Roller skating is a fun activity, but it can be even more enjoyable when you have the right wheels. Right roller skate wheels
can make your roller skates faster, easier to turn and much more comfortable. At the same time, there are many factors that will help you decide on the right wheels for you, including discipline, speed and quality of the wheel. It’s best to talk to a roller skate expert to find the ideal wheels for your needs.
Roller Skating Discipline
There are several different types of roller skating disciplines, but for the most part, you will only need to know about two: quad and inline skating.
Quad wheels are used in all-around speed skating, which requires a lot of maneuverability and spin. These wheels have a smaller contact point with the ground than an inline skate, so they can turn more efficiently while still maintaining stability at high speeds. Inline skates are designed for higher speeds—more stability is needed to counteract centrifugal force as you accelerate quickly down the track. This makes them heavier and harder to turn compared to quad skates, but they can go faster overall since they don’t lose their momentum on sharp turns as quads do.
Wheel Quality
Wheel quality is one of the most important factors to consider when purchasing a new set of wheels. The quality of your wheel will depend on 3 main factors:
The material used in manufacturing
Manufacturing process used
Brand name (some brands are reputable for making quality products)
Depending on which factors you prioritize, you may want to choose a lower-quality product over a higher-quality one if it means saving money. For example, if you’re buying wheels for recreational skating, then perhaps price is more important than anything else; however, if you’re buying them for derby or freestyle competitions, then brand reputation will become much more important.
Wheel Thickness
The thickness of a wheel is the distance between its outside circumference and the centre, or hub. A thicker wheel will have more material near its outer edge, making it heavier, slower and therefore less maneuverable. A thinner wheel is lighter and faster to turn but also more prone to breaking as it has less structural support than its fatter counterpart.
Most skaters prefer thinner wheels for outdoor skating because they’re faster and easier to perform tricks on. If you’re just getting started in roller derby or other forms of inline skating like speed or fitness skating, then using the thicker version may be better for you at first until your skills improve enough that you can handle the added maneuverability provided by thinning out your wheels just slightly. Thickness also plays a big role in indoor versus outdoor skating on almost every type imaginable except maybe full-on racing, where even basic training wheels are usually pretty thin already!
Pace and Speed
The most important factor in determining the correct wheel size for your roller skates is speed, which is determined by two factors: diameter and durometer. Diameter refers to how wide each wheel is. The larger the diameter, the faster you will be able to move. The durometer measures how hard or soft a wheel feels; this number represents its hardness on an A-scale of 1-100 (with 100 being the hardest). As a general rule of thumb, if you are using your roller skates for touring or freestyle skating, you will want wheels with lower durometers and higher diameters, while if they are meant for racing, then high durometers and lower diameters will work best.
Durometer
A durometer is a measure of the hardness of a material. The higher the durometer, the harder the wheel. Softer wheels are considered lower durometers, and hard wheels are high durometers.
What’s important to note here is that your skating style will determine what kind of durometer you need for your roller skates.
If you’re going to be doing lots of tricks, you’ll want harder wheels because they’re more durable and less likely to break when grinding or performing other types of skateboarding maneuvers.
If you’re just starting out or don’t perform any tricks at all, then softer wheels may be more appropriate as they provide a better grip on slippery surfaces and make it easier for beginners to get around without falling over all the time.
Conclusion
There are many factors that will help you decide on the right roller skates for men for you, including discipline, speed and quality of the wheel. It’s best to talk to a roller skate expert to find the ideal wheels for your needs.
