The majority of people who ride skateboards or longboards will want to increase their speed, and increase the stunts they perform on their boards as their skill level increases.
The shark wheels have the ability to increase your speed, to reduce friction, to make sliding easier to do, to make the board function on all terrains, and more.
People who have not had the pleasure of experiencing the differences that wheels can make on their skateboards generally want to know what to expect from these wheels. We asked our experts to write up a shark wheels review that would explain to people what the different types of shark wheels could be expected to do for them.
Top 5 Shark Wheels Review
1. Shark Sidewinder Wheels
The factory wheels that come on a skateboard or a longboard do not provide the rider with the ability to ride over rough terrain and maintain the ultimate amount of control.
The shark sidewinder longboard wheels do allow you to ride over the roughest terrain and still maintain excellent control and balance.
The factory wheels that are standard on skateboards and longboards will need to be replaced fifteen percent quicker than these shark wheels will, so this wheel will save you money.
If you are a freestyle rider and you like to slide using your longboard then you will find that these wheels deliver more slide control than traditional wheels, and more than most other shark wheels.
2. Shark Mako Wheels
If you are looking for speed and agility while you are riding your longboard then you want to switch those factory wheels for the shark mako longboard wheels.
The wheel is sine wave shaped so they have been designed to increase speed and to increase the ability of the longboard rider to perform perfect slides.
For the riders who simply like to cruise around on their boards, and are not interested in tricks, stunts, or amazing speed, this wheel will smooth out your ride. They are designed to allow you to go over rough terrain and this helps them to go over cracks and bumps on the road so efficiently that you will hardly notice any rough patches on the road surface.
3. ABEC 9 Shiver Bearings
This longboard cruiser wheels come with built in spacers and speed rings. These amazing wheels will increase the speed at which you can travel and they will last longer than any factory wheel before needing to be replaced.
Because this has multiple center points while traditional round wheels have one center point.
This wheel is flat on six sides and surprisingly they provide the smoothest ride possible. You will never know that they are flat, and you will be able to travel through water, over pebbles, and all other manners of rough terrain just as easily as rolling over smooth pavement.
4. Shark Wheels California Roll
These wheels have a wider width than most factory wheels but they provide less friction so you are able to travel at higher rates of speed.
They are designed with a sine wave pattern that allows a thin contact patch of the wheel to be in contact with the ground so there is less friction and resistance.
When you are riding through loose dirt or through water you will not have to worry about losing control of your board or hydroplaning. This wheel provides a superior lateral grip and a safer and smoother ride than any ordinary round wheel can provide.
5. Shark Wheel Sidewinder
This wheel has a unique alternating pattern to them. This pattern allows the wheels to travel over rough terrain and channel liquid, sand and gravel out and away from the surface of the wheel.
This channeling helps you to have a reduced possibility of hydroplaning or accidents caused by road debris.
They are perfect to use on longboards with larger decks like the ones with pin-tails and drop-through longboards. They provide excellent traction so you have more control over your board, and they make your board go fast!
Shark Wheels VS Regular Wheels
Your longboard wheels are a key component of your board. The wheels make a difference in how fast the longboard can travel, the tricks or stunts that can be performed on the board, the terrain the board can be rode on, and your safety and stability while riding.
Let’s take a look at the two basic types of wheels to see which ones are perfect for your boarding needs.
Regular Wheels
- The regular wheels are round
- Pose a falling threat to rider if there is water on the pavement, or if there is ice on the pavement
. - Does not grip the road surface well
- Have a tendency to become worn and bumpy
Shark Wheels
- Allow you to travel faster
- Allow you to travel through water without hydroplaning
- Allows you to travel through sand and pebbles by channeling the loose materials away from the wheels
- Provide greater amounts of traction
- Last 15% longer than factory wheels
- Do not cone
Shark Wheels Buying Guide
Wheel Diameter
The wheel diameter will make a huge difference in the way the riders, how fast it can go, how stable it is to ride on, and what terrain it can cover. Both traditional round and shark wheels are measured in millimeters (mm).
The smaller wheels are generally slower while larger wheels generally allow you to travel faster. The diameter of the wheels will also play a part in how quickly you can accelerate and how sharply you can turn your board.
Wheel durometer
Wheel durometer is in reference to how hard the wheels are. There is a durometer A scale and a durometer B scale. The durometer A scale goes from 1 to 100 and the lower numbers on the scale represent softer materials while the higher numbers indicate harder wheels.
The durometer B scale will give a number that is 20 points lower than what the A scale would assign to the same wheel. So when you see a wheel that is 60b you will know that if it were measured on the A scale it would be a 80a.
Components of Shark Wheels
These wheels is comprised of three dimensional sine waves so they are not round like traditional wheels.
Shark Wheels Performance
The unique design of the shark wheels allows to travel over rough terrain with the same agility and stability that you would expect from regular wheels on smooth pavement. The wheels design allows the wheel to channel loose materials and sand, or water, away from the wheel so the board can move across the area smoothly.
Shark wheels are designed to make less contact with the road surface so they do not create the same resistance that regular wheels do. This means an increased amount of speed from the wheels.
Shark wheels last on average about 15% longer than traditional round. This means you will replace your wheels less often so you will save money.
Downhill Performance
The downhill performance of shark wheels is amazing. The design of the wheels allow them to propel the board at higher rates of speed while retaining the stability you need to be able to stay upright on the board and not have any accidents. These wheels are by far the fastest wheels for downhill longboard riding.
Sliding Performance
Shark wheels are very effective at sliding longboard you have to learn how to make the wheels of the longboard lose traction so you can turn the board sideways while it is in motion.
Shark wheels are perfect for sliding because a smaller amount of the wheels makes contact with the ground so they have a smaller amount of traction to begin with. With the shark wheels you can easily slide the board sideways while you are traveling.
Advantage of Shark Wheel
You will benefit from these wheels if you simply like to cruise from one place to another, but you will benefit even more if you like speed or like to slide.
More control
When you are trying to slide with regular wheels you have to reduce the friction of the wheel to make the board turn and the wheels stops its normal revolution. The shark wheel continues to turn in the same manner during the slide so you immediately regain the same control over the board once the slide is complete.
Shark wheels are designed to move loose materials like sand and gravel instead of simply traveling over them. The layers of the wheels create channels that push the sand, water, gravel, and loose debris out of the way of the wheel so the board can roll smoothly.
Longer lasting
The shark wheels have different load bearing points and focus points so they tend to last between fifteen and twenty percent longer than traditional round wheels do. A regular wheel does not have a defined point of contact and has one load bearing pont, but the these have multiple points where they make contact with the road surface and their load bearing points are multiplied as well.
This allows the wheels to make less surface contact so they have less wear on the materials they are crafted from.
Faster ride
Shape of these wheels and materials used to have a reduced amount of friction when they are rolling so they allow the rider to go faster on their longboards.
Performance in the rain
These wheels is not round. It is made with three strips that create a wavy pattern while it is in contact with any surface. That wavy pattern allows it to channel water away from the wheels so there is a much lower chance of hydroplaning while you are riding through water.
Lighter weight
The wheels require about fifteen percent fewer materials to craft so they weigh less than the traditional wheel. The weight of the wheels has an overall effect on the speed of the longboard.
No coning
Over time a regular round wheel will begin to “cone” because they will wear down in an uneven pattern. When wheels do this they no longer roll smoothly and you simply have to buy new wheels. The Shark wheels design makes it virtually impossible for these wheels to cone.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What Are the Benefits of Shark Wheel?
These wheels create less friction, they do not cone, they allow your board to roll faster, they stop hydroplaning, they travel over rough terrain effortlessly, they give you more control of your board, they last longer than traditional wheels, they are lighter than traditional wheels
Q: Why you should buy Shark Wheel?
There are several reasons why you should buy shark wheels for you longboard. If you are a cruiser you will get a smoother ride from the wheels. If you like downhill longboarding then you will get a faster ride while maintaining better control of the board.
If you like to slide you will be able to slide with ease and maintain excellent control of the board. If you like to get a good return on your investment you want the shark wheels because they last longer and perform better.
Q: Are shark wheel good for sliding?
To slide you have to reduce the friction between the wheel and the road surface. Shark wheels create less friction so they are the optimum wheel for use in sliding.
Q: Can I put shark wheel on a penny board?
Yes. Shark wheels are fantastic on penny boards.
Conclusions
When you see the odd shape of the shark wheel you will automatically assume that these wheels cannot function adequately. They appear square, they have flat sides and this will tell you that logically these wheels should not be able to provide you with a smooth or fast ride.
When you read review of shark wheels, expert longboard riders tell you that these wheels are the best, the fastest wheels, that they are long lasting and safe. The only way you are really going to know just how amazing wheels are is to try out a pair.