What do I need to know about wheels
and bearings?
There are many different kinds of wheels, which can be little overwhelming in the beginning. You might be wondering if it’s even worth it to switch them out and the short answer is yes! Especially people who get an old, second hand pair of skates often don’t realise how bad the wheels are and how much they could benefit from new ones. Oftentimes people think they’re just bad skaters, when really it’s the wheels that are holding them back. Not just old wheels cause people to doubt themselves, but new roller skates often come with wheels that are way too tight and need to be loosened. So before you throw your skates back in the closet, be sure to check how well the wheels are spinning first or switch them out for a new set of wheels and see what happens. This can be a game changer!
WHEELS
As for the different kinds, we differentiate between soft/hard and big/small wheels:
Soft wheels are sticky and provide grip indoors as well as prevent damage to the floors. Outdoors they absorb the impact allowing for a smooth ride. They are great for jam skating, but also for beginners at the skatepark.
Hybrid wheels are right between soft and hard wheels - you can use them indoors and outdoors.
Hard wheels are great for the skatepark - if you’re looking to go faster they can really make a huge difference! They aren’t ideal for trail or street skating though, since they don’t absorb the impact as well as soft wheels do, it feels very bumpy. We also don’t recommend wearing them indoors either, because they can be slippery/might damage the floors.
Big wheels are great for outdoors - they make it easier to ride over small stones and cracks in the roads and sidewalks. Big, soft wheels also help maintain your speed when trail or street skating.
Small wheels are great for jam skating and other foot work related things. Through their size you gain agility that can help with certain moves, without getting caught on your wheels. Small, hard wheels are also ideal for gaining speed at the skatepark!
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
Our absolute favourite wheels on the market are Radar Energy Wheels, because you can use them for pretty much anything and anywhere. They‘re amazing for trail and street skating because they’re so big, making it easy to roll over stones and cracks. They can also be used indoors, because they’re soft and work for park skating as well.
So if you want to invest in just one, really good set of wheels we definitely recommend these, because they can do it all!
For our nighttime/disco skaters we recommend the Moxi Cosmo Glow Wheels, because who doesn’t want glow in the dark wheels?
For our park skaters who wanna go fast we recommend Grindstone Smokeshow wheels. Being hard, small wheels these babies will give you that extra speed that will take your park skating to the next level!
As for extra hard wheels we recommend the CIB Vertex Wheels for next level speed!
Keep in mind when ordering wheels, that they usually come in packs of 4, which means you need to order two packs of 4 wheels to have a complete set for your skates!
Bearings are the little, round silver things inside the wheels. They may not seem very significant at first, but once you realise they are the whole reason your wheels spin, you really come to appreciate them!
BEARINGS
If a wheel stops spinning or feels like something is caught in it, it usually means the bearings are either broken or are dirty and need cleaning. It is important to clean or switch them out every once in a while to keep those wheels spinning nice and smoothly. If you want to clean your bearings you will need a special lubricant - never attempt to clean them with water! If your bearings ever get wet you need to take them out and dry them asap, because water will make them rusty - and nobody wants rusty bearings slowing them down! Cleaning your bearings will also save you some money, since buying new ones can be pretty expensive.
CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE
It’s always good to have some extra bearings just in case one breaks. We recommend Bones Bearings Reds, which you can find at any skate shop (Moreboards, Blue Tomato, etc.) or online skate shop (check out our online skate shop recommendations here). Keep in mind when ordering new bearings that you will need 2 sets of 8 or a set of 16 for one pair of skates, since each wheel needs two bearings.
BRANDS
