Stunt Scooter Wheels
A wheel consists of two parts: the PU (polyurethane, which is the part in contact with the ground) and the core. The two are connected by a rim called the core, the connection between the core and the PU is made in a large oven, they are literally baked. Previously, the cores were made of plastic, but since 2007 they have been almost completely replaced by aluminium cores. Today, plastic cores are only installed on entry-level scooters for cost reasons. Although the ALU core is a little heavier than the plastic one, it is still worth it, because the ALU core can take several additional loads and, due to its slightly higher weight, it is also faster. You can find all our wheels here in the online shop.
Size
The wheels have 4 main sizes: 100mm, 110mm, 120mm and 125mm diameter.
The size of the wheels has an important impact on speed and comfort, the bigger they are, the less effort it takes to gain speed and the roughness (hollows and bumps) are less felt. On the contrary, the smaller they are, the more you gain in precision and lose speed.
But be careful, not all forks and decks are compatible with 110mm or 120mm wheels; most beginner level scooters do not have the characteristics required to accommodate 110mm or 120mm wheels. There are now also 115mm wheels, and even 125mm wheels!
For adult urban scooters, 120mm wheels are mainly used, as the specialized brands on our site fit them as original equipment on most scooters.
12 STANDARD
Creating a Standard that could follow the trends of the scooter industry to offer ever wider parts was a dream that the founders of Ethic have been pursuing for a long time.
As setups get bigger, wider and longer, parts have been overlooked in this process - bearings and axles are always suitable for smaller setups.
This is where Ethic found an area where they can make great improvements. Increase the width of the wheels to 30 mm and accompany them with 12 mm axles and 6001 bearings. This combination makes this scooter setup stronger and more durable.
Cores
There are now two different types of cores on the market, the Fullcore (solid rim) and the Spoked Core (spoke rim). The major difference is that the Spoked Core weighs less than the Fullcore, which would also cause less stability, but this is not proven.
Weight
Since the wheels are placed at the ends of the freestyle scooter, they greatly affect the balance of the scooter. For example, the deck turns much better with a heavy rear wheel, while the platform will be more stable in the air and easier to control with a light one. It always depends on your style, as it almost always does in our sport.
Hardness
The degree of hardness of a wheel is indicated by a number between 0 and 100 and by the letter "A". The higher the number preceding the letter, the harder the PU of the wheel. Scooter wheels generally measure between 85A and 88A.
A hard wheel generally turns faster, has less friction and wear, and wears down the PU less quickly. A soft wheel is softer, more comfortable and offers better grip on the ground.
However, you have to be careful nowadays, because speed depends a lot on the quality of the PU. A wheel with a high quality PU 72A, for example, is faster than a wheel with a low PU 88A.
Quality
Chinese production wheels are far from being of the same quality level as those made in Europe or the United States. Unfortunately, only a few wheels are manufactured outside China. However, production in Western countries is always accompanied by high prices, such as the Proto and TILT brands, manufactured in the United States and considered one of the best wheel brands in the world.
However, it must also be said that some companies can now combine this potential. Production in China, at a reasonable price and with solid quality, stands out with for example BLUNT and FASEN.