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Best Longboard Wheels For Rough Roads: What You Should Know
No matter who you are, a longboard beginner or a professional, having a worthy longboard is a prerequisite because it will affect your practicing process and the safety of your ride.
Practically, among all that have a direct impact on the performance of your board, the wheel is one of the factors taking on the most significant role. And for many, finding wheels to ride on rough roads isn’t an easy task.
With the view to enlighten longboard riders on wheel selection, this article will reveal to you the top 6 best longboard wheels for rough roads and ways to choose them. If you’re ready, let’s start!
What Are Rough Roads?
Usually, players often practice and train their ability on longboarding ground, a typical type of floor extremely smooth so you can carry out movements using wheels instead of toes with difficulty rate as low as zero.
But if the neighborhood does not hold any particular place for longboard training, people can practice in the park, on the road as long as they are even and flat.
However, not all roads are flat in practice, and sometimes you have to come across slopes or bad and rough roads.
Simply put, to a longboard rider, rough roads are uneven roads. People even classify them into two categories, the first one is cracked or has potholes asphalted, and the second is rocky and unpaved roads.
None of these are going to show your wheel even a tiny bit of mercy. Unless you use suitable wheels, they won’t stand a chance against these savage monsters. This causes the wheel to fail faster and reduces other parts’ lives, such as the truck or deck.
| Product images | Product names | Editor's rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
  | Orangatang in Heat 75 mm | 4.9 | See latest price |
  | FREEDARE 70mm | 4.9 | See latest price |
  | Sector 9 Slide Butterballs Skate Wheels | 4.8 | See latest price |
  | MBS All-Terrain | 4.8 | See latest price |
  | Orangatang Kegel 80 mm | 4.8 | See latest price |
  | Cal 7 90mm | 4.7 | See latest price |
How Important The Wheels Are When Riding On Rough Roads?
If you’re still hesitating on why you should change to the appropriate wheel type when riding on rough roads, here are the reasons that will definitely convince you.
The first to mention is the safety factor. As mentioned above, the non-dedicated wheels don’t have the necessary characteristics of the dedicated ones. Thus, they can’t support the longboard nor the player. For that reason, the chance of an accident is extremely high.
Also, the dedicated wheel will extend the life and help protect other longboard’s parts. Because of the appropriate rigidity and elasticity, they are better at damping, absorbing vibrations as well as shocks.
Moreover, thanks to that great support, you can practice longboarding on rough roads more easily and smoothly as the dedicated wheels are light, which makes it easy to move and balance yourself during the act.
Buying Guide
The Wheel Diameter
The diameter of longboards wheels is usually measured in millimeters, and they mostly range from around 55mm to 75mm. Some special types are even larger than 100mm.
Usually, it’s advisable to use small diameter wheels for better balancing and keeping the center of gravity for riding on a flat road. On the contrary, the large diameter wheels, from 70mm or more, will be suitable for rough roads.
Because the large diameter wheels increase the distance between the deck and the ground, this will help you get through cracked or rocky land better.
Furthermore, large wheels will help to accelerate faster during longboard controlling or navigation. This will keep you from getting stuck every upon encountering hindrances on the road.
Contact Patch
The contact patch is the contact surface between the wheel and the ground. The size of them varies depending on the size of the wheel. The larger the wheel, the larger the contact patch and vice versa.
Contact patches big enough will have a better grip on the road surface, and they’re able to slow down faster and control balance, which is useful for downhill style. However, they will turn the difficulty crank up a notch when it comes to accelerating and make it less flexible when performing a sudden turn in your trip.
On the contrary, the small ones will have less traction, but their flexibility index is high enough and they can assist you in speeding up faster. For that reason, they are usually recommended for daily practicing on the flat road.
The Wheel Durometer
Wheel durometer (or rigidity) is the hardness of the wheel. This characteristic of the wheel is diverse because different playing styles need wheels with different hardness.
Usually, to measure how tough the wheel can be, people will use the Durometer A Scale with a maximum index of 100. With this scale, the larger the index, the higher the wheel’s hardness and vice versa.
Moreover, the Durometer B Scale is another type of hardness measurement, but it’s not as popular as the A one. Its maximum number is 80, which corresponds to the index 100 of the A scale.
To use for rough roads or rough terrain, longboard wheels with rigidity falling between 73A and 87A are recommended for use.
At these levels, they will be soft, high in elasticity, and provide sufficient adhesion. This way, you can gently overcome rough roads while maintaining balance and stability when sliding.
Wheel Shape
There are three types of wheel shapes: square edge, beveled edge, and rounded edge. Each type has its own exclusive set of features for different uses. Still, among the sea of choices, only the round edge type is often used for rough roads because it supports well in passing cracked roads and gravel and supports faster acceleration and navigation.
Best Longboard Wheels For Rough Roads
#1 – Orangatang In Heat – Best For Quality
Orangatang In Heat 75 mm
Durability and quality are key factors that everyone has to put into consideration when buying any products. And we make sure that Orangatang in Heat 75mm can completely make you feel secure about the above factors!
As this vibrant-looking wheel is constructed from high-quality Urethane material, there will be no breakage or cracks appearing on these wheels even if you have been using them for a long time. This is how you save yourself from the cost of replacement!
Moreover, this exceptional durability also makes them strong enough to withstand the impact from crossing any cracks, rocks, sticks along the way. At the same time, it also increases grip, making your ride smoother and faster.
Another noteworthy plus is that the core of this type of wheel is designed to be as strong and supportive as possible, so it will work well with the bearing when assembled to the longboard. You can already see the advantages brought by this, right? When components of your means of transportation make such a nice fit for each other, an effortless and trouble-free ride is what to expect!
Nevertheless, despite being a bearing’s best friend, the product doesn’t come with any bearing at all, which means you’ll have to spend a little extra buying them separately..
Pros
- High-quality material
- Strong and supportive core
- Reasonable price
Cons
- Bearings are not included
#2 – FREEDARE with ABEC-7 Bearings – Best Budget
FREEDARE 70mm with ABEC-7 Bearings
Budget is your problem when choosing longboard wheels? You’re worried that your low budget prevents you from finding good products? This product is here to prove you wrong!
For starters, this wheel set has FREEDOM 70mm (Yup! Over 2 inch just for the diameter only), which is proof that the cheapest is not the dearest. With this thick duo underneath the longboard dealing with all the shocks, rough roads will hardly pose a threat to your ride.
Also, this size has enough width and grip to help you balance better when passing through gravel. Combined with 80A rigidity, these wheels are elastic and flexible.
But that is not the end! These huge wheels are produced from improved PU material, offering incredible durability to bring you smooth and comfortable rides. Finally you get to be free from the nightmare of poor quality materials that will deteriorate quickly.
At such a bargain price, this product deserves praise. However, one minus point is that the bearing coming along is of low quality, which often causes the pile’s sound when riding.
Pros
- Bargain price
- Soft and flexible
- Durable PU material
Cons
- The bearing is at low quality
#3 – Slide Butterballs Skate Wheels – Best For Smooth Sliding
Slide Butterballs Skate Wheels
Smooth sliding will give players the feeling of comfort and support to practice easier. And you may not know, that’s what the Sector 9 Slide Butterballs can do for you!
The name of the product pretty much says a lot about its highlight – “Butterballs”. And this is not merely just some marketing phrases to grab attention – these wheels are unbelievably soft. Many users even commented that it provides a “smooth as butter” experience!
The reason behind such soft and smooth feeling is Urethane – the main material of these wheels. This material makes the wheel more durable, soft, and elastic. Furthermore, it comes with the average hardness of 80A, making it simple for the wheel to overcome obstacles and balance themselves on rough surfaces.
However, compared to other products on the current market, the price of this product is somewhat higher. However, you’ll get what you pay for!
Pros
- Create smooth sliding
- Durable material
- Quality bearings is included
Cons
- A little bit pricey
#4 – MBS All-Terrain Wheels – Best Of Large Size
MBS All-Terrain Wheels
Being one of the largest sized longboard wheels on the market, MBS All-Terrain has a diameter of up to 100 mm, and this is its greatest advantage!
As mentioned above, the large-sized wheels for rough roads are great because they will help you get through all the cracked rocky soil with ease. And this is also what these wheels can complete wonderfully!
Besides, the contact patch has off-road wheels style cuts to increase grip and anti-slipping.
This characteristic, along with the incredible height, getting stuck by the gravel, is what every longboard rider would trace anything to get. But it is not easy to spot, even when you search through the entire market, the choices popping up can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
To put it another way, this product is truly one in a million! And so, you can trust that its performance is one in the million as well.
In addition to the tremendous size, it is made from super-high-rebound Urethane with a 78A wheel durometer, and it’s an ideal choice for long-term and stable rides.
Overall, this product is worth your attention! It will be a bit heavier than usual because of its large size though, but it isn’t too heavy to affect your ride.
Pros
- Large size
- Super-high-rebound Urethane material
- Can overcome rocky soils well
Cons
- Heavier than other products
#5 – Orangatang Kegel 77A 80A 83A- Best For High Speed
Orangatang Kegel 77A 80A 83A
If you’re looking for flexible longboard wheels which can help you slide at high speed, you shouldn’t ignore this product!
Since it’s designed for a downhill sliding style, Orangatang Kegel 80mm both has a good grip and can achieve high speed. So you can ride a longboard at a high pace without fear of slipping or losing control.
The good news does not stop there. Not only can this product support high-speed ride, but it also comes with considerably large size – 80mm – which was considered to be able to roll over pebbles as though they are specks of dust. And this size also contributes to increasing stability because of the large contact patch.
With the outstanding features and specifications of this product, its price isn’t low. However, many people are still willing to pay because its value is obviously more than what you pay for!
Pros
- Best for speeding up
- Large size
- Three hardness levels to choose
Cons
- High price
#6 – Cal 7 78A Wheels – Best Overall
Cal 7 78A Wheels
Always in the top of the best longboard wheels, Cal 7 78A Wheels is prized for its helpful characteristics in supporting longboard and users.
This product meets all wheels standards that are suitable for rough roads, from size to design and quality.
We can recognize that the large diameter of up to 90mm creates a great height and a large ground contact area, so big stones and cracks can’t challenge these wheels at all. As a result, you will be able to perform swiftly and perhaps demonstrate some cool tricks without the worry of tripping and falling hard.
What’s more, its PU material with a low hardness of 78mm increases the wheel life and makes them more resilient and stable when rolling through gravel.
Another big plus is that the bearings sold with these wheels are high quality, reliable and can be used for a long time. Quite cost-effective, we must say.
In short, this product is perfect, except for one single thing: it is a bit heavy, and so during your ride it might somewhat hold back your speed.
Pros
- Large size
- Durable material
- High-quality bearings
Cons
- A bit heavy
related:
- Best longboard wheels for sliding – cruising
- Best longboard for sliding
- best longboard wheels for roughroads
FAQs
What Other Techniques That Wheels For Rough Roads Can Do?
Wheels for rough roads have the same features as conventional wheels that perform basic techniques like gliding, stopping, turning, and so on.
However, since the wheels are typically quite soft and grip the road, it’s quite difficult to use them to perform tricks.
Should I Wear Protective Gear When Riding On Rough Roads?
After practicing and getting used to using a longboard, many people often don’t use protective gear such as helmets, pads, and so on because they consider them unnecessary.
However, players are always encouraged to use protective gear during competitions or practicing processes. Moreover, not only when riding on rough roads but on flat ground, you should also use them.
As we know, prevention is better than cure; you aren’t able to anticipate anything until an accident occurs, so protecting yourself is the most important thing.
Conclusion
The above are all the most basic and necessary information you need to know before choosing yourself the best longboard wheels for rough roads. To sum up, wheel diameter, contact patch, wheel durometer, and wheel shape are four important factors that you must not ignore in the purchasing process.
To pick up the best one, we recommend the Cal 7 90mm 78A Wheels. It’s clear that this product meets all the standards of materials, design, size, and being at an affordable price.
How about you, what is your best one?
Related: What is the rough road?
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