Coloured Wheels vs White Wheels
No doubt you’ve seen that skateboard wheels can come in some pretty out-there colour combos, while this can be great for aesthetic expression or adding some visual ‘pop’ to your board, but there’s some science beneath the concept that you should be aware of when buying new wheels.
Starting with a little history, the first production skateboards in the 1950’s were made with metal wheels, which quickly showed inefficiencies in the application of the material as the wheels offered little-to-no traction and shock/impact absorption. The 1960’s saw the addition of clay-composite wheels as an alternative, and even though they offered greater traction than metal wheels the softer clay material would deteriorate quite quickly and give a very bumpy ride.
Since the 70’s quality skateboard wheels have been made out of Polyurethane (PU), and although the formulas have remained fairly similar since the 1980’s, PU wheels can be mixed to and Durometer and with any colour (or absence of, in some cases), to meet the needs of any skater in any situation.
White wheels contain the purest mixture of PU, making them the standard and most durable wheels for a skateboard.
Coloured wheels contain dye pigments mixed into the PU, so the colour / effect comes at the slight cost of overall durability.
In a similar vein, clear or translucent wheels can perform better than coloured wheels as there’s generally less colour pigment to add to the urethane.
Whether you’re after a classic tried & true, white PU & graphic set or fancy going a bit LOCO with some coloured swirls, Podium Supply Co. has your new wheels covered.
