Does Wheelbase Actually Matter?

[ish_wav]

If you would’ve asked me a month ago I would’ve said “yes absolutely.” I was convinced I could not hardflip on a 14.5 wheelbase. I bought a There deck with 14.5 WB and set it up on some thunders. My hard flips have been the nicest and most consistent they have been in months.

[Damoforce]

For me, it does a little. But I think it's mainly length and the pitch of the kicks too. Give me a 14" with a length of 31.9 - 32" and I'm good. Take that to 31.5" which a lot are I'm cramped af.

[IpathCats]

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I like my wheelbase to be the board width plus 6 inches, give or take 1/8th. 

14" on an 8"
14.25" on 8.25"
14.5" on 8.5"
14.75" on 8.75"+.   I don't want above 14.75

I'm not going to ride an 8" in the same terrain as an 8.75" and I want it to be different.

[close]

Interesting

The Backinaction formula: 8.X + 6 = WB

[Xen]

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I like my wheelbase to be the board width plus 6 inches, give or take 1/8th. 

14" on an 8"
14.25" on 8.25"
14.5" on 8.5"
14.75" on 8.75"+.   I don't want above 14.75

I'm not going to ride an 8" in the same terrain as an 8.75" and I want it to be different.

[close]

Interesting

[close]

The Backinaction formula: 8.X + 6 = WB

That formula is pretty industry standard for 8.25s for sure, and a lot of other sizes.

I prefer 8.375s with a 14.3x wb. Math checks out.

FWIW I'm 5'9.873784512741264" so 5'10", US10 shoe and a 14.3x" WB always feels the best for everything. I can get away with 14.5 on transition on street it's too long (noses), usually because the decks are also too long to accommodate it; be it 8.18/8.25/8.3/8.5; the trick is finding boards 8.3 under 32" that have one, they are out there but the selection is slim so I default to 8.25"

[Mean salto]

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I like my wheelbase to be the board width plus 6 inches, give or take 1/8th. 

14" on an 8"
14.25" on 8.25"
14.5" on 8.5"
14.75" on 8.75"+.   I don't want above 14.75

I'm not going to ride an 8" in the same terrain as an 8.75" and I want it to be different.

[close]

Interesting

[close]

The Backinaction formula: 8.X + 6 = WB

[close]

That formula is pretty industry standard for 8.25s for sure, and a lot of other sizes.

I prefer 8.375s with a 14.3x bw. Math checks out.

FWIW I'm 5'9.873784512741264" so 5'10", US10 shoe and a 14.3x" WB always feels the best for everything. I can get away with 14.5 on transition on street it's too long (noses), usually because the decks are also too long to accommodate it; be it 8.18/8.25/8.3/8.5; the trick is finding boards 8.3 under 32" that have one, they are out there but the selection is slim so I default to 8.25"

No no no you're messing it all up and making it uneven. If you're 5'10 and size 10 you should have an 8.1 with 14.1wb and 51mm wheels. (Everything a 1or 10th)

[IpathCats]

No no no you're messing it all up and making it uneven. If you're 5'10 and size 10 you should have an 8.1 with 14.1wb and 51mm wheels. (Everything a 1or 10th)

lol finally someone speaking with reason around here.

[Wizard0f0dds]

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I like my wheelbase to be the board width plus 6 inches, give or take 1/8th. 

14" on an 8"
14.25" on 8.25"
14.5" on 8.5"
14.75" on 8.75"+.   I don't want above 14.75

I'm not going to ride an 8" in the same terrain as an 8.75" and I want it to be different.

[close]

Interesting

[close]

The Backinaction formula: 8.X + 6 = WB

[close]

That formula is pretty industry standard for 8.25s for sure, and a lot of other sizes.

I prefer 8.375s with a 14.3x bw. Math checks out.

FWIW I'm 5'9.873784512741264" so 5'10", US10 shoe and a 14.3x" WB always feels the best for everything. I can get away with 14.5 on transition on street it's too long (noses), usually because the decks are also too long to accommodate it; be it 8.18/8.25/8.3/8.5; the trick is finding boards 8.3 under 32" that have one, they are out there but the selection is slim so I default to 8.25"

[close]

No no no you're messing it all up and making it uneven. If you're 5'10 and size 10 you should have an 8.1 with 14.1wb and 51mm wheels. (Everything a 1or 10th)

5'9" with size 9, should I be skating a a 7.9", 13.9 WB and 49mm wheels then?

[LebowskisRug]

6 foot 3 size 10 what’s my size

[sharkin]

I’d expect if I googled “does penis size matter” the search results could comfort me and my small dick but let’s be real we all know wheelbase matters.

14.5 feels best but I can get by 14.375 to 14.625 with little difference.

[DarkPools]

6 foot 3 size 10 what’s my size

Between 14.5 and 14.75 depending on the trucks is my guess

[smellsdead]

no fuck no it doesnt

if you need a board youll make it work


you think that kid at the park you give the board to is going to care about wb?

id care more about magic carpeting or hot rodding than anything

[DarkPools]

Wheelbase definitely matters way more than hot rodding or magic carpeting, in my opinion. Your gait/stance to ollie/flick is directly correlated to WB.

Small kids at parks power through it because kids are far more stubborn than adolescents. They don't know it's not working for them but make it work (or try to) anyways. It's commendable, but still affects them negatively.

I started progressing faster once some older skaters gave me tips on basic board dimensions relative to my stats (height, shoe size, etc.) Wheelbase was one of them do I would still getting ghost pop and ghost flick.

[mj23]

Yes

[manysnakes]

no fuck no it doesnt

if you need a board youll make it work


you think that kid at the park you give the board to is going to care about wb?

id care more about magic carpeting or hot rodding than anything

And when I was a kid, I rode a hand-me-down bike that was several sizes too large. What's your point?

[manysnakes]

My unnecessary $.02 is that, as a shorter rider (5'6"), a smaller wheelbase makes an observable difference in how I am able to skate. I'm just coming off this 8.38" DLX deck with a 14.5" wheelbase, and it was a great board, but the thing felt completely unwieldy to get off of the ground. Now I'm on a Loveseat shape (14" wb) with the same components, and I can suddenly I can kickflip again.

I was on the fence about the issue for a long time, and have been perfectly content with the 14.25" wheelbase that is standard. After skating something with a 14" and feeling how much improved it was, I don't think I'm straying too far from there ever again.

[Fooj]

I think inseam length might have something to do with WB preference too

[somefucker]

as a taller human at 6' 2", i got a board with a 'standard' wb of 14.25, felt good.

got another board and was told (for probably the first time in my life) 'Hey that board has a short wheelbase just so you know'

thinking 'whatever' i got it anyway and holy shit it felt like a propeller under me. it was 13.25" SUPER small.

now i can't pick up a board without confirming the wheelbase is 14.25 or (preferably) smaller.

heroin symmetrical egg with 13.25 wb was amazing, required insanely little effort to spin and flip, could do lipslides much quicker and 360s felt glued to my feet

i miss it

[braksabbath]

Was getting speed wobbles on big transition on the  DLX 8.5 w/ 14.25 wb. Switched to the 8.38 w/ 14.5 wb and no more speed wobble

[Mbrimson88]

Was getting speed wobbles on big transition on the  DLX 8.5 w/ 14.25 wb. Switched to the 8.38 w/ 14.5 wb and no more speed wobble

A lot of the vert / go fast in big bowl types love the DLX 8.5 longer version with the 14.75 wb, or more often the 8.6 that also has 14.75 wb as they find it way more stable.

I don't think I can justify that 14.75 wb length any more for a normal daily rider, but the 14.5 wb is my go to nowdays, either on the DLX 8.38 or other BBS 8.5 boards.

Getting back on shorter wb boards are often uncomfortable now, but that is what I used to skate for a long time, so it is funny how I have now adapted to the bigger boards.

Other bigger cruiser type boards I have with 15" wb are way more stable tearing around pump tracks or bombing hills too, so it definitely makes a difference.

[Richard Skidder]

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I like my wheelbase to be the board width plus 6 inches, give or take 1/8th. 

14" on an 8"
14.25" on 8.25"
14.5" on 8.5"
14.75" on 8.75"+.   I don't want above 14.75

I'm not going to ride an 8" in the same terrain as an 8.75" and I want it to be different.

[close]

Interesting

[close]

The Backinaction formula: 8.X + 6 = WB

[close]

That formula is pretty industry standard for 8.25s for sure, and a lot of other sizes.

I prefer 8.375s with a 14.3x bw. Math checks out.

FWIW I'm 5'9.873784512741264" so 5'10", US10 shoe and a 14.3x" WB always feels the best for everything. I can get away with 14.5 on transition on street it's too long (noses), usually because the decks are also too long to accommodate it; be it 8.18/8.25/8.3/8.5; the trick is finding boards 8.3 under 32" that have one, they are out there but the selection is slim so I default to 8.25"

[close]

No no no you're messing it all up and making it uneven. If you're 5'10 and size 10 you should have an 8.1 with 14.1wb and 51mm wheels. (Everything a 1or 10th)

[close]

5'9" with size 9, should I be skating a a 7.9", 13.9 WB and 49mm wheels then?

FWIW

[Schinken]

I think wheelbase doesn't matter that much as long as it's in a reasonable range. As soon as you are used to your setup, your setup is most likely not hindering you from doing anything. It's about skill.

The main problem is gear madness and changing your setup too often. Having a little money to burn can be a curse...

[Frank and Fred]

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I like my wheelbase to be the board width plus 6 inches, give or take 1/8th. 

14" on an 8"
14.25" on 8.25"
14.5" on 8.5"
14.75" on 8.75"+.   I don't want above 14.75

I'm not going to ride an 8" in the same terrain as an 8.75" and I want it to be different.

[close]

Interesting

[close]

The Backinaction formula: 8.X + 6 = WB

[close]

That formula is pretty industry standard for 8.25s for sure, and a lot of other sizes.

I prefer 8.375s with a 14.3x bw. Math checks out.

FWIW I'm 5'9.873784512741264" so 5'10", US10 shoe and a 14.3x" WB always feels the best for everything. I can get away with 14.5 on transition on street it's too long (noses), usually because the decks are also too long to accommodate it; be it 8.18/8.25/8.3/8.5; the trick is finding boards 8.3 under 32" that have one, they are out there but the selection is slim so I default to 8.25"

[close]

No no no you're messing it all up and making it uneven. If you're 5'10 and size 10 you should have an 8.1 with 14.1wb and 51mm wheels. (Everything a 1or 10th)

[close]

5'9" with size 9, should I be skating a a 7.9", 13.9 WB and 49mm wheels then?

[close]

FWIW

A foot and a fist? Sometimes the Prof seems to just pulls things out of his arse.

But I had to see if this lined up on my favorite shape... (The Huffer) and guess what? it does...

[LebowskisRug]

Pretty easy to fudge depending on your shoe bulk and how you hold your hand so it definitely makes sense.

[jamesmocapaldi]

Sorry to revive old thread...what's the consensus on ideal wheelbase ranges? Anybody got a wheelbase delta they like to stay within and have good results? Is a quarter-inch really noticeably different/worse if going longer?

I feel like it's harder to find 14" wheelbase decks than 14.25", regardless of width, when shopping in person. Being able to just pick any deck within a range of wheelbases confidently would open up the choices a bit more. This question is based on someone who isn't trying to change their trucks to account for wheelbase. Currently riding team thunder 149 on an 8.3" with 14" wb. Was riding it on ventures, felt kinda tall. Switched to venture forged plates, felt like manual point was off but liked the height. Switched back to venture regs, felt tall again. Trying to address the tall feeling and the manual point landed me on thunders.

[spanyard]

Sorry to revive old thread...what's the consensus on ideal wheelbase ranges? Anybody got a wheelbase delta they like to stay within and have good results? Is a quarter-inch really noticeably different/worse if going longer?

I feel like it's harder to find 14" wheelbase decks than 14.25", regardless of width, when shopping in person. Being able to just pick any deck within a range of wheelbases confidently would open up the choices a bit more. This question is based on someone who isn't trying to change their trucks to account for wheelbase. Currently riding team thunder 149 on an 8.3" with 14" wb. Was riding it on ventures, felt kinda tall. Switched to venture forged plates, felt like manual point was off but liked the height. Switched back to venture regs, felt tall again. Trying to address the tall feeling and the manual point landed me on thunders.

My formula atm is:
<14" wb: v- hollow 5.2 low/v- hollow 5.6/5.8 tites
Up to 14.25: 149 hollows/149 tites/AF1 33 hollow lows

And yes, cojones deep in gear madness.

[j....soy.....]

I think there’s been some really interesting research lately on the correlation between sensitivity to wheelbase and low levels of anxiety….

[DarkPools]

I think wheelbase doesn't matter that much as long as it's in a reasonable range. As soon as you are used to your setup, your setup is most likely not hindering you from doing anything. It's about skill.

The main problem is gear madness and changing your setup too often. Having a little money to burn can be a curse...

My only gripe about your statement here about WB not mattering and it being skill if you're "used to it" is:

I can skate many boards within a range of sizes and dimensions. I can do most of my tricks just fine. However, doing tricks "fine" vs "excellently" like my skill & practice have enabled me to usually comes down to the gear being less compatible.

It doesn't matter if you're pro or not. Your body is used to certain dimensions with these movements and when you deviate from those specs, your body tries to replicate the same  desired outcome and fails. The technique doesn't match the dimensions of the set up. I expect my board to behave a certain way and when it doesn't because WB is too short, nose too steep, etc. You change your technique to accommodate gear differences, but then your actual tricks change. They'll feel and look different. They could be "fine" visually but feel like shit to you.

Anyways, I'm rambling. Point is: you're right, but not entirely. I've adjusted to boards (thanks to my skill) but the board never behaved as expected. The gear (less compatible) was the culprit in that case.

[skateboarder4life]

The real way to find your ideal wheelbase and also board width and length:

Basically someone should conduct a skater census with tons of stats. Then, data like height, inseam, shoe size, deck width length and wheelbase should all be averaged out.

You would then have the average skater with their average height and shoe size and the most common deck width length and wheelbase.

You could then use a simple mathematics ratio to see what width you should be riding based on your shoe size for example.

Like lets say the average skater has a size 10 shoe and rides an 8.25.

You could set up a ratio like

size 10 shoe in inches/8.25 = size 13 shoe in inches/x. Then solve for x and that would give you a deck with the same proportion width to your shoe size. You could do it for height instead of shoe size, or inseam etc.

It may even be possible to set up some formula to incorporate multiple variables like shoe size, inseam, height all together but that's beyond my barely passing college algebra abilities.

The results are of course subject to change based on personal preference or style, but the formula should give a good starting point. Of course outliers may exist too maybe there's some 6'4 250lb rider that loves riding a 7.75, you wouldn't get anywhere close to that using a formula like this. But that's an outlier.

If there was a census conducting and then a database with all this information you could also customize the formula for example by using only vert skaters if you want to find a good set up for vert, or only curb skaters if you want a curb set up, etc. You could choose to filter only pros, or even just select certain skaters.

[Sedition]

Sorry to revive old thread...what's the consensus on ideal wheelbase ranges?

The consensus on ideal wheelbase rage is exactly what you see mass produced across all deck brands, roughly 14" to 14.75", with 14.25" being the most common. However, this is all subjective, and relative to the dimensions/ratios of your own body, the type of skating you do, and how just you like things to feel. IMHO, that last one is the most important one.

I am 5'11" and have found that 14.38" and 14.5" work the best for me. With 14.25" and below, things start to feel really cramped, as if trying to walk/run with my feet shackled together, or like swinging a baseball bat/golf club while really choked-up on the handle [e.g. lose a lot of (ollie) power], and my front foot ends up too far out over nose (which can be especially deadly on transition). Over 14.5" and my stance starts to feel too wide to be stable on anything where I roughly need both feet over both kicks at the same time (e.g. nose stall reverts on transition, half-cab to crook/nose slide, etc.). If was shorter, or had shorter legs, I'd prolly like a smaller wheelbase. If I was taller, I'd prolly like a bigger one, but that just isn't my reality. Given that the average male in the U.S. is 5'9", and 14.25" is the most common WB size, ratio-wise I am prolly riding a "14.25" for my size.

Yes, one can do a kickflip on both a penny board, and a 48" longboard, but it's not ideal, and is going to feel pretty gross. The goal is just to find that magic zone that feels the most comfortable to you...it's all subjective.   

[ferguu]

The real way to find your ideal wheelbase and also board width and length:

Basically someone should conduct a skater census with tons of stats. Then, data like height, inseam, shoe size, deck width length and wheelbase should all be averaged out.

U could do all of this, or just heuristically determine that the data would average out to taller = longer wheelbase in general, and that n00bs should start on the industry average then go up / down from there, no math needed, just like 3-4 boards of trial and error, which they would certainly be doin anyway.

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I think wheelbase doesn't matter that much as long as it's in a reasonable range. As soon as you are used to your setup, your setup is most likely not hindering you from doing anything. It's about skill.

The main problem is gear madness and changing your setup too often. Having a little money to burn can be a curse...

[close]

My only gripe about your statement here about WB not mattering and it being skill if you're "used to it" is:

I can skate many boards within a range of sizes and dimensions. I can do most of my tricks just fine. However, doing tricks "fine" vs "excellently" like my skill & practice have enabled me to usually comes down to the gear being less compatible.

It doesn't matter if you're pro or not. Your body is used to certain dimensions with these movements and when you deviate from those specs, your body tries to replicate the same  desired outcome and fails. The technique doesn't match the dimensions of the set up. I expect my board to behave a certain way and when it doesn't because WB is too short, nose too steep, etc. You change your technique to accommodate gear differences, but then your actual tricks change. They'll feel and look different. They could be "fine" visually but feel like shit to you.

Anyways, I'm rambling. Point is: you're right, but not entirely. I've adjusted to boards (thanks to my skill) but the board never behaved as expected. The gear (less compatible) was the culprit in that case.

Oldheads at skateparks will talk at you like this for 15 mins then go practice fs 180's on flat.

Just joshin ya, I mostly agree, it's just about finding the preference then sticking to it. Can't stand when people obsess over minor details, but yea u wanna achieve THE setup.

Also interesting what u said about tricks looking and feeling different. Does make me wonder if that near-unattainable swag of late 80's -> early 90's street vids was at least partly a product of the boards of the time, the mobbed double flips and vertical tres etc.