I had a camper today ask me why one of the teachers had such big wheels on his skateboard. I gave him an answer and thought it would be good to expand on it here in case anyone else was wondering.
Basically, a larger wheel will go faster, so it’s good for ramps and speed. A smaller wheel has a lower top speed but accelerates faster and provides more control since you’re lower to the ground, which is good for more technical skating like flip tricks.
With other factors such as hardness, urethane formula and shape, it can be pretty overwhelming to pick the perfect wheel. My advice is to start from an average wheel and try out different kinds gradually to see the pros and cons. Calibrating your ideal setup is a fun part of skateboarding! We even made a YouTube video a while ago about some of these factors in picking your wheel.
See you rolling around out there!
Kevin
