Lance Mountain once said: “Riding a skateboard doesn’t make you a skateboarder. Being unable to stop riding a skateboard is what makes you a skateboarder.” It’s a simple sentence that explains this unique urban philosophy that has managed to seduce so many around the world. Ask any skater what skateboarding is and they will tell you it’s an art form and a religion all in one that defines who they are and how they feel.
Simply put, skateboarding is a way of life. That’s why, if you spark a conversation with any skater about their boards, they will start talking about them like they’re some kind of unique jewels. After all, all those extreme and astonishing tricks require a quality equipment that will make them feel safe and confident.
But aside from the decks that are obviously really important, skate wheels are the items that can turn any board from good to perfect. Buying the wrong wheels may actually bring you lots of trouble, so paying attention to details in this case is essential.
The wheels are your direct connection to the ground so if you’re taking skateboarding seriously, make sure you buy nice wheels. Today there are shops where you can buy quality skate wheels online from many internationally recognized skateboarding brands, which means you can choose from the many colors and designs all of those manufacturers offer.
Whether you decide to cruise down the beach boardwalk or do some twisted tricks at the skate park, wheels’ size matters. The skateboard wheel size is shown in diameter and measured in millimeters, so if you decide to buy skate wheels online make sure you take a good look at the components the wheels offer.
Normally, skaters who are into crazy technical tricks and regular street skating opt for wheels between 40 and 50 millimeters. However, if you want to take over the streets and you use your skateboard as a daily mean of transportation around the city, you’d need larger wheels (around 60 millimeters and over).
The hardness of the skate wheels is another important factor that decides how the skateboard will perform. Hardness is usually measured using the Durometer A and B scales. Both scales run from 0 to 100, so 100a or 100b means that the wheels are super hard.
Usually, the harder the wheel the more durability, but this doesn’t mean that soft wheels are not good. Actually, they are perfect for riding around rough neighborhood streets with cracks and rocks.
However, there’s more to choosing the perfect wheels than the aforementioned component. When you decide to buy new wheels, make sure you take into consideration your skating style, the places where you skate and the speed you want to achieve. Once you know what you’re looking for, buying the right set of wheels will seem easy as a piece of cake.
