About longboard wheels
Nothing had changed much after kids nailed skateboard wheels to wooden boards to make scooters until the early-mid 1960s when skateboarding became a new trend. Based on your style and the type of ride you want, we have a variety of skateboards and the best longboard wheels for downhill.
Skateboarding became popular as a cool new toy for kids around 1955. These boards were basically just an old wooden board of unknown species with four thin steel wheels screwed forward with two small frames, two in the front and two in the back. They were rigid, as well as the ride was rough, culminating in little or no traction. As a result, you could only travel in a forward direction with a limited rear suspension. We have now options in size and hardness for traction on road boards, as well as longboard wheels for range and coasting, based on the type of trip you want.
Metal wheels are the stone age technology
Clay wheels, which were the peak of stone-age technology,’ appeared soon after metal wheels. They were larger than steel wheels, but they also had a rough ride since someone still constructed them of a tough surface and had open bearings that were exposed to the sun, allowing them to wear out faster. Since these hard wheels couldn’t roll over sand, grit, or pebbles, be careful if you come across any of this debris on the lane.
Variety and quality of products
Then, in the early 1970s, North-East surfer Frank Nasworthy came up to use urethane, a fuel stabilizer commodity that had gained popularity and was being used in a variety of products. Using this product in a skateboard wheel resulted in harder wheels that might grip (as in climbing walls) and had a more even ride, making turns smoother, with the bonus of rendering even the most challenging turns not only possible but much easier. This innovation, together with his business, Cadillac Wheels, reignited interest in skateboarding to greater levels. The sand and grit from road debris, on either hand, would quickly wear out the simple open bearings.
Wheels didn’t get a faster, easier, and longer-lasting ride until precision sealed bearings were used. Wheels have not really changed much since the invention of sealed bearings, except in term of hardness, shape, and scale, that vary depending on the type of skating a rider likes. Since skateboarding is essentially a form of surfing, longboard wheels now can provide that experience. Riding a longboard is close to shredding the waves, coasting, and turning like a longboard surfer. When there are no waves at the beach, this is the next best thing.
Longboard Wheels: How to Choose the Right Ones
Foremost, you must decide what you want your wheels to accomplish. Longboarding is split into many categories, but no wheel can excel in over one. Downhill, sport touring, sailing, long-distance pushing, and sliding are the most sought-after disciplines. Sliding is technically a part of free riding, but as I learned from the many slide jams, sometimes you just need wheels that can slide like butter without extra grip for tight turns or gnarly tricks.