Useful Tips for Picking Up the Perfect Roller Skate Wheels

Experts say: ”different wheels are made for different usages and surfaces’’.

You may never have cared to the technical aspect of skating; however, choosing the right roller skate wheels requires, that you pay attention to the surface you plan to skate on, and to match the type of wheel to use. Furthermore, assessing the right wheel diameter will come second in importance, along with the quality of bearings. Next is, you need to look at the right profile (width). And last, you are to consider the hub, or the core materials of the wheels.

The first question you should ask yourself: What is the nature of the floor you are going to skate on?

In fact, this matter a lot; the surface you are skating on, would greatly determine, whether you should go with hard, soft, or middle-ranged wheels.
First and foremost, you should evaluate the skating surface you are going to skate on, unless you have already been there. Precisely, you must match the hardness of the wheels to the level of grip of the floor. The hardness of your skate wheels is measured by durometer; the lower the durometer the softer the wheels ( 78A wheels are softer that 98A wheels ). Simply put, wheels less than 90 are very grippy and those over 90 are not so much grippy. In other words, If you floor is slippery, you would go for a soft wheels, and If the surface you are skating on is sticky, you need hard wheels in the range of 90A-103A. In general, harder wheels are better for indoor and rink skating on slippery surfaces: for polished concrete, cement, asphalt and dusty floor, and for some other slippery surfaces that are uncoated, you would use softer wheels for more grip.

Did you know that the weight of your wheels can be almost half of your skates total weight?

Very important factor, indeed. This factor alone, determines, not only the acceleration, but the roll time/top speed, the stability and the weight of your skate. The diameter of the wheels measures the height of the wheel, the overall height of your skates, and is measured in millimeters(mm). And by the way, heavier wheels often offer you more traction but they can also tire your legs out faster than lighter wheels. Also, while larger diameter wheels will be slower at acceleration, they will take less effort to keep rolling — that would explain, why speed skaters tend to prefer wheels up to 70mm diameter. In the meantime, taller wheels are faster, although less stable and heavier. Even so, large diameter wheels take more effort to get moving and accelerate more slowly than a smaller diameter wheel, once you get going, your wheels will spin quickly, and for longer, than a smaller diameter skate wheels will (the size ranges from 57 mm(small) to 100mm(large)). On the other hand, smaller wheels are lighter and more stable, but tend to be slower.

Therefore, lighter wheels can allow you to move easier and make quick movements, but they can also make some skaters feel less stable. In sum, smaller diameter wheels will get rolling faster, but they take more effort to keep rolling faster.

Why do these little metal balls (bearings) matter that much?

They do matter. Hence, the bearings allow wheels to turn, and they affect the performance of the wheels and the skating overall. The Abec ratings indicate bearing quality: a better quality skate bearings will have a higher Abec number.
A poor quality bearing will inhibit a wheel’s performance by making them rotate more slowly. In the market, the Bionic Swiss bearings are rated high quality, but the Bones Ceramic offer the highest quality bearings available.

What does the width (profile) of the wheel do, anyway?

If you think that this has little importance or not at all, think twice. The shape of the wheel, the profile, does have an impact on your skating overall. It comprises: the area of the wheel that is in contact with the surface you are skating on. Moreover, the profile of the wheel does not include any angles, lips or edges of the wheel. You need to care for this aspect as it affects how much surface area is in contact with the floor, and that would, in turn, determine the grip and speed of the wheel. The lips, are the very edge of the wheel, the total amount of wheel contact that would touch the floor: square lips wheels have a straight drop, maximum contact patch and more grip than other wheels. No wonder, artistic skaters prefer the All American Dream wheels over the others.

Furthermore, rounded lips have more give and less traction than square lips wheels, but provide more slide and cruise ability. In addition, the narrower contact patch wheels are also less stable but more agile. As a matter of fact, a wider contact patch provides more grip and more stability; although it is heavier, slower and harder to make quick movements on. To give you perspective, narrow skate wheels start at about 31 mm while wider wheels measure about 44mm.

What makes a wheel to roll?

The hub, the inner portion of the wheel, is known as the core material of a wheel. This is the hard part area, in the center of the wheel, where the skate bearings snap in place. A wheel’s hub affects the overall way that a wheel rolls. Here, you have three different options: Aluminum, Nylon or Hollow Cores. The aluminum cores are the heaviest hub, and don’t allow you much traction. In the contrary, the Nylon Cores(Poison, Flatouts and Villain) type of wheels are light, less rigid, and give you a slower ride. Last, the Hollow Cores(Presto, Heartless, Reckless Jules) wheels fall between nylon and aluminum types; they are fairly light wheels lighter than aluminum core and don’t give you slow ride as nylon cores would.

What wheels should I get then?

Well, if you want to maximize the usefulness of your wheels ,you should consider the following advice: make sure that you have three different wheels in your skating bag; a set of 101 or 103 (hard wheels) for indoor or coated rink, another set of 78-82 (soft wheels) for outdoor or rough surfaces, and a set of 86-88 (middle-range wheels) arena floors.

In addition, I would suggest that you go with a small width and diameter regardless of the durometer needed. As an artistic skater, I surmise that you are looking for: agility, fast acceleration and light wheels weight. Therefore, wheels of 57 mm diameter and 31 mm profile (square lip wheels), would likely satisfy you. Also, I would recommend, the nylon hub wheels, as it would give you a slower ride.

Clearly, having the proper set of wheels would make a huge difference in your overall skating experience, and perhaps, your progress or both.

Enjoy your skating and have fun !

By Mario Leclerc