Does Wheelbase Actually Matter?

[apbarbs]

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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.

i actually think it's like 95%+ a skill issue
i say this as someone who likes to try a lot of different gear for fun, i know what setup i like and works best for me but sometime i just want to switch it up for a different feeling
it's been said before, but ben degros is a good example - certain tricks might be a bit harder or easier on certain setups, but he can do all his tricks on any set up
when you watch someone battling a trick and breaking multiple decks and just using whatever random deck or whole other setup is on the session and they can still do the trick, you see that setup doesn't really matter
recently i watched a friend battle a line that started with a switch fs bigspin down 5, he broke multiple decks, at one point switching from his 8.5 deck that he probably didn't know the wheelbase of, on indys, to my 8.125 14" wb on thunders, and was still able to do the switch fs bigspin

everyone would be better off if they reframed their gear madness from 'this will make me better at skating' to 'im just having fun with different equipment'

[FrAnKenFrEd]

I need a WB that will still let me do the occasional 360 flip on flat and feel reasonably comfortable in 10'+ bowl.

I'd say that is 14.25" to 14.75" but I'm usually at 14.75" due to my love of the AH Huffer deck and I have also managed some 360 flips on 15.5" WB decks...

...what I am saying is... I think I know but I really don't know....

[YeoWhattup]

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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.

[close]

i actually think it's like 95%+ a skill issue
i say this as someone who likes to try a lot of different gear for fun, i know what setup i like and works best for me but sometime i just want to switch it up for a different feeling
it's been said before, but ben degros is a good example - certain tricks might be a bit harder or easier on certain setups, but he can do all his tricks on any set up
when you watch someone battling a trick and breaking multiple decks and just using whatever random deck or whole other setup is on the session and they can still do the trick, you see that setup doesn't really matter
recently i watched a friend battle a line that started with a switch fs bigspin down 5, he broke multiple decks, at one point switching from his 8.5 deck that he probably didn't know the wheelbase of, on indys, to my 8.125 14" wb on thunders, and was still able to do the switch fs bigspin

everyone would be better off if they reframed their gear madness from 'this will make me better at skating' to 'im just having fun with different equipment'

Everything matters if you notice enough.

You can do most tricks on any board but how do you want it to feel and look is where all the madness comes in imo. My switch fs flip is much easier for me to do them how I like on 14” WB but I can still do them on most boards they might just be more muska and not as consistent. I ride 14.25 mostly because as 14 can make some tricks better it’s not that good for others for me personally.

I guess you can call that “skill” but I see it more as adaptability. So maybe more like experience but I wouldn’t necessarily say skilled at skating in particular because they are A LOT of tricks I can’t do.

[Unkle Fleak]

Not with v8s

[DarkPools]

My main point was was gear with certain specs are designed to behave a certain way, regardless of your skill level. Whether you have the "skill" or "adaptability" (as the other Slapper put it!) or not determines how comfortable tricks feel.

Why I disagreed on the "it's 95% skill" reasoning is because if you hold your skill level as a controlled constant for your stature/shoe size/general strength, the testing of an 8.5 & a 7.6 will flick, pop, and rotate differently.

You cannot in good conscience expect an 8.5 to pop, flip and catch the exact same way as a 7.6 would and blame that on "skill." It's fundamental physics at play. If a board is too small for someone, there's no amount of skill they could exercise to make it skate like whatever their goldilocks gear specs are.

It's not even about madness. It's about gear specs & proportions to the skater.

[rob]

I can’t remember where I heard it maybe when Schmitt was on the nine club but was your inner leg length relative to wheelbase?

And does anyone know what was the wheelbase on those old DSM enjoi, almost, blind, darkstar, etc. 7.8 decks with the full concave?

Those new Santa Cruz feel base decks are really catching my interests

[mattchew]

I can’t remember where I heard it maybe when Schmitt was on the nine club but was your inner leg length relative to wheelbase?

This makes sense to me. I’m 5’10” but have a very short inseam/long torso and once my wheelbase goes above 14.25 I cannot 360 flip consistently, a trick I’ve had on lock for two and a half decades, it just begins to spin so clunky and falls behind me.

[swongolianbbq]

Switching from 14.25 to 14 soon

Just been dealing with it for years until I figured out about it

I bet nollie inward heels will be less scary on a Real red oval vs. the blue ovals I usually skate. I also switched from 149s to 144s, smallest I'll go. Currently skating the new 144s on a blue eagle until I switch the board out for the 8.25 x 14 I got

I'm like 5'8" or 5'9" I haven't measured in a very long time and don't remember

Cycling inseam 32", pants outseam 38", pants inseams usually ~27", it varies based on the rise. I think some of my pants are like 33 or 34 x 26(my actual waist measures 30"-31" or so)

Pants are always worn at the same place on my waist, and if I'm standing, barefoot, they're *just* where they start to touch the floor. I don't need a longer inseam than that, it'll drag on the floor. I don't sag or nothin either.

But I'm pretty sure that would qualify me as a short-leg-havin-ass-dude

I skate Indy standards, so that's a high truck but it's what I'm used to

Chad Tim Tim skates 14" wb on aces

Idk if I could do that

I tried the foot and fist thing and that puts me at like 13.75 to 14

According to Schmitt's chart I should be on 14 to 14.5

[rob]

There’s a chart??


Yeah I’m 5’9” with shortish legs every time I get anything 14.25+ I just can’t get with the board feel no matter how good the concave and shape I gotta really tune in to make it work and that extra effort kinda kills it

I’m definitely trying a high 13 wheelbase next

[sidekickman]

i mean you definitely feel it but its never been the reason i felt like i couldnt make something. unless we're talking like longboards its definitely a fringe refinement imo, at least when you're picking wheelbases within 1" of each other the way most people are. shorter makes the board feel a little lighter on the launch but more fickle on heavy landings.

imo the order of setup importance is truck tightness/bushings -> wheel hardness and diam -> general concave -> board/truck width (again assuming we're not including out-there shapes like longboards or cruisers) -> wheel width -> specific concave stuff like wheelbase and cut for tail/nose.

but this is mostly from the lens of pretty mild street spots like ditches, easy downrails, and <=6 stairs, + bigger transition features at skateparks. i do run a separate board for hills where the trucks are basically welded straight and my vert board looks like something from the simpsons but i don't think theres any tricks i couldnt do on all 3 boards, albeit with different amounts of resistance

[swongolianbbq]

For sure I can still do everything on a longer one but I just feel like everything is a lot easier for me on shorter ones

I don't nerd out out all really on fingers of flat, kick angles, kick length, concave, truck wheelbase, etc

I just want a shorter overall board with 14" wheelbase

I'm gonna try one of those red ovals this year for sure, they're like 31.3 long! 8.12 x 14 wb

I think trucks are the soul of the board, and wheelbase is my most important dimension

I can get used to any shape or width as long as my trucks are the same brand and the same distance from eachother

Already got the hardbody BBS 8.25 x 14 on ice

I got indys with the blue conical bushings, no threads sticking out but the top of the bolt comes out about 1/16" or so, I just like having all the nylon engage the threads, and nothing more. So I guess a hair past nut flush

Idk, I think everything is just preference

Short people always get the shaft tho

Pants are always too long

Boards are too long

[sidekickman]

Short people always get the shaft tho

Pants are always too long

Boards are too long

real lol. im a 5'7 scrawny ass dude. upside: at 30 years old bailing still feels like it did when i was 12. downside: how the fuck does a world predominantly filled with short scrawny people not make clothes for short scrawny people??? every once in a while i think 'ill try kids clothes im not proud' but i guess the kids these days are baby elephants like wtf is with that rotund nonsense

[munchbox]

how can pants be too long?
go to a tailor
you cant add length to pants

[DarkPools]

how can pants be too long?
go to a tailor
you cant add length to pants

They mean in standard releasss WITHOUT needing tailoring. If you're super short, it's hard to find men's inseam shorter than 29" without the waist also being super small.

If you're quite rotund in the waist/belly and short, it's hard to find pants without custom tailoring. Same thing for shorter people who are just too large for children's sizes

[swongolianbbq]

how can pants be too long?
go to a tailor
you cant add length to pants

I have a sewing machine and know how to hem pants

It would be nice to not have to

[munchbox]

fair play
im an anomaly on the other end of the spectrum

wish pants came in too long for me
would happily pay to tailor them to fit
instead of having a handful of options
who make pants with enough fabric at all

small market i suppose

[swongolianbbq]

fair play
im an anomaly on the other end of the spectrum

wish pants came in too long for me
would happily pay to tailor them to fit
instead of having a handful of options
who make pants with enough fabric at all

small market i suppose

I think back in the day a lot of them especially work pants just came unhemmed

So they'd be like, sz 34UU

And be like super long

Lately though I've been getting 34 inseam pants and just cutting them, after a couple bad fit experiences with thrifted 28 inseam dickies

The top block was shorter too! No room for nads

I know them wrangler 13mwz cowboy cuts are probably available in super long inseams cause the cowboys wear them completely up their ass and want their boots completely covered at all times


But anyways

Here's some BBS boards available in 14" wb

•Real red oval 8.125
•Real easy rider oval 8.25(this one has long-ass kicks tho)
•Antihero basalt eagle 8.5" shorter
•Hardbody basalt 8.25" short
•Hardbody basalt 8.125"
•Hardbody basalt 8"
•Hardbody 8.25" short
•Dlx true fit 8.38"
•Limo 8.18"
•Gx1000 8"
•Sci-Fi 8.25" short
•BBS blank 8.25" short


There's some baker 8.25s listed as 14" wb and 31.6" length, and I know the OG 8.25 is 31.8 long so that's legit. Haven't seen one in person yet.

There's also some baker 8.475s I saw listed as 14" wb, but still with the same length as the OG, so, not sure if that's just a mistake/typo


If I had a board company I'd prolly just have these

8 x 14

8.25 x 14
8.25 x 14.25

8.5 x 14.25
8.5 x 14.5

8.75 x 14.5

[spanyard]

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fair play
im an anomaly on the other end of the spectrum

wish pants came in too long for me
would happily pay to tailor them to fit
instead of having a handful of options
who make pants with enough fabric at all

small market i suppose

[close]

I think back in the day a lot of them especially work pants just came unhemmed

So they'd be like, sz 34UU

And be like super long

Lately though I've been getting 34 inseam pants and just cutting them, after a couple bad fit experiences with thrifted 28 inseam dickies

The top block was shorter too! No room for nads

I know them wrangler 13mwz cowboy cuts are probably available in super long inseams cause the cowboys wear them completely up their ass and want their boots completely covered at all times


But anyways

Here's some BBS short wb boards

•Real red oval 8.125 x 14
•Real easy rider oval 8.25 x 14
•Antihero basalt eagle 8.5 x 14
•Hardbody basalt 8.25 x 14
•Hardbody 8.25 x 14
•Dlx true fit 8.06 x 13.88
•Dlx true fit 8.25 x 13.88
•Dlx true fit 8.38 x 14
•Dlx true fit 8.5 x 13.75
•Gx1000 8 x 14
•Occasionally sci fi has 8.25 x 14
•You can get BBS blanks in 8.25 x 14
•There's some baker 8.25s listed as 14" wb and 31.6" length, and I know the OG 8.25 is 31.8 long so that's legit. Haven't seen one in person yet.
•There's some baker 8.475s I saw also listed as 14" wb, but still with the same length as the OG, so, not sure if that's just a mistake/typo


If I had a board company I'd prolly just have these

8 x 14

8.25 x 14
8.25 x 14.25

8.5 x 14.25
8.5 x 14.5

8.75 x 14.5

EDIT: oh wait my bad, Palace is not BBS but DSM I think? Either way it's my go-to in an 8.25.

Palace has an 8.25 x 14 shape that has been Lucien's board since forever, and has also come out occasionally as Jamal's and Jahmir's shape as well.

[swongolianbbq]

Those palace ones are sick

I don't think I've had anything outside of real, antihero, or baker in a hot minute(~15 years) aside from trying flight and vx for rain boards/cruisers.

•Limo has an 8.18" x 14"
•So does Frog
•Habitat 8.125" x 14" Janoski
•Polar Boserio 'surprise' 8.25" x 14"
•Quasi has some 8.25" x 14"

[DNTRODDEN]

I won't speak for all short folk, but I need a short wheelbase. If I step on a 14.5 it feels like a longboard. It probably matters less for tall people with long legs.

This is me

Nothing over 14.25 is in my comfort zone.
Short Kings Summer Yall!

[144p]

I remember in 1990 when street skaters pro boards were still 9.5-9.75 but had 14” wb, it was a strange transition but I had a h street Dave Donaldson that had a 15 wb and my next board was a life Sean sheffey that had a 14” wb and I learned Tre flips on it. Dating myself but that was the first time I realized wb mattered.
For me it’s a combination of overall length of the deck, mellow concave/kicks, length of tail and wb. Tough to get them all in a row but it’s possible today.i can skate a range but once it goes past 14.6 there are a bunch of tricks that become much tougher.
I’m 5 11” and have a 30” inseam so that 14.25 to 14.5 works best. Though I have skated sub 14(drehobl Krooked board was an early one 13.9 wb) and loved them.
And like some have said, skill definitely compensates for product variation. But for me it’s best to stay in a range, and suffering on a small weird board to land a couple tricks badly at this age is hardly worth sacrificing my session.

[ghost of barry white]

99% 0f everyone who tweaks out on wheelbase is either, A) old guy who does slappys. Or B) A less than average skilled skater.

[swongolianbbq]

99% 0f everyone who tweaks out on wheelbase is either, A) old guy who does slappys. Or B) A less than average skilled skater.

Reynolds rides a 14.25 and he's mad tall

Foy talks about his 14.25 wheelbase being important to him because he's 5'7" or whatever

Chad timtim will only use 14"

I feel like like most pros stick to the same shape for a reason

I definitely prefer a 14" but I can rock a 14.25" all day

Little kids, short people, people with dwarfism might not want like, a 14.6 wheelbase for example

Wheelbase doesn't really matter with slappies as far as I know, and people that aren't very good at skating usually don't even know what wheelbase is

I figured it just helps because people come in all different sizes and it's nice that boards do too.

I think anyone that's tweaking out about anything is well, tweaking

But I mean, preferring/seeking out shorter wheelbase boards doesn't seem like something that should get made fun of considering most pros have a favorite shape they always ride.

Lately it's been interesting because you don't have to ride a skinny board to get a shorter wheelbase, and I think that's cool.

[YeoWhattup]

Set up and 14” wb 8.25 and my backside 360s are much more consistent then on longer wbs so gotta count for something I guess…

[DNTRODDEN]

99% 0f everyone who tweaks out on wheelbase is either, A) old guy who does slappys. Or B) A less than average skilled skater.

Yeah, I mean what is up with these 2 groups trying to figure out what feels best for them so they can enjoy and learn, sheesh....LOL

I am kidding of course, funny thing is I am in both those groups

[TwisT]

So, I'm officially a WB truther now. This whole time I've treated it like "it won't hurt you if you don't think about it" thing

I put slappys on my board. Got annoyed with them and switched back to my old Thunder. In my mind, I felt like I did not have enough time to break in the new trucks. Around fall 2025, I felt it was time to put the slappys back on and give them a fair go.

from then until last month. My tre flips sucked. my pop was less. I couldn't 5-0 or nosegrind at all. Lipsides felt like a huge effort. My few Nollie tricks were just gone. Fakie pop grinds are all gone. I could barely disaster either. Now that I'm writing it down, any trick putting the back truck over something made my body feel heavy. I assumed it was just because I haven't been skating as much, being a new dad.

put my thunders back on last month, and it was like I hadn't actually skated in months. It felt nostalgic. I was like Holy shit. I'm sure wheelbase shift was the issue. I feel light and loose on my board again.

What's crazy is the main reason I put the thunders back on is that I thought the raw thunders complemented my graphic/wheels better than the gold baseplated slappys. The secondary reason was lingering WB concerns.

I guess where I am in my skating/age, adapting to a different setup just isn't as easy as it used to be. I think this experience has killed my motivation to try new trucks, maybe forever. Slappy isn't cool enough to make me buy longer decks.

[swongolianbbq]

I feel that shit

My heart wants ventures but I'm just wayyy too used to indys at 37

I think deck wheelbase and overall length is a more important measurement than deck width by far, based on the length of your legs, but some have different preferences. The old blitz 8.19 shape herman skates has a wheelbase longer than 14.25, and he's not a tall dude if I remember correctly. I've seen Jerry skating 8.25 eagles which are 14.38 wb, right?

For me I probably just watched too much tom penny footage and how he's always riding in the pockets, but the big pants hide the cowboy Leo romero stance

I just want full control over my board and if it's too long it sucks for me. It feels like using a musket for self defense. I'm 5'8"-5'9" with a slightly shorter than average inseam and slightly less flexibility. For example I've never been able to cross my fingers. I can get by and get used to a 14.25, it's what I've always been on usually. But when I switched to 14" I started learning new tricks. Could be a mental thing, not thinking I'm going to credit card.

Some folks do their tricks different too, like foot all the way in the tail to kickflip, vs like some kickflips I've seen Hyun do where his foot is in the middle of the tip of the tail, hanging off a couple inches.

I think having the right wheelbase/overall length for your body type can be eye opening. Most people don't care but like, for a little kid, a board with a shorter wheelbase is a game changer

[dstrytruitt]

99% 0f everyone who tweaks out on wheelbase is either, A) old guy who does slappys. Or B) A less than average skilled skater.

Not sure what tweaking out on wheelbase is but I do seek out something around 15" on any deck I buy. I can re-drill a deck if needed to 15" but generally I like the orange eagle or something similar. I've been skating for more than 30 years but I'm not anything more than average and I only skate ramps and transition parks so I like a bigger ride. I'm 5'11" so not short but not tall so, again, average. I'd love to be doing treflips at nearly 50 but I just don't have the time or inclination to devote myself to them and getting a smaller board.

[swongolianbbq]

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99% 0f everyone who tweaks out on wheelbase is either, A) old guy who does slappys. Or B) A less than average skilled skater.

[close]

Not sure what tweaking out on wheelbase is but I do seek out something around 15" on any deck I buy. I can re-drill a deck if needed to 15" but generally I like the orange eagle or something similar. I've been skating for more than 30 years but I'm not anything more than average and I only skate ramps and transition parks so I like a bigger ride. I'm 5'11" so not short but not tall so, again, average. I'd love to be doing treflips at nearly 50 but I just don't have the time or inclination to devote myself to them and getting a smaller board.

To me this makes sense, boards in the mid-late 80s often had 15+ wb

Makes me think about how a lot of the baker 3 crew ran magic carpet 8.5 over 139s with 14.25 wb since when they came up wheelbases were shorter and they had the football shape era and shit

If I were of average height, but I was just -used to- longer wb, yeah. I'd be bummed about the trends shifting towards shorter. Street has been king for a while, but even some street dudes, like BA for example, ain't tryna ride a 14" wheelbase. I love how small Reynolds boards look on him. Esp during the kr3w/altamont days when it made him look even taller like Jack skellington or some shit

[ChriSL]

Hi all, I’ve given it a lot of thought. Its not the wheelbase alone. The wb indirectly influences the length and steepness of the kicks for a deck with the same length. Shorter wb can have longer kicks. To compensate for the longer kicks you would need to increase the kick angles if you want to have the same pop angle with a given setup. But even then they will not pop and feel the same. Thats probably one reason why people think wb makes a big difference. Its not just the wb, its the dependency of the wb to other properties as well.