11 Best Skateboard Wheels For Rough Roads (Ultimate Guide)

Whether you’re skating on the road or have just found a sick skate spot with terrible concrete, finding the right wheels for rough roads will make even the worse ground enjoyable to skate. Unlike regular skateboard wheels designed for skateparks or bowls with smooth concrete, rough roads require a softer wheel durometer to absorb vibrations and roll smoothly over cracks.

The ideal skateboard wheel for rough roads is a wheel with a 52-55mm diameter, with a durometer of 85a – 92a. A larger wheel can roll over cracks easier, while a softer durometer will absorb the vibrations from rough ground. With that said, a slightly harder wheel such as 92a is better for tricks.

If you’re unfamiliar with the differences between these wheel specs, don’t worry, I’ll break everything down for you here. That way you’ll feel confident as you look for the right set of wheels for you!

Later in this post, I’ll also share some of my favorite wheels for rough roads after 10+ years of skating to help narrow down your options.

So whether you’re more of a casual cruiser or a technical trick slayer, let’s first talk about what makes the ideal skateboard wheel for rough ground.

What Are The Best Skateboard Wheels For Rough Roads?

There are three main factors to consider when choosing a wheel for this type of skating. These three things are wheel size (aka diameter), wheel hardness (aka durometer), and finally the type of skating you plan to do.

– Wheel Size (Diameter)

The size of your wheel plays a role in how well your wheel can roll over bumps and cracks in the road, along with the speed and acceleration it has.

The average skateboard wheel size for skateparks, for example, is 50mm – 54mm. However, for rough roads, a 50mm wheel would be far too small to deal with a big crack in the cement and would probably stop in its tracks when you hit a rock. That’s why it’s a better idea to opt for a minimum wheel diameter of 52mm for rough roads, but going up to 54mm or 55mm will offer even better performance.

The advantage of a smaller wheel is that it’s lighter and technically more maneuverable for tricks. The downside is that a smaller wheel doesn’t roll as fast with a slower top speed. For many technical skaters this isn’t a huge deal, however, for those who just want to cruise around this becomes a problem.

On the flip side, larger wheels accelerate slower but hold speed much better than a small wheel. For keeping your momentum going, larger wheels are absolutely the way to go. The downside is that larger wheels are heavier and slightly harder to pivot and slide since they typically have a wider contact patch. Although you can still do technical tricks with them, it may take some getting used to.

– Wheel Hardness (Durometer)

The hardness of skateboard wheels is known as the durometer rating. The durometer is typically measured on a 100-point scale known as the A-scale. The closer to 100 the wheel is rated, the harder the wheel will be.

So for example, an 87a wheel will be much softer than a 99a wheel. The “a” beside the durometer rating simply indicates the scale that is being used, which in this case is the A-scale.

It’s important to note that some manufacturers opt to use the B-scale to measure their wheel durometer too. The B-scale is the equivalent of 20-points less than the A-scale, meaning a 79b wheel is the same hardness as a 99a wheel, which is considered relatively hard.

For rough roads, a harder wheel will transfer more vibrations through the board and make your feet feel like they’re falling asleep. That’s where a softer wheel becomes more valuable in this type of terrain since it absorbs those vibrations from the uneven cement and creates an overall smoother ride.

You might be tempted to opt for the softest wheel you can find then, but that’s not a good idea if you plan to do tricks too. With a softer wheel comes more grip since there’s increased friction with the ground. For rotational tricks that extra grip makes it harder to land things if you tend to pivot out of your tricks or powerslide the last bit of the rotation. Rather than your wheels sliding on the ground, they stick like glue.

Because of this extra grip, skaters who want to do tricks on rough cement need to find a balance between hard and soft. I would suggest going with an 87a – 95a wheel depending on how smooth of a ride you’re wanting.

With that said, skaters who aren’t focused on tricks and just want to cruise should opt for the softer wheel durometer for the most comfortable ride. After all, the amount you can pivot a trick doesn’t matter to you as much.

– Consider Your Skating Style To Find The Right Specs

In the previous two sections, you learned the right wheel size and hardness ultimately comes down to what you skate. To make life easy, let’s break it down into three camps of skaters: trick skaters, cruiser skaters, and beginner skaters.

For trick-focused skaters who are focused on flat ground or sessioning street spots, you need a wheel that’s easy to control, but still somewhat soft. That’s why I’d suggest going with a 92a – 95a wheel with a 52mm – 53mm diameter. This type of wheel won’t be buttery smooth on rough roads, but it will be a big improvement compared to your standard skatepark wheel. As for the diameter, a smaller wheel won’t roll as fast, but they’ll be lighter to help make your board slightly easier to pop.

For cruiser skaters who just want to roll around town or casually carve down the street, a softer, larger wheel is the way to go. Since it doesn’t matter how heavy or grippy your wheel is, getting a low durometer such as 78a – 85a is going to give you the smoothest and most comfortable ride. As for wheel size, getting a larger diameter such as 55mm+ will help your board maintain speed and momentum.

Lastly, if you’re a beginner skater, you probably are still trying different types of skating. You might be practicing on the street outside your house, exploring skate spots, riding around town, and even ripping the skatepark. Since you will want a wheel that feels good in just about any situation, I’d suggest a wheel that’s 87a – 92a with a wheel diameter of 53mm – 55mm assuming you’ll primarily be skating rough roads.

With that said, if you’re a beginner skater who plans to spend more time at the skatepark than on rough roads, my other guide on the best wheels for beginners will be better suited for you.

The Best Skateboard Wheels For Rough Roads

1. OJ Plain Jane Keyframes (87a)

Size	52MM	54MM	56MM	58MM
Width (MM)	32	34.86	34.86	34.86
Contact Patch (MM)	19.6	21.63	21.85	21.85
Riser Size (IN)			1/8″	1/4″

The OJ Keyframes are one of my favorite wheels for rough ground since they are soft enough to absorb a lot of vibrations, but still hard enough to do tricks with. Although I don’t enjoy skating these as much at the skatepark, they are awesome when I’m skating outside my house or at a street spot.

These wheels are often considered as the alternative to the Ricta Clouds since they’re slightly softer and therefore more versatile if you also want to cruise. The only downside to these wheels is that since they’re relatively soft at 87a, they don’t hold their speed as well. This is simply because the softer wheel absorbs the ground and limits your momentum over longer distances.

OJ is one of my favorite wheel brands since they’re reasonably priced and durable. If you want a good all-around wheel that can cruise but also works well for practicing tricks, this is a great wheel to consider.

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2. Ricta Clouds Wheels (92a)

Size	52MM	54MM	56MM
Width (MM)	31.8	34	34
Contact Patch (MM)	19.4	18.36	21.5
Riser Size (IN)			1/8″

The Ricta Clouds are one of the most popular soft skateboard wheels since they are incredibly durable, great for tricks, and reasonably smooth on rough roads. Although they have a harder durometer rating, they absorb enough vibrations that it’s a big improvement from your standard 99a skatepark wheel. For street skaters looking for new ledges, rails, and stair sets, these wheels are the ones I would choose.

It’s worth noting that if you plan to primarily cruise or aren’t going to be trick-focused, these wheels aren’t an ideal choice. Since they’re relatively hard, there are other options that will offer a far smoother ride. However, in terms of doing tricks on rough concrete, these wheels give you the best of both worlds.

At first, you may notice these wheels are tackier than you’re used to if you’re coming from a harder wheel. Especially if you skate these at a skatepark, they might feel a bit spongey. With some getting used to, you can still slide and pivot out of tricks relatively easily with these wheels.

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3. OJ Elite Nomads (95a)

Size	53MM	54MM
Width (MM)	30	30
Contact Patch (MM)	18.9	19

At 95a, this wheel is the hardest durometer you should go with for rough roads. Although they aren’t exactly buttery smooth to ride, they offer a more responsive feeling wheel for tricks. That’s why I would only suggest these wheels if you’re focused on flat ground, street skating, or skating a bowl with rough cement.

This wheel slides better than any other softer wheel making it a dream for pivoting tricks on rough ground. These wheels also have OJ’s WTF (Way Too Fast) Formula which rolls noticeably faster than their other wheels made with their standard formula. With that said, considering the size of these wheels, don’t expect them to outpace a larger wheel that’s 55mm+.

The nice thing about these wheels is that they’re hard enough to skate on smooth concrete at the skatepark but still passable on rougher ground. Even for beginner skaters who plan to skate on a variety of ground qualities, these wheels will offer some added grip and stability on smooth concrete too.

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4. Santa Cruz Mini OG Slimes (90a)

Size	54.5MM
Width (MM)	34
Contact Patch (MM)	26

90a wheels are that sweet spot for skating rough roads since they’re a soft wheel but don’t feel too spongey like they’re absorbing your speed. The regular Slime Balls are a classic cruiser style wheel, however, they’re far too soft at 78a. These wheels get you the same type of durability and performance as the original slimeballs, but with a harder durometer.

A unique part about these wheels is their shape, with a slightly more longboard style shape and a wide contact patch. This makes the wheels pretty easy to slide which is a ton of fun to do when just riding around.

Since these wheels are considered medium-soft, they aren’t going to be ideal for skateparks as they’ll feel very slow and unresponsive. Luckily, with rough concrete, the wheels shine by giving you a smooth ride, but still being hard enough to do tricks comfortably. For more technical skating or skating big street features, these wheels aren’t ideal. However, for beginners, basic flat ground, and smaller ledges and rails, these wheels are a lot of fun.

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5. Santa Cruz Slime Balls Snot Rockets (95a)

Size	53MM	54MM
Width (MM)	32	32
Contact Patch (MM)	17	16.5

This version of the slimeballs is a lot harder than the previous, making them even easier to slide. Similar to the OJ Nomads, these wheels aren’t going to be the smoothest wheel on rough roads but will strike a balance between a performance trick-oriented wheel and a soft cruiser wheel.

Since they are considered relatively hard, these wheels are a solid choice if you plan to skate on the road and at the skatepark frequently. These wheels feel reasonably smooth to skate around town with but still roll fast enough at the skatepark without feeling sluggish.

Ultimately if you want a harder wheel that still gets you by on rough roads, this is a more colorful option to consider over the OJ Elite Nomads.

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6. Powell Peralta G-Slides (85a)

Size	56MM	59MM
Width (MM)	38	40
Contact Patch (MM)	31.5	35
Riser Size (IN)	1/8″	1/4″ – 1/2″

The G-Slides are one of the most popular wheels for rough roads since they have multiple hardnesses. The inner portion of the wheel is harder than the outside 85a portion to help the wheel maintain speed on any terrain. They also have Powell Peralta’s Soft Slide Formula (SSF) which makes these wheels super easy to powerslide without reducing their durability.

The downside to this wheel is that it’s only available in larger sizes, making it a bit bulky for technical trick skating. With that said, the 56mm option is passable for transition and bowl skating. Just remember to get a riser so you don’t get wheel bite!

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7. Orbs Pugs Wheels (85a)

Size	52MM	54MM	56MM
Width (MM)	32.2	32.5	32.7
Contact Patch (MM)	19.7	20	19.9
Riser Size (IN)			1/8″

Orbs is a lesser-known wheel brand that has some of the best multi-colored wheels around. The Pugs are one of their best soft skateboard wheels, but at 85a they definitely favor cruising over technical tricks.

If you’re looking for a wheel that you can do slappies with, powerslide, or even casually cruise, this is a solid option to go with. Unlike some of the other softer wheels on this list, these wheels have a plastic bearing bore to improve the response and rebound of the wheel. You can definitely get away with some basic tricks with these wheels, but only if you’re skating strictly on rougher concrete.

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8. Ricta Crystal Cores (95a)

Size	52MM	53MM	54MM
Width (MM)	32.82	33.42	34.04
Contact Patch (MM)	21.18	21.2	21.9

Ricta Crystal Cores are designed with a harder core in the center to help reduce rolling resistance and have an easier time rolling over rough concrete and cracks. Although these are harder wheels at 95a, they still roll smoothly over bumps as a softer wheel would. Just remember that the vibrations won’t be as greatly reduced with this durometer.

These are some of my favorite wheels for general purpose skating since you can comfortably ride them at the skatepark, in the bowl, or in the streets. Regardless of your skill level, these wheels are great for technical tricks and slide nicely for rotational tricks.

Unfortunately, these wheels are definitely not great as a dedicated smooth-riding cruiser wheel. Instead, these are meant specifically for those who want a performance wheel for doing tricks on rough and smooth concrete.

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9. Powell Peralta Oval Dragons (90a)

Size	56MM
Width (MM)	32
Contact Patch (MM)	17.5
Riser Size (IN)	1/8″

Despite the larger diameter of the wheel, a unique feature about it is that it has a narrow contact patch making it easier to slide and pivot tricks. This narrow contact patch is ideal for flat ground but also makes the wheel easy to powerslide with as well. The only downside is that at 56mm, it’s a pretty heavy beast compared to a smaller 53mm wheel for example.

If you don’t mind the larger size, this wheel rips when cruising around town and holds speed well. At 90a it has a pretty smooth ride, but still transfers a bit of vibration on rougher roads.

Being that it’s a narrower wheel, beginner skaters might find it almost too reactive to skate at first. Since it is so easily maneuverable, it’s definitely more suited for an intermediate to advanced skater. Although it’s a bit big for flat ground skating, you can get away with it. For rough-grounded bowl and pool skating, this wheel is smooth and grippy.

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10. Bones ATF Filmers (80a)

Size	54MM	56MM	60MM
Width (MM)	33	34	37
Riser Size (IN)		1/8″	1/4″ – 1/2″

The Bones ATF (All-Terrain Formula) wheels are some of the smoothest and most durable wheels out there. Bones urethane is known to be very flat spot resistant. As someone who has skated a single set of bones wheels for over a year without any flat spots, I can attest to that.

This particular wheel is super soft at 80a, so it feels like butter on even the roughest roads. Since it has a plastic inner core, the rebound is decent and the wheel keeps momentum well even after hitting bumps and cracks.

Unfortunately, 80a is a bit too soft for most skaters to enjoy doing tricks with. That’s why this wheel is better suited for skaters who want a smooth and comfortable ride on bumpier ground, without as much focus on tricks.

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11. Mini Logo A-Cut Wheels (95a)

Size	51MM	52MM	53MM	55MM	56MM	60MM
Width (MM)	30	31	31	32	32	34
Contact Patch (MM)	22.5	21	23	22	19.5	20.5
Riser Size (IN)				1/8″	1/8″	1/4″ – 1/2″

Mini Logo has some of the most affordable wheels on the market making them an ideal choice for beginners looking to try a new set of wheels. This set of A-Cut 95a wheels is a great all-around wheel for both rough roads and the skatepark, so it could be your “one-and-done” wheel.

The A-Cut version of these wheels has a wider contact area and a sidecut profile that locks into grinds surprisingly well. They are also relatively easy to slide on both smooth and rough concrete, but they take a bit more “oomph” to get sliding that harder wheels.

The downside to Mini Logo is that they aren’t the most durable wheels around and don’t take much to flat spot. At 95a these wheels don’t feel ultra-smooth on rough roads but are comfortable enough to get you by. Ultimately these wheels are a solid option if you want to test the waters with a softer wheel that doesn’t break the bank.

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So Which Wheels Should You Choose?

I don’t know about you, but whenever I have a giant list of options in front of me I get analysis paralysis. So if you’re like me and just want a straight answer, let’s make it easy.

If you’re a trick-focused skater who primarily skates stairs, rails, ledges, and flat ground, go for a 52mm – 54mm 92a – 95a wheel. I’d suggest the Ricta Clouds or OJ Elite Nomads in this case.

Now if you’re someone who prefers to cruise around while also popping the occasional trick, opt for a 54mm – 56mm wheel at 87a – 90a. For this, I’d recommend the OJ Plain Jane Keyframes or the Powell Peralta Oval Dragons.

Lastly, if you’re the type of skater who just wants a smooth and buttery ride on even the roughest roads, go for a 56mm+ wheel with a 78a – 85a durometer. The Bones ATF Filmers would be my number one pick from this list for that type of skating.

If you’re still unsure about which skateboard wheels are right for you, check out my other wheel buying guides to narrow down your choices:

• Best skateboard wheels for skateparks
• Best skateboard wheels for bowl & pool skating
• Best skateboard wheels for tricks & street
• Best skateboard wheels for beginners

Happy Shredding!

Brendan 🙂