One of the best things about skateboarding is that everyone can enjoy it. Regardless of your age, gender, build, and riding style, there’s no way you wouldn’t find a perfect skating blueprint for you. However, it’s pretty typical for many, especially beginners, to be clueless about the ideal skateboarding setup for a specific needs or skateboarding place.
With that, let me share top skateboard setups to help you with your skating journey. Here, not only will you get to customize your boards, but you will get to know each component better.
Table of Contents
Best Street Skateboard Setup
Street skating is a mix of simple cruising and some technique. Here’s how to build a skateboard setup for street.
- Wheels – Since you will be dealing with agile movements, your rollers should be responsive. Look for sizes ranging from 50mm to 53mm and hardness at around 97a. Choosing the right wheels provides the right amount of bounce and rolling speed.
- Deck – Narrow decks fit best for street skating. Therefore, you should go for an 8-inch deck. A broader deck can offer more stability, but may not aid your beginner practices, especially when performing tricks.
- Trucks – Let’s classify this component in terms of height. For street skating, use a low pair of trucks. They’ll help you maintain balance better and perform flips more conveniently.
Best Skateboard Setup for Beginners
Beginners should have a good understanding of the ideal skateboards for their levels. Like skateboards for the streets, beginner boards have identical component specifications with the wheels and deck. But let me emphasize more on the safety and maintenance aspects.
- Hardware – Your board’s overall performance does not solely depend on one component. Thus, you need to ensure that even its small parts are durable and complete. With that, list down at least eight 1-inch heavy-duty bolts and riser pads.
- Grip tapes – Having a classic-looking deck is good, but installing a safety layer on top of it does wonders to your rides. Thus, use a grip tape on your deck, preferably at an 80S grit level. This layer isn’t too coarse nor too fine, enough to keep your feet firm on the board.
- Skate tool – Not all brands have a repair tool in their package, thus, you should look for it when getting a new skateboard kit. A T-tool will help you perform some adjustments conveniently.
Best Setups for Skateparks
A skateboard setup for park requires components a bit bigger than the setups mentioned above. Here’s how to achieve it:
- Wheels – All you need is a set of wider rollers. The wheel sizes should go around 54mm to 56mm. And for the hardness level, go for 99a at a minimum. These wheel features help your skateboard adapt more to an agile skating location.
- Deck – A skatepark deck should have a minimum width of 8.25″. This size will stabilize you, especially when riding ramps and pools.
- Bearings – For me, I always choose quality bearings, like Bones or Bronson, because they last longer. And if given regular maintenance and lubrication, they’re less likely to rust in terms of performance.
Best Setups for Cruising
Of course, you don’t always search for some thrill when riding a skateboard. You may want chilling rides now and then, which is why you need to know how to set up a cruiser skateboard.
- Trucks – There is a simple rule when choosing trucks for your skateboard; it should be the same width as your deck. That way, you get to retain balance when gliding on your board.
- Wheels – You may find it too big, but cruiser wheels should be wider than street skates’. These rollers should have sizes ranging from around 56mm to 68mm. Also, your wheels have to be soft enough at 80a. These figures will add some stability when you ride.
Top Setups for Heavy Riders
Heavy people might have once thought that skateboards aren’t for them. The good thing here is skateboard brands learned to innovate components that fit huge skateboarders. Here’s what to check.
- Deck – First, look for at least an 8.5″ width. Take note that the length may not matter as much as the width. Second, it should be durable enough to load someone weighing at least 220lbs.
- Truck system – Bushings play a vital role in managing your weight on the skateboard. First, your trucks have to be of quality material, like aluminum alloy, to counter impact and carry enough load on them.
Second, the bushings should be hard to provide enough bounce. These components should have a hardness level of around 87a to 100a.
Important Notes
Before you head to the store to get your skateboard kit, remember the following:
- Each size range with the wheels, deck, trucks, and any component has a specific purpose
- Take note of your body weight and build to narrow down your options.
- Consider asking other professional skateboarders for tips in case of doubt.
Conclusion
Skateboarding is a continuous journey. It does not stop with a single skill, nor does it end with a simple board. With the top skateboard setups, not only will you achieve your desired rides, but you also get to be more creative about your skateboards. All you have to do is know each skateboard component well and choose the most suitable ones.
Don’t hesitate to leave your questions in the comments section. Enjoy the ride!
Hi, I am Charles Harris. I opened this site to write as much as I can about my biggest passion – skateboarding!
I started as a clumsy yet passionate rookie 10 years ago to now a still passionate yet much better skateboarder! But I have to tell you, the whole journey has always been fun and rewarding, indeed not without hardship.