CHOOSING THE RIGHT SKATEBOARD WHEELS
The first urethane wheel came around in the 1970’s and changed skateboarding forever. Prior to urethane wheels, skaters were riding wheels made from steel and clay. Steel and clay are obviously hard, unforgiving materials that made skateboarding on variable terrain harsh and challenging. Modern urethane wheels are now higher quality than ever and help skateboarders perform at their best.
"What size of skateboard wheels should I get?" is the classic question when it comes to pick up a quatuor of wheels from a skateshop. Well, here are some clues for you!
CHOOSING A SKATEBOARD WHEEL SIZE | Diameter
Wheel Size (Diameter)
The size of your wheel will change how your skateboard performs. Wheel size is measured in millimeters (mm) and refers to the diameter of the wheel. Diameter is the overall width or height of the wheel (also calculated as 2 times the radius of the wheel.) The bigger the number, the bigger the wheel size. Larger wheels will go faster at top speeds, but will have a slower rate of acceleration, while smaller wheels are slower at top speeds, but have a quicker rate of acceleration. Larger wheels also raise you and your board higher off the ground, which can affect your maneuvers.
Street skaters typically ride smaller wheels (ranging from 50mm – 56mm) because they allow for good pop, are shaped better for sliding and are lighter for flip tricks. Transition skaters typically ride a slightly larger wheel for higher speeds in the park and better control when riding over coping.
Wheel Size Explained
CHOOSING A SKATEBOARD WHEEL HARDNESS | Durometer
Wheel Squish (Durometer)
Most wheel manufacturers use the A-Scale for measuring durometer, which is a 100-point scale that indicates how hard or soft the wheel is. Some manufacturers will use a B-Scale which is measured at 20 points lower than the A-Scale. For example, a wheel with a durometer of 80B is the same as a wheel with a durometer of 100A.
Depending on the terrain, harder wheels can roll faster and softer wheels may roll slower, but will have more grip. Harder wheels are built for smoother surfaces like smooth streets and skateparks, while softer wheels are better for rougher terrain.
Wheel durometers Explained
CHOOSING A SKATEBOARD WHEEL | Shape
Why is shape important on skateboard wheels?
After diameter and hardness level, choosing the right "patch" is the last criterion you need to decide when choosing wheels for your skateboard.
Contact patch is an important performance characteristic of skateboard wheels. The contact patch of a wheel refers to the area of the wheel that actually makes contact with the road. If you have large longboard wheels, your contact patch will also be large.
So why is contact patch important? If your contact area is large, your weight will be distributed over a larger area. This reduces the compression of the urethane in your wheels and decreases rolling resistance, which can slow your wheel down.
The shape of the wheel also affects the size of your contact patch. Rounded wheels have less contact with the road, while square wheels have maximum contact with the road. The location of the contact plates can also affect the performance of the wheel.
Wheel shape Explained
1: Wheel Diameter
2: Patch of the skateboard wheel
A: Basic wheel
B: Slim wheel
Collection en vedette
Tout
Skateboard Wheels vs. Cruiser Wheels
What makes a cruiser wheel so much different than a street skateboard wheel? Typically, cruiser wheels are much softer than skateboard wheels, and usually range in durometer from 76-90A, whereas skateboard wheels usually range in durometer from 91-101A. Cruiser wheels are made for just that: cruising. Some refer to cruiser wheels as filmer wheels since they ride smoother on rough surfaces and make for a quieter ride when filming skateboarding, helping to avoid the background noise from the filmer’s skateboard. If you want to skate around town with good speed and minimal turbulence, we recommend our classic cruiser wheels.
Skateboard wheels are harder, smaller and lighter which makes popping ollies, learning flip tricks, sliding, grinding and other technical tricks easier.
Links to shop Skateboard Wheels
You can check out our complete skateboard wheel collection .
Or purchase a complete skateboard already assembled and ready to ride.
Learn how to select the right skateboard size for you.
Summary in video: skateboard wheel size, hardness and shape
FAQ
Les roues de 54 mm sont sûrement les roues les plus polyvalentes et les plus répandues dans le monde de la rue. Cette taille représente le meilleur compromis entre vitesse et maniabilité.
Les petites roues facilitent la réalisation de figures. La planche étant plus proche du sol, elle est donc plus maniable, notamment pour tout ce qui est "flip", "varials" etc... Les roues plus grandes sont plus adaptées aux "vert" & transitions par exemple. Mais rien ne vous empêche de faire des ollies avec de grosses roues. Ça marche aussi !
Le diamètre des roues de skateboard est mesuré en millimètres (mm) ; la plupart des roues mesurent 44 à 75 mm.
Le diamètre des roues affecte la vitesse et la maniabilité du skateboard. Une roue de gros diamètre permet de rouler vite mais sera moins maniable. Une roue de petit diamètre sera plus lente mais beaucoup plus maniable. Les petites roues seront parfaites pour le street tandis que les grandes roues seront beaucoup plus utilisées en vert et transitions par exemple.
Si vous débutez et souhaitez plutôt « naviguer » tranquillement, des roues de grand diamètre sont recommandées.
Si vous êtes débutant ou si vous utilisez un skateboard pour le transport quotidien, vous voudrez plutôt vous tourner vers des roues plus grandes. Leurs diamètres accrus offrent vitesse et équilibre tout en un, ce qui les rend parfaits pour le cruise ou le skateboard vert.
Votre taille et votre poids peuvent également être des critères pouvant influencer le choix des roues.
Prenons ces quelques exemples :
48-54 mm Roues petites et relativement lentes mais stables. Parfait pour le street et les tricks.
Roues moyennes de 55 à 59 mm . Généralement destiné aux débutants et aux skateurs de transition et vert.
60 mm + Grandes roues pour les fans de longboard, de descente et de skateboard old-school.
Les tailles de roue varient généralement de 44 mm à 75 mm et sont mesurées sur tout le diamètre de la roue. Une roue d'un millimètre plus petite est généralement préférée pour le skateboard de rue, car elle est plus légère et rend donc le skateboard plus maniable pour les tricks. Les tailles de roues de rue les plus populaires se situent entre 52 et 54 mm.