What kind of difference do skateboard wheels make?

What kind of difference do skateboard wheels make?

Tony Alva (Pro Skateboarder) gives expert video advice on: How do I start skateboarding?; How often should I practice skateboarding?; What are some skateboard tricks for beginners? and more...

It depends on what type of terrain for what type of tires you would use. The small ones are usually hard and they're used for streets and street skating because they're small and easy to flip around and kind of do the technical stuff on without them binding up or getting underneath you. The big wheels are usually softer urethane, which is a lower density of the durometer, which is the hardness of the urethane. Big wheels grip the road a little bit better and give you a little bit more control. They also roll really smooth and will have a tendency to gather a lot more speed. My favorite durometer as far as tires and size go is probably anywhere from a 60 to a 65 millimeter and anything from a 90 to a 95 durometer wheel.