Selecting the wheel size

If you are new to inline skating, you will quickly find out that you can find wheel sizes going from 55mm to 125mm. It can be quite confusing also, as certain wheels size are specifically designed for some specialty. The following are the most classic wheel sizes you need to know if you are changing your wheels or selecting your skate based on the wheels size.

Let’s start by presenting the main wheels size you can find on the market going from the smallest sizes to the biggest: 80mm, 90mm, 100mm, 110mm, 125mm. The wheels size is always the measurement in millimeters of the diameter. Now it’s time to tell you the pros of the wheels size and you will be able to find out that the direction will create cons.

A smaller wheel like 80mm or a 90mm will give you more stability because it makes your skate super close to the ground. By lowering your center of gravity it naturally creates more stability which will drastically help your progress when you first start to skate..

“The bigger wheels were a game changer in the racing world. Going on bigger wheels will instantly upgrade your rolling experience and help you to maintain the speed. Bigger wheels are definitely an easy way to improve your time in a marathon, like in Berlin for example.” Bart Swing 

Smaller wheels, like 80mm and 90mm, are easier to manage edge to edge and in drastically increase the manoeuvrability of your skate. It’s a lot of fun to be able to turn quickly and the skate will feel super playful.

The 100mm is the first size which would be considered; Big wheels. 100mm can offer the best compromise between all the aspects of stability, maneuverability, comfort and speed.

The next size up, 110mm wheels, create a feeling in which the rolling experience is upgraded. The bigger the wheels are the easier they will be to maintain your speed. If you like to experience the easy rolling effect, it’s a good size to go for.

The 125mm wheels are the biggest wheels you can find easily on the market. The main advantage of a 125mm is their comfort. It allow you to skate almost all terrain and it also cancels a lot of the vibration you can feel on smaller wheels.

 “Experiencing different size of wheels is a bonus and it will help you to develop different skills on skates. In racing, the rules most of the time will limit your choice based on your age category. In marathon, you still have quite some room to decide and sometimes going on a 4X110mm can be better than focusing on 3X125mm. When you are in your top condition 3x125mm is the best, but if you are a bit out of shape considering going back to 4X110 is an option.” Pascal Briand – Pro speed team manager

Let’s summary those point on a table:

	80mm	90mm	100mm	110mm	125mm
Stability	++	+	+	-	--
Manoeuvrability	++	+	+	-	--
Speed	--	-	+	++	+++
comfort	--	-	+	++	+++

 

In the racing world, the size of the wheel must also follow the rules of the international federation so it’s now a standard that most of national governing bodies are taking into consideration.