No matter what brand of wheels you use for freeriding, wheels make all the difference. The best free-ride longboard wheels can be different for everyone. What is ideal for one rider cannot be suitable for another. The reason is that it depends on your riding style and preferences. Usually, larger decks are ideal for more extensive wheels and smaller wheels for smaller patios.
So, to opt for the best freeride longboard wheels, you should consider all types of specifications, pros, cons, and buying guides.
1. Cult Emperor Longboard Wheels
Cult Emperor is a well-known brand that offers all longboard accessories, including well-performing wheels. Cult Emperor freeride wheels sit halfway between the Creator freeride wheels and Rapture race wheels.
It has wheels that have a freeride shape on a comprehensive and stiff core poured from Cult’s all-new Dopathane. Wheels are tested for months on hills and steep surfaces all over Europe.
Moreover, wheels are featured with less grip and more braking power than the creator brand but must be compatible with Rapture. Wide wheels in a dramatic way. Furthermore, the radiused edges of the wheels keep things smooth once broken in.
Specifications
- Life of the Durometer: 78A
- Diameter: 71mm
- Contact patch: 50.5 mm
- Width: 53mm
- Core placement: offset
Pros
- Durable
- More grippy wheels
- Accelerated
- Better control
Cons
- Not for carving
2. Cloud Ride Longboard Wheels
Lush longboard wheels are one of the best and top-rated options, as they are the excellent version of Lush longboard smoothies with super fun, fresh, and smooth features. It is ideal for dancing, free riding, and cruising as it is a great option to upgrade and great value from a stock sheel on the complete range or for those who wear through wheels fast and slide a lot.
Furthermore, with a 62mm size, they can perform well under a cruiser board as it is manageable because wheelbase would be an issue. If these wheels are set into a dancing setup, the light weight of the reels will enable you to flick and flip to your heart’s content.
This brand has more space for adjusting spacers and risers to offer a smooth and comfortable ride in free riding.
Specifications
- Diameter: 62mm
- Durometer: 78mm
- Width: 46mm
- Contact patch 42mm
Pros
- Durable wheels
- Comfortable ride
- Smooth
- More gripped wheels
Cons
- Not for steep hills
3. Metro Co-Motion Red Wheels
This is another great wheel for the forward-thinking folks at Metro Motion Wheel Company. These wheels feature 70mm /80 durometer motions, specially designed for downhill sliding but equally suitable for freeriding tricks.
The wheel is also featured with a centre set core in the bearing seat, thus allowing the rider to rotate the wheel at the first step of wearing and offering long-lasting life and performance.
Moreover, the riding surfaces on wheels have been stone ground, which means that these wheels are a good option for any situation. You will experience 100% predictability from day one, and sideways will never offer you any feeling of discomfort in any trick or style of longboard riding.
Specifications
- Color: black, white, Pink
- Durometer: 78AA
- Diameter: 70MM
- Position of the core: centre
- Contact patch: 37mm
Pros
- More grip
- Accelerated
- Fast speed
- Lubricated
Cons
- Slightly expensive
4. ROAD RIDER Approved Wheels
Over the years, Road Rider has offered all types of longboard accessories, including wheels for freeriding. So, if you are passionate about freeriding and road riding, these products are for you. These wheels are designed to be faster, highly responsive, and stable on most surfaces. The wheels are designed for high speed with reduced rolling resistance for a smoother ride.
In addition, the wheels are characterized by a center-set square lip design and can be the best option for freeriding if pushed to their limits. Road rider treads are highly performing in all conditions, as the stomper feature is a unique tread pattern for maximum traction without sacrificing durability and speed.
The wheel’s unique shape design is best suited to grip those corners and maintain the ability to throw controlled and long slides.
Specifications
- Diameter: 63 mm
- Width: 34mm
- Hardness: 80A
Pros
- Fast speed
- Highly responsive
- Accelerated
- Easy in sliding
Cons
- Bearings not included
5. White Silver Volante Morgan Wheels
White Silver Volante focuses on longboard wheels, unlike other longboard companies, as they know the importance of well-performing wheels in longboard riding. They might be newer in the game, but the wheels with the most advanced and latest features are no exception. The company makes unique wheels with a superior urethane formula, best used for every longboarding trick.
Moreover, the wheels have perfect grip, control, and a long shelf life. Pro skaters love these wheels because they are the best for every type of longboarding trick and any longboard size. When you cut around corners, Fantastic control and grip are the most apparent features of these wheels.
Specifications
- Diameter: 70mm
- Brand: volante
- Durometer: 82 A
Pros
- Very responsive
- High speed’
- Trusted brand
- Smooth ride
Cons
- Limited warranty
Buying Guide For Free Ride Longboard Wheels
If you plan to get the best longboard wheels for free rides or any other trick, count on some essential aspects that will help you know how far you can go on your longboard. Typically, longboard wheels are made with polyurethane but come in various sizes, durability levels, and colors to suit your riding style.
So, let’s jump into the different considerations when opting for longboard wheels.
Hardness or Durometer
The durometer of a wheel defines the hardness of your wheels. Generally, softer wheels are slower, while harder wheels are faster in terms of speed. Due to the length of the deck, longboard wheels need softer and larger wheels to offer stability and smoothness, in contrast to shortboard wheels, which use rugged and small wheels.
Diameter
Wheel diameter is measured in millimeters; the lower the number, the smaller the wheel. A larger wheel diameter results in a faster ride, while a smaller one leads to a slow ride.
A big wheel with a large diameter will be the best option if you want to commute quickly and smoothly on a longboard. Wheel diameter is also essential to acceleration and how tightly you take turns.
Wheel Shape
When opting for the ideal wheel shape, longboard wheels have many conditions to meet. The longboard wheel’s form is as essential as its durometer and diameter. Planning on an exact wheel shape can significantly differ between catching the perfect turn, advancing, and slipping out during downhill racing.
Well-known wheel shapes include Square-edged, bevelled-edge, and rounded-edged wheels, as each type has pros and cons.
Conclusion
Before getting on any longboard, knowing all about the best brands of longboard wheels, especially if you are a passionate player of free riding, is essential, as they play a crucial role in the riding experience.
Top-rated products include all the best freeride longboard wheels because of their healthy performance, high speed, grip, and control on even rough and uneven surfaces. Ultimately, the right choice of wheels depends on your individual preferences.
FAQs
Do longboard wheels make a difference?
The profile of a longboard wheel plays an important role and makes a massive difference in how it will work in longboarding. Overall, smoothness, predictability, grip feel over rough surfaces, and how the wheels wear are all affected.
What do bigger longboard wheels do?
Larger wheels on the longboard offer more stability, grip, and control in addition to faster speed but are slower to accelerate. A narrower contact patch offers less grip, while a wider contact patch is best for more grip.
Why are longboard wheels soft?
Soft wheels are suitable for rough surfaces and longboards that need a lot of grip to roll easily over pebbles and cracks. These wheels are designed for cruising longboards and smooth rides on uneven surfaces.
