No idea which wheels you need? Take a look at our buyer's guide video!
Your skateboard wheels are down for the count and you’re looking for a new set? in the skatedeluxe online skate shop, you’ll learn what kind of skateboard wheels you need or which type of wheels is right for your skateboard setup. We’ve got the top skateboard wheel brands like Spitfire, Bones and SK8DLX for you in the shop. On top of that, you’ll find out everything about skateboard wheels - starting from diameter to hardness and material.
When you’re searching for new skateboard wheels, you should first consider the size of the wheels. The size of your skateboard wheels refers to their diameter. The most common diameter of wheels is between 53 - 56 mm. Bigger wheels are good for skating in pools and vert, while you will see smaller wheels for street skating. This graphic shows the ideal diameter for each terrain.
If you want to ride wheels with a big diameter, you should consider the height of your trucks. Combining low trucks with wheels that have a big diameter bears the danger of wheelbites. You can avoid them by using shock or riser pads, but you might need some longer bolts if you use pads. We would recommend wheels with a diameter from 53 - 56 mm for all-around skating. Those sizes are quite popular at the moment and pretty versatile. The best combinations of truck and wheel sizes are demonstrated by the graphic.
This sounds way too complicated? In our Skateboard Wheels Wiki, you can read about wheels and matching trucks without any ruffle or excitement. If you want to create your own unique setup, you can use our skateboard configurator to search for all the components you need.
Skateboard wheels are made of polyurethane. This is a plastic that can be produced in several degrees of hardness. It’s measured in durometers using the unit A. The A-scale has 100 points. Low numbers represent softer plastics, whereas hard plastics get high numbers on this scale. Therefore, skateboard wheels with 100A rating are harder than 80A wheels. Easy, right? Some manufacturers produce wheels that are even harder than 100A. Those wheels are categorised by the B-scale. Wheels, that are 83B grade correspond to 103A wheels, 84B equals 104A, and so on.
How hard your wheels should be is determined by the terrain you want to ride them on. Soft wheels are good for riding rough surfaces or for cruising, while hard wheels will perform better at a skatepark. The following example will give you a better idea of this.
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If you aren’t sure what type of skateboard wheel you’ll be happy with, you can get a lot more information in our Skateboard Wheels Wiki and in our skateboard recommendations for beginners.
Several skateboard wheel manufacturers have developed some new shapes over the last few years. For example, wheels with wider riding surfaces provide you with more control over powerslides (sliding with all four wheels on the ground). Conical shaped wheels may have less weight than classic shapes and can some advantages when you’re doing grinds. In our product descriptions, you will find the width of the contact patch of each set of wheels in millimetres, next to the diameter and the hardness. Skateboard wheels won’t last forever, though. When you’re performing a lot of powerslides, your wheels can get flatspots. Some skateboard wheel manufacturers facing this problem developed wheels that are resistant to flatspots. Those technologies are explained in our skateboard wheel wiki.
For your wheels to spin properly, you need a set of bearings. If you want to ride soft wheels, make sure to mount spacers between your bearings to keep them in place. Sets of bearings often come with spacers. If that’s not the case, you can find some in our small parts section. In our skateboard assembly instructions, you can learn exactly how to mount your wheels. Our skateboard wheel wiki has even more in store for you.
Do you want your new setup as fast as possible and you’re not very keen on sorting through all the different types of wheels? Just sit back, relax and use our skateboard configurator. If you’re totally lost in a forest of skateboards, our customer service team can help you find your way.
Unfortunately, we can't accept orders from Vereinigte Staaten. We only ship within Europe and to Japan.
