Skate Wheels reference guide

SKATE WHEELS WHEEL CHOICE CORE REFEREN C E GŰ IDE SOME WHEELS, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF S MA LLER DIA METERS, DO NOT HAVE CORES. SLIDE GRIP HERE ARE SOME GENE RAL RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON YOUR RIDING STYLE. SIDE SET OFFSET CENTER SET STREET DIAMETER City, trick, flatland skating. Curbs, rails, stairs, grinding, etc. WIDTH < STREET > < VERT > < CRUISING / LONGBOARD > HANDLING GRIP FULL SLIDE MODERATE SLIDE GRIP Side set wheels are Offset wheels are Center set wheels ideal for sliding. similar to side evenly disperse pres- set wheels in performance. sure from the core 50mm 55mm 60mm 65mm 7 0mm 75mm+ The core placement means They are the middle along the entire width DIAMETER DUROMETER the contact patch rolls ground between side and of the contact patch progressively for greater grip. SMALL HARD outwards center set. from the core for better FLYWHEEL EFFECT Maintain momentum and coasting. 30mm 65mm+ 50-55mm 96a-99a grip-to-drift transitions. More stability at higher speeds. Thin wheels are more responsive in technical maneuvers and tight cornering. STABILITY THIN WHEELS CORE PLACEMENT AND WEAR PATTERNS VERT SUSPENSION EFFECT (SEE FIG 1.) Roll over rough or bumpy surfaces, cracks, & seams. WIDE WHEELS Wide wheels offer more grip and stability. Some downhili wheels, for example, are designed for high speeds in straight or wide-curving lines. Half pipe; constructed with smooth wood, concrete, or metal. CO LO ACCELERATION Easier to accelerate (push) quickly, but doesn't hold (SEE FIG 2.) Wide wheels generate friction (which slows speed and responsiveness) when cornering because the outer and inner edges of the wheel are forced to travel the same speed over different distances. This slows cornering and causes wear. momentum as well. LIGHTWEIGHT Light and small for intricate maneuvers & tricks. FIG. 2: WIDE WHEELS & CORNERING HANDLING More responsive to quick adjustments & tight cornering. Pronounced coning. Moderate coning. Mostly even wear on CURVE PATH both sides. Wheels Non-flippable wheel. can be flipped to even out FIG. 1: SUSPENSION EFFECT OVER OBSTACLES wear patterns. FORWARD ROLLING MOMENTUM DIA METER DUROMETER The arrows represent the direction THNER EDO of force exerted on the wheel from an obstacle. MID HARD 55-65mm. 96a-99a - SAME SPEED CONTACT PATCH Larger wheels are pushed back a bit, SLIDE VS. ICE-OUT but also up and over. Small wheels are pushed back and may stop completely. LONGBOARD: OBSTACLE SLIDE IN A SLIDE, SOFT URETHANE TEARS FROM THE WHEEL DOWNHILL, DISTANCE AND IS LEFT ON THE PAVEMENT IN A CONTROLLED FASHION. Momentum, coasting. Since the wheel is still connected to the road, you maintain control. Some riders call this wheel behavior "greasing". SHAPE {LIP DE SIGN } ICE-OUT WHEN YOU ICE OUT, HA RD URETHANE EITHER TEARS UNPREDICTABLY OR NOT AT ALL, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. FORGIVING -RIGID DUROMETER GRIP GRIP The wheel can unhook and hook in fast succession, causing a "hopping" feel. This is comparable to a car on ice. Some riders call this wheel behavior DUROMETER IS THE MEASURE OF THE HARDNESS OF RUBBERS. THE "SHORE A" SCALE IS USED IN THE DIA METER WIDTH RANGE OF HARDNESSES FOUND IN SKATE WHEELS. ROUNDED BEVELED SQUARE "glassing". LARGE WIDE 75a-87a OUTDOOR 65-75mm+ 50-60mm Rough surfaces, drifting, cruising. DUROMETER AND SLIDING BEST PERFORMANCE CORE DUROMETER CENTER OR OFFSET SOFT TRANSITIONAL ROUNDED LIP When traveling in a straight line, the contact patch is the 88a-95a s80a Smoother surfaces like new pavement entire flat part of the wheel. During cornering the wheel deforms, exerting increasing force on its lip. or smooth concrete. SHAPE SLIDE ICE-OUT SQUARE TRAVELING STRAIGHT CORNERING KE Y SMOOTH SURFACES CONTACT PATCH 96a-99a Street-style trick skating or smooth surfaces like skate parks, ramps and TRACTION LEVEL DIRECTION OF FORCE pools. FORCE DUROMETER PRO WHEELS LONGBOARD: 101a+ Hardest and fastest wheel with the FREERIDE, SLIDING Generally speaking, lower durometers slide and higher durometers ice-out. Too low and you are wasting urethane, too high and you lose control. least grip. Ineffective on slick and rough surfaces. General use, sliding. CORNER DIRECTION Maximum grip, control, and durability is found at the highest Rounded wheels provide a tapered transition from full to durometer before the wheel begins to ice-out. Soft wheels rebound over and absorb obstacles, like what you might find in outdoor riding. However, soft wheels (SEE FIG 3.) SOFT WHEELS partial to zero traction. deform under pressure, which slows down momentum. FIG. 3: SOFT WHEEL DEFORMATION SQUARE LIP Square lips are an "all or nothing" rigid grip scenario. They FACTORS offer the largest contact patch to wheel mass ratio, and the most grip while connected to the road. There are other factors that affect slide performance; like rider weight, and road temperature. For example, riders 200 pounds and above should avoid wheels less than 80a durometer квY ORIGINAL SHAPE due to excessive wheel deformation. However, loss of traction (unhook) can be unpredictable, as weli as re-hook, since there is no tapered lip to aid the transition. UNDER PRESSURE DIAMETER CORE SIDE SET KEY LARGE TRAVELING STRAIGHT CORNERING CONTACT PATCH TRACTION LEVEL 65-75mm+ DIRECTION OF FORCE FORCE HARD W HEELS Hard wheels are faster on smooth surfaces, but rough surfaces DUROMETER SHAPE cause vibration which slows the wheel. Street-style riders choose hard wheels that would seem less SOFT ROUNDED ideal for pavement, curbs, stairs, etc. However, small hard wheels can handle the abuse from landing aerial stunts, and are small and light for maneuverability in spinning and flipping s80a CORNER DIRECTION the board. Design & Research: Special note: Jacob O'Neal jacoboneal.com This guide is intended as a general recommendation and introduction to skate wheels. Rules are meant to be broken, and as you do your own further research you Sources: may find contradictory information. In the end it comes down to personal rider http://blog.bustinboards.com/?p=2316 / http://www.muirskate.com/longboard-guide/downhill/wheels / http://www.northwestlongboarding.com/cgi-bin/nwlb/forum/display.html?mv arg=TOP117756 / preference.like most things. http://www.otherplanetskate.com/t-tech-wheels.aspx / http://extremesportsphysics.blogspot.com/2007/10/wheel-deal-part-2-wheel-size-again.html / And the fine members of Silverfishlongboarding.com ARGE WHEEL OUTER ED GE PATH 4X LONGER FORCE FORCE HARD GRIP EXCESSIVE WHEEL WEAR CONTROL NO CONTROI