The dance skate thread (wheel properties/wheel choice)
There are a few properties of wheels that affect performance: [shore] durometer (hardness), height (speed/acceleration), width (friction/stability), and material (slide/hardness).
- Dance skaters tend to prefer harder wheels to have more movement freedom (durometer 95a+). Softer wheels grip the surface too much in most people's opinion. It is possible to dance on softer wheels, it just takes a lot more energy.
- Most proficient skaters can use any size wheel to dance on but tend to prefer smaller wheels (57mm and smaller) don't roll as fast so allow more room to articulate movements without traveling longer distances. You can find dance skaters who mill their wheels to smaller sizes. Artistic roller skaters (ARS) may prefer taller wheels (62mm) so higher max speed is reached; this can be useful for jumps.
- Lower friction is typically preferable for dancers so they can get the most movement out of their skates so tend to prefer slimmer profile wheels are typically used 32mm and slimmer. ARS skaters can be seen using wheels as slim as 28mm.
- There are other materials that some skaters use for dance urethane is the most common (maybe because it is most affordable). More dedicated skaters step a bit further to vanathane as to get a little more slide out of the wheels without sacrificing that much control.
Rollingintune, a dancer, made a video reviewing the wheels that she owns and uses. If you have time to watch it, she provides good insight.
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Comments
The wheels I tend to reach for the most often are my Roll Line Grease 95a or ICE 95a Wheels. After that, it's my Rollerbones Super Elite 101a. Those are all 63mm wheels that are pretty slim, and they're a nice balance between slick and grippy, so they work pretty well on most floor surfaces. I also own Rollerbones 101a 57mm, and Atom Tone 97a 57mm, and I like them, but I prefer taller wheels that hold roll longer and get more speed. I don't jam skate, though, I rhythm/shuffle, so I prefer wheels that don't lose speed as I go, and I want wheels that will, on average, work on a range of floors, from super slippery floors to slightly more grippy, or floors with some imperfections. The ICE wheels are by far my favorite because they're pretty versatile no matter what floor I'm hitting.
If you’re a beginner or a professional, every component of a board is essential from the griptape, hardware, the board, and the wheels. It’s just a matter of experiencing things for yourself. A feature of a skateboard wheel that you have to take into consideration is the contact patch. It is the area where the wheel makes contact with the terrain. If the wheel is small, it has a smaller surface area to distribute your body weight, so balance is a little bit hard to achieve.
How do hardness/slipperiness of wheels affect spins? I'm on some Rollerbones Team 98A 62mm and just got some Sure-Grip Velvets (vanathane) for dancing, but am wondering if they'll just slip out from under me if I try and toe spin.
doesn't matter much for toe spins, just edge spins
@nekoshil,
I roll fo-macs on the regular and while it's very fun for going around, they are not particularly well-suited for spins. e.g. I cannot do fast spins, heel-heel spins or one-foot-spins. I can still do the spins with them on, it's just the balance needs to be perfect from the get go. There isn't much room to correct after the fact. I haven't dared do an edge spin on them. XD
Skaters looking to satisfy their need for speed will agree that tight skateboard wheels perform so much faster and provide better stability. If you are after unparalleled speed and stability, you will want your wheels tight but not up to the extent that it impedes how they move and roll. Loose wheels tend to offer more fluidity for effortless turns and overall maneuverability.
My choices are:
I am a Rhythm skater. So, if you do more "pure" dance skating then break out your saltshaker. That means I mostly dance while I'm moving and don't stop and line dance in the middle very often (Jam Skating). I do stationary spins (heel-toe, toe, corkscrew, pancake, etc..) pretty often but I also turn and spin a lot while Rhythm skating. I use a lot of quick foot movements at the ankle and reversal. I agree with the points in the parent thread BboyHeathen started. For dance I prefer 55mm-59mm wheels with a very stiff hub 30mm-38mm width wheels. Smaller to me is a "micro" wheel. I use a few of those on my LoRide setup, but I'm still unimpressed by micros. They don't seem to offer that "more of a good thing" I was hoping for and instead just get loud, hot, and slow. That's "so far" as I've only tried a few different micro setups. Durameter is a bit misleading as it doesn't matter as much as coefficient of friction of the wheel surface. So for example, I will assert that the Sure Grip Fame at 95A is much slicker than a Team Rollerbones 98A wheel, despite being softer. That's all urethane formulation and also heavily changed by things like surface reeding on the wheels. For my style and ability, I do not like super-hard "gem" wheels. I can skate them, but they are ill-suited for even the smallest amount of speed during rhythm skating through the corners. I respect people who like them and use them, but I am not after maximum slide. If I was I'd just skate clay or fiber wheels all the time. Instead I look for a balance of grip and slide that suite my moves and skating style. To each their own, though. I definitely don't assert that I'm "right" just opinionated through direct experience.
Sorry, I think I meant the Sure Grip All American Plus. It's whichever one of their Vanathane wheels is 57mmx30mm and has a metal hub.
There are conflicting opinions about how to adjust wheels for a better riding experience and there are pros and cons to consider if you want them real tight. Tight wheels hinder your ability to turn and steer swiftly. Tight wheels suppress your fluidity, making it difficult to perform tricks.
Certain wheel characteristics may be needed for different skating techniques. For example, adaptable polyurethane wheels are a wonderful option if you skate recreationally.