How To Choose a Skateboard Wheel That Suits You

How To Choose a Skateboard Wheel That Suits You

If you compare skateboarding to a person, skateboard wheels are legs, and the importance of wheels in skateboard accessories is self-evident. Whether it is a simple sliding or a trick, the wheels that are in close contact with the ground are always the most worn out, so the skateboard wheels are also parts that need to be replaced frequently. Many novices are worried about when choosing wheels. What does hardness mean? What is the use of different sizes?

Material

At present, most skateboard wheels are made of polyurethane materials. In layman's terms, it is an artificial synthetic rubber. This kind of rubber can change the performance of the wheels by changing the ratio of chemical components to meet the needs of skaters in different scenarios. Each skateboard wheel brand has its own wheel formula, and the difference in formula leads to the different performance of wheels of different brands.

Hardness

The most common hardness units in skateboard wheels are A (Shore A), as well as B (Shore B) and D (Shore D). The outer packaging of skateboard wheels is generally marked with 100A, 85A, 80B, etc., these values Both indicate the hardness of the wheel. The higher the number in front, the greater the hardness of the wheel, so the wheel of 100A is harder than the wheel of 85A.

Skateboard wheel manufacturers list several common wheel hardnesses:

① 75A-85A

Wheels in this hardness range are suitable for rough roads. They can easily run over small stones and cracks, have low foot vibration, and have low sliding sound, which is suitable for street travel.

② 85A-95A

The hardness that is common in dual-purpose wheels is higher than that of the first type of wheel. It can take into account daily street brushing and practice skills. If you like to practice various tricks and often need to brush the street, the wheels in this hardness range are not yours. The second choice.

③95A-101A

Hard wheels for action, the first choice for professional skaters. Wheels with this hardness range are not only suitable for performing actions on flat roads, but also for entering bowls or practicing throwing tables and other props. It is necessary for professional places such as skateparks and skate parks. , And the hardness above 100A is generally used by experienced skaters.

Diameter

The diameter of the wheel is generally in millimeters (mm), and different values result in different sliding speeds. The smaller the value, the shorter the endurance of the wheel, the slower the sliding speed, but it will be more flexible and easy to control; the larger the diameter of the wheel, the better the endurance and high-speed stability, but it is not so flexible and light when doing tricks, and we usually have the most The diameter of common skateboard wheels is between 50mm-60mm.

50-53mm

Used for street action wheels/all-round wheels, sliding speed is slow, but starting speed is fast;

54-59mm

Commonly found in U pool/large angle props/street-swiping wheels. Wheels with this diameter range are suitable for beginners and also suitable for skaters who like to do tricks and street-swiping.

60-75mm

This kind of big wheels is generally used on longboards and old school style boards. Although the big wheels slide fast, the starting speed is definitely slower than the small-diameter wheels.

Width

The width refers to the contact surface between skateboard wheels and the floor. Common skateboard wheels have a width of 30mm-65mm.

Wide wheel: because the wheel has a large contact area with the floor, the grip and stability are better;

Narrow wheels: Grip and stability are not as good as wide wheels, but they are more flexible in maneuvers and steering.

There are two main types of wheels:

Fillet wheel

Commonly found in street wheels. Both sides of the wheel are made into rounded shapes to reduce the contact area between the wheel and the floor, and the resistance is also reduced, so it will be more flexible than a right-angle wheel when turning and is more suitable for action.

Right angle wheel

The contact surface is larger than that of rounded wheels, so the grip and stability are better than rounded wheels, which are often used to brush street wheels.

The larger the base area of the wheel and the ground, the easier it is for the wheel to be decelerated. Therefore, many brands use rounded wheels to reduce the contact surface between the wheel and the floor and make it easier to manipulate.