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 -
High Tech Deck Skate Park Choices There is a great deal of interest in high tech deck skate park materials today as more and more people are becoming interested in the sport once again. As you watch the interest in skateboarding becoming more popular every year, there is more reason than ever for the innovations in...... -
ABEC ratings: Is higher really better? Pt. 1 In the worlds of inline and board skating, you will find many areas of much debate. However, one of the most contested areas you will encounter is that of skate bearings. German? Swiss? Ceramic? Stainless Steel? ABEC rating? So many choices, and so many opinions on what is better and...... -
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...... -
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...... -
Are Quad Skates Becoming Extinct? People are beginning to wonder if quad roller skates are ever going to become extinct, seeing as most people seem to be preferring inline skates these days. Now that inline skating has become so popular, could it be possible that quad skates are on their way out? If you explore......
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...... -
Using Dozers Dozers and crawler tractors have many things in common. In fact, crawler tractors with blades designed for pushing on the front are often called bulldozers. But dozers are usually larger and are designed just for earth and material moving, while many crawler tractors can be used for a variety of...... -
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...... -
When are Crawlers Necessary Crawlers are tracked vehicles. They are also often called tractor crawlers or track-laying tractors. Any type of tractor or skid loader that uses tracks can be referred to as a crawler. Crawlers have the continuous track that you might picture when you think of a large army tank, rather than...... -
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......