When you’re new to skateboarding picking the right setup might be a challenge, but the truth is it really isn’t that hard. Let’s take a look at what the best skateboard setup for beginners is and why. It doesn’t have to be expensive but if you want something reliable and it’s important to know which parts to pick.
A beginner skateboard setup for should have the following parts:
- A deck between 8.0 and 8.25 inches
- Wheels between 50mm and 54mm
- Wheel hardness between 96A and 99A
- Quality trucks that match the deck’s width
- Hardware, grip tape and optionally a skate tool
I’ll go through the list and explain what you need under different circumstances. How to pick compatible skateboard parts and what to avoid. This guide is meant to help you narrow down your options, not about what parts are the best. In the end, it all comes down to personal preference. Let’s go!
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Contents
What Makes a Good Skateboard
A good skateboard should consist of quality parts for optimal performance. This means:
- A quality maple deck, single pressed from a reputable woodshop
- Trucks that quickly snap back into position, turn properly and can handle impacts.
- Wheels that aren’t too hard and too soft depending on the surface you skate or style you’re after.
- Bushings that match your weight.
- A single pressed maple wood deck from a reputable woodshop.
There are a couple of affordable complete skateboards that are excellent for beginners. You can check them out here.
Single Pressed Skateboard Deck
There are many good decks out there but there are more bad skateboard decks. It’s important to buy one from a reputable woodshop, the brand comes second. Some brands press multiple decks in a single mold at the same time which leads to malformation.
Make sure you buy a single pressed deck, check the description or the website of the board you like. To save you the trouble, here are a couple of brands that get their decks from reputable wood shops:
- WKND
- Thank You
- Creature
- Flip
- Plan B.
- Powell
- Santa Cruz
- Zoo York
There are many more but you need to find out yourself.
If you’re absolutely new to skateboarding I recommend getting an 8.0″ deck, this is about the standard nowadays. If you’re a tall person you could consider something between 8.0″ and 8.5″. Narrow boards are better for technical street skating and wider boards for transition skateboarding.
| Deck size | truck axle width | Bearings | Wheels size | Suggested setup (affiliate links) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.0″ | 139mm | bones reds | 52mm – 54mm /99A | Independent 139 or Thunder 147, Bones or Spitfire Wheels, Bones bearings, and any pro 8.0″ deck you like + griptape |
| 8.25″ | 149mm | bones reds | 52mm – 54mm /99A | Independent 144 or Thunder 148, Bones or Spitfire Wheels, Bones bearings, and any pro 8.25″ deck + griptape |
| 8.5″ | 159mm | bones reds | 52mm – 54mm /99A | Indy 149, Thunder 149, Bones or Spitfire Wheels, Bones bearings, and any pro 8.5″ deck + griptape |
Picking Wheels
In order to get the right skateboard wheels, you need to know what you want to do. Just skate the streets, visit parks or transition skateboarding (like mini ramps, quarters etc).
For street skating, I recommend wheels between 50mm and 54mm. Depending on the surface you skate you can go with a hardness between 96A and 99A. 96A is more forgiving on rougher surfaces and more pleasant to ride. 99A is pretty hard and performs better on slick surfaces like a skate park.
Premium wheel brands to consider:
- Bones
- Spitfire
Budget brands:
- Mini Logo
- Ricta
- Welcome Orbs Specter
If you want to skate transition go for big and hard wheels. Anything between 54mm and 58mm, hardness between 99A and 84B on the durometer scale.
Brands to look for:
- Bones
- Spitfire
Just want to cruise and maybe hop a few curbs? Go with large soft wheels. Anything between 56mm and 63mm should work, make sure you add one quarter riser pads to prevent wheelbite. Hardness should be between 70A and 92A. Softer wheels are great for cruising and higher up the scale you can pull off a few tricks. 80A – 92A for cruising and tricks, 93A to 96A for rougher surfaces and tricks, 97A+ for tricks.
Brands to look for:
- Bones
- OJ’s
- Ricta
- Powell Peralta
- Cloud Ride!
- Orangatang
Not sure what you want to ride? Go with wheels that can handle all sorts of terrain like wheels from the Bones All-Terrain Formula collection.
Beginner Trucks
Trucks are the brain of your skateboard. If you can, don’t cheap out on trucks! Quality trucks can last for years and it would be a waste to replace cheap trucks after a few months.
Make sure that they align with your deck properly, you don’t want them sticking out too much or not being able to see your wheels (carpet riding). I’ll compare deck sizes, trucks and wheels further down this post.
There are some solid brands out there that make quality trucks. Look for Independent, Thunder, Tensor, Venture, Grind King. Cheaper options are, CCS, Mini Logo,
Hardware, Grip Tape & Tools
Don’t forget to get hardware, you want to be able to assemble your new skateboard. You’ll need eight 1″ Philips or 8 1″ Allen bolts. If you want to add riser- or shock pads to make sure the Philips heads match the total size. A one-quarter riser pad needs 1 1/4″ bolts, one-eight riser pads would require 1 1/8″ bolts.
You could also consider a skate tool if you don’t have the proper tools at home. It’s a multitool for skateboarding that has all the stuff you need to maintain your board.
Usually, you get grip tape for free if you buy a complete set. You can also ask if the shop staff wants to apply the grip tape for you if you don’t know how to do this.
Deck Size and Matching Truck Size
Here’s a table that shows you which skateboard deck with and the proper size trucks. Some brands measure the axle width and some the hangar size. Often you’re able to see this in the description of the product. If you’re unsure, just ask customer support or your local skate shop.
Don’t stress about it too much. It doesn’t have to match exactly a bit too wide or a bit too narrow doesn’t really matter.
| Deck width | Axle width | Hangar size |
|---|---|---|
| 7”-7.25” | 6.94” | 109mm |
| 7.5”-7.75” | 7.75” | 129mm |
| 8.0”-8.125” | 8.125” | 139mm |
| 8.25”-8.5” | 8.5” | 149mm |
| 8.75-9.0” | 8.91” | 159mm |
| 9.5-9.75” | 9.3” | 169mm |
Recommended Setup
I can recommend an affordable setup which will last you for a while but first look at some quality components. Remember that you can always swap components around like trucks, wheels, bearings and your deck. Trucks usually last the longest, decks need to be replaced more often (depending on how often and gnarly you skate).
![[CCS] Logo Skateboard Deck Pink 8.00"](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/21rfQTw4KiL._SL160_.jpg)
I picked great parts for a reasonable price. Sure it’s an investment but you get the best (and most durable) trucks, a blank deck, awesome wheels and decent bearings. The Spitfire classic wheels are 54mm and 99A on the durometer scale, which is great for both street and transition.
I think you should decide for yourself which deck you want, any reputable brand will do just make sure it fits the trucks. If you want to save a few bucks, swap them for mini logo wheels. Mini logo wheels aren’t great and tend to flatspot, but you can consider upgrading once you saved some cash.
Independent is one of the best truck brands and can last for years, you could also consider Thunder trucks. Both brands make excellent trucks.
The standard Bones bearings are a bit more expensive than other brands but will last a long time given you maintain them properly. If this setup is too expensive, check my suggestion below.
On a Tight Budget? Consider a Complete
Picking skateboard parts yourself can be pricey. One alternative is buying a complete setup which is often a lot cheaper. The problem is that you won’t get top quality parts and the wheels are usually not the best. With one exception.
If you don’t want to spend more than 80 bucks, consider getting a cheaper complete. CCS offers a high-quality skateboard with decent components. This complete street skateboard is an excellent skateboard for skate parks.
The wheels are fine for a beginner (100A/53mm) and the bearings are of high quality. You get CCS trucks that are durable. You might have to loosen the trucks a bit because the bushings are quite hard.
It feels quite stable and doesn’t make any unexpected movements. Considering its price and the quality components, this is the best complete street skateboard you can get. Check it out on Amazon.
I still think you get the best experience by buying the best stuff available, but this isn’t always feasible. A complete like this is a good alternative, just don’t buy these toy skateboards, they are absolute trash!
| Deck width (Inches) | 8.0″ – 8.49″ | 8.5″ – 8.99″ |
|---|---|---|
| CCS Trucks | 139, 144 | 149, 159 |
| Independent Trucks | 139, 144 | 149, 159 |
| Thunder Trucks | 147, 148 | 149, 151 |
| Tensor Trucks | 5.35, 5.5 | 5.75 |
| Venture Trucks | 5.2 | 5.8 |
If you want better wheels I suggest going for either Bones or Spitfire, more expensive but they last for a very long time.
- Bones SPF for parks skating
- Bones STF for street skating
- Bones ATF for all-around wheels
Conclusion
I hope this guide will give you a bit of a direction in what to look for. It’s a general guide but I tried narrowing down what beginners should look for. Not everybody likes brand X or brand Y, it mainly comes down to what you’re used to. Most online skateboard debates are completely biased and it all comes down to personal preference.
Just don’t overthink this too much, get some quality parts that match together or ask for guidance at your local skate shop. They will love to help you out and love to chat about skateboarding. Consider getting protective gear, you’re more likely to fall when just starting out. You get used to it but some knee pads and a helmet are always recommended.
I’m an aged skateboarder and still shred responsibly. Started skateboarding 25 years ago, peaked in the 2000’s, and still ride to this day. I am a total geek when it comes to skateboard gear, love test to stuff and share my findings.