Choosing which wheels to buy for your skateboard depends on your style, but in general smaller wheels are ideal for riding on asphalt and for smaller riders, while larger wheels are perfect in skateparks. Read this guide all the way to find the right hardness and size wheels for you.
Here you have a really wide choice of skate wheels in different hardnesses and colors. They are all made of polyurethane (PU), a very elastic plastic material with an excellent rebound, to guarantee you a better power transmission than normal plastic. You understand, therefore, that choosing wheels of the right hardness and diameter is essential, because it will affect your ability to turn and your skateboarding style. For that you need to choose the best skateboard wheels for street.
Diameter
Wheels are measured by their diameter, which determines how fast a wheel will be and what acceleration capacity it will have (how quickly it will gain momentum). The key points:
- A skateboard with large wheels goes faster, but is less controllable
- With smaller wheels you go slower, but you have better control
50-53 mm: it is the most used diameter for asphalt wheels and for spinning in urban skateboards ideal for short riders and small boards. You don’t choose such wheels to go fast, but to stay closer to the ground and grind on the edges in order to facilitate tricks.
54-60 mm: This is the standard size used by both beginners and more experienced skateboarders. Wheels of this diameter allow you to take the momentum you need to launch on ramps and vert, as well as giving you the versatility you need to do a little bit of everything. The skateboard wheels for street and park are perfect now.
Hardness
We can indicate the hardness of the wheels following the ABEC scale, in which numerical value is followed by the letter A. There are also other scales, such as the D scale, but in all of these a higher value indicates a harder wheel. For example, a 100A hardness wheel is harder than a 90A one. In general:
- A harder wheel is faster and more durable, but has less grip and less dampening of vibrations
- A softer wheel is more shock absorbing and has better grip, but is slower and shorter over time
95-100A: this is the most chosen hardness range, regardless of whether it is skateboarding on the street, in skateboards or on ramps. Don’t worry, therefore, with wheels of this type you cannot go wrong.
Wheels for commuting: if you use your skate mainly as a means of transport, it is better to choose wider and softer wheels, to make the skate more comfortable.
Trick Wheels: If you love freestyle, get harder wheels, as their greater reactivity gives you better control.
The choice of hardness is entirely personal. Quietly opt for wheels of lesser hardness, if you want them soft, or higher if you need harder.
Tip: White wheels last longer than colored ones
Paint on colored wheels deteriorates faster than the PU that the wheel is made of. The white wheels, on the other hand, have no dye and therefore their look will remain intact for the entire life of the PU, making them a better investment over time than colored wheels.