But what part of the skateboard plays a pivotal role in speed control? It’s the wheels. Yes! You read it right. It is not the axle or the board length, it is the skateboard wheels that contribute towards speed control and all.
You might wonder, how tight should skateboard wheels be? Well, they should be tight enough that they roll freely but do not come to a sudden halt, instead they should stop gradually. An easy way to check the tightness of your skateboard wheels is to tilt the board and spin the wheels. Check for their spinning and stopping speed. This will give you an idea of whether you need to tighten or loosen your wheels.
But is it really important to tighten your skateboard wheels and if so how to do it? Let’s find out!
Why Should You Tighten Your Skateboard Wheels?
As a professional skater, you might be very comfortable with your loose skateboard wheels. But you still need to tighten them after some time. Continue reading to find out why?
1. Unmatched Speed
How can you enjoy skating if you are unable to skate at high speeds? Well, this is possible by tight wheels. They not only help you skate at an exceptional speed but control it at the same time too. Moreover, with tightened wheels, you can easily switch from one trick to another during your skating. For instance, you can be cruising at high speed and will still be able to perform a flip trick in between.
2. Enhanced Stability
Skateboarding is all about balancing yourself on the board. Whether you cruise or perform tricks, balancing yourself is the ultimate trick. Hence, apart from practice, tightened wheels ensure that you are stable on your skateboard. Therefore, tightened wheels are important for professional skaters and beginners alike.
3. Reduces The Chance Of Wheelbite
Wheel bite is one of the causes of many skating accidents. This happens when your wheels come in contact with the board during the ride causing you to lose balance. Here again, tightened wheels will prevent this from happening. This in turn ensures a safe and sound ride.
How To Tighten Skateboard Wheels?
It is necessary to tighten your wheels every now and then if you are a regular skater. Hence, you should know how to tighten your wheels yourself instead of running to a mechanic every time. The best part is that tightening the wheels is not a hard task. So let’s see how it’s done.
To start, you will need a wrench or a skate tool. Place this on the nyloc nut and start tightening it. So, how tight should skateboard wheels be? It depends on your skating style or skating experience. After tightening it a bit, check whether it’s done or not. For this, you need to spin the wheels. In case it moves sideways or gives a rattling sound, this means that it needs further tightening.
On the contrary, if you spin your wheel and it does not spin much but comes to a sudden halt, this means that you need to loosen it a bit.
Tricks To Perform With Tightened Skateboard Wheels
Once you have tightened your skateboard wheels, what are the best tricks to perform? These are discussed below.
1. Downhill Skating
When skating downhill, you will be going at a high speed but will need your wheels to roll freely and help you in balancing the board. Therefore, tight skateboard wheels are the best option. However, make sure they are tightened to a reasonable extent and match your comfort level.
2. Skating On A Skate Ramp
Skate ramps are quite smooth and require immense speed control and stability. Therefore, tightened wheels enable you to go at speed while preventing the chance of wheel bite at any point.
3. Flip Tricks
Flip tricks will always be a skater’s dream. However, a safe landing is what counts the most. Therefore, for these tricks, you should go somewhere between very tight and very loose wheels. Consequently, you will enjoy the performance of the tricks and land safely too.
Demerits Of Tight Skateboard Wheels
Tight skateboard wheels come with disadvantages too. However, these do not overpower the advantages. But let me walk you through the downsides too.
- Makes acute turns difficult. This is especially true if your wheels are excessively tightened.
- Landing the board can injure your ankles.
- Not suitable for certain skating tricks.
To Wrap Up
If you are all for speed skating, tricks performance, and good skating stability, then tight wheels are the best option. So, when you ask how tight should skateboard wheels be, you should take into consideration your comfort level and the type of skating you will be performing. All in all, medium-tightened wheels will work perfectly.
FAQs :
How much do you tighten the skateboard wheels?
There is no hard and fast rule for the tighteness of your skateboard wheels. The type of tricks you perform and the speed you can control are the ultimate deciding factor. However, it is good to tighten the wheels between 70% and 80%.
How freely should the skateboard spin?
The skateboard wheels should neither spin too freely nor with so much difficulty. Therefore, make sure you tighten the wheels to the extent that they spin freely but do not come to a sudden halt.
How to know if the wheels are too loose?
In case your skate wheels are too loose, your wheels will not roll regardless of the pressure you apply on them during skating. Moreover, they will wobble when you tilt the board. Consequently, you will know that the wheels need to be tightened.
