size for beginners and bigger riders skating street, skate parks, bowls, and vert ramps.

Specialty riders skating longboards, old-school boards, downhill, and dirt boards; made for speed and rougher surfaces.

CHOOSING A SKATEBOARD WHEEL HARDNESS (DUROMETER)

Durometer measures the skateboard wheel's hardness, which can in turn specify if that particular wheel is better suited for skateboards or longboards. Most manufacturers use the Durometer A Scale, which is a 100-point scale that quantifies how hard a wheel is. The higher the number, the harder the wheel, although the average wheel durometer is 99a.

Harder wheels are usually faster to accelerate, but don't get much speed long term, and softer wheels are slower to accelerate with the added advantage of having more grip. Softer wheels are better suited to street skating; harder wheels are better for smooth surfaces, such as skate parks. Some companies even specially design their wheels for a specific use. For instance, Bones STF Formula and Spitfire F1 Street Burners are designed specifically for street terrain, while Bones SPF Formula and Spitfire F1 Park Burners are designed for park terrain.

Here are some general guidelines for wheel durometer as it concerns your skating preferences and skill level.

Soft wheel, good for rough surfaces, longboards, or street boards that need lots of grip to easily roll over cracks and pebbles. Designed for smooth rides, cruising, longboards, hills, and rough surfaces.

Slightly harder and faster with a little less grip. Good for street and rough surfaces.

Most common wheel for street & skatepark skaters. Great for beginners skating street, skate parks, ramps, pools, and other smooth surfaces.

Hardest and fastest wheel with the least grip. Ineffective on rough surfaces. 

These are pretty rare, but exist nonetheless. Wheels using the B scale are extremely hard, measuring 20 points fewer than the A Scale in order to allow the scale to extend another 20 points for the hardest wheels.

CHOOSING A SKATEBOARD WHEEL SHAPE

In addition to hardness and size variations, skateboard wheels also come in different shapes, or cuts, including narrow or wide lip, and cruiser wheel shape. If you’re a street skater and are looking for a ride with less friction and weight, the narrow lip wheels are the best. They will definitely help you master tricks because they’re much more responsive to quick movements.

Casual skateboarders will be more likely to invest in cruiser wheels because they tend to have the best grip as well as rounded outer lips. But, if you’d like an option that includes the best of both worlds, consider the standard wide lip wheels; though less inclined for speed than the narrower models, these are sturdy and balanced, making them an asset to the average skater both around the skate park or on the street.

Last but not least, the contact patch. This is an important feature of skateboard wheel performance. A wheel's contact patch refers to the area of the wheel that makes contact with the pavement. If you have large longboard wheels, your contact patch will also be large.

If you have a large contact patch, your weight will be distributed over a larger area, reducing the compression of the urethane in your wheels and decreasing rolling resistance, which can slow down your wheel. Wheel shape affects the size of your contact patch as well. Rounded wheels make less contact with the pavement, while square wheels make maximum contact with pavement.

TECHNICAL SLANG

Formula 4

Formula 4 is the type of urethane That Spitfire Wheels uses. The wheels last longer, don’t flat spot and take damage well. You’ll notice that all the F4 wheels are a bit yellower than the rest, that’s how you know this wheel is good.

SPF And STF Formula

Bones Wheels came up with the skatepark and street urethane formulas, allowing you to have a wheel that’s truly adapted to the terrain you ride.

Conical Shape

Flatter wheels, or “conical” profiles tend to ‘lock in’ easier due the the flat surface on the sides of the wheel.

Radial Shape

The usual wheel shape. You’ll find these by looking at the edge of the wheels. If the edge is round, like a radius, it means that the wheels are radials.

Lock-Ins

A special type of wheel that was invented to help skaters lock in on rails and ledges. It’s an asymmetrical shape, meaning it has a different shape on each side. A flatter side for locking into edges and a chamfered side that won’t catch when sliding.

We hope that this will help you to pick your next set of wheels wisely! In any case, do not hesitate to visit us in stores and our staff will be happy to help you and answer all your questions about your new skateboard.