Wheels are perhaps the most important part of a skateboard, which largely determines its characteristics. Even if the skateboard itself is unpretentious, with good and correctly selected wheels it will still demonstrate excellent ride quality.
Wheel size
Diameter is one of the most important wheel parameters, which greatly affects the ride performance of the skate.
A small radius is considered to be a value between 48 and 52 mm. These wheels are ideal for very flat surfaces such as special surfaces in skate parks or very fresh and high quality asphalt. They will provide the skate with unprecedented maneuverability. But high speed with such wheels cannot be developed, and any obstacle may be beyond their strength.
Medium radius - 50 to 52 mm - great for normal asphalt on streets. But the large radius (from 52 to 56 mm and more) will provide you with real speed and excellent skate passability in conditions of cracks, chips and other obstacles on the asphalt. But these wheels are the heaviest.
Wheels from 52 to 54 mm can be considered optimal for normal riding, this is an average option that will allow you to both jump on ramps and control your skate well on the street.
It should be remembered that sooner or later the wheels will wear off anyway, so buying too small without clear goals is not worth it.
When choosing good wheels, don't forget about bearings. They must also be of high quality and branded, otherwise the wheels will not show themselves in all their strength.
Soft or hard
Hard wheels keep speed better and accelerate faster, while soft wheels do an excellent job with interference such as twigs, stones or cracks. Stiffness is marked with parameter "A", the most rigid wheels - 101A. For street riding, it is better to take rather hard ones, not lower than 98A, otherwise you will have to crawl in the rear guard, riding with a group of friends.
For many skaters, an important parameter of wheels is the color or pattern depicted on them. Undoubtedly, this deserves attention, but remember that the quality of riding does not affect in any way.
Brand or no-name?
Brand wheels, of course, guarantee you a certain level of quality, but the price for them is slightly higher than for some Chinese ones. Among the brands, one can distinguish those for which wheels are the main product, and those that make wheels just at the same time with other sports equipment. The following brands are best known for their quality: Pig Wheels, Autobahn, Spitfire, Hubba Wheels, Ricta, Satori Wheels. Other very good manufacturers: Element, Toy Machine, Black Label, Zero.
Good skate wheels cost about 1200-1500 rubles per set.
