What Are Your Skateboard Wheels Made Of?
Unless youre somebody who rides the skateboard occasionally, you should take a closer look into to the type of skate wheels that you buy. Why? There are many reasons you should. For one, a good set of skateboard wheels help you perform your very best. You can only be as good as the wheels screwed on your trucks.
Another reason you should get good skateboard wheels is reliability. Can you really afford to have your wheels flat spotted when youre in the middle of a competition? But even if youre not doing competitive skating, you still need reliable wheels to keep you safe. The sound of bones breaking may look cool on TV, but never when it happens to you.
Polyurethane Skateboard Wheels
So what are your skateboard wheels made of? Chances are that your wheels are made mostly of polyurethane. Almost all skateboard wheels are made of this material because polyurethane is durable and is relatively cheaper to manufacture.
In the past, skateboard wheels were made of metal. While metal may have made for extra tough wheels, they dont have the rebound and the soft landing that polyurethane wheels have.
Now even if your wheels are mostly made of polyurethane, not all polyurethane wheels are made equal. Paint added to your wheels for coloring can significantly weaken your wheels. Why is this so? Thats because the molecules of the paint take up the space that should be occupied by other polyurethane molecules. Thus, there is some loss in the wheels hardness and durability if paint is added to it.
That is why if you want wheels that last longer than most, get pure polyurethane wheels. Pure polyurethane wheels are easy to disinguish because they are clear and colorless. However, you pay a price in terms of traction with your wheels if theyre made of pure polyurethane. This type of wheel typically has more grip than other wheels. So take that into account if youre shopping for skateboard wheels.
Colored Wheels
We all want our skateboards to look cool. We want them to be an expression of our personality. Thats why we want to add some color to our wheels, even if theyre significantly weaker than pure polyurethane wheels.
If you want your wheels to look more interesting, yet be durable enough to survive the time its spends on concrete, get white wheels. They have lesser grip than pure polyurethane, but are still very tough.
How about mixing different-colored wheels on your skateboard? You could do that, of course, but expect some of your wheels to wear out faster than the others. Once again, this is because of the effect that each color has on the strength of the polyurethane wheel. So get a set with the same colors when possible.
The next time you shop for skateboard wheels, take into account the material theyre made of. Thats because sometimes, colors do more than just make your skateboard look coolthey will ultimately have an effect on your skateboards performance.
Another reason you should get good skateboard wheels is reliability. Can you really afford to have your wheels flat spotted when youre in the middle of a competition? But even if youre not doing competitive skating, you still need reliable wheels to keep you safe. The sound of bones breaking may look cool on TV, but never when it happens to you.
Polyurethane Skateboard Wheels
So what are your skateboard wheels made of? Chances are that your wheels are made mostly of polyurethane. Almost all skateboard wheels are made of this material because polyurethane is durable and is relatively cheaper to manufacture.
In the past, skateboard wheels were made of metal. While metal may have made for extra tough wheels, they dont have the rebound and the soft landing that polyurethane wheels have.
Now even if your wheels are mostly made of polyurethane, not all polyurethane wheels are made equal. Paint added to your wheels for coloring can significantly weaken your wheels. Why is this so? Thats because the molecules of the paint take up the space that should be occupied by other polyurethane molecules. Thus, there is some loss in the wheels hardness and durability if paint is added to it.
That is why if you want wheels that last longer than most, get pure polyurethane wheels. Pure polyurethane wheels are easy to disinguish because they are clear and colorless. However, you pay a price in terms of traction with your wheels if theyre made of pure polyurethane. This type of wheel typically has more grip than other wheels. So take that into account if youre shopping for skateboard wheels.
Colored Wheels
We all want our skateboards to look cool. We want them to be an expression of our personality. Thats why we want to add some color to our wheels, even if theyre significantly weaker than pure polyurethane wheels.
If you want your wheels to look more interesting, yet be durable enough to survive the time its spends on concrete, get white wheels. They have lesser grip than pure polyurethane, but are still very tough.
How about mixing different-colored wheels on your skateboard? You could do that, of course, but expect some of your wheels to wear out faster than the others. Once again, this is because of the effect that each color has on the strength of the polyurethane wheel. So get a set with the same colors when possible.
The next time you shop for skateboard wheels, take into account the material theyre made of. Thats because sometimes, colors do more than just make your skateboard look coolthey will ultimately have an effect on your skateboards performance.