If you’re gearing up for your next roller derby contest, you must be wondering how to find the best roller derby wheels. It’s because roller wheels play a significant role in the game. How so?
Your wheels will determine how fluidly you’ll roll on the derby track, swishing through your opponent blockers or jammers to finish your laps and get the desired points.
Each turn, friction, rotation per second, etc., of the wheels contribute to your game. Furthermore, the right track surface, wheel materials, body weight, etc., are also some considerable factors behind choosing the right wheels.
If you’re looking for the best roller derby wheels to ace in your next roller derby game, look no further. Read on to find the best five roller derby wheels, including their features, pros & cons, and more.
2 Considerable Factors to Buy Roller Derby Wheels
Before jumping into the list of the best roller derby wheels, you must be equipped with the factors that make the wheels the best for your competition. Those deciding factors are:
- Consider Your Body Weight
As a roller skater, you must consider your body weight to choose the ideal wheels. No matter how amazing your wheels are, your body weight may compromise the balance while riding your skates.
Your body weight determines how your wheels will roll on the derby track with perfect grips. A suitable combo of your body weight and the wheels will give you more confidence while dashing through the roller derby track
But how do you know what your ideal weight is? Actually, there’s no ideal weight limit for roller derby wheels. You just have to try our different wheels to check which one works best for your needs.
As a rule of thumb, you may apply the weight-hardness rule. The more you weigh, the harder the wheels should be.
- Check the Track Surface Condition
Checking the track surface is a vital aspect before choosing the roller derby wheels. It plays an equally crucial role in coordinating with the wheels that roll on it.
More specifically, hard wheels are for slippery surfaces and soft wheels work best with hard surfaces. Softer wheels help in maintaining traction while rolling down a hard derby track. Conversely, you must opt for hard wheels to run smoothly on soft tracks.
Hard wheels may lose grip along the way, but they give your skating wings. On the other hand, softer wheels offer more grip on the surface, making you more balanced during skating on the derby track.
Also Read More: Best Roller Skates for Wide Feet
5 Best Roller Derby Wheels
In this section, we’re going to share the 5 best roller derby wheels for your to choose from:
- Atom Savant Wheels
Atom Savant Wheels are one of the top choices of roller derby players. They love these wheels for their lightweight and fluid movement. The 97A wheels make the product line faster and sturdier.
With Savan wheels, you can literally fly through the derby track on your skates.
Features
- 97A Wheels
- 68 grams each wheel
- 5mm center urethane
- 7mm molded lip
- Nylon core
Pros
- Light and fast wheels
- Strong gripping power during turns
- Best for derby and indoor rink skating
- Available in 4 colors: blue, black, pink, and lavender
Cons
- Not good for outdoor skating
- Bearings not provided with the set
- Radar Halo Wheels
With nearly two years of research and development, Radar Halo Wheels have hit the market hard. They’re becoming favorites among the derby roller skaters.
Halo wheels ensure comfortable feels during riding along with great performance. Its hardness ranges from 84A to 101A durometers.
Features
- Oversized inner and outer hub rings
- H-shaped hub
- 59mm in height
- Controlled grip during turns
Pros
- Faster rolling with string grip
- Controlled stopping power
- Reduced urethane on the edge
- Smaller wheels make easy acceleration
- H-shaped hub is more responsive to turns and stops
- State-of-the-art roller derby wheels
- Available in a wide range of colors
Cons
- Not good for outdoor skating
- Less slip than its former versions
- Atom Juke Wheels
The Juke wheels in the Atom series are getting better and better each year. And no wonder why skaters are in love with these wheels. The Atom Juke wheels come with precision and lightweight. It helps the skater with a control over speed and turns.
Features
- 59mm in height
- 38mm in width
- Nylon hub
- 88A, 91A, 93A, 95A hardness
Pros
- Lightweight core
- Produce fine maneuvering and juking
- Well control over speed
- Good for blocking and jamming during games
- Upgraded urethane with longer durability
- Smooth rolling and and better grip for plow stops
Cons
- None found as per various reviews
- Mota Toxic Roll Wheels
Mota Toxic are versatile wheels that are good for blockers in derby games. If you’re looking for wheels with optimum speed and grip, Mota Toxic are the ones for you. Toxic wheels are lightweight, and available in vibrant colors and various sizes.
Features
- Two sizes: 62X41mm and 59X38mm
- Hardness 93A
- Ball bearings
- Suitable for both indoor and outdoor skating
- Bright colors
Pros
- More stable and gripping wheels
- Good for both outdoor and indoor skating
- Suitable for blockers
- Lightweight
- Available in 5 bright and catchy colors
Cons
- No cons noted yet by the customers
- Atom Boom Wheels
Another addition to the Atom roller derby wheels is the Atom Boom Wheels that are stunning and reliable. Their latest technological advancement called ‘Power Lip’ has made them stand out from the crowd.
Features
- Sizes: 59X38mm and 62X44mm
- High performance hybrid wheels
- Developed urethane for various surfaces
Pros
- Exclusive ‘Power Lip’ technology upgrades wheel speed and agility
- Increased grip and skating power
- Ability to run on different surfaces
- Solid nylon core
- More controlled slide power
Cons
- Easily chippable compared to other wheels brands
- Not suitable for bumpy surfaces
Bottom Line
Roller derby is a competitive and fun game. But to ace in this game, you must be equipped with the right gear. As an avid skater, you must ensure that your skates contain the best wheels for optimum performance.
The five best roller derby wheels we’ve shared in this article must be helpful for you. Now you can check and do further research to determine which roller derby wheels you should buy for your next derby match.
Moreover, make sure to consider the vital factors like body weight and track surface conditions before selecting your skate wheels.
