How to Choose a Skateboard Setup

Building the right skateboard setup comes down to three things: deck size, truck width and wheel choice. Get those three right and everything else is preference. Get them wrong and the board will fight you.

Deck size is the starting point. Deck width is measured in inches across the widest point. Smaller decks (7.5"–8.0") are more responsive and suit technical street skating and smaller riders. Mid-range decks (8.0"–8.5") are the all-round sweet spot — versatile across street, park and transition. Wider decks (8.5"+) offer more stability and suit transition, bowl and vert riding and larger riders. Deck length and wheelbase affect how the board pivots — a shorter wheelbase is snappier, a longer wheelbase is more stable. Your shoe size is a rough guide to deck width: up to size 9 suits decks under 8.0", size 10 and above suits 8.0" and wider.

Truck width should match your deck width — trucks that are too narrow make the board feel tippy, trucks too wide make turning sluggish. Most truck brands spec their widths to correspond to deck sizes. Independent, Thunder, Venture, Tensor and Ace are the major truck brands in our range — each with slightly different turn geometry and weight. Independent is the benchmark against which everything else is measured.

Wheel size and hardness determines how the board rolls and slides. Smaller wheels (50–54mm) are lighter and more responsive for street and technical skating. Larger wheels (55–60mm+) roll faster and handle rough ground better for cruising, transition and bowl. Hardness (durometer) runs from soft (78a–87a, good for rough surfaces, cruising and carving) through to hard (99a–101a+, better for street skating, slides and flat ground). Most street and park setups run 99a–101a. Cruising and transition setups often go slightly softer.

Complete Skateboards vs Custom Builds

A complete skateboard comes pre-built — deck, trucks, wheels, bearings and hardware all assembled and ready to ride. Completes are the right choice for beginners who want to start riding without having to choose every component, and for riders who want a proven setup without the assembly process. We stock quality completes from Anti-Hero, Santa Cruz, Powell Peralta, Baker and more — not department store boards, real skate brand hardware assembled correctly.

A custom build lets you choose each component to match your riding style, size and preferences. If you already skate and know what you like — a specific truck geometry, a preferred wheel hardness, a particular deck brand — a custom build gives you exactly the setup you want. We can help you build the right combination and put it together in store.

The Brands We Carry

• Real Skateboards — one of the most respected deck brands in skateboarding. Frog Skateboards offshoot, team-driven graphics, consistent construction. A benchmark deck brand.
• Anti-Hero — SF street skating culture. Lance Mountain, Julien Stranger, Frank Gerwer. Boards built for the people who actually skate.
• Girl Skateboards — clean aesthetics, technical skating, Mike Carroll and Rick Howard's brand. Consistently one of the most watched rosters in skating.
• Baker Skateboards — Andrew Reynolds's brand. Raw street skating, the Bake & Destroy mentality. Reynolds, Theotis Beasley, Rowan Zorilla.
• Santa Cruz — the original California surf-skate crossover brand, founded 1973. Screaming Hand, Rob Roskopp, the iconic heritage graphics alongside a current team that still skates hard.
• Powell Peralta — Bones Brigade heritage. Caballero, McGill, Hawk era graphics alongside current team boards. Strong deck construction.
• Polar Skate Co — Pontus Alv's Swedish brand. One of the most creatively influential brands in contemporary skateboarding. Distinctive shapes and graphics.
• Welcome Skateboards — independent, creative, shape-focused. Strong in transition and bowl shapes alongside street decks.
• Independent Trucks — the benchmark truck brand since 1978. Stage 11 and 14 geometry. More skaters ride Independent than any other truck brand.
• Spitfire Wheels — the wheel brand of record for street and park skating. Formula Four urethane. The standard against which other wheels are measured.
• Bones Bearings — Reds are the standard budget bearing. Swiss are the upgrade. Speed Cream is the lubricant.

Kids Skateboards

We stock proper kids skateboard setups — not toys, real skate brand hardware in the right size for younger riders. Smaller decks (7.0"–7.5") and appropriately sized trucks for kids under 12. A quality kids complete from a real skate brand is a better investment than a cheap big-box store board that won't last a season. See our kids skateboards collection.

Skateboard FAQ

What size skateboard should I buy? 8.0"–8.25" is the most versatile starting point for most adult riders. Go narrower for technical street skating, wider for transition and bowl. Your shoe size is a rough guide — shoe size 9 and under suits under 8.0", size 10 and above suits 8.0" and wider. Read our skateboard setup guide for the full breakdown.

What trucks should I get? Independent is the benchmark. Match truck axle width to your deck width. Stage 11 for standard geometry, Stage 14 for a slightly lower ride height. Thunder and Venture are strong alternatives at similar price points.

What wheels should I get? For street and park: 52–54mm, 99a–101a. For transition and bowl: 54–58mm, 97a–101a. For cruising and rough ground: 56–60mm, 78a–87a. Spitfire Formula Four for street and park, Bones STF for slick surfaces.

What bearings should I get? Bones Reds are the standard starting point — reliable, affordable, last well when maintained. Bones Swiss are the upgrade. Clean and lubricate bearings regularly with Bones Speed Cream.

Are cheap skateboards worth buying? No. A board from a department store or toy shop uses lower-grade materials — the deck delaminates faster, the trucks are imprecise, the wheels slide unpredictably. A quality complete from a real skate brand costs more upfront and lasts significantly longer with better performance. Buy once, buy right.

Can I try a board in store? Yes — come into our Richmond showroom. We have setups on the floor, staff who skate and can match you to the right complete or help you build a custom setup.

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