9 Best Skateboard Wheels For Rough Roads 2022

If you’ve skateboarded down a rough road then you know how difficult and tiresome it can be. However, you can make it a much more enjoyable ride if you purchase the right set of wheels.

Skateboard wheels come in many different sizes, hardness (durometers), and colors to match your style and needs.

Skating on rugged streets can pose many risks and challenges to most skaters which is why finding the best wheels for rough roads is so crucial. If you want more comfort without compromising your safety and stability, then you’re in luck.

Check out these nine high-performing skateboard wheels.

Ricta Clouds – 52mm, 78A (My Personal Favorite)

Diameter: 52mm

Durometer: 78A

Ricta Clouds are the perfect wheels for rough roads and they are my favorite soft skateboard wheels. They’re small enough to use for any of your regular skateboarding but they’re soft and grippy. 

Obviously they’re not as fast as hard wheels, but they’re extremely smooth and comfortable.

These Ricta’s are made out of high-quality polyurethane. The flexible urethane layer makes it feel like you are hovering over the asphalt. These wheels are amazing for rough roads, streets, outdoor skateparks, and cruising on your skateboard. 

You might sacrifice a small amount of speed, but you’ll gain a wild amount of comfort. Get a set of Ricta Clouds now.

Powell Peralta Bomber III – 60mm, 85A

Diameter: 60mm (You may need riser pads to avoid wheel bite)

Durometer: 85A

The Bomber III’s are some nice, smooth skate wheels. However, because they are 60mm you’re going to need ½ inch riser pads to avoid getting wheel bite. 

The Bomber III by Powell Peralta really is a wheel that you can do anything on. They’re great for cruising, skating at the park, and handle really well on rough surfaces. 

With a durometer of 85A, these wheels are kind of in a perfect place for hardness. They’re soft enough to grip and add comfort without taking away from the speed. There’s a reason that these wheels score 4.7/ 5 stars on Amazon.

Get a set of Powell Peralta Bomber III’s today.

Powell Peralta Rat Bones (Reissue) – 60mm, 90A

Diameter: 60mm (You may need riser pads to avoid wheel bite)

Durometer: 90A

The Rat Bones come in a few different colors. These are another set of skateboard wheels that you’re going to want to get risers for. 

At the same time as they double for cruising wheels that ride right over rocks and flick the rocks right out of your way, they are nice and durable, allowing you to do powerslides.

The Rat Bones reissue wheels are buttery smooth for cruising city streets and sidewalks. If you ever skateboarded in the 1980’s, these are like what you used to ride. They even look retro, like they’re from the 80s.

These are a hybrid of today’s longboard wheels and more modern skateboard wheels.

Get a set of Rat Bones now.

Bigfoot Skateboard Wheels – 53mm, 83A

Diameter: 53mm

Durometer: 83A

The Bigfoot cruising wheels offer a smooth rolling, 83A polyurethane on a typical street-style skateboard wheel. These wheels are fast and quiet, making them ideal for riding the roughest spots. 

Moreover, these wheels are perfect for filmers because of their softness, speed, and quietness.

The 53mm diameter wheel makes it great for skating the street, parks, and bowls. This small, slower wheel gives good stability and is perfect for trick riding. The 83a durometer will allow the wheel to handle rough surfaces well and ensures a smooth ride.

Get a set of Bigfoot Skateboard Wheels now.

Bones Filmers – 52mm, 80A

Diameter: 52mm

Durometer: 80A

Most skateboard wheels are meant for the skatepark, so they’re around 99-100A durometer. Well, if you live in an area with crappy roads, riding a skateboard may feel like dragging a wagon down a gravel road.

These wheels are great for smoothing out rough concrete. My feet don’t go numb from vibrations, and cracks in sidewalks are barely registered.

They’re heavier and grippier than 100A wheels. Ollies and kickflips aren’t terribly affected, but tre flips and tailslides are probably a no-go. I’ve noticed that when I drop my board, it will bounce.

If you want a smooth ride and aren’t trying to do anything more technical than kickflips, I can recommend these easily.

Get a set of Bones Filmers now.

Santa Cruz Slime Balls – 60mm, 78A

Diameter: 60mm (You may need riser pads to avoid wheel bite)

Durometer: 78A

The Santa Cruz Slime Balls are the perfect wheels for a cruiser or longboard, or for just riding around. They come in many bright and cool colors and they’re very high quality polyurethane.

You will most likely need ½ inch riser pads to put these wheels on a regular skateboard. With that in mind, it’s important to know that these are going to be best for a cruising board. You won’t want to do many technical tricks with these wheels.

They’re soft and grippy which makes them underperform on wooden surfaces (indoor skateparks). That being said, they’re going to be amazing on rough roads and concrete parks.

Get a set of Slime Balls now.

OJ Plain Janes – 58mm, 87A

Diameter: 58mm

Durometer: 87A

The 87A soft urethane formula makes OJ Plain Janes the perfect wheels for a cruiser. 

OJ makes the juiciest, highest quality wheels for skateboarding. Whether you’re cruising to the liquor store, skating the park or hitting a grimy street spot, OJ urethane has you covered.

These wheels are super smooth. If you notice any signs of wheel bite, try tightening your trucks slightly or get yourself some ¼ inch riser pads. Considering that these wheels are 58mm you shouldn’t need risers unless you prefer loose trucks.

Get a set of OJ Plain Janes now.

OJ III Mini Super Juice – 55mm, 78A

Diameter: 55mm

Durometer: 78A

The OJ Mini Super Juice is very grippy and extremely soft. It will feel as if you’re gliding when you ride them. 

These will be perfect wheels to use on your cruiser or even your skateboard. With that in mind, you should consider that these will limit you to riding certain surfaces because of how soft and grippy they are.

However, they’re pretty amazing on most types of terrain. Just be careful when riding on wooden surfaces.

I have to say these wheels are amazing. They are like butter smooth cruising. If you pair them with some Bones Super Swiss bearings, you’ll be flying down hills.

Get a set of OJ Mini Super Juice now.

OJ Hot Juice Orange – 60mm, 78A (Longboard Wheels)

Diameter: 60mm (You may need riser pads to avoid wheel bite)

Durometer: 78A

The Hot Juice Orange wheels by OJ are longboard and cruiser wheels. I know. These will be the perfect wheel for camerafolk and filmers. 

You can still use Hot Juice wheels on a regular skateboard but you’re definitely going to need riser pads. 

These wheels will limit your tricks but you’ll be able to fly down hills, remaining stable, confident, and comfortable the entire time. 

Get a set of OJ Hot Juice now.

What Does Durometer Mean?

Durometer measures the hardness of polyurethane. When you hear someone say 90A or 100A durometer, they’re referring to the hardness scale. 

The way it works is the higher the number, the harder the wheel will be. Hardness will increase your speed but decrease your stability and comfort.

The lower the durometer, the softer the wheel will be. Soft wheels are slower because they grip better, but that makes them more stable and more comfortable.

There are also a few different ways to measure a durometer. Sometimes companies will use A, B, D, or du. 

A, D, and du are all the exact same – some companies are just using a different letter.

However, you can rate B on the A scale by adding 20 to the number. 

For instance: 80B equals 100A, a really hard wheel.

Check out this article on soft vs. hard skateboard wheels to learn more about the differences in wheels.