Anyone ride small wheels?

[ok boomer]

I'm a big fan of the BPSW era (and the 89-91 era prior). I've been riding 52's for probably 24 years straight, but I always have a yearn for smaller. I've got some 44 mm boardycakes ready for my BPSW nostalgia setup. But I am pondering sizing down a smidge on my regular setups too. Yes, I know of the rocks issue. I have a set of Spitfire 48s that I don't recall buying also. Anyone here ride small(er) wheels? Good? / Bad?

[FrozenIndustries]

I'm a big fan of the BPSW era (and the 89-91 era prior). I've been riding 52's for probably 24 years straight, but I always have a yearn for smaller. I've got some 44 mm boardycakes ready for my BPSW nostalgia setup. But I am pondering sizing down a smidge on my regular setups too. Yes, I know of the rocks issue. I have a set of Spitfire 48s that I don't recall buying also. Anyone here ride small(er) wheels? Good? / Bad?

I usually skate 50/51mm F4 Classics and Tablets. I live on the east coast and skate a lot of rough spots with no problems, though there is some stuff that takes a lot more effort (pushing, rolling over sidewalk joints or whatever). I have friends who are pretty much like, "50mm?? I would never..." but then skate their 54s until they're like 45mm so there is that. I've definitely gotten broken off hard from pebbles on bigger wheels.

I've tried to go bigger but 53mm is my cutoff for a non-cusier setup. I recently made the jump to some 52mm conical fulls and I am loving them...still nice and low but they're super wide and roll over anything. You can also take all this with a grain of salt because I just do slappies and other dumb shit all day.

Oh, I was also recently was skating a set of 50mm Bigheads in the OG forumla and I was blown away with how good they felt on rough spots in spite of being so small. Makes me want to try some smaller OG classics.

[CannerSpaghetti]

I do a ton of powerslides and reverts so my wheels get worn down to sub 50 pretty quick. I never buy anything bigger than a 53mm, just feels like I'm riding on a monster truck.

[CannerSpaghetti]

[ok boomer]

Sick... good to hear on the 50 MM Spitfires. That's the ones I've been eyeballing. I mostly skate curbs, ledges and banks at this point. Lots of flatland.

[Skatebeard]

I ride 50mm pretty much exclusively...see no reason to go bigger, also helps out on Thunders with the wheel bite.

F4 classic 50mm are my jam, working nicely for me on thunder lights and an 8.25" deck. Work well for me for flatground with a bit of ledge skating and flatbanks thrown in. I skate some less than perfect car parks and don't really have any rolling issues on them.

Also, it's been mentioned, but 50mm bigheads are awesome on rougher spots as well.

[kneebone]

I typically ride 50mm but will occasionally max out at 51mm and mostly skate curbs, ledges, manuals.  The 48mm bigheads skate surprisingly well.

[Xen]

Slowly made my way from 53/52 to 51/50. REally depends on what I am skating and these days it's just flat and ledge type shit (no park due to covid - but Venice tempts me - so no need for carvey trucks or big speedy wheels.

[Frank and Fred]

I never buy anything smaller than 54mm but I have some Spitfire 101 tablets that I've been skating since the pandemic that are now about 50mm and I'm surprisingly loving them still. Obviously not so efficient in a bowl but on a wide board, Thunder 151s (no risers for once) with a small wheel base it feels like home. I have PTSD from the BPSW era but I have to admit that's when I learned most of my flat ground 'tricks.'

[Seventyfrigginseven]

I went down to 50mm SF classics a couple months ago. It doesnt get much crustier than where I live in mountains, and I have had no problems. Also I feel like it takes less effort for fliptricks, but maybe that's in my head.

[DA BIG BODY BENZ]

I skate a 7.75 with venture lo's and 48mm big heads exclusively and I fucking love it, i skate nothing but street and ive had 0 problems with hanging up in cracks

[LordManHammer]

I never buy anything smaller than 54mm but I have some Spitfire 101 tablets that I've been skating since the pandemic that are now about 50mm and I'm surprisingly loving them still. Obviously not so efficient in a bowl but on a wide board, Thunder 151s (no risers for once) with a small wheel base it feels like home. I have PTSD from the BPSW era but I have to admit that's when I learned most of my flat ground 'tricks.'

Slowly made my way from 53/52 to 51/50. REally depends on what I am skating and these days it's just flat and ledge type shit (no park due to covid - but Venice tempts me - so no need for carvey trucks or big speedy wheels.

I have a few truck setups for different spots and terrain, big wheels for park/pools smaller wheels albeit 54mm to 50mm if I have a big set of wheels I ride the shit out of them till they are 49mm or smaller.

Someone else said it best some stuff you want that slide and revert action and have your board low skating smooth places.

[palelight]

50mm Spit classics, which feel perfect once they're around 48mm. If there's a truly shitty spot I just keep a spare setup with 54's, but it's the one with smaller wheels that's getting used 99% of the time. Those boardy cake 44's are super fun though.

[DISTANT RUMOURS]

I switched from an 8.1 with 52mm’s to a 7.75 with 44mm boardycakes.

best decision i’ve made in years!

[YungJugg]

Was running 40mm for a lil while until one drunken night I was pushing switch as fast as possible and hit a pothole. No more.

[munchbox]

dont drink and drive fellas. RIP my skin on those trashed hillbombs.

currently on boardycakes at 48.5 mm and it's hard to see myself going back to 53s on street

[IrritableBowel2]

dont drink and drive fellas. RIP my skin on those trashed hillbombs.

currently on boardycakes at 48.5 mm and it's hard to see myself going back to 53s on street

You like 'em? I have a set but haven't tossed 'em on yet.

[imposter]

I ride 40 mm Wheels  and my bearings are always coming out I woudnt recommended it

[munchbox]

Expand Quote

dont drink and drive fellas. RIP my skin on those trashed hillbombs.

currently on boardycakes at 48.5 mm and it's hard to see myself going back to 53s on street

[close]

You like 'em? I have a set but haven't tossed 'em on yet.

the benchwarmers have a huge contact patch so crust and other stuff hasnt killed me yet. i like them a lot but its not f4 'thane. 52-53 is usually what i buy fresh, but that looks like it will go down to 50-51 for spitfires. definitely looking to run these down as far as possible

[Gabagoolslide]

 Anyone ride small wheels?
Yeah I ride 52’s but now they’re probably like 49’s
Shut the fuck up you puds

[switchfrontshuv]

it doesnt matter how small your wheels are, it only matters how wide they are and what the urethane is like.
(atleast for me)

for example I wore down some wide bones stf's from 53 to 46 and they feel a little less shitty on asphalt for me because the surface patch is wider now.

currently skating some OJ elites 101a and on street theyre just like bones stf's (rattly as fuck) but theyre wide too so they still keep speed and slide well so no complaints.

[bony bawk]

im riding the first release formula4 spitfire classics 54mm 101a and now they down to 38mm still going strong after like 6 years