DOES SKATEBOARD WHEEL SIZE REALLY MATTER???

[@LeonPaxton]

What is the best size wheel for your style of skateboarding?

[@vorpalblades]

58mm minimum.

[@robolinoschmidt8676]

54mm

[@oliverthecubesk8455]

Probably 54 for street and park but I got 58 bc they last longer

[@snamot]

69 for sure

[@cameronmackinnonYT]

53-55

[@BLVCKSEA]

I started skating with 48mm wheels..this was in the mid 90s..like 96'..and back then i skated a 7.5 board with venture trucks..so the small wheels made sense and it was the trend at the time..over time I started riding wider boards and sized up to 50mm to 51mm wheels..and i kept my wheel size the same while my board width was getting bigger. My setup before i stopped skating was 8.125 board with Indy 139s and Spitfire Classic 51mm wheels. That was around 2005. I started skating again recently and now i skate a 8.5 board with indy 149s and 54mm spitfire classic f4s 99a. Its the biggest setup ive ever had, but im also at my biggest weight, so it works out for me. Plus im not skating at the same caliber as i did in my younger days, so not flipping my board as much or hucking down rails and gaps.im a low impact skater these days 😂

[@insanogeddon]

If you use trucks that are shorter like indys/aces or get a shorter wheel base board for length you can have the benefits of bigger wheels and keep your preferred pop. Basically the longer the effective tail the larger the wheel size can be w/o the board being near vertical to pop.

[@LeonPaxton]

That's true man, maybe I can go up a wheel size now 🤔

[@victorrios717]

Thanks man, I was looking for a new wheel size because my 50 mm are rough on the streets. This was super helpful, thanks for testing and explaining it so well.

[@LeonPaxton]

No problem dude, glad I could help! Thanks for watching 🙏🏼

[@madveteran7176]

Hey Leon this is very informative and helpful man awesome video man

[@LeonPaxton]

Thanks dude, glad it helped!

[@cyberspongethefirst]

The editing from around 3:50 on was beautifully percussive.

[@LeonPaxton]

It's always so satisfying editing the land on the beat 😌

[@Quintonhabz]

This channel is so underrated

[@LeonPaxton]

Appreciate that heaps dude! 🙏🏼

[@diddymelone2265]

when I began around 3 years ago, I started with 52mm cause it seemed standard enough. even then I thought maybe bigger wheels might be nice to go over crust better. so my next wheels were 55mm, felt too big actually. then I was on 54mm for a while and now I actually like small wheels. currently I am riding 2 sets of wheels: spitfire conicals at 49mm and powell dragons in street which are now 46mm both started out as 54mm. when I buy new ones, I'll go with 53-52 cause I want some material to rip through before they are really small, but not too much, because again I really came to enjoy small wheels. feels more stable, better pop, more control, less wheel to get in the way on ramps etc. the obvious downside is that especially on the dragons I have to push more to keep speed, but that really only is an issue when commuting. for my actual street sessions so far its not a problem. also consider that the riding surface does grow bigger when the wheel wears down (rotate them every few months so they don't cone like crazy) and that counteracts the shrinking diameter a bit.

[@LeonPaxton]

Yeah dude, 54mm always seems to be the sweet spot for me as well 👌🏼 Smaller wheels definitely have their benefits too but sometimes the negatives outweigh those positives lol That's also true but then the overall diameter gets smaller 🤔

[@mikeegbert6584]

And if you do decide to go big, you can always sand in your own wheel wells. You can buy a drum sander attachment for your drill. If you go about 3.5 plies deep, your hitting about 4-5mm, which is still more room than no wells with 1/8" (3mm+) risers. So 54mm with 1/8" risers would be similar to 60mm with wells and no risers. Just a thought for those contemplating.

[@LeonPaxton]

I've actually seen people do this but never tried it for myself 🤔 That's actually a better idea then just slapping risers on so you can reduce wheel bite but not have to raise the height of your board 👌🏼

[@aydengianes2515]

I'm sure people sand down skateboard wheels to make them smaller

[@oliverthecubesk8455]

@@aydengianes2515that defeats the propose of buying big wheeled I would just power slide those things a lot

[@diplenski]

i have a bunch of different setups, but my preference is taller. indy standards w/ 1/8" risers, 56mm or bigger wheels. bigger wheels ride smoother/faster and last longer.

[@LeonPaxton]

Yeah so do but my main set up is the one I worry about the most lol Exactly how I used to ride my setup, 56mm wheels were perfect but now I’m liking the 54mm. If anything I might just go from classic shape back to conicals next 🤔

[@lurklingX]

wow this is an incredible intro. just started looking into this and was trying to understand what's good for a beginner, and why. it's reminding me of when i was a kid and i wanted roller blades. my mom got me some for christmas and they were the cheapest damn things. i couldn't hardly move or roll and i THOUGHT it was me and that i just couldn't skate. meanwhile a friend of mine with skates was just gliding. :/ i studied both and it seemed to me that the wheels were diff, one seemed like hard cheap plastic (mine) and the other was... idk felt like a dense rubber. anyhow i used those skates a few time then told my mom that going for the cheapest thing just doesn't WORK sometimes. so the next christmas i got the real skates (just got what my friend had) and voila. now i easily skated and rolled. ((maybe it's a bearings thing, too.)) so i have ptsd over the whole wheel thing haha. this time i'm studying up. ran across some info before this vid that said some wheels work on the street and rough surfaces and that's precisely what i need. i just wanna get the ride down, no tricks yet. as a super young kid i played with my brother's skateboard and my balance wasn't great (i was like 5) and i also couldn't make it GO. and he didn't know either and didn't really use the thing. so, GREAT breakdown on some of the technical stuff and WHY certain things matter, what it's good for. that's exactly what i was looking for and i'm checking out your channel for more.

[@LeonPaxton]

Haha damn, seems like a long rode to finding out what wheels are going to be best for you man! Sick, so glad I could help on this one 🙏🏼

[@metaldan8499]

Im a kinda beginner and am going through wheel sizing thinking it’s gonna make all the difference. I am running 56mm with a 1/8 riser and do find that the pop is far too long so I’ve also ordered 54mm. I would of thought if you were running a 1/8 riser you’d make up a total of around 4.5mm losing the riser and moving to 54mm wheels. Were you running riser pads? Video was just what I was looking for :)

[@LeonPaxton]

It doesn't make to much difference as a beginner man but I'm currently riding 55mm with no risers and I have no problem with popping, the only concern is getting wheel bite but that's more from having looser trucks than having big wheels> 54mm wheels without risers will be perfect for you man

[@christiahvarre1017]

where do you get the spitfire 54mm can't find them anywhere

[@DTC1138]

I think I am happy with 54mm and 97 Duro F4 now. I have the Classics and I am very curious about the Conical shape now, as I think it will give me a bit more stability while riding and landing. I'm still a beginner so nothing fancy, and not sure if going from Classics to Conicals will make a huge difference at my level.

[@LeonPaxton]

Conicals will definitely be a bit more stable and grippy due to the wider riding surface but sometimes as a beginner you don't really feel those small differences so I'm sure the classics will be fine for you dude. Especially if they're 97 Duro making them a bit softer and grippier anyway

[@finakies]

Going from 56mm to 54mm only actually make you 1mm closer to the ground because its diameter not raduis. Other than that, always good when you upload haha

[@LeonPaxton]

Damn that’s true, I didn’t think of that 😂 Thanks man, I appreciate that!

[@sdm74]

Actually it is total height. Measure them with calipers

[@Thatsnotmynametoday]

@@sdm74Diameter vs radius🤦‍♂️

[@lurklingX]

@@LeonPaxton me neither! 😂

[@lurklingX]

​@@Thatsnotmynametoday hahaaa i almost made that mistake. read their comment, started to nod, but then was like no, wait.... (i haven't started skating yet, but then in hindsight sorta remember how the wheels are attached. anyway good learning exp.)

[@K_spawn]

I was skating 56 dragon/nano cubic.... Like 3 weeks ago I changed to 45mm OJ swamp wheels and I don't miss the dragons nor my nano 😅, I do ride very low trucks

[@LeonPaxton]

You'd have a whole lot less wheel bite too lol

[@K_spawn]

@@LeonPaxton dude! I've been carving fast and tight in bowls like crazy because I know I'm safe 😂, kinda I'm still scared of slipping off

[@MrDerek-km6xw]

Do you have classic or conicals on your current setup?

[@LeonPaxton]

These are classics dude, I might go back to conicals for my next set though or trying the og classics 🤔

[@Uait_jr]

I'm about to buy some new wheels (oj’s plain jane). I want to do both tricks and crusing. do you recommend 54mm or 56mm?

[@LeonPaxton]

54mm will be fine due, 56mm is getting on the bigger and heavier side which might make it a little harder for flip tricks

[@romaniandl]

i will try 56mm oj mini combo got them in sale

[@Sk8ter-Dad]

You still rockin 54mm? I have been running 56 all summer and my indoor wheels are 58mm wondering if I should get 54 or 56 conical fulls for my indoor wheels. 🤔 definitely cant go back to 58 now. They feel too big and i hate risers 😂

[@LeonPaxton]

At the moment I'm riding 57mm Snot wheels but 54mm is still my standard go to size 👌🏼 I think 56m will be perfect for you man!

[@Sk8ter-Dad]

@@LeonPaxton thanks man. I think I may go 54 for my next set. I'm really curious if it will help with my Ollie's and flip tricks.

[@RikRiorik]

I wouldn’t mind trying a really low setup like Venture or Tensor Lows and then some like 48mm wheels. I do have a board with 50mm high Thunder trucks and 50mm wheels though so not that far off. It’s not one I really use though and the pop feels off. Maybe if I got used to it it would feel great and snappy though.

[@LeonPaxton]

I’m thinking the same but I don’t think I would go any lower than 52mm wheels 🤔 Yeah that set up sounds good! I guess if you ride anything long enough you will get used to it 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@RikRiorik]

@@LeonPaxton Yeah 50mm wheels are real small. It’s not the kind of wheel you want to ride on the crustiest roads.

[@sebastianrodriguez2932]

Great video and skating? I grabbed a set of 54/99, should I put on risers?

[@LeonPaxton]

Nah dude, that’s a perfect size to have and not need risers 👌🏽

[@LeonPaxton]

Unless you have super loose trucks and get wheel bite alot

[@sebastianrodriguez2932]

@@LeonPaxton thx a lot!

[@sebastianrodriguez2932]

I use them average, no risers then, thx a lot!

[@LeonPaxton]

@@sebastianrodriguez2932 No problem!

[@spark300c]

size matter for what kind terrain. For gap in surface to wheel ratio. general you want ratio large than four to one. so if there is 13.5 gap in road you need wheel size bigger than 54mm. for raise it one to ten. So if bump in 10mm in height you want 100mm to go over it. In Cedar Rapids some of side walk are really ruff which there are 15mm gaps. So 54mm is not going cut It for cursing on the street here.

[@LeonPaxton]

Definitely! Sometimes changing Durometer helps too though. Damn they are pretty big cracks! Lol

[@oliverthecubesk8455]

I have venture Lows with 58 mm fourmula 4

[@LeonPaxton]

Damn they are some pretty big wheels for low trucks! Do you get wheel bite a lot?

[@oliverthecubesk8455]

@@LeonPaxton yes a decent amount I ride my trucks basically solid to hill bomb so it’s fine

[@LeonPaxton]

Oh true, wheel bite wouldn't happen too often with tight trucks then 👌🏼

[@sonofyah_chosen1950]

Damn lol

[@TheReal_DeanD]

Explaining durometer is a real pain in the arse. At my local skate shop the homie there said just go with 99 duro and deal with it on rough terrain. You'll be better off for it. For me I always go 55mm or 54mm because I don't want to deal with risers anymore. Although for cruising the 60mm wheels feel much nicer.

[@LeonPaxton]

It's pretty simple, I don't know why people complicate it so much! The higher the number, the harder the wheel. The lower the number, the softer the wheel lol Yeah 99 is your standard and can be ridden anywhere but if you want a cruiser style set up then bigger and softer wheels are the go 👌🏼

[@TheReal_DeanD]

@@LeonPaxton agree with what you said. What I found is that some wheel manufacturers are using the b scale and saying it’s more accurate measure of hardness. Plus some of these manufacturers have durometers so close with each other. 77A and 78A. I saw OJ Plain Jane at 87A duro and then Ricta 86A duro wheels. I was thinking what could be the difference?

[@LeonPaxton]

Yeah dude, they definitely make it waaaaay more confusing than it needs to be don't they lol

[@eze8024]

I definitely like being lower. I have indy mids and 52mm spitfire tablets and like it allow more than taller trucks/bigger wheels 👍

[@LeonPaxton]

Yeah I’m starting to like it a bit more now too! Have you found you’re pooping quicker and your flip tricks are working better?

[@eureptus]

should i get the kmart skateboard until i can afford a proper one because my current one is soggy and im going to kmart tmr

[@LeonPaxton]

Yeah dude, the Kmart one will get you by but if you can save up then a complete board from a real skate shop with do you much better!

[@DTC1138]

Get a Globe complete (Goodstock) for like 99AUD it will last longer and you can re-use some parts in other setups later.

[@Nevrollie]

Yes, next question.

[@LeonPaxton]

Does skateboard truck size matter?

[@IsaacRequin]

Hey Leon there is a skatepark in baulkham hills can you go maybe check it out

[@LeonPaxton]

Yeah dude, I've got that one on my list 🙏🏽

[@GasGotti]

Dude. I thought the 54m 97x would be an end all be all for my local rough terrain. Nahhhhhh…. Son… my 34 year old ass ate shit from because I took my eyes off for a millisecond. No joke I could’ve died because my dumbass had bottles of beer bringing them home to a family party 😂😂😂. Thankfully only a few fractures. Switched to the spitfire 80hd classics. That’s why I’m here btw.

[@LeonPaxton]

Damn dude, you need to be careful out there! lol

[@puma0210]

Thunder high 147 and 49mm Ragdoll guest pro model. Perfect height for me.

[@LeonPaxton]

49mm wheels?!

[@puma0210]

i used to skate venture low. i felt like its a little too low for me. so i tried out thunder high and put the 50mm on them. then its a tad too tall. so i went with 49.

[@puma0210]

every millimeter matters in skateboarding

[@puma0210]

wheel shape and board width and wheel base. everything matters

[@LeonPaxton]

@@puma0210 Yeah dude it definitely does! I try not to go too crazy with my set up but I definitely have certain things that I HAVE to do with every set up I have. It's also fun trying different things at the same time though lol

[@marcusarruzza319]

Man, if you want to try 39mm Boardy Cakes I could hook you up.

[@LeonPaxton]

Aww dude, sorry I totally forgot about this! I’ll message you on Instagram 🙏🏽

[@marcusarruzza319]

@@LeonPaxton I sent across an Insta. I got a bunch of stuff to offer up. Have a look :)

[@LeonPaxton]

Definitely will dude, thanks 🙏🏽

[@aydengianes2515]

Ohhhh heeeeel yes I would like to try them I do have 48mm spitfire wheels Lil smokeys

[@Ricksboxoftricks]

Good points. But the review only kinda works for the average popsicle deck. Tail lengthy makes a difference. If ride a older style fish’ tail board you could get away with a bigger wheel. Good Information on the video ❤

[@LeonPaxton]

Thanks dude! Yeah different shaped & sizes boards would definitely make a difference too!

[@kawaii7734]

It's bot about size, it's about personality!

[@troyeberhard2086]

53mm

[@LeonPaxton]

That seems to be the sweet spot 👌🏼

[@Str8representing]

5:34

[@vdawwgz]

60 wheels all da way g

[@LeonPaxton]

Goddamn they some big boy wheels!!!

[@aydengianes2515]

@@LeonPaxton how about 70 mm wheels

[@Phantom_kendamas]

Where is the car park?

[@LeonPaxton]

Glenfield station carpark dude 🤘🏽

[@Phantom_kendamas]

@@LeonPaxton sic thx man

[@Phantom_kendamas]

@@LeonPaxton have you tried the MacArthur square carpark?

[@LeonPaxton]

I have but the lights there are usually pretty dim

[@ichista]

I live up the road from here Holsworthy carpark is good to

[@1trucxhondamov589]

Small wheels=tricks, FAT WHEELS=SPEED!

[@LeonPaxton]

Pretty much yeah lol

[@gameboysleepyd4277]

The smallest I can go is 58mm

[@LeonPaxton]

58mm is small to you!? The biggest I have ever gone is 56mm, I have 65mm wheels on my cruiser board but that doesn’t exactly count lol

[@gameboysleepyd4277]

@@LeonPaxton yeah 58 is small for me lol but I don't do a lot of tech tricks. I have 58s on my street\park board. Powell G Bones 64 mm on a old school FRANKIE HILL. That's the one I use more. Then I have 59mm ROUGH RIDERS on my cruiser setup.

[@gameboysleepyd4277]

I didn't like 54s or 56s because they didn't hold my speed the way I like but 58s was just right lol ALL TRIAL AND ERROR TO YA FIND WHATS RIGHT FOR YA

[@PHeMoX]

Skateboard wheel size matters, but not exactly in that way. Ollie height is not defined by wheel size at all. The main force of a pop comes from the board itself and how you snap the tail down. Assuming you can get any pop, it'll go higher than you can jump. Which it will, as the average person can put in way more force into a pop than required for maximum ollie height. Try to slam the tail with just your backfoot and see how it goes several people lengths high into the sky (lean back if you try, so it won't flip into your way). Pop is really not the problem. In reality, a heavier setup will require more effort to get to your max jump height and therefore your max ollie height (think knees retracted into your stomach and feet slightly sideways to allow for max height), but it's not like it won't do it. Smaller wheels do not 'pop faster', it only pops _earlier_ . Maybe you meant to say that, but the difference is crucial. With bigger wheels you may have to put in slightly more effort and it'll pop later, but generally, a 2mm size difference is really only going to affect the timing of your tricks. And depending on your tail steepness, bigger/smaller wheels can actually destroy the pop (ghost pop, popping too early timing-wise or even too steep of a pop making it harder to control). The big thing most people notice is when a setup becomes ever so slightly heavier and require that much more effort all around. But most skateboard decks actually have an optimum setup in terms of wheels and trucks for optimal pop (at medium level effort and maximum control and height). As such, it's not even true to say 'smaller wheels always pop faster', nor higher. People make the same mistake with thinking we should always be able to throw lighter objects farther, but much more comes into play. A light object will have a higher negative acceleration along the way. A heavy object will have an acceleration closer to zero, ie. less affected by things like air resistance and even gravity. The only way a lightweight object can truly get farther is by making it soar (think frisbee). Try to throw a pingpong ball and a soccer ball. It's pretty easy to see which one goes farthest in real world physics conditions. And there's both a weight and size difference at play. Even when _obviously_ the soccer ball takes most effort. In skateboarding the differences are of course much smaller, but most people will have encountered poor matching things in a skateboard setup at one point resulting in a sluggish feeling pop or just generally missing the pop (ghost pop) because the timing feels off. Definitely worth it to change things up. Having to adjust your flick to not over rotate after this setup change also makes perfect sense. If the timing of when the board pops is different and your flicking foot catches more of the board for longer, it'll definitely start to over rotate. It doesn't necessarily mean the board itself 'rotates faster' now. The main characteristics of the board that define rotation speed are still more or less the exact same (ie. total weight and especially the dimensions of the board. Yes smaller wheels are lighter, but by how much? 5%?) Keep in mind the rotation speed difference between an 8" wide deck or a 7.5" wide deck will be way waaay bigger than any normal change of wheels ever would. Having said all that, optimal setups definitely do exist. And they might not be the same for everyone, due to timing related effects or how much effort you want to put into skating.

[@LeonPaxton]

Damn dude that’s interesting! Yeah I definitely mean that it will pop faster as in earlier since your tail is literally closer to the ground but yeah I can see what you’re saying for sure. Yeah I also ride boards with pretty steep concave so add that in with big wheels and that’s why I was getting heaps of ghost pop lol Man you are making me think about my setup now in way too much depth, hopefully I can find the perfect setup for me for optimal skateboarding 🤔 Thanks for all these tips dude 🙏🏽

[@aydengianes2515]

Lolololl I ride 48 mm wheels

[@LeonPaxton]

Damn that's small! What kind of surfaces are you riding on though?

[@aydengianes2515]

@@LeonPaxton rough surface then I go to the smooth areas of course you're still kind of fast rough surfaces because of Spitfires

[@aydengianes2515]

@@LeonPaxton I just landed my first kick flip rock to fakey God damn that was a nightmare it took me 2 hours I did it on a 8.6 mellow baker board and its the og shape with the 53mm spitfire wheels and one independent hollow truck and one standard standard independent truck I found the hollow one for 15 bucks brand new but sadly i have to go to zumiez to the second truck but couldn't find another hollow one of course zumiez never has anything i wish i can go to the real skateshop and thats where i should get all of my equipment. The board dont flipp upside down well sometimes but most of the time the board fully rotates but Mt board never stays under my feet or get one foot on or it completely shoots out away

[@hobofoshitsho8999]

2 mil only gets you 1 mil closer. 2 mil = 1mil per side. Only one side interacts with the ground to change ride height.

[@LeonPaxton]

That’s very true! I never looked at it that way lol

[@0n3z]

52mm

[@LeonPaxton]

Good for smooth ground and flip tricks 👌🏼