9 Best Longboard Wheels for Cruising

When it comes to longboarding, the type of wheels that you are using will have an immense impact on your overall experience.

In this guide, we’ll be focusing on the best longboard wheels for cruising. Aside from the list of the best options, we’ll also do a brief buying guide so that you can get a better understanding of the issue.

Here’s a summarized version of our choices:

Model	Type / Features	Rating	Price
Sector 9 Nine Ball	– 78A Top Shelf Urethane, – 38 mm contact patch, – Center set core		Check Here
Orangatang in Heat	– Available in 77A, 80A, 83A and 86A – 75 mm diameter, – High strength, high stiffness core		Check Here
Orangatang Caguama	– Available in 77A, 80A, 83A and 86A – 85 mm diameter, – Loaded Jehu V2 bearings		Check Here
Shark Wheel Sidewinder	– 78A durometer, – 60 mm diameter, – Sine wave pattern design		Check Here

Whatever is that you’re aiming for, you always need to find the most suitable wheels for the occasion. Unfortunately, many longboard manufacturers don’t always care about an individual rider’s preferences. This is why some stock wheels are kind of a letdown for many riders.

1. Sector 9 Nine Ball

Sector 9 is a company that’s pretty well-known at this point for its quality longboards and other appropriating gear and components. So it’s not a wonder that they’re popping up in pretty much every longboard-related rundown.

For this little rundown, we are including Sector 9’s Nine Ball wheels.

We are looking at the 70 mm wheel diameter, along with the 78A durometer.

This is a relatively softer configuration, making those longer cruise rides more enjoyable and comfortable.

The contact patch is at about 38 mm, and we also have a center-set core.

In essence, all of these properties make them a pretty solid choice for those who are looking for the best cruising wheels.

Overall, they’re a pretty good deal for the money. The one downside that we’d mention is that they might be a bit too rough on some sidewalks. But if we’re talking about standard asphalt and regular roads, these will turn your ride into smooth sailing.

Advantages and disadvantages:

Sector 9 Nine Ball 70Mm 78A

4.7

Softer configuration, making those longer cruise rides more enjoyable and comfortable.

Pros:

• 78A Top Shelf Urethane
• Center-set core
• 38mm contact patch

Check Price Here

2. Orangatang In Heat

Orangatang is a company that specializes in making longboard wheels. And so far, they’ve been getting mostly positive reviews by longboard riders.

Their focus is on simplicity, great quality, and specific aesthetics and design.

You could say that these wheels look like something flashy from the 1990s.

Anyhow, for the list of cruising wheels, we have theirs In Heat series.

So let’s start with the basics. These are wheels that are 75 mm in diameter.

Now, their width is significantly bigger compared to the previous product. We have 56 mm as well as the same size for the contact patch.

As far as the durometer goes, there are three versions – 77A, 80A, 83A, and 86A. As you can see, there’s a variety of choices here, but it’s a better idea to focus on softer models.

When it comes to the urethane formula, we have the happy thane on our hands here. It has that “buttery” smoothness to it, yet it provides enough grip on different surfaces.

Overall, these are balanced and fast, definitely a good addition in case you’re coming up with your new cruising setup.

Advantages and disadvantages

Orangatang in Heat 75 mm Cruising Wheels

4.8

56 mm as well as the same size for the contact patch

Pros:

• Strong supportive core
• Urethane formula
• Fast and Balanced

Check Price Here

3. Big Boy 70 mm Gel Solid Skateboard Wheels

Going deeper into the world of cruising longboard wheels, we’d also like to think of some budget options you might want to consider.

Of course, this is a bit of a slippery slope, as many can be misled into buying cheaper stuff, and then end up buying something new not long after.

However, if you’re on a budget and just can’t, or won’t, look into anything mid or high price level, then the Big Boy 70 mm wheels can be a good option for you.

What’s more, along with four of these simple wheels, you will get all the bearings and spacers as well.

Generally speaking, these Big Boy 70 mm Gel Solid wheels are intended for multiple different purposes.

They’re intended for general cruising, downhill rides, and other purposes.

However, we’d argue that they’re most suitable for cruising.

To be fair, they’re not the super-quality ones but are more than a good solution if you don’t feel like spending a lot and just need something to do the job right.

Other than that, you’ll probably need to invest a bit more.

Advantages and disadvantages:

Big Boy 70mm Gel Solid Wheels

4.4

If you're on a budget the Big Boy 70 mm wheels can be a good option for you

Pros:

• Cheap yet quite reliable for this price level
• Multi-purpose wheels
• It also comes with spacers and bearings

Check Price Here

4. Blood Orange Liam Morgan Pro

Now going over to some of the mid-level price gear, we decided to include one of Blood Orange’s products.

Once again we have a company that specializes in longboard wheels and has been making some good stuff for quite a while now.

The one particular set of wheels that we’re interested in is the Liam Morgan Pro. Since they bear the name of one of the most famous longboarders, then they’re by all means worth checking out, right?

Going into these signature wheel series, there are three basic models here.

There are 60 mm, 65 mm, as well as 70 mm diameter options. All three of these can be used for regular cruising purposes. However, we’d mostly recommend the 70-millimeter version for this purpose. This one also comes in handy for downhill rides.

The contact surface is a bit of a narrower one, with only 32 mm. The offset is at the 2.5 mm mark.

As far as the material composition goes, we have the so-called Liam Morgan Formula or LMF. This particular formula is intended for many different purposes or settings.

Advantages and disadvantages:

Blood Orange Morgan Pro Series Longboard Wheel

4.8

The Liam Morgan Formula has a granular feel that reacts to the pavement you are riding, allowing for rider friendly controllable slides with predictable hookups

Pros:

• 82A Durometer
• 2.5mm Offset
• 32mm contact

Check Price Here

5. Orangatang Caguama 85 mm Longboard Wheels for Cruising

Since they have such a great reputation for their different longboard wheels, there’s no way not to include at least one more Orangatang product on this list.

So up next, we’re including their Caguma 85 mm wheels.

But first, we need to note that these are a bit more expensive, going over into the higher-end price level.

Nonetheless, the price is pretty much justified.

Their main purpose is for cruising, but you’ll see these wheels in some other settings as well as they’re pretty versatile. What’s more, they are often used for eBoards and regular skateboards.

Going over to their main features, the Caguma wheels are designed to be smooth on almost any type of surface where you can ride.

With them, you don’t need to worry about some of the weird sidewalks or uneven roads.

This is also due to a wide contact patch which is 56 mm.

For this model, Orangatang uses the Happy Thane formula, which combines great grip and smooth rides.

You’ll be able to achieve higher speeds and still have a very comfortable cruise.

In addition to all this, they’re pretty much very durable. These wheels also come in three different durometer versions – 77A, 80A, and 83A.

Advantages and disadvantages:

Orangatang Caguama 85mm Longboard Wheels

4.8

Voluptuous urethane (proportionate in all the right places) for high speed with grip, comfort, and momentum

Pros:

• Fast and Comfortable
• Urethane Formula
• Functional Design

Check Price Here

6. Shark Wheel Sidewinder

Maybe it’s not a priority, but some might prefer to have a set of aesthetically pleasing wheels.

After all, looking unique is all part of the game as well. We’re pretty much certain that everyone will be turning their heads for these.

But, of course, we’re mostly interested in features and performance.

After all, we need something that will provide awesome cruise rides. So if you’ve been into longboards at least for a while, you’ve likely heard of Shark Wheel.

They specialize in making rather unusual wheels. We know that it might sound crazy to some, but they don’t rely on the conventional round shapes.

Instead, their wheels have a few interlocking rings of square and spherical shapes. Not to get too much into physics, but the resulting performance brings a very unique experience. Although they haven’t been around for a long time, they’re still pretty popular.

Combining these unique shapes with the high-rebound polyurethane material, you’ll be able to go over pretty much anything along the way.

The 78A durometer also provides a very soft ride and is capable of absorbing shock.

So these are fast, versatile, very comfortable, and look great. What more would you need?

Advantages and disadvantages:

Shark Wheel 70mm 78a Longboard Wheels

4.7

The wheels with a few interlocking rings of square and spherical shapes

Pros:

• Great deal for the price
• Unique design
• Very versatile

Check Price Here

7. Cal 7 97mm

Now, here we have another great option for those who love the larger diameter wheels. Cal 7 might not be as flashy and high-end as some other products listed here, but they’re still well worth the price. These wheels have a 97-millimeter diameter. To add to this, they’re 52 millimeters wide and have a contact surface of 47 millimeters. So that’s all pretty big and wide. And this is exactly why they can be a great choice for cruises. And they’re also relatively soft, with the durometer sitting at 78A.

Going over to other features, we also have 19.05mm PU depth and 44.45mm center-set hub. With these wheels, you’ll also get al the bearings and spacers.

Similarly to Big Boy 70 mm wheels that we mentioned, the Cal 7 aren’t exactly the most prestigious wheels. At the same time, they aren’t exactly the most versatile ones either, so don’t get your hopes up too high for these. However, they’re still more than great for the price level. We’d advise checking these out if you’re operating on a budget.

Advantages and disadvantages:

Cal 7 97mm 78A Longboard Wheels

4.7

The Cal 7 97mm Wheels offers a quality wheel for your street deck to keep the ride smooth and easy

Pros:

• 97x52mm PU wheels (4 pack)
• 78A durometer
• 44.45mm center-set hub

Check Price Here

 8. Bigfoot Cored Classics

Bigfoot is another company we can’t avoid mentioning on this list, as they’ve been making some great stuff over the past years. One of their good solutions for cruising is the company’s Cored Classics series. While some are satisfied with their Mountain Cruisers, Cored Classics offer larger diameters.

Here we have three options. The smallest one is 83 mm, and the medium one is at 90 mm. However, the big surprise comes with the largest version that is at the 97 mm mark. If you want to go big and don’t care about anything else, then you just can’t go wrong with Bigfoot’s Cored Classics.

But aside from the diameter of almost 10 centimeters, these wheels are pretty soft, with the durometer at 78A.

So aside from cruising, these wheels can also be a pretty great option for downhill rides.

They also feature a center-set core, making them very easy to control in both downhill and cruising rides.

They also come in a few different color options. Their design might not be that flashy and aesthetically pleasing, but the main focus here is on the performance.

Advantages and disadvantages:

Bigfoot Cored Classics Longboard Wheels

4.4

These wheels are especially good for drop trough and drop down shapes when you need extra clearance

Pros:

• Grip, roll, and slide-ability
• Designed for the intense downhill riders
• One of the biggest longboard wheels

Check Price Here

9. Fireball Beast 76mm

Lastly, we would also like to include one set of wheels by Fireball called Beast.

They make plenty of great skateboards and additional hardware, so there’s no doubt that these wheels are worth checking out. This is the company’s first-ever wheel series.

So the Fireball Beast wheels have a diameter of 76 millimeters and an offset core with fat lips.

This kind of design offers enough grip on surfaces, especially when carving or cornering.

Now, what’s unusual is that these are harder wheels, with three durometer rating versions – 81A, 84A, and 87A.

Nonetheless, they have enough urethane compared to the core size, which results in smoother performance. Their width is 65 mm, but the contact patch comes at 49 mm.

Advantages and disadvantages:

Longboard wheels for cruising: Buying guide

When getting the right set of wheels, you should first focus on doing a bit of research. Whatever the kind of performance you’re aiming at, there are a few important things to consider.

Here are the most important specs to look at:

• First, we’ll need to think of the size. While you’re free to choose what works best for you, it’s usually the larger diameters that are recommended for cruising and downhill riding. While 70 mm is about the average size, cruising wheels are usually over 75 and even above 80. Some examples we mentioned, like Bigfoot Cored Classics, are over 90 mm in diameter.
• The contact patch should also be a bit wider. The narrow contact surfaces are usually intended for freerides and have significantly less grip.
• When it comes to the shape, it’s recommended for cruising wheels to have thicker and square edges. This way, you will retain the much-needed grip over the surface.
• As you can probably tell by the above recommendation, there’s a lot to say about hardness of the wheels, which is measured by durometer ratings and expressed on the Shore A scale. It is recommended that you go softer with cruising wheels, somewhere between 75A and 85A. Some slightly harder versions can be used as well if the wheel diameter and shape are more suitable for this purpose.
• The Urethane formula can tell you how well the wheels will perform in practice. Wheels do not perform the same even with the same durometer rating. When it comes to cruising and downhill rides, you should look for something that has a better grip.
• Finally, the wheel core design is also an important issue. The most recommended types are those with center-set core, meaning that the cores are exactly at the very center of the wheel. You also have side-set and offset cores, but they’re harder to control since they have less grip.

Sector 9 Nine Ball 70Mm 78A

Check Price Here

Orangatang in Heat 75 mm Cruising Wheels

Check Price Here

Big Boy 70mm Gel Solid Wheels

Check Price Here

Blood Orange Morgan Pro Series Longboard Wheel

Check Price Here

Orangatang Caguama 85mm Longboard Wheels

Check Price Here

Shark Wheel 70mm 78a Longboard Wheels

Check Price Here

Cal 7 97mm 78A Longboard Wheels

Check Price Here

Bigfoot Cored Classics Longboard Wheels

Check Price Here

Fireball Beast 76mm Longboard Wheels

Check Price Here

Conclusion

Before getting onto the longboard for any kind of ride, safety should be your biggest concern. A part of that also comes down to your choice of wheels. The ones that we mentioned here come as a good choice, mostly due to their good grip over surfaces.

In the end, we’ve included something for everyone’s taste and everyone’s budget level. Ultimately, the right choice comes down to your preferences. We hope this guide was of use to you and that you now feel more confident about getting the best longboard wheels for you.

Cruise smoothly and stay safe, guys!

Longboarding.co

A team of longboard lovers that seek to bring the word of longboarding to the world.

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