What’s up! This is Tim with Tactics Boardshop.
Today I’m gonna help to pick out the best skateboard wheels for you.
I’m gonna break down the three main characteristics of skateboard wheels:
Hardness, size, and shape.
Then we can whittle down the options and find the wheels that’ll work best for you.
When choosing wheels, the most important thing to consider is:
What kind of skating do you want to do?
With that in mind, let’s start with the biggest deciding factor, the hardness.
Skateboard wheels are broken down into two categories:
Hard wheels, and soft wheels.
If you want to do tricks, then get hard wheels.
If transportation is your main concern then get soft wheels.
The hardness of the wheel is measured on the Shore A scale.
The higher the number, the harder the wheel.
Soft wheels range from about 78 - 85a,
and most hard wheels are around 99 - 104a.
Hard wheels are hands down better for tricks because
they are slippery and don’t have very much rebound on landings.
The slipperiness makes them much more forgiving when trying tricks.
They allow you to powerslide, pivot and revert tricks, slide on ledges and rails,
and they let you squeak away with getting a little bit of wheelbite.
The downside to hard wheels is that they aren’t as smooth on rough pavement
and don’t keep your speed as well as soft wheels.
They're also susceptible to being stopped by tiny rocks and pebbles on the ground.
Soft wheels are unmatched for fast and smooth commutes across town.
They can handle rougher pavement and they roll right through debris on the ground.
And they're also much quieter.
It is still possible to do tricks on soft wheels like flat ground flip tricks and some manuals,
but since they don’t slide well, anything that involves powerslides,
reverts, pivots, or sliding on a ledge will be way harder.
Plus wheelbite is much worse with soft wheels because it grips the underside of the deck instead of sliding.
Soft wheels also have quite a bit of bounce to them, so if you land with some impact using soft wheels,
they’ll rebound up into your feet and make it feel like there’s a lot more impact.
They can however open up some possibilities for spots that involve rolling over bumpy rocks or some grass,
so keep your mind open to the possibilities.
There really aren’t any wheels that are the “best of both worlds”
that are fast and smooth on rough pavement AND good for sliding and doing tricks.
If you get a wheel that’s somewhere in the middle around 88 - 92a,
you’re not getting a wheel that is good for tricks and for transportation,
but rather a wheel that performs mediocre for both.
It’s better to have one set of each,
You can swap between wheels when you need to get around, but that’s a hassle.
The best option is to have a completely separate cruiser set up for your soft wheels.
Since the primary purpose of the cruiser board is transportation,
you can build it with any old parts or worn out deck that you have laying around.
The deck and trucks will last a long time cause you’re not abusing them the same way as you would on your “trick board”
and you can gradually upgrade your cruiser parts over time as you get new stuff for your trick board.
It’s also fun to personalize your cruiser with a crazy shaped deck,
custom art, or some accessories like rails or lappers.
Just have fun with it and make it your own.
In summary, if you want to do tricks, get hard wheels. If you just want to cruise, get soft wheels.
Next, let’s talk about wheel diameter.
Wheel size is more of a personal preference thing.
Wheels range from about 50mm to 65mm, and Longboard wheels come in even bigger sizes.
Bigger wheels keep your speed for longer and roll more easily over rough pavement, even with hard wheels.
They are a bit heavier and make your board taller,
which gives you a steeper angle of pop and slows down the timing for flip tricks a little.
Smaller wheels lose their speed quicker than big wheels and can’t really handle rough pavement.
However, they are lighter and make your board lower to the ground
which gives you a more mellow angle of pop and quicker and more responsive flip tricks.
It really boils down to your preferences,
but skaters who like to do more technical skating such as ledges, manuals, and complex flat ground tricks
tend to prefer smaller wheels around 50 - 54mm.
People that skate gaps, and handrails and some rougher street spots might go for a slightly bigger wheel around 54 - 56mm.
And skaters who primarily ride transition usually prefer even bigger wheels around 56 - 60mm
because of how they keep their speed and can easily roll over coping.
For example, you want to do tricks, but the street spots in your area are a little rough.
You should still get hard wheels because they are better for tricks,
but get slightly bigger ones ‘cause they can handle the roughness a little better.
You can do any type of skating with any size wheel once you get used to it,
but the average size you’ll see is around 52-56mm.
If you’re skating wheels that are bigger than 55mm,
I recommend installing some riser pads so you won’t get wheelbite as easily.
Especially if you’re riding big soft wheels.
It’s no fun when you’re hauling ass and then get tossed because you turned too sharp.
If you want to know more about risers and how to avoid wheelbite, check out our riser pad guide.
There’s a link in the description.
Lastly let’s talk about wheel shape.
Wheel shape is also a personal preference.
A couple big things to look for in a wheel shape is the contact patch, the lip, and the side wall.
The contact patch, also called riding surface, is the part of the wheel that actually touches the ground.
The wider the contact patch, the more grip the wheel will have on the ground and vice versa.
Many wheels have treads on the contact patch to give it some extra grip.
So if you want a wheel that has more grip for skating transition or a really slippery skatepark,
then look for a wider contact patch.
If you want a wheel that’s good for doing tail slides, reverts, and power slides,
then get a wheel with a smaller contact patch.
The corner of the wheel is called the lip.
The side wall shape is usually dependent on the shape of the lip,
rounder lip wheels tend to have rounder sides, and sharper lip wheels tend to have flat sides.
A rounder wheel is better for rolling over things at an angle
which makes them good for slappys and rolling over coping.
Wheels with a sharper lip and flatter sides are better for locking into grinds on rails and ledges
because the wheel is less likely to slip over the obstacle.
Bowl skaters tend to prefer rounder wheels with a wider contact patch,
and technical skaters like a more square wheel with a smaller contact patch.
But again, these are just broad suggestions and it all boils down to personal preference.
I hope this gives you some direction for choosing your next set wheels.
If you have any comments or questions, leave them in the box below.
Or hit up customer service and we’ll help you get the answers you need.