Wheel Selection After a 30 Year Break

[Mariatorresflores]

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That blog has some good info but also some very questionable info. Proceed with caution.  You're honestly going to get better info from SLAP's S and G Pals.

[close]

I would agree that his comments on the specific wheels are wrong/dated.  It was written in 2013.  But I think the big point of "you don't need big wheels" is spot on.

54mm with fast bearings (Swiss, Swiss 6 or ceramic) it the way to go for me.

This too! As far as speed goes a lot of people dont realize that bearing quality is perhaps more important than wheel size in terms of getting/maintaining speed. Good point.

[Frank and Fred]

Expand Quote

That blog has some good info but also some very questionable info. Proceed with caution.  You're honestly going to get better info from SLAP's S and G Pals.

[close]

I would agree that his comments on the specific wheels are wrong/dated.  It was written in 2013.  But I think the big point of "you don't need big wheels" is spot on.

54mm with fast bearings (Swiss, Swiss 6 or ceramic) it the way to go for me.

For sure. I agree. I was talking more about some of the other posts. Homie and I got into at one point... very sensitive old men...

[lemonchicken91]

The topic seems pretty well covered but let me throw in my two cents about shape. Boxier shapes like conical fulls are great for stability with their wider riding surface but not as fun or easy to ride (IMO) when skating transition then a more rounded wheel (classics).

 From my experiences wheels that have that rounded SF classic shape are the best for transition because they make getting into and out of coping tricks easier than any other wheel I've tried. I've tried the conical fulls and the first day was a mess, got rejected trying to get into things several times when the edge of a wheel caught the under side of the coping, and hung up several times trying to roll back in when the edge of a wheel would get caught against the deck-side of the coping. I rode them for a couple weeks and got used to them,  put a lil more umph into the riding on and off motions, but still 1/10 times I'd either get bonked off by the underside of the coping or pitched to the flat by getting stuck on the coping topside. For me that usually makes for some really awkward falls so I swapped back to classics.

No hate towards conical fulls though, they are great for street because that easy lock-in design works great with grinds you're either going to be popping out of or riding off of.

tl,dr - I'd recommend the classic shaped spitfire 54-56mm as the next thing to try. hardness depends on the surface but 97a is  great for most concrete surfaces.

uh dang just diagnosed a huge problem I've been having... no wonder I kept getting caught on coping and couldn't figure out how people were exiting so smoothly

[manysnakes]

The topic seems pretty well covered but let me throw in my two cents about shape. Boxier shapes like conical fulls are great for stability with their wider riding surface but not as fun or easy to ride (IMO) when skating transition then a more rounded wheel (classics).

I got back on some rounded wheels after a long time of conical fulls, and I was really shocked by how much easier it was to get onto the coping. I overshot it for the first few attempts, because I was pressing my hips hard to try and get up, and I ended up on the deck.

[Lazyskater]

31 yo been skating 1.5 years after a 12 year break. I skate big transition and ledges. Two different boards. If your going to be doing bigger transition, 6 foot plus, go with 56-58 or bigger. You could get away with smaller but as an older person pumping is a lot of work. Save energy get big wheels. If skating ledges and transition under 4 feet I use 54 mm slim rictas 99a. Again could get away with smaller but pushing/pumping require a lot of energy.

[MysticalTypeExperience]

Expand Quote

That blog has some good info but also some very questionable info. Proceed with caution.  You're honestly going to get better info from SLAP's S and G Pals.

[close]

I would agree that his comments on the specific wheels are wrong/dated.  It was written in 2013.  But I think the big point of "you don't need big wheels" is spot on.

54mm with fast bearings (Swiss, Swiss 6 or ceramic) it the way to go for me.

"You don't need big wheels" is a blanket statement though. It all depends on the crustiness of the terrain you're skating IMO.

I'm in Arkansas and the majority of parking lots or potential spots are so crustaceous you could mistake them for a nautical creature. Bigger, softer wheels make street skating 100x more enjoyable for that.

Personally I've settled around 56mm 97a as perfect for my local terraformed geology.