Planning on visiting a skate park for the first time or just tired of pushing hard and not gaining any speed? Totally relatable and easy to solve.
The best wheels for skate parks need to have at least a Durometer of 100A+ and preferably a size between 53 and 555mm. Harder wheels will perform well in ramps, bowls and verts because they don’t have as much friction as softer wheels.
I personally skate Bones 56mm in parks, it took some time to get used to them but now I don’t want to get back. I love them so much that I decided to dedicate a post for skaters that want the best performing wheels when riding skate parks. This post is a review of my personal experience using the Bones Skate Park Formula P5.
Contents
Bones Spf p5 Are Truly the Best Skate Park Wheels
I had a fresh set of Bones Super 6 bearings and 58mm 84B Bones Hawk wheels and had no idea I’d been doing it wrong for a long time. I’m the type of skater that really sticks to his material until it needs to be replaced. I used to just stick with what I have and really hated replacing wheels and trucks.
I also don’t like to ride other peoples board and don’t want to give out my own board which sometimes my friends make fun of (and rightfully so, but in a good way).
The wheels are made by Bones (obviously), which is, in my opinion, on of the best skateboard wheels, and are specifically designed for transitions skating. They are part of the Skate Park Formula and you’ll have a hard time finding better wheels. I had some reservations dropping the first time, they looked so gorgeous with a print that almost matches the design of Spitfires, and a pale white color that hurts your eyes.
Such a waste to drop in on my dirty rusty local mini ramp but once I went for it, there was no turning back.
Update: Also consider Spitfire Conical Full wheels, while Bones are super fast. Spitfire provides a better all around wheel!
Performance
Off I went, at nearly the speed of light which I wasn’t prepared for. I almost lost my balance and when I reached the other side, I just had to bail and catch my board. ‘This will take some time to get used to’ I told myself and it took my quite a few sessions before I finally got used to the speed and adjusted my posture and riding style.
I can safely say from anecdotal proof that better material will help you skate better. We all know those cheap Walmart skateboards are horrible but paying for premium wheels also makes a huge difference.
Mainly because of the size and hardness they hardly require you to push, just push gently and without too much effort they will make you go FAST! In fact, the first time dropping in was a scary experience. I was used to immediately push right after dropping in, which is overkill when using the proper wheels and bearings.
Once I got used to them I finally understood that I had been using the wrong wheels for a long time. Hang-ups are so much easier, 50-50 don’t feel sketchy anymore and reverts, I finally felt comfortable doing them!
Durometer (Hardness)
The SPF p5 series are 84 on the Durometer B-scale which is comparable to the (made up) 104A wheels. The Durometer A-scale actually doesn’t go beyond 100 but for marketing purposes, 104A probably sounds better.
Anyway, if you want to learn about stuff like that I’d suggest you dive into my huge skateboard wheels buyers guide. Despite their hardness, I don’t feel like the slide when I don’t want them to, and they don’t seem to flat spot just as Bones claims.
Size
Bones SPF P5’s range from 54mm to 58mm which makes sense. 58mm will give you to most speed and 54mm allows you to still do some tricks on rails and funboxes in the park.
As aforementioned, I don’t have issues getting stuck behind copings, the wheels don’t resist which helps to build up confidence. I guess larger wheels are more forgiving in these circumstances so if you have issues like this, getting the 55mm is a good choice.
In general, people recommend to get risers but I have not experienced wheel bite. I attached a pair of shock pads for extra clearance just to be sure. I usually ride my trucks pretty tight, except when riding bowls.
Grip
I feel pretty comfortable when dropping in from bigger ramps and my vert skater buddy told me he prefers them over spitfires because the have more grip. I actually bought him Spitfires a couple of years ago and asked why he ditched them. His main reason was that they slipped sometimes and you really don’t want that when dropping in from a huge vert.
Bones skate park formula wheels come in a couple of sizes and it’s up to you what you like best. 58mm perform great in bowls, verts, and mini ramps and using the right technique you hardly have to push.
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
You can check for prices at Amazon, here’s an affiliate link in case you don’t have a local skate shop.
Bonus: They Sound Great
I like to do fakie tailslides, it’s just one of those tricks that come naturally. We all have our favorite tricks that your friends just don’t nail it the way you do.
The added bonus is the sound, they squeaky like a rooster with a bad cold and my son always crack up when I slide. I love it, making some noise really adds to the experience. Reverts and slides just give that extra dimension and it may sound stupid, but it feels good!
Looking at the Technical Specs
So Bones has been around for a while and they are pushing the limits of skateboard wheel technology. I posted an article a while ago about how this stuff works so check out the vid there if you’re curious. Anyway, Bones constantly tries to improve their mix of plastic also knows as polyurethane, and they are quite good at it.
Before polyurethane skateboard wheels were invented in the early ’70s by Frank Nasworthy skateboard wheels were made out of steel or clay composite. Anyway, remember that name; on to the specifics!
This is the gist from the Bones website. Their very high-quality SPF p5 urethane is specifically designed to resist flat spotting and they aim for the most durable skateboard wheels. The excel on smooth surfaces and maintain a high rebound for responsiveness, and they are fast.
When going through the specs it is exactly like what I experience myself, so no false claims here. They have high abrasion resistance, and even though they are 84D they don’t feel slippery and flat spots are out of the question.
They may be more expensive than others, but they last for a long time. I bet you go through 3 sets of mini logos before you have to replace them. Just guessing here, they might even last longer. They are the most durable skateboard wheel you can get.
Wrapping Up
I won’t bother you with a list of 40 best skateboard wheels, there’s just no such thing. These are my findings and I’ve been skateboarding for a long time. That doesn’t mean I’m right, personal preference always plays a huge part. I’m riding these wheels for a year now, and they don’t seem to show any signs of cracks, flat spots and perform like day one.
I couldn’t think of better wheels for skateboarders who like to skate transition and if you decide to get them and have a different opinion please let me know.
Don’t forget that bearings also play a big part in performance. If you’re looking for affordable and high-quality bearings, I suggest you check out my bearing recommendations. I use these bearings myself and they haven’t let me down.
Note, this page will get an update soon as I learned a lot more over the years.
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.