When it comes to inline skates, the wheels you choose to ride on could quite possibly have the biggest impact on how well you skate. Inline skate wheels come in many different shapes, sizes, and materials (or composition). Different wheels are made for different skating styles, so picking the proper set of wheels is going to prove to be a very important choice.
When you are out shopping for that perfect diamond engagement ring, if you have done your homework your choice of diamond will be based on a set of criteria known as the 4 C’s. Well, buying wheels for your inline skates also has its four basic criteria to be considered: your body weight, your skating level (novice, intermediate, advanced, pro), your skating style, and lastly, your comfort zone in regards to speed. There are 4 properties, those being size, profile, core, and hardness. These are all equally important, since they all have a direct bearing on your choice of wheels.
First up, we will go over the hardness, or durometer, of the wheel. The higher the durometer is, the higher the hardness of the wheel. Harder wheels will last much longer, but they will also transmit much more of the bumps and shocks of the ground to your foot and knees. In general, you will be able to find wheels in the range of 74A which is the softest, up to 88A, which is quite hard. The A denotes the durometer scale. The average recreational skater will be interested in wheels in the range of 78A to 82A, since these wheels provide a fairly decent compromise between grip and smoothness or roll.
In general, you will want harder wheels for skating on smooth surfaces like skating rinks or smooth concrete, if you are a heavier skater, or you value your wheels lasting longer over comfort of ride. In contrast, a lower durometer wheel will be wanted if you will be riding on streets and other rough surfaces a lot, area lighter rider, desire better shock absorption or just want better traction overall.
Next up is wheel size. Larger wheels will allow you to skate faster since they will provide less rolling resistance. Sadly, as you get larger, stability goes down, and requires the skater to be of higher ability to make good use of them. Smaller wheels will have lower top speed, but will provide for a much more stable ride. Aggressive skaters will generally go for smaller wheels for stability, because speed is not quite as much of an issue, whereas speed skaters will use the much larger diameter wheels for the decreased rolling resistance. Recreational skaters will generally find themselves with a choice of wheels between 72mm and 80mm. Be sure to check the users manual for your particular skates, because different models will have limits to the minimum and maximum wheel sizes they accommodate.
There will be more about wheels next time. Trust us, there is plenty to be said!
Photo Credits: y_katsuuu
Originally posted 2009-10-06 03:24:20. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Common Braking Mistakes There are a number of common mistakes that occur in braking when it comes to skating. Here is a look at some of those common braking mistakes that beginners make, and even more importantly, what it is that you can do in order to eliminate them simply by improving your...... -
Wakeboarding: Picking Your Board Wakeboarding is an intriguing surface water sport that was originally known as skurfing because it combines snow boarding, surfing and water skiing principles together. Wakeboarding specifically involves riding the wake of a speedboat while riding on a single board, the wakeboard. There are five different kinds of the products that...... -
Early History of Skateboarding Skateboarding goes back a lot farther than people might think. The roots of the sport can be traced back to roughly some point in the late 1940's to the early 1950's. It started as a past time for surfers when there were no good waves to ride. The early boards...... -
More on Inline Skate Wheels The Core The core of the wheel is comprised of the hub and the spokes. The bearings and spacers are housed inside the inner hub. The spokes and outer hub are what the polyurethane itself is attached to. The way the core is designed, and the materials from which the...... -
How are Roller Blading and Inline Skating Different? Roller blading is a name that has been applied to the inline skating sport as a result of the large role that the "Rollerblade Company" played in creating popularity out of the inline skating sport. Rollerblade, Inc. was not responsible for inventing, manufacturing or designing the very first inline skates.......
Related Websites -
Snowboarding 101 - Learning to Skate Mastering the concept of skating from point A to point B is a really useful skill that you can learn when it has to do to snowboarding. You are going to have to know how to skate whenever it comes to making transfers mid-mountain from one lift to another, or...... -
Best Skis for Alpine Skiing Having the right skis when you go alpine skiing is absolutely vital if you want to get the most out of the slopes. Here is a brief review of the best skis for alpine skiing and what they can afford you. - Kastle MX 88 - These are new skis...... -
Cycling Glossary Continued Handicap - Handicap races are quite popular in Australia, in them, the racers start at different points on the track based on their performance. âScratch Menâ are the fastest of the riders, and start at the traditional starting line and âout markersâ are the rest of the riders and depending...... -
The Evolution of Race Biking Bicycling is something which has been growing in popularity lately. Many people have been taking to the sport purely for race biking. This has been fueled by a higher interest in such televised races as the Tour de France. Many people have found an interest in how the sport has...... -
Advantages of Crawlers Crawlers can be any type of heavy-duty, outdoor equipment fitted with tracks instead of wheels. The term is most often used to refer to a heavy-duty tractor fitted with tracks but is also used to refer to anything from skid loaders to massive excavators that use a track system instead......