5 SKATEBOARD MEASUREMENTS EVERY SKATEBOARDER SHOULD KNOW

Skateboards are relatively simple, but at the same time, there's a lot that goes into them and even the smallest of measurements can make a difference in the way a board works and how you skate.

In this video I go over the basics that every skater should know about their skateboard including their deck size, wheel size and hardness, bearings, trucks, and hardware.

A lot of this is beginner skateboarding information, but there's also some bits in there that a lot of skaters don't know even after skating for years. It's pretty common for beginners to not know what size board/truck/wheels they should skate, but if you've been skating for at least a few months there's a few basic things you should know about your skateboard.

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#skateboarding

[SkateBox]

ay leave a like on the video if you're in quarantine rn lmao 😂👀

[yofithetofi]

One thing that has always driven me nuts, is that regardless of the width of decks, the length is almost always the same. It never made sense to me that a 6’ 6” skater and a 4’ 10” skater all have to choose a deck the same length. It seems logical to change the proportions both ways.

[archimedes]

6 years of skating and I still have no Idea how truck sizes work.

[brendboer]

2:57 I think you're a little confused, soft wheels don't go faster in the park. On rough terrain soft wheels are faster (less energie loss in vibrations) on good flat terrain (like skateparks) hard wheels are faster ( lees energie loss due to the friction between the wheel and the ground).

[aidenshwag]

When I first started skating I bought 100 bearings for 17 dollars but they were roller chair bearings and they barely rolled they would literally explode when I skated quarter pipes and ledges

[brendalg]

I was really interested in the thumbnail and it isn't even discussed in the video.

[wacamac]

also skaters should know how much a gram is

2 months later edit: I did not make this joke, I rephrased it and now I feel bad for how much attention it got, the original Youtuber who made the jokes name is Ben Degros.

[coronitaflotante]

Its a valid argument but really it comes down to preference and if you feel comfortable with the set up

[RubbelisPro]

I remember switching from an 8.25 to a 7.75 and it making a world of difference. I'm 6 foot, so you'd think I'd prefer a wider board, but I found it a lot easier to maneuver and Ollie on a smaller board.

[jramirez]

Every skater knows that no matter how big or small your shoe size is it's all about what you fell more comfortable with

[consecratedcardsofart]

Very good breakdown for those of us new or starting again. I’ve been researching what components will work the best for my four grandchildren (ages 6-13) and myself as an older dude. Your explanation is easy to follow, thorough and you got it done in under eight minutes! Thank you and best wishes in all of your endeavors.

[twizzy]

you left out the best rolling paper brand

[WaechterDerNacht]

Just a few things that are "nice-to know":
- The hardness of the wheels is usually in Shore A (resistance against a hardned steel rod 1.1 - 1.4 mm diameter with a truncated 35° cone, 0.79 mm diameter with an applied mass of 0.822 kg that results in 8.064 N of force) so the hardness of the wheel is one of the few things that is acutally normed.
- Abec number is a acceptec standard for tolerances of industrial bearings. Higher ABEC -classes provide more precision due to lower manufacturing tolerances and therefore bigger speed capabilities. But since it's only tolerances that are set by these numbers it says nothing to the speeds a skateboardwheel could turn. Better just take them out, clean them and regrease them from time to time.
- Investing in "ceramic bearings" often isn't worth it, except you invest in full ceramic bearings, which are f**king expensive. Most "ceramic bearings" you get only have ceramic balls. In combination with a "soft" steel shell it tends to build groves where the ball runs in. This results in a uneven surface and bad rotation of a bearing. In this state you can put it in to the bin. Better take a stainless steel bearing. So the balls and the shell have more or less the same hardness, so they tend not to make such a grove as fast as the half-ceramic bearings. One thing that could destroy your bearings still is having the wrong preload on them. A bearing is made for a specific preload on the shells. This also includes the preload from the side that is made if you tighten the wheel too hard or too soft. My recommendation would be to buy bearings e.g. from SKF, NTN or similar. They are industry standard bearings which often get you more for the price than "skateboard bearings".
- Chances are that if you go to your local metal store you'll get the same screws and nuts for less money.

[ernest]

too bad, i bought a skatboard deck this afternoon and watched the video in the middle of the night. still a great video thanks!

[floridaboy]

Contrary to the belief of street skaters, harder wheels are actually better than soft wheels in transition/park. They let you generate more speed out of pumps, and allow you to slide.

[edthomas]

Ages ago 7.5 and 7.625 was the industry standard. I only rode those sizes. That’s what pros were riding and what the shops were stocking .we talking late 90’s to early 01 02

[argosaraujo]

Another thing to take in consideration is the hardness and the shape of your trucks bushings.
I've switched from conical shaped to barrel shaped and it was a great tweak.
I've gained a lot of performance.
One cool thing about it, is that you can combine bushings with diferent hardness to achieve that extra grip, pop, etc.

[deanclarke]

Y’all don’t listen to that thumbnail like do what feels comfortable to u it doesn’t matter if it’s technically correct or not

[asabass]

It's all about comfort and what terrain you're skating.

[clut_gxd]

(me checking to see if he actually commented “you suck” 😭)