How to Choose Inline Skate Wheels
The wheels on your inline skates directly impact your riding experience. Choosing the right combination for your needs will improve the comfort of your ride as well as increase the longevity of your wheels. If you’re just starting out, or are looking to replace an old set, consider how you plan to use your skates and what you want to get out of them.
- Determine how you will be using your skates. Inline skates are used for a variety of purposes, and therefore have different wheels to fit each of those needs. Will you be using your skates on varied surfaces such as roads, sidewalks or parking lots? Will you be using them indoors in an arena or skating rink? Will you be playing hockey or performing tricks on railings? If you’re just starting out, a multi-purpose commuter-type wheel set may be better suited for you.
- Check the wheel’s hardness. Durometer is an industry word for the wheel’s durability. Basically, this translates to how hard the wheel is. A wheel’s hardness is typically measured with ratings between 75A and 93A, with 93A being really hard. To give you some perspective, average department store skates rate between 78A and 84A and are best for recreational users or commuters. The harder the wheel, the faster it will go as there will be less resistance and friction. However, there’s little shock absorption with hard wheels. Softer wheels will give you a smoother ride, but are slower. If you’re a beginning skater, slower wheels are usually better. Indoor skaters or racers will benefit more from a harder wheel as their terrain is consistently smooth, while hockey players will want a combination of harder and softer wheels.
- Check your frame to see what size wheels it will accommodate. Wheels come in a variety of sizes measured in millimeters and range anywhere from 62mm to 82mm. Aggressive skaters, those looking to do jumps and tricks, will want a smaller wheel diameter (up to 72mm) as it will improve stability and maneuverability; while racers will want a larger wheel diameter (76mm at least) for more speed and added longevity. Your average commuter or multi-use skater will want a diameter between 72 and 76mm.
- Consider the wheel's profile, or width and shape. Again, depending on your usage, this will affect your performance. The wider a wheel is where it comes in contact the surface, the more resistance it creates and the slower it will spin. Conversely, the thinner the wheel, the faster it will go. The profile of the wheel will change with wear, so this is a rather insignificant point, unless you’re an extremely competitive skater. In which case, aggressive wheels are typically short and wide, allowing a lot of contact with the ground. Hockey wheels are a little thinner, taller and have a slight round edge. Speed wheels are tall and thin, with a taper that brings the contact edge down to a point, allowing for minimal surface contact. Finally, commuter or multi-use skates fall in the middle. They have an average height and width with a slight roundness to the wheel.
- Look at the way the wheel is put together. This will vary widely from wheels with a hub and spokes that can be made from either plastic or metal, to solid polyurethane wheels. Spokes provide a way to cool the bearings as they get hot while riding. Most of your higher-end wheels will have spokes on them in various lengths; cheaper wheels will often eliminate the spokes altogether, opting instead for a solid wheel.
- Look at the way your existing wheels are worn. Do you have some wheels that are more worn than others? If so, you may want to place a harder wheel in that spot. Not all of your wheels have to be identical. You can mix and match different durometers to adjust the comfort and longevity of your ride, as well as performance.