The Complete Handbook of Skateboard Wheels
For Professionals, Businesses, and Serious Hobbyists Who Demand Practical Knowledge
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
The authoritative reference for selecting, installing, and maintaining skateboard wheels—written for professionals and serious practitioners, not casual shoppers.
About this book
Skateboard wheels are far more than interchangeable commodities. Their diameter, hardness, shape, and bearing tolerance determine how your setup feels, how long it lasts, and whether it's suitable for your specific discipline.
This handbook covers the engineering fundamentals (what makes a wheel turn, why durometer rating matters, how bearing fit affects roll), the full range of specifications and their real-world tradeoffs, how to select wheels for street skating, park riding, cruising, rough terrain, and racing, and step-by-step installation and maintenance procedures. It also covers troubleshooting, brand positioning, maintenance schedules, and concrete business opportunities—from shop operations to private-label sourcing to equipment rental and consulting.
Written for shop owners, technicians, competitive skaters, rental operations, and product resellers, this handbook replaces scattered manufacturer spec sheets and incomplete online guides with practical, unified reference material grounded in how wheels actually perform.
Reader Reviews
Margaret Jones
★★★★★I run a skate shop and was tired of guessing when customers asked why their wheels felt different or chunked up. This handbook actually explains the science—durometer, contact patch, bearing fit—in language that makes sense. I've already used Chapter 3 to rebuild my buying process and Chapter 5 to set up a maintenance schedule. Essential reference.
James Young
★★★★★Solid technical foundation and clearly written, but I wish there was more on racing and downhill setups specifically. The business chapter felt a bit thin for someone actually trying to start a rental operation. Still worth having on the shelf though.
Kimberly Moore
★★★★★Great breakdown of wheel specifications and how they actually affect your ride. Chapter 1 alone cleared up misconceptions I've had for years. My only complaint is that some of the brand positioning info felt a bit dated, but the fundamentals are solid and timeless.
Karen Carter
★★★★★As a competitive skater, I found the physics explanations helpful, but the book leans pretty heavy toward the business/shop operator angle. If you're looking for a performance-focused guide, you might find parts of it less relevant. That said, the troubleshooting section saved me some money.
Ashley Adams
★★★★★I was looking for a one-stop reference instead of hunting through manufacturer PDFs and forum threads, and this delivers. The installation guide in Chapter 4 is exactly the kind of step-by-step I needed, and the maintenance schedule is practical. Highly recommend for anyone running a shop.
Mary Walker
★★★★★Exactly what I needed. I manage a skate rental fleet and was losing money replacing wheels too often. This handbook taught me how wheels actually degrade and gave me a real maintenance protocol. The business chapter on rentals was particularly useful. Well worth it.
Paul Davis
★★★★★Good practical information, but the glossary and FAQ chapters felt a bit rushed compared to the core chapters. Still, if you need to understand wheels beyond marketing specs, this is the right book to own.