Skateboard Wheels

Sticking to the common theme in the skateboarding world, even skateboard wheels are available in a wide selection of types, sizes, colors and brand names. There are skate board wheels covered in colorful graphics, like Autobahn skateboard wheels, Spitfire skateboard wheels, Hubba skateboard wheels, Cadillac skateboard wheels and OJ skateboard wheels; these custom skateboard wheels can sometimes get expensive. There are also cheap skateboard wheels, though, and these are usually blank skateboard wheels.

Wheels are usually made of polyurethane, though some manufacturing companies are experimenting with other materials. Polyurethane skateboard wheels have two important measurements, their diameter and their durometer. The diameter is an indication of how tall a wheel is and is measured in millimeters, while the durometer is a measure of skateboard wheel hardness; most skateboard wheel manufacturers and skate shops use the “a-scale” to indicate durometer.

Some wheels have dual durometers, where the inner core of the wheel has a different hardness than the external surface. Usually, the core is harder, while the outside is softer. The internal core is often harder so that it can protect the bearing from being crushed or losing its shield; skateboard wheels and bearings aren’t usually prone to crushing, but some skaters prefer this setup. Wheels with dual durometers are also sometimes lighter than standard skateboard wheels.

When choosing how wide your skateboard wheels should be and an appropriate size and hardness for them, you’ll have to take into account what kind of skating you’re planning to focus on. Transition or Vert skateboarding usually calls for larger wheels; you should have fast rolling wheels when ramp skating and larger wheels will give you a faster roll. Experts suggest starting out with a 60 mm wheel at first and then maybe getting larger wheels as you gain experience. Wheels for this type of skateboarding usually have a hardness of around 97-100a.

For street or technical skating, on the other hand, many experts suggest smaller wheels, say around 50 mm; smaller wheels are lighter and closer to the ground (and so easier to lift and flip) and allow for faster, smoother tricks. Again, the wheel hardness in this type of skating is often around 97-100a. If you’d like all-terrain wheels that you can use in virtually any setting, you should go with a wheel size that is somewhere in the middle, say around 52-60 mm; you’ll also need softer wheels, with a hardness of around 95-100a.

Lastly, if you want to “cruise”, you’ll need larger wheels, around 64-75 mm; this will give you speed. You’ll also need much softer wheels, around 78-85a, so that riding over rough surfaces is not uncomfortable. Other types of boards, like longboards or dirtboards also come with other types of wheels for cruising.