| So I have seen quite a few people asking about 'Which wheel should I
get?' or 'Whats the best wheel?'. Every time I say their is no 1 perfect
wheel and they have their good parts and bad parts. So I thought I would make a guide, from my own knowledge and some help from silverfish.  |
| Sideset Centerset Offset |
Centerset: If it has a smaller contact patch it can be better for Freeride or Sliding. A larger contact patch will mean that the wheel will be Gripper. An example of a Centerset Freeride wheel is the Abec 11 Freerides. Then there is Abec 11 Centrax which are also Centreset, but are one of the grippiest wheel you ill ever find and impossible to slide on. Center set wheels also wear more evenly and are less prone to coning.
Sideset: Are great for Freeride as they slide more predictably than Offset or Centerset wheels. However they cone way faster than center set wheels as a result. Zombie Hawgs are an example of this
Offset: Most wheels to date are offset wheels such as the whole Orangatang lineup, Bustin Boca's, Big Zigs and Zig Zags. An offset wheel is a happy medium between Sideset and Centerset wheels and offers the most flexibility.
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| Abec 11 Centrax |
A Acute Angle Lip means that the lip or edge of the wheel cuts into the wheel, like 3DM Avalons. They are great wheels for carving and cruising as they don't slide out; and these wheels are not meant for sliding as the edges will chunk off.
A Square Lipped wheel is one which drops down a bit, before cutting into where the core sits. An example of this is the Otang Inheats. These wheels make for a more predictable slide once the wheels are broken in, but prior to this are very grippy. Most DH longboarders choose these wheels as once they are broken in, they become a nice drifty wheel to take corners or hairpins with.
A Round Lipped wheels are your best bet when it comes to a sliding wheel. The round lip makes for an easy transition into the slide and less resistance from the concrete as compared to a square slipped wheel.
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| Abec 11 Center Set Freerides |
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| Orangatang In Heats |
Now onto the hardest part for choosing a wheel, the DUROMETER! BLAH!
This is the hardest decision for myself when I am picking wheels, because thane has as much to play on how a wheel grips or slides as the Duro does. For example Otang 83a is chattery to myself when Freeriding, while Abec 11 88a thane is smooth as. How does that work? Easiest way to put it is a Low number such as 75a is a soft wheel. A high number such as 86a is getting progressively harder. Harder wheels make it easier to transition into a slide but can make more noise or make a slide more 'Icey'.
Higher duro's wear less, while lower duro's wear faster, which can be shown from thane lines from some wheels.
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| 3DM Avalon |
Contact Patches also have a part to play when it comes to what wheel to look for. If you are looking for a Freeride wheel, a smaller contact patch will mean it will be easier to transition into a slide as there is less friction between wheels and road. This is what makes Large contact patch wheels great for cruising/ carving. They are less likely to slide out. You can see the large difference above between the Centrax and Freerides
Cruising/Carving:
As outlined above, Acute angled lips will have the most grip, as will a lower duro around 78a. So you want a square lipped wheel in a high 70s duro as not to lose any speed when riding, but still make your wheels grip. Also having a big contact patch will give you that extra grip. A great example of a grippy wheel is as mentioned before, the Centrax, Hot spots or 3DM Avalons.
Freeriding:
This can be a preference thing on the shape of the wheel but as a beginner you want a higher duro wheel like 83a or 86a, making it easier to transition into the slide. Then once you have the hang of that, start using 78a-82a wheels. These will give smoother slides but more wear unfortunately. Generally I personally like a round lipped, center set wheel, for a smoother slide and even wear. Also a smaller contact patch will make it easier to slide, but make it more Icey. For example the Abec 11 Classic thane Freerides 81a, Sector 9 center set Race Formula's or Seismic Bootlegs.
Downhill:
Right so once again as mentioned before, a square lipped wheel in that medium to lower duro which will give you the grip you need, but still drift out when needed. A wheel like this would be 80a Inheats or Abec 11 Classic Thane Zig Zags. That freeride duro and the square lip will mean once they are broken in, will become a drifty DH wheel.
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| Sector 9 Centerset 82a Raceforms |
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| Abec 11 Classic Thane Zig Zags |
