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The wheels are where your skateboard meets the ground. And as such, the critical movements that affect your overall performance depend so much on your choice of skateboard wheels. Get the perfect combination for the type of skating you do and you’re guaranteed consistent performance wherever you may skate.

It’s therefore important that you understand the things that will affect your skate wheels’ performance. We have already talked about the two most common factors that skaters look into when buying wheels: the diameter and the hardness. To back track a bit, both the size and hardness of the wheel affect how fast you can go and what tricks you can do with your skateboard.

Aside from the diameter and hardness of the wheels, there are also other important factors that are often overlooked. These factors are the material used in creating the wheel and the presence of an inner core in the wheel. So before you buy a wheel, we suggest you read on first and learn more about these two factors that affect your performance.

The Core

Most choices of skate wheels available are only either hard or soft, with slight differences in between. However, there are other skate wheel manufacturers who combine their wheels with an inner core. The purpose of the inner core is to counteract the limitations in performance of the outer core.

For example, hard skateboard wheels can be a pain to ride. That is why there are manufacturers who put in a soft inner core to cushion some of the impact. What you get then are wheels that can take a beating while providing you with a comfortable landing. Alternatively, there are also those who create wheels with a hard inner core and soft outer core. The hard inner core then provides better support the bearings.

The Skateboard Wheel Material

Another factor that can affect your skateboard wheel’s performance is the material used in creating it. In the past, skateboard wheels were made of metal. While metal is quite resistant to wear and tear, they cannot provide things such as rebound. Today, almost all skateboard wheels are made of polyurethane. The great thing about polyurethane is that they are durable yet inexpensive to make, so skaters get wheels that last a long time for around $20-50.

However, not all skateboard wheels are created equal. While colored skateboard wheels look cool on your board, they tend to be less durable and more susceptible to flat spotting than pure urethane wheels. The reason for this is that molecules of the paint occupy the space that could have been occupied by other molecules, thus weakening the material. So the purer the polyurethane wheel, the stronger it is.

On the downside, pure polyurethane wheels might have too much grip on the road than some riders would like. For riders who want less grip but a more durable wheel, a white wheel is often advised. White wheels are less prone to flat spotting than wheels of other colors.

So when you’re looking to buy great performing skate wheels, don’t just look for the right combination of height and hardness. Also take a closer look at how it’s made. The better made your wheels are, the longer you can ride on your skateboard.