This skateboard configurator is a guideline and not hard science. Make sure to read the rest of the article to make an informed decision. In order to get the right setup, you need to think about where and what you want to skate. A cruiser setup requires different parts than a street setup, but it’s not that complicated.
How to use the skateboard configurator:
Depending on your style preference, size preference, and environment you skate most you get different results. You can swap between styles, width, trucks & wheels to see what works best for you.
Pricing really depends on what and where you buy your stuff, this configurator only gives you a couple of suggestions. Any selection you make is supported by a detailed explanation, this way you can make an informed decision. Note it’s still a work in progress and the configurator contains links that might earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you.
- Select your preferred style
- Select your preferred deck width
- Select your preferred trucks
- Select the wheels that go well with your choices
- Send some feedback if you want to help me to improve the tool. (The form will reset!)
- Mail your configuration to your inbox
Step 1. Picking the Right Style
The skateboard builders’ first question is what style you prefer. If you have no idea, select that option. It’s usually a good idea to start with a basic setup like an 8.0″ wide deck, standard trucks (if you’re on a budget, and small wheels between 95a and 99a.
1.1 Street Skating
Street skating is often quite technical so you need a deck around 8.0″ with a mellow to steep concave. A steeper concave will give you more trick control but less stability. Often overlooked but rather important is the wheelbase.
A longer wheelbase will improve stability, and increases the turning radius but you get less pop which is probably most beneficial to beginners. You could also say that taller skaters would benefit more from a longer wheelbase because you can put a bit more distance between your feet.
More experienced skaters that want more pop need a shorter wheelbase. This is less stable, but makes your board turn faster (smaller radius) and more responsive. Just remember than anything between 14.125 and 14.375 is a good choice for technical skating.
You can pick a deck between 7.75″ wide for the smaller skater and max 8.25 if you’re a big guy. A narrow board will be easier to flip compared to a wider board but this also depends on your skill level and personal experience.
You’ll want some quality trucks, many street skaters prefer Thunder Trucks but you got a lot of options here. Get small hard wheels depending on the roughness of the surface. Go with softer wheels if you ride on rough asphalt or are a beginner. It’s easier to control your board on softer wheels.
Recommended setup 8.0″:
- 8.0″ deck
- Thunder 147 / Independent 139 / Venture – 5.2 / Grind King 5.5
- Bones Street Tech Formula / Spitfire Classics or Formula 4
- Bones Reds bearings
- Bones hardcore bushings
Recommended setup 8.25″:
- 8.25″ deck from a reputable brand
- Venture – 5.2 / Thunder 147 / Ace 44 Classic or 03 Low / Indy Stage 11 144
- Bones SPF5 84B between 52 and 54mm or Spitfire F4 99D between 52 and 54mm
- Bones Reds bearings
- Bones hardcore bushings
- Cheaper wheels from a brand such as mini logo is an option but not recommended
1.2 Cruising
If you just want to ride around your local town, campus or urban areas a cruiser is a great choice. Cruisers are great for shorter commutes, very portable and agile. If you want to ride long distances you better pick a longboard. I can’t advise you on longboards because that’s not what this website is about.
You have two options here, either go for a complete or assemble your own custom cruiser.
There are some really great cruisers out there that offer a very comfortable ride, my personal favorite is the Arbor Pilsner, second is the Landyachtz Dinghy. These boards do have a bit of a learning curve and are rather small. A more stable cruiser that’s great for beginners is the Globe Big Blazer.
It really isn’t that hard to build your own cruiser. The most important here is the wheels and bearings. You need soft big wheels, around 60mm and some quality bearings like Bronson Raws.
If you want a stable ride I suggest going with an 8.5″ deck and Independent or Venture trucks. You also need to add some riser pads to prevent the wheels from coming into contact with your deck when you make sharp turns.
I tested a number of wheels that are great for cruising, you can check them out here.
1.3 Cruising and Tricks
If just cruising isn’t enough and you want to learn how to ollie, hop curbs and do a few slappies you need sort of a hybrid cruising/trick setup. This means smaller wheels but a bit harder compared to OJ Super Juice wheels for example.
You have many options when it comes to wheels but be sure to check out OJ wheels or Ricta Clouds. Often these wheels are filmer wheels and not suitable for gnarly stuff but the right ones will get you a long way.
A skateboard for cruising and tricks is a compromise, it won’t excel at any discipline but you can still do tricks and have a comfortable ride. Select this option in the configurator and see what your options are.
Recommended setup:
- 8.5″ deck
- Venture – 5.2 / Indy Stage 11 – 149
- OJ – Super Juice 60MM 78A / Orangatang – Fat Free 65mm 77A
- Bronson Raw Bearings (get 4 spacers separately)
- Riser pads
1.4 Skate Park Setup
This a tough one because it really depends on what you want to do. The safest choice here is to get an 8.0 deck or an 8.25 when you’re a large person. Because skateparks often have hard and smooth surfaces like wood, concrete, and asphalt you need to pick very hard wheels.
On the durometer scale, you should look for wheels between 99A and 104A, or the more accurate B-scale. Bones offers 84B wheels which are perfect for parks. Spitfire Classics or Formula Four wheels are also a great option.
These two brands offer the best wheels on the market. If you don’t have the cash available check for Mini Logo wheels, you can always upgrade once you got the funds available.
Anything between 52mm and 54mm will be great for skate parks. Smaller means you have to push harder and pump harder in ramps and bowls but they do make your board more responsive. Here are two recommended setups, there are more suggestions in the configurator.
Recommended setup 8.0″:
- 8.0″ deck
- Thunder 147 / Ace 33 Classic / Venture – 5.2
- Bones SPF5 84B between 52 and 54mm or Spitfire F4 99D between 52 and 54mm
- Bones Reds bearings
- Bones hardcore bushings
- I don’t recommend this but you can save money and get mini logo wheels
Recommended setup 8.25″:
- 8.25″ deck from a reputable brand
- Venture – 5.2 / Thunder 147 / Ace 44 Classic or 03 Low
- Bones SPF5 84B between 52 and 54mm or Spitfire F4 99D between 52 and 54mm
- Bones Reds bearings
- Bones hardcore bushings
- Cheaper wheels from a brand such as mini logo is an option but not recommended
1.5 Bowl And Pool Skating
This discipline requires a wider board and trucks that offer lots of stability. I think an 8.5″ wide deck hits the sweet spot and trucks like Venture, Independent, and Ace are your best options.
Make sure you don’t ride your trucks too tight, you need to be able to carve. Either get softer bushings (depending on your weight) or loosen the kingpin nut a little until it feels right.
As for wheels, you need bigger and harder wheels. Go for wheels around 56mm and 58mm max, you want ridiculous hard wheels for extra speeds. Check Bones Skate Park Formula 5 wheels, they are super hard (84b) don’t flat spot and really fast. Some better bearings than standard Bones Reds are advised but it’s not required.
Faster bearings just means less pushing but quality wheels are more important. It really depends on your budget, if you’re used to smaller wheels with lesser bearings, it’s going to be a huge change. Takes some time to adjust but in the end, you never want to go back.
Recommended setup 8.5″:
- 8.5″ deck from a reputable brand
- Independent Stage 11 – 149 / Venture trucks – 5.8
- Bones SPF5 84B – 56mm or 58mm
- Spitfire F4 99D – 56mm or 58mm
- Bronson Raw bearings / Bones Super Reds
1.6 Transition Skating
Transition skating is when you want to hit bowls, verts, mini ramps, quarter pipes, basically everything that’s curved. You can either go with a wider setup that offers more balance or a smaller board for the technical stuff. Size depends on preference so I’ll let you decide, an 8.25″ would be a good choice though.
Again you want hard wheels around 56mm or 54mm is you also like to hit the rest of the park occasionally. As for trucks, can’t go wrong with Independent Trucks, Venture Trucks, or Thunder trucks.
Recommended setup 8.0″:
- 8.0″ deck from a reputable brand
- Indy Stage 11 – 139 / Venture – 5.2 / Thunder 147 / Ace 33 Classic
- Bones SPF5 84B between 54 and 56mm
- Spitfire F4 99D between 54 and 56mm
- Bones Reds or Bronson Raw bearings
Recommended setup 8.25″:
- 8.25″ deck from a reputable brand
- Indy Stage 11 – 144 / Venture – 5.2 / Thunder 147 / Ace 44 Classic
- Bones SPF5 84B between 54 and 56mm
- Bones Reds or Bronson Raw bearings
1.7 Mini Ramp
Shredding mini ramps is a ton of fun with the right setups. A dedicated mini ramp setup requires a board of at least 8.25″ wide, or even better 8.5″. You won’t have issues riding a mini ramp on a 7.75″ or 8.9″ but bigger makes the ride more stable and much more enjoyable.
You’ll want trucks that are turny like Independent Stage 11 trucks, Ace trucks, or Venture trucks. Any truck will do but these will get you the most out of mini ramp skateboarding.
Go with hard wheels around 56mm, the hardest you can get so 100A+, 84B, or 99D on the durometer scale. Recommended top wheels are Spitfire Formula Four (99D) and Bones Skate Park Formula 5 (82B).
Recommended setup 8.25″:
- 8.25″ deck from a reputable brand
- Independent Stage 11 – 144
- Venture trucks – 5.6
- Bones SPF5 84B/56mm
- Spitfire F4 99D/56mm
Recommended setup 8.5″:
- 8.5″ deck from a reputable brand
- Independent Stage 11 – 149
- Venture trucks – 5.8
- Bones SPF5 84B/56mm
- Spitfire F4 99D/56mm
1.8 Vert
I think most vert skaters already know what they need but it can’t hurt to dive a bit into this topic. Balance and stability is the most important factor as you will be going fast and there is no room for error. Most Vert skaters ride 8.5″+ decks, large wheels with grippy contact patches and stable, tight trucks. Depending on your
Recommended setup 8.5″:
- 8.5″ deck from a reputable brand
- Independent Stage 11 – 149 or Venture trucks – 5.8
- Bones SPF5 84B/58mm or even bigger
2. Picking the Right Deck Size
There are a lot of misconceptions about deck size. Often websites tell you to pick a deck according to your shoe size but this is just nonsense. As you probably know by now, it’s about personal preference. Let’s have a look at common sizes and less common sizes sometimes truck axles don’t match deck sizes perfectly but this isn’t always necessary.
The only time you should really get a deck that fits your truck is when you grind rails. As long as the difference isn’t too big, an 8.125″ deck, for example, is compatible with for Independent Stage 11 144 trucks, Thunder 147, Ace 33 Classic, or Venture – 5.2.
2.1 Deck size 7.75″
A 7.75 deck is quite small and only a specific type of skater loves to rides these narrow boards. While this size was pretty common in the late 90s and 2000s, nowadays it’s less popular.
These decks are very responsive but don’t offer much stability. Great for the technical skater but even they often prefer a wider deck. Beginners should consider a wider deck, though kids between 11 and 13 won’t have any problems riding a narrow deck.
2.2 Deck Size 8.0″
These days 8.0″ is the standard, it’s a safe choice for almost every discipline. Depending on the concave (steep or mellow) it offers enough stability to get you going. If you are in doubt about size or have no idea, an 8.0″ deck is a perfect choice. You can either go up or down from there once you get the hang of it.
2.3 Deck Size 8.125″
Some people feel like an 8.0 is too small and a 8.25″ is just too wide. This is only after you’ve skated for years and you learned which board fits your personal preference. There aren’t any trucks (yet) for this size so as long as you go with trucks that it an 8.0″ you are fine.
2.4 Deck Size 8.25″
8.25″ is great for transition, park, and mini ramp skating. It provides a bit more balance and many brands offer trucks that fit this size perfectly.
2.5 Deck Size 8.375″
Often used for transition skating and even cruising. This size is for people who can’t get used to an 8.5″ wide deck but want something wider than 8.25″. You also see sizes like 8.41″ or 8.39″, make sure you get trucks that are made for 8.5″ decks.
2.6 Deck Size 8.5″
A deck of 8.5″ is perfect for vert, bowl, pool, mini ramp, and transition skateboarding. Of course there are many street skaters that also sized up over the years and love these boards. It’s also a great size for older beginners or heavy riders because of the stability they offer.
2.8 Deck Size 8.75″+
8.75″ and over is where it gets too wide for street skating. Some love to ride these in bowls because of the flowy feeling and stability and others use them for a custom cruiser setup.
If you just want to ride and eventually flow through parks and bowls, this could be an option. Less choice in trucks and you might have to look at longboard brands like Paris trucks.
3. Choosing the Right Trucks
I already wrote a huge guide about skateboard trucks so you might want to dive in that one first, this will be a shorter version about picking the right skateboard trucks.
Trucks are the soul of a skateboard and I guess they make up for about 80% how your board feels and behaves. There are many truck brands but only a few really stand out, if there’s one thing you should invest in, it’s trucks.
Trucks come in high, mid an lows though nowadays it’s mainly high or low. Low is often better for technical street skating but most skaters won’t really notice a lot of difference.
Another fun fact is that there’s no standard. Some trucks that are described as highs are the same height as other brands mids. It’s confusing, but I wouldn’t really worry about it.
Another thing is weight, some trucks are heavier (Indys) than others (Tensor) but a couple of grams really won’t make you ollie any higher. Don’t buy into that, it’s nonsense.
3.1 Street Trucks
For street skating, you want trucks that can deal with abuse. Grinding curbs will take its toll and the cheaper brands won’t hold out for long. Recommended brands are Thunder Trucks, Venture trucks, Grind King trucks, and even Independent trucks. Most of the time street skaters prefer Thunder trucks.
3.2 Transition Trucks
You need trucks that are carvy like Ace or Independent trucks. Many also prefer Venture or Thunder trucks.
3.3 Mini Ramp & Bowl/Pool Trucks
Independent and Venture are probably the best brands to pick here. Indys are great for this type of discipline but so are Venture trucks because they offer a lot of stability.
Indys are more durable than Ventures but both can last a lifetime if you skate minis or bowls all the time. The bushings might need replacement once every while. You also want to ride your trucks rather loose if you ride bowls in order to improve turning.
3.4 Vert Trucks
Again it’s Independent and Venture, the difference here is that you need to ride your trucks tight to keep your balance. Go for wide trucks and consider replacing the stock bushings. Vert skaters probably already know what they need because it isn’t exactly for beginners.
3.5 Trucks for Cruising
I think any truck will do as long as they snap back into position quickly after making a turn and are a bit wider. Bushings are quite important here so consider replacing the stock bushings for something that matches your weight. Don’t forget to add riser pads if you get big soft wheels (60mm+).
3.6 Trucks for Cruising & Tricks
Again, any brand will do but you want something more reliable when performing tricks. Go for the top brands mentioned and don’t forget to check out Paris trucks. They offer trucks for cruising and street skating.
4. Selecting Wheels
The type of wheel you need depends on what you want to do, your skill level, and the surface you skate. If you want to skate street but the asphalt is really rough you better get some softer wheels. Hard wheels on rough surfaces are very uncomfortable. Lots of noise and vibration which is seriously an issue if you’re a beginner.
4.1 Wheels for Rough Terrain
Street skaters that ride rough asphalt should consider getting wheels around between 80A and 96A, size should be between 52mm and 54mm. Check out OJ, Bones all Terrain or Ricta Clouds. If you’re more into cruising get big soft wheels around 60mm and 78A.
4. Wheels for Street Skating
You want hard wheels of at least 99A on the durometer scale. If your local streets are slick you can safely pick harder wheels like 101A to 104A or 84B. Recommended brands are Bones and Spitfire wheels. Size matters, you want smaller wheels between 52mm and 54mm.
4. Wheels for Mini Ramp/Bowl/Pool
You need speed and grip so get either Bones or Spitfire wheels. I personally recommend Bones because they offer a bit more grip in my opinion. Go for Bones SPF P5, 56mm or 58mm (84B hardness) if you want more speed.
4. Wheels for Skate Parks
Again, Spitfire or bones but you want hard wheels (at least 99A) for speed and the size should be between 52mm and 54mm.
4. Wheels for Cruising
Cruising requires big soft wheels, 78A or 77A is perfect but make sure they are at least 60mm. This will provide a very smooth and stable ride, don’t forget to add riser pads. Recommended brands: OJ, Cloud Ride, Orangatang. Check out some cruiser wheels I tested to get a better idea of what you need.
4. Wheels for Cruising and tricks
You need wheels that are not too big and not too small, the same goes for the durometer. As I said, the wheels will be a trade-off. Not great for tricks and not great for cruising. Don’t go bigger than 58mm and make sure the durometer is between 8oA and 92A.
5. Bearings
I almost forgot but this is pretty straight forwards, standard Bones Reds are fine for most skateboard setup. The only time when you want higher quality bearings is if you want to cruise or bomb the hills. Get Bronson Raws for cruising, ceramics for extreme speeds and just Bones Reds for everything else.
6. Bushings (optional)
Not everyone is a fan of the stock bushings on trucks and ideally, you want bushings that match your weight. I’m going to keep this short, for all the details you should check out my bushings guide. Here’s a weight guide to help you on your way, also consider Bones Hardcore bushings (they are awesome).
| Weight (lbs) | Weight (kg) | Flexible | Medium | Hard (stiff) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 – 100 | 22.5 – 45 | 65a | 78a | 81a |
| 75 – 125 | 34 – 56 | 80a | 83a | 85a |
| 100 – 145 | 45 – 66 | 85a | 87a | 88a |
| 125 – 175 | 56 – 79 | 88a | 90a | 93a |
| 145 – 195 | 66 – 88.5 | 90a | 93a | 94a |
| 175 – 220+ | 79 – 100+ | 91a | 93a | 100a |
Frequently Asked Questions
To end this article I want to address a few questions that get asked a lot. I think the best advice I can give is not to overthink things, especially as a beginner.
Does Griptape Matter?
it really doesn’t matter, go with whatever. You might want to sand it down a little if it feels to grippy at first.
Heavy Riders Over 230LBS
If you are a bigger person or a bit fat a wider board might be a good idea. You can still get an 8.0 but wider boards will help you keep your balance.
If you worry about breaking your deck you for a deck that has some extra reinforcements to prevent it from snapping. Think of Powell Peralta Flight Decks, Dwindle Impact, or the unbreakable Lithe Slate 3.
If you just want to ride and aren’t planning on doing flips or 3-stairs ollies go with any size you prefer. Your deck won’t succumb under your weight by just riding it.
Does Shoe Size Matter?
I really don’t get why so many websites take this into consideration, IMO they are parroting each other because it really doesn’t matter unless you have feet like Shaq. I know tall skaters with large feet that skate 7.75 decks and short people with small feet who ride 8.5″.
Does my Height Matter?
No! Again this is another example of people writing about skateboarding but not actually know their stuff. It’s all personal preference and it will take some time before you will find your ideal skateboard size/length. Beginners should absolutely not worry about this stuff
High tier woodshops
- P.S. Stix
- BBS
- Pennswood
- South Central
- Chapman
- Watson
How Long Does it Take to Learn Skateboarding?
This depends on how often, how long, and where you skate. Some learn faster than others. In order to speed things up you really need to stick to the basics. Knowing how a skateboard behaves and knowing how to ride will give you a great advantage. Don’t go popping ollies right away, learn how to ride first and the rest will follow.
Do You Really Need A kid Sized Skateboard?
No, but it makes learning to control a board a bit easier. Kids adjust though, they just bend their knees in an almost crouch like position. Kids can learn to skateboard on any type of board, just make sure you buy something that is safe.
Conclusion
Here’s a summary of this post in bullet points:
- Cruising requires big soft wheels, a wider deck, and turny trucks. You could also go for a dedicated cruiser.
- Street style is the more technical part of skateboarding, smaller wheels and a smaller deck are generally advised.
- Vert are those scary half-pipes, you need a wide deck, tight trucks, and large hard wheels. Quality bearings are needed to keep your speed.
- Bowl and pool also require wider decks and large wheels but more turny trucks.
- Mini ramp requires a bit wider deck but you can also do this on a street setup. Bigger wheels help to keep momentum and speed and decent bearings.
- Transition is a bit of a combination of park styles so 54mm wheels and a deck between 8.0 and 8.5 will do.
- Cruising and tricks require wheels that are a bit softer but not too bouncy, any deck will do as long as you pick the right wheels.
- If you only plan on visiting skate parks go for a deck between 7.75 and 8.25 with hard wheels.
- If you have no idea what to pick go for a generic setup. Select the option to get a couple of suggestions.