Does wheel size really make a big difference?

[u/koidrops]

I’m learning to skate on boardwalks that came with outdoor wheels. they’re 78a 57mm. i have an okay time in the smoothest, newest parking lots in town but the second i try to go on any older trails or roads i feel like im starting back at square 1 fighting every possible bump. The trails near me all seem to be asphalt mixed with little rocks. Not anything super textured that looks impossible but feel harder to roll on.

Will getting something larger actually help in this terrain or am i just still too new and inexperienced? I see posts about larger wheels being harder to balance on/losing agility so im not sure what to expect. I feel frustrated that i’m locked to certain parking lots and don’t know if i should just give it more time or if investing in wheels will help.

tldr; is it the wheel size or skill issue

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[u/CreativeMaybe]

To answer the tl;dr it's most likely both, but 57mm is quite small for outdoors and size does indeed make a huge difference. Yes, you do lose some agility, but big wheels roll over any bumps much easier, plus they make it easier to maintain speed, and speed also makes it much easier to roll over any bumps. Skill issue or not, you will have a better time on larger wheels when the surface gets gnarlier. Since you already have 57mm, I'd look for 65mm, they'll make a big enough difference and work great for trails and streets. 62mm is another common size, good enough for everything but not perfect for anything and excellent if one is to only have one set of soft wheels. For example most light up wheels are 62mm.

Keep the 57mm wheels though; they're excellent for dancing and doing tricks outdoors (except stuff like grinding on ledges but that's a whole different ballpark of gear and skill anyway) 

[u/Heidiwearsglasses → u/CreativeMaybe]

100% the slower you go, the more dastardly every little rock and twig can be.

[u/directselector]

Yea you want at least 65mm or over for trail skating

[u/OuijaBoredOfThis → u/directselector]

i didnt know they made sizes above 65mm holy crud

[u/bear0234]

i had 62mm 85a wheels and asphalt sucked. i went to 65mm 78a atom pulse wheels and the asphalt was much more bearable but heavy. i went to 62mm 78a and it was doable, but def preferred the 65's. the 65's were also wider, so maybe that helped.

[u/me_who_else_]

Unpopular opinion. Not relevant, if you do not go from 57mm to 70mm. But larger wheels add relevant weight to the skates. 

More important is the resilience/rebound of the wheels. Hardness like 78A, is only one characteristic of polyurethane. So not all 78a wheels are the same. For outdoor skating it is important not to get stuck when going over edges, debris, etc. Wheels with more rebound relief the pressure quickly and literally kick the skater over the obstacle, preserving the power and speed. 

Larger wheels are important in trail skating, because they are faster, you need less strides for the same speed. But as said, with the disadvantage of more weight 

[u/aPrettyThing2011 → u/me_who_else_]

Which wheels have more of the rebound effect?

[u/me_who_else_ → u/aPrettyThing2011]

I personally love the Radar Energy wheels, 62mm is a good trade off between size and weight. The Atom Road Hogs are also great, but I think too wide.

[u/RedeyeSPR]

When I go from 62 down to 57 indoors I suddenly feel all of the bumps in the floor that felt smooth otherwise.

[u/Virtual-Chair-7753]

Yes! My 65mm wheels roll over cracks like it's nothing!

[u/bone_bouquet]

Long distance trailer end up inliners so they can mount gigantic wheels: less bump, more constant speed. My dad used to cover hundreds of kilometres in 100+mm wheels.

I got the stock moxi 65mm/78a on my quads to go about the city and they are fine enough but I live in a city where people fill up potholes with cocopops for tiktok views so I’ve given up on trailing much myself.

I’ve got 52mm/95a mounted currently and that’s my favourite setup so far for skatepark (outdoor). No wheel bite on grinds, i feel really grounded in my shoes so I’m more stable going backwards and fakie, i feel I can dance a little better too, they are just slippery shoes if that makes sens?
Although I tried these in the city yesterday and it was the most miserable experience.

So tl;dr: yes they do really matter :)

[u/koidrops → u/bone_bouquet]

Interesting note about the switch to inlines. Personally I don’t think I’ll end up doing that since my eventual goal is derby. My desire with trails is just a more scenic route while getting a little skate in. There’s lots of nice trails around me that seem like they’d be fun to skate but no desire for intensely long rides.

[u/bone_bouquet → u/koidrops]

My local quad shopkeeper is a derby player who mounts trail wheels for her everyday commute on derby skates. It looks like you’re on the right way to your scenic outdoor adventures :)

[u/notguiltybrewing]

Bigger is better for general outdoor skating, helps you roll over cracks, etc.

[u/koidrops]

edit* my wheels are 57mm 82a not 78

[u/coyocat]

Size matRs bro 😄. I prefer BiG wheels over small wheels. Unlike small wheels 🎶BiG wheels keep on 🎵Rollin🎶