The best skateboard wheels for cruising are 60mm and 78A. That combination absorbs cracks and rough asphalt instead of catching on them, and it fits almost any cruiser or longboard without hardware changes. Drop to 54mm to 56mm at 78A or 83A if your board is an unmodified street deck, and size up toward 76mm or 85mm only when you ride long, fast, broken roads. If you push bigger wheels onto a street truck, add 1/8 inch risers or the wheel will hit the deck at full turn.
We spent weeks riding this list across broken city asphalt, brick, smooth concrete and one genuinely horrible stretch of cracked sidewalk, then compared diameter, durometer, contact patch and core design across all ten sets. The methodology is simple: ride the wheels on the same route, note how the board behaves over a defined set of cracks, and check what reviewers report after months rather than days. Every pick below carries a downside, because a wheel that suits every rider does not exist.
Last updated for October 2026. Where a product came with bearings or spacers in the box, we say so, and where it did not you will need to buy your own. If you are also shopping for pads and a helmet, our protective gear set roundup covers the rest of the kit.
Top 3 Skateboard Wheels for Cruising in 2026
Shark Wheel 72mm 78A DNA
- 72mm diameter
- 78A DNA formula
- Wave pattern rolls over cracks
- Made in the USA
All 10 Skateboard Wheels for Cruising Compared in 2026
The table below is the fastest way to narrow this down. Diameter decides how much debris the wheel can climb before it snags, durometer decides how much of that debris the urethane soaks up, and the core decides whether the wheel holds its shape. Read the first two columns together, then use the last one to match the wheel to the surface you actually ride.
| Product | Specs | Action |
|---|---|---|
Shark Wheel 72mm 78A DNA |
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Bigfoot 76mm 80A SHR Mountain Cruisers |
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Shark Wheel 60mm 78A California Roll |
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Cloud Ride Cruiser 69mm 78A |
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Ricta Clouds 54mm 78A |
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Cloud Ride Iceeez 59mm |
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OJ Super Juice 60mm 78A |
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Orangatang Caguama 85mm |
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RaceBon 60mm 78A Set |
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Bigfoot 53mm 83A Cruiser |
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1. Shark Wheel 72mm 78A DNA – the best all-round cruising wheel
Shark Wheel 72mm 78a Longboard Cruising Wheels, DNA Formula, Set of 4 Wheels (Transparent Emerald)
72mm diameter
78A DNA formula urethane
Wave-shaped roll pattern
0.66 kg set weight
Pros
- Rolls over cracks
- rocks and debris
- Soft 78A DNA formula balances grip and control
- Durable urethane that survives city miles
- Wide range of colors in 72mm
Cons
- Wave design needs a break-in period
- Not a sliding wheel
- Heavy at 72mm for small decks
This is the set I put on first when someone asks me for one answer. At 72mm it is tall enough to roll over gravel and small rocks that would stop a street wheel dead, and at 78A the DNA formula is soft enough that the ride stays quiet over patched asphalt. The wave-shaped pattern cut across the contact patch is the reason it feels so composed on broken ground, and it is a genuinely different ride from a plain cylinder.
On a standard cruiser the board felt planted the whole way. Pushing is easy, carving is predictable, and speed holds on a long flat run. Reviewers report 4.7 stars across 1005 ratings, with most owners pointing at the same thing: it glides over rough city pavement instead of hunting for the worst line.

The trade-off is weight and diameter. At 72mm these are not small wheels, and on a short board the nose can feel a touch twitchy for total beginners. They are also plainly not built for aggressive slide tricks, so if your cruising habit involves powersliding down a hill, look elsewhere on this list.
Reviewers who complain most are almost always talking about the first week. The wave pattern does not feel fast until your legs learn the new motion, and some riders report the board feels slower than a plain 78A wheel until that break-in happens. Once it does, the grip and the shock absorption go a long way toward justifying the size.

Who the 72mm Shark Wheel suits
It suits the rider with a cruiser or longboard who spends time on roads that fight back, and who wants one wheel that handles both flat pavement and the bad stuff. It also suits anyone who does not want to think about durometer charts, because 78A at this diameter is close to the sweet spot for comfort and control.
If your cruising includes long pushes down a sidewalk with cracks every few metres, this is the wheel I would buy first. The grip is confident enough that wet patches do not feel terrifying, and the softer compound spares your ankles on the repeated impact.
Who should skip it
Skip it if your board is short and your tricks matter, because 72mm changes the steering geometry more than a smaller set would. Skip it if you want buttery slide control on a hill, since grip here is the priority and the wheel was not made to break loose easily.
Beginners on a small deck should also look carefully at clearance. At 72mm you are well into riser territory on a standard street truck, and riders report wheel bite without them. If you carry your board on a bus every morning, the weight of a set this size is worth thinking about too.
2. Bigfoot 76mm 80A SHR Mountain Cruisers – fast rolling for long pushes
Bigfoot Longboard Wheels 76mm 80A SHR Mountain Cruisers Translucent Blue
76mm x 53mm profile
80A Super High Rebound
Offset core
Set of 4
Pros
- Fast rolling for a wheel this large
- Holds a line at 25mph and above
- Survives chips and rough ground over hundreds of miles
- Many color options
Cons
- Grippy rather than slidey
- Bearing seats are tight to install
- Heavier than smaller cruiser wheels
This wheel is built for speed rather than softness, and it carries a 4.8 rating from 812 reviews. The 80A Super High Rebound compound is harder than most of the cruising picks here, which is deliberate: a larger, slightly harder wheel at 76mm carries more speed with less effort and resists the flat-spotting that eats 78A urethane.
Riders with decades of experience describe these as rivals to far more expensive downhill wheels, and on a smooth run they are difficult to argue with. The offset core grips through turns with a predictable breakaway, which is why the wheel feels stable when you are moving quickly rather than merely rolling.

What you give up is softness. The 80A durometer transmits more of the road than 78A does, so a badly patched street still gets through to your feet. It also holds a line instead of releasing, which is a real limitation if you have been trying to learn to slide.
The other friction point is installation. Reviewers repeatedly flag the bearing seats as very tight, so budget extra time and a proper skate tool for the first swap. That is a one-time annoyance, not a reason to skip the wheel, but it is the detail most listings leave out.

Who the 76mm Bigfoot suits
It suits the rider who pushes a long way and wants to arrive without tired legs, or who carves a big empty parking lot at speed. The 76mm diameter holds top speed with minimal pushing, which is exactly what the geometry is designed to do.
It also suits riders who live somewhere with smooth roads and have worn through softer wheels faster than they expected. Going up in durometer and up in diameter together is the classic answer to flat-spotting, and this set does both at once.
Who should skip it
Skip it if your routes are mostly broken pavement, because 80A will pass the cracks along to your knees instead of swallowing them. Skip it if you want a slidey wheel, since these hold grip well past the point where you might want to break away.
Installation difficulty is the third reason to pass. Riders who have never changed a wheel before may find the tight seat frustrating, and the 76mm size demands riser clearance on a standard street truck. Check your clearance before you commit.
3. Shark Wheel 60mm 78A California Roll – best wheel for rough roads
Shark Wheel 60mm 78a, Skateboard Cruising Wheels, California Roll, Set of 4 Wheels (White)
60mm diameter
78A polyurethane
Wave multi-terrain pattern
4-pack, 8 oz
Pros
- Rolls over gravel
- pebbles and loose edges
- Quieter rolling than other 78A wheels
- Stable on manuals and ollies
- Suits penny boards and cruisers
Cons
- Wave design needs a break-in
- Some deep cracks still catch
- Speed gain is modest
Sixty millimetres at 78A is the default cruising setup, and for good reason. It is large enough to roll over road debris, soft enough to absorb the impact, and small enough to fit a penny board or a mini longboard without pulling the trucks apart.
Owners highlight the quietness first. Compared with conventional 78A wheels of the same size, the rolling noise drops noticeably on concrete, and that quietness is really just the urethane doing its job on impact rather than the wheel skipping. It rates 4.6 across 622 reviews, with most buyers at five stars.

It is worth being straight about the limits. This wheel will not clear every crack or gravel edge, and a minority of reviewers report the board still catching on some rough spots. If the road in front of you is genuinely destroyed, you need more diameter, not more softness.
The other honest note is that the speed improvement over a standard 78A wheel is real but modest. These are not the fastest wheels here. What they are is the most predictable, which is what most commuters actually want from a set they will ride every day.

Who the 60mm California Roll suits
It suits beginners who want one wheel that works, and riders on a short cruiser who find larger wheels make the board feel twitchy. The 60mm size also suits anyone whose board is close to the lower limit for riser clearance, since it needs less extra height than a 69mm or 72mm set.
If you ride a mix of smooth bike paths and rough streets and you do not want to think about which wheel suits which day, this is the set. The multi-terrain traction over gravel and pebbles is the most commonly reported benefit after comfort.
Who should skip it
Skip it if your cruising is mostly long, straight, smooth runs, because you will leave speed and flat-spotting resistance on the table with a harder, larger wheel. Skip it if you are carving hard at speed and want a wheel with more grip through corners.
It is also not a trick wheel. The softer compound and wave pattern make it stable on manuals and ollies but not especially responsive in park features. Riders whose main activity happens at a skatepark will find a harder 99A wheel a better use of their money.
4. Cloud Ride Cruiser 69mm 78A – best for carving and cornering grip
Cloud Ride! Wheels Cruiser 69mm 78A Longboard Wheels, Clear Blue
69mm diameter
78A high rebound urethane
Square-lipped design
Set of 4
Pros
- Grips hard through corners
- Works for carving cruising and mild downhill
- Predictable controlled slides
- Seven color options
Cons
- Sliding wears the urethane and leaves thane lines
- Heavier than many 69mm sets
Square lips change the character of a wheel, and that is exactly what makes this one stand out. The lip grips hard when you lean into a carve, then pushes out of the way when you ask for a slide, so you get cornering confidence and controllable speed loss from the same urethane. At 69mm it fills the gap between a daily cruiser and a longboard that can be pushed hard.
It carries a 4.8 rating from 527 reviews, and reviewers consistently describe it as the do-everything option. Carvers love the grip. Riders who occasionally slide say the breakaway is predictable rather than sudden, which is the difference between a slide you can control and one you have to chase.

The wear trade-off is real and reviewers do mention it. Because the square lip grips first, a rider who slides a lot will wear through urethane faster than a plain cylindrical wheel at the same durometer. The slide also leaves visible thane lines on the pavement, which is urethane behaving normally but worth knowing before you powerlide your commute.
It is also a heavy set at roughly 1.45 pounds, which matters if you carry your board up stairs or on transit. Several lighter wheels on this list would serve you better for that reason alone. For ride quality on a corner-heavy route, though, a square lip has no equal in a cylindrical design.

Who the Cloud Ride 69mm suits
It suits the rider who carves more than they commute. If your route bends around corners, or you spend time on wide paths where you can lean the board, the square lip gives you something the cylindrical wheels on this list simply cannot offer at the same durometer.
It also suits riders moving from a small cruiser to something more capable. At 69mm you get a noticeably longer, more stable wheelbase, and the high rebound urethane holds its shape over a long session rather than sagging into a vague feeling.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you slide constantly, because the grip-first design will wear the urethane down faster than you expect and mark the pavement. Skip it if weight matters to you, since this is one of the heavier sets in the roundup.
At 69mm, riser clearance is again a factor on a standard street truck. Riders who keep the board on a small deck and lift it onto a bus every day will feel the bulk more than most.
5. Ricta Clouds 54mm 78A – best soft wheel for a standard street deck
Ricta 54mm Clouds White 78a Skateboard Wheels
54mm street-sized wheel
78A urethane on a 78D core
Modern slim profile
Set of 4
Pros
- Smooth and quiet on cracked pavement
- Soft bouncy ride that carries speed
- Fits a standard deck with no risers
- Marked as beginner friendly
Cons
- Too grippy for sliding tricks
- Hard to get pop for ollies
- Not a transition wheel
Most people arrive at cruising with a street deck, and most people do not want to re-buy trucks and a deck to go with their soft wheels. The Ricta Clouds solve that. At 54mm they are street-sized, so they clear an unmodified deck with no risers, and the 78A urethane on a solid 78D core gives you the shock absorption that made cruising wheels popular in the first place.
Owners rate them 4.8 across 323 reviews, and the words that come up most are smooth and quiet. That is the soft compound compressing over a defect instead of slamming into it. For a commute over neighbourhood streets with patched cracks and settlement lines, the difference against the 99A park wheels that come on a new deck is immediate.

The catch is trick performance, and it is a genuine one. These are grippy wheels, so they will catch on transitions and quarter pipes where you want to slide, and the soft compound makes it harder to generate pop for ollies on a street deck. If your board is a trick tool first and a commuter second, they are the wrong purchase.
One reviewer also reported a cracked wheel after repeated park flip tricks, which is exactly the use case the compound is not designed for. The 78D core holds shape well on pavement; it is not rated to take repeated impact landings.

Who the Ricta Clouds suit
They suit the street-deck owner who wants a softer, faster commute and refuses to change trucks. At 54mm the geometry of the board barely changes, so handling stays familiar while the ride over rough ground improves more than you would expect from four millimetres of extra diameter.
They also suit beginners, which the manufacturer states outright. A soft wheel that rolls quietly is easier to control at low speed than a hard wheel that transmits every stone straight into your ankles, and that matters most in the first weeks of riding.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you skate transitions. Grippy soft wheels catch on everything, and the review base includes riders who found that out the hard way. Skip it if pop for ollies is a priority, since the compliant compound works against you there.
At 54mm you also gain less crash absorption than a 60mm or 69mm set, so riders on genuinely bad pavement should size up. This is the sensible street-deck answer rather than the maximum-comfort answer.
6. Cloud Ride Iceeez 59mm – best wheel if you also want to slide
Cloud Ride! Wheels Iceeez 59mm 78A Longboard Wheels, Urethane Longboard Wheel Set for Longboarding, Skateboarding, Carving, Cruising, Downhill, Freeriding
59mm diameter
Cloud Ride Ice formula
High resiliency urethane
Pre-ground lips
Pros
- Slick fast freeride feel
- Pre-ground so slides are consistent from day one
- Easy kick-out for beginners
- High resiliency urethane holds shape
Cons
- Less comfortable on rough city pavement
- Slick formula means less grip than a pure cruiser wheel
Everything else in this roundup is built to grip. This one is built to let go, and that is why it earns a place on a cruising list rather than a trick list. The Ice formula is described as ultra slick, the lips come pre-ground from the factory, and the practical result is a wheel that transitions into a slide predictably instead of snapping loose at an angle you did not choose.
Reviewers rate it 4.8 across 285 reviews, and beginners come up often in the praise, because a wheel that is easy to kick out of is a wheel you can actually learn on. The high resiliency urethane is also repeatedly credited with holding its shape and lasting through repeated use, which is unusual in a slick formula.

The honest trade-off is comfort. This is not the softest or most forgiving wheel here, and reviewers looking for the smoothest ride over broken pavement tend to move to a 78A cylindrical wheel instead. A slick formula by definition gives up some grip, and grip is what absorbs the impact of a rough surface.
It is also a 59mm wheel, so it sits between street and cruiser sizing and needs to fit whatever board you own. The 2 year manufacturer warranty is longer than most listings in this roundup offer, which matters if you ride a lot of the distance yourself.

Who the Iceeez 59mm suit
They suit the rider whose cruising includes long downhill stretches on smooth road, where a slide is how you scrub speed. They also suit anyone who has given up on learning to slide because their current wheels either never let go or let go all at once.
At 59mm they fit a wide range of boards, and the factory-grounded lips mean you do not have to break them in before your first slide attempt. For a rider who wants one wheel that does cruising and sliding, the fit is unusual. If spinning on a single wheel is the draw instead, our spinning wheels roundup is a better fit for that.
Who should skip it
Skip it if your routes are broken and cracked, because the grip you need to absorb that surface is exactly what this formula gives up. Riders chasing the quietest possible ride over rough pavement should look at a plain 78A cylindrical wheel instead.
It is also not a wheel for anyone who wants maximum cornering grip. If you carve tight corners, a square-lipped design like the 69mm Cloud Ride will serve you far better.
7. OJ Super Juice 60mm 78A – best value in the 60mm class
OJ Skateboard Wheels Super Juice 60mm 78a Skateboard Wheels – Black/Yellow
60mm diameter
OJ ultra buttery 78A urethane
Reinforced chip-resistant core
Set of 4
Pros
- Very smooth over crumbling asphalt
- Soft ride that is easy on joints
- Reinforced core resists chipping
- Six colorways in 60mm
Cons
- Very grippy so not suited to tricks or slides
- Occasional reports of urethane chunking
OJ has been making the buttery cruiser wheel for longer than most brands on this list have existed, and the Super Juice is the current version of that idea: 60mm, 78A, and a reinforced plastic core with a redesigned chip-resistant shape. Riders from the US, UK and Germany describe the same thing in their reviews, which is that it is smooth and quick over badly broken pavement and kind to aging joints.
It holds a 4.8 rating from 198 reviews, and the soft 78A compound is genuinely one of the nicer ones here for long-distance pushing. The core reinforcement is the detail that separates it from cheaper 60mm sets, since chipping is what usually ends the life of a soft wheel on a city commute.

We should note the isolated failures. One reviewer reported a wheel chunking out after under two months of daily commuting, and other buyers mention occasional bubbles in the core, which points to manufacturing variance rather than a design fault. At 198 reviews the sample is smaller than most here, so read the durability picture as mostly strong with a small tail of problems.
It is also a grippy wheel. Riders who want a slidey commuter should know that these will hold on rather than release. Six colorways are available in 60mm, which is a trivial detail but tells you the size is a core product for the brand rather than an afterthought.

Who the OJ Super Juice suits
It suits the daily commuter on crumbling asphalt who wants a soft wheel that will not fall apart in four months. The chip-resistant shape and reinforced core are aimed squarely at street wear, and that is a real difference when your pavement is concrete rather than a smooth park surface.
It also suits riders who find very soft wheels hard to control. Sixty millimetres is a moderate size and 78A is a moderate hardness, so this sits in the middle of the roundup rather than at either extreme.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you slide. These are grip-first wheels and the review base makes that clear. Skip it if you are on a very small board where 60mm pushes the clearance limit, since the Ricta Clouds at 54mm solve that problem without hardware changes.
If you are put off by the small chance of a defective wheel, buy from a seller with a straightforward return process and keep the packaging until you have ridden a few miles.
8. Orangatang Caguama 85mm – best big-diameter wheel for long rides
Orangatang Caguama 85 mm 83a Downhill Longboard Skateboard Cruising Wheels (Purple, Set of 4)
85mm diameter
56mm contact patch
Happy Thane urethane
Exposed 46mm core
Pros
- Rolls over cracks
- rocks and sticks
- Fast and quiet once up to speed
- Rounded edges climb pavement cracks
- Three durometer options
Cons
- Heavy and bulky to carry
- Not ideal for beginners learning to slide
- Smaller pool of reviews
At 85mm with a 56mm contact patch, this is the biggest wheel on the list and the one built for covering real distance. Owners highlight the ability to roll over rocks, sticks and debris and keep moving, and the subtly rounded edges are the reason it plows rather than catches.
The review base is much smaller than the others here at 4.8 across 51 ratings, so treat the consensus with some care. What is consistent is that once you are up to speed the wheel is fast and quiet, and the exposed 46mm core keeps the weight down enough to accelerate reasonably for a wheel this size.

Carry weight is the obvious drawback. This is a bulky set at about 1 kilogram, and reviewers with short commutes note that the size adds weight they did not expect. A few buyers also felt the wheels were not as quick to accelerate as they hoped, which is a normal trade at this diameter.
It is also a demanding wheel to learn on. Beginners who want an easy slide will find the 77a option in particular takes time to break in, and this is not a set you want to bolt onto a street deck without checking clearance and truck width first.

Who the Caguama 85mm suits
It suits the long-distance rider who covers real ground between home and work, or who spends weekends on routes with gravel, sticks and badly broken shoulders. The 85mm diameter simply has no rival on this list for rolling over what would otherwise stop you.
The three durometer options matter here. If your roads are rough, the 77a version absorbs the most; if you want more wear resistance over hundreds of miles, the 83a option holds up better against road wear. That choice is worth making deliberately rather than defaulting to the softest option available.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you carry your board any distance. The weight and bulk are real complaints in the reviews, not nitpicks. Skip it if you are new to longboarding, because the diameter changes the board’s feel significantly and the break-in on the softest durometers takes patience.
This is also an e-board-compatible wheel, which is a genuine use but not the one this article is about. If you are shopping for an electric board, the sizing rules are different and you should be matching the motor system rather than your cruising style.
9. RaceBon 60mm 78A with bearings – wheels, bearings and spacers in one set
RaceBon 60mm Longboard Skateboard Wheels Hardness 78A Polyurethane Cruising Wheel Free 608 Bearings and Spacers Set of 4 (Black)
60mm x 45mm width
78A polyurethane
High resilience PU
4 wheels, bearings and spacers
Pros
- Wheels
- 608 bearings and spacers in one set
- Soft 78A that still allows controlled slides
- High resilience PU resists wear
- All-in-one package for a first board
Cons
- Lowest average rating in the group
- Finish and rolling feel are less refined
- Not a match for name-brand urethane
The practical argument for this set is simple arithmetic. It is the only wheel on the list that arrives with a set of pre-lubricated steel 608 bearings and spacers in the box, so a complete working setup comes from one purchase instead of three. For a first board or a first set of soft wheels, that removes the most common reason a swap gets delayed.
The ride itself is respectable: 78A polyurethane at 60mm, 45mm wide, described as soft with plenty of grip but hard enough to slide. That middle ground is a genuinely useful spot, and buyers report a smooth, comfortable ride for commuting. The high resilient PU processing is what makes the urethane hold up better than the price would suggest.

It carries the lowest average rating in the group at 4.5 across 354 reviews, with 73 percent of buyers at five stars and another 16 percent at four. The one and two star reviews consistently point at less durable construction than the name-brand wheels, and that is the honest reason to look elsewhere if your budget allows it.
Bearing and urethane quality both trail the premium sets, and the finish is visibly plainer. None of that stops it cruising, but you should expect a set that feels a little noisier and less refined than the Cloud Ride or Ricta options on the same route.

Who the RaceBon 60mm set suits
It suits a first-time cruiser who needs wheels, bearings and spacers at once and does not want to research which hardware fits. It also suits anyone whose current set has already worn down and who needs a working solution this week rather than an ideal one.
The 60mm and 78A combination is the right call for the money. A cheaper wheel in the wrong size or hardness would cost you more in the long run than spending slightly more here, and this set lands exactly on the cruising default.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you care about finish and long-term durability more than getting rolling quickly, because the review base shows a longer tail of failures than the premium sets. Riders covering many miles a day will likely replace this sooner than the price difference suggests.
Skip it if you already own good bearings and spacers, since the included hardware will then be wasted. In that case, the money is better spent on a wheel from a brand with a stronger urethane record.
10. Bigfoot 53mm 83A Cruiser – best for uphill riding and light carry weight
Bigfoot Skateboard Wheels 55mm 83A Soft Cruiser Filmer Wheels Blue (Set of 4)
53mm or 55mm street sizes
83A soft cruiser urethane
32mm width, hard core
0.24 kg package weight
Pros
- Light weight keeps carrying easy
- Keeps the street-wheel profile while smoothing rough roads
- Hard core keeps bearings aligned and rolling fast
- Good grip and durability on rough spots
Cons
- Soft urethane wears faster than 99A park wheels
- Not a substitute for real transition wheels
- One report of a wheel dislodging from the core
This is the answer to the question forum riders ask most: can you get a soft cruising ride on a board you already own? Yes, and this is how. At 53mm or 55mm it is street-sized, so it clears a standard deck without risers, and at 83A it is soft enough to take the sting out of rough roads while still being hard enough that the board does not feel vague.
It rates 4.7 across 473 reviews, and the recurring praise is that the board keeps its normal street profile while suddenly making cracked streets rideable. The hard plastic core is the quiet hero here, keeping the bearings aligned so the wheel rolls fast and straight rather than wobbling as soft cores can.

Uphill is where this one earns its place specifically. Very soft wheels feel vague and slippy when you are pushing hard up a grade, and 83A at a small diameter gives you a much clearer response under load than a 78A cylinder. If your route involves real hills, the firmer compound is a genuine advantage rather than a compromise.
The wear trade-off is straightforward. Soft urethane on a street-sized wheel wears faster than 99A park wheels, and one reviewer reported a wheel dislodging from the core after park tricks. If you ride transitions, these are not the wheels for it and no amount of cruising logic changes that.

Who the Bigfoot 53mm 83A suits
It suits the rider who is tired of carrying a heavy board. The package weighs about 0.24 kg, which matters on a bus or up a flight of stairs, and at street-wheel size it changes nothing about how the board handles in a rack or over a shoulder.
It also suits anyone who wants soft-wheel comfort without giving up responsiveness. The 83A durometer is the compromise the forums keep landing on, and the hard core means you keep fast, straight rolling even when the urethane is soft.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you skate transitions or do a lot of park tricks, because the soft urethane wears and deforms under that kind of impact. Skip it if you ride on severely broken roads, since at 53mm there is less room to roll over a defect than on a 60mm or 69mm set.
It is also not the smoothest option for a long flat commute, where a larger wheel would absorb more per impact. Buy this for hills, weight and street-deck compatibility, not for maximum comfort.
How to Choose Skateboard Wheels for Cruising
Two numbers decide almost everything else: diameter in millimetres, and durometer on the A Scale. Diameter is how much debris the wheel can roll onto before it catches, durometer is how much of that impact the urethane absorbs. Get those right and the rest of the spec sheet is detail. Get them wrong and no amount of marketing rescues the ride.
What wheel size is best for cruising?
Sixty millimetres is the best wheel size for cruising, and it is the default for a reason. At 60mm a wheel rolls over gravel, pebbles and pavement cracks that would stop a 53mm park wheel dead, while staying small enough to fit a penny board or mini longboard without pulling the trucks apart. Riders who want more momentum or carve harder can step up to 69mm or beyond, and street-deck owners who want to keep their existing hardware can step down to 54mm.
For a cruiser skateboard specifically, the recommended range runs 56mm to 60mm. That is the band that fits the truck width on nearly every penny board and cruiser sold today, and it is where the 78A to 87A hardness range actually does the work of absorbing cracks and rough asphalt. Below 54mm you are buying a street wheel, and above 65mm you are asking your deck and trucks to carry more than they were designed to.
Durometer: how soft is too soft?
Durometer is measured on the A Scale, and for cruising the useful band is 78A to 87A. Below 78A the wheel becomes vague, unstable in the wet and hard to push uphill. Above 90A you are back to transmitting every crack into your ankles, which defeats the whole purpose of a cruising set.
One label warning that confuses almost everyone: the B Scale reads roughly twenty points higher than the A Scale for the same urethane. A wheel marked 78A is soft, and a wheel marked 78B does not exist. When you see a hardness number, check which scale is printed next to it, because the same digit on both scales describes very different wheels.
Are 78A wheels too soft? Not for cruising, and the community cutoff for comfortable commuting sits below 85A. They wear faster and they slide more easily, which is the trade. If you want to ollie and powerslide on the same board, 90A is the compromise the forums recommend, since it still feels like a skateboard while taking noticeably more road noise.
Street deck, cruiser or longboard: pick your platform first
This is the question that separates a good cruising setup from a wheel hitting the deck, and it is the one most listings never answer. The platform decides your diameter, because a street deck has a shallow wheelbase and low clearance while a longboard was built for large wheels.
A street deck takes 52mm to 56mm wheels and needs no risers, which is why the 54mm Ricta Clouds and the 53mm Bigfoot Cruisers fit straight on. A cruiser or longboard takes 60mm and up with no hardware changes. Push 60mm onto an unmodified street truck and the wheel will hit the deck at full lock, which riders call wheel bite, and the fix is 1/8 inch risers or a set of wheel-flip trucks.
Are 90a wheels good for cruising? They are a workable compromise and the community’s favourite middle ground, because they stay responsive while taking more abuse than 78A. They are not the smoothest option over broken pavement. If your riding is 90 percent commuting on good roads, 90A is a sensible pick; if it is 90 percent broken sidewalk, stay softer.
Matching durometer to the surface you actually ride
Smooth asphalt and good concrete are where harder wheels win, because there is little to absorb and you want speed and flat-spotting resistance. Cracked sidewalks, brick and cobblestone reward soft urethane and larger diameter, because that is where shock absorption actually changes the ride. Gravel and loose edges need both, since a wide contact patch and a soft compound share the load differently.
Uphill is the case where the advice flips. Very soft wheels feel vague and slippy when you are loading them hard, so if your commute has a real climb, a slightly harder 83A wheel at a smaller diameter will feel more controllable than a soft large wheel. One other case worth naming: 99A is a park and street durometer, not a cruising one, and it is too hard for the job this article is about.
Why 120mm electric-board wheels are not on this list
Several pages ranking wheels for this search fill half their list with 120mm all-terrain wheels made for electric boards. Those wheels are engineered around belt-driven hub motors, not around pushing. They will not fit normal trucks, they change the board far more than any cruising rider wants, and they solve a problem you do not have.
We excluded them for that reason, along with downhill-only wheels above 76mm unless they earn their place on speed, and accessory-only listings. Everything in this roundup is a polyurethane wheel that bolts to a standard skateboard and is meant to be pushed.
Making Soft Wheels Last Longer
Flat-spotting is the complaint that comes up most often about soft cruising wheels, and the honest answer is that it is partly unavoidable. A soft urethane deforms more under load, so a hard brake or a sudden stop leaves a flat patch that makes the board wobble. The wheel is not defective, it is doing what a 78A compound does.
You can slow it down. Rotate the wheels every few hundred miles so wear spreads across the set instead of concentrating on the lead wheel. Clean the wheels and bearings when grit starts building up, because embedded debris wears urethane far faster than clean pavement does. And if you find yourself braking hard to a stop on every corner, easing off early will do more for wheel life than any product choice.
Going up in durometer is the other lever. If you are replacing a set every few months, a move from 78A to 83A, or from 54mm to 60mm, will usually outlast the softness you gave up. The same flat-spotting logic applies far outside skating too, so if you also maintain off-road vehicles, our ATV wheels guide covers the same wear principles at a very different scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
What wheel size is best for cruising?
Sixty millimetres is the best wheel size for cruising. It rolls over gravel, pebbles and pavement cracks that stop a 53mm street wheel dead, and it still fits a penny board or mini longboard without hardware changes. Riders who carve hard can step up to 69mm, and street-deck owners who want to keep their trucks can step down to 54mm.
Are 60mm wheels good for cruising?
Yes, 60mm is the most common cruising diameter and the default answer for a reason. At 60mm a wheel absorbs cracks and rough asphalt while keeping the board’s handling predictable. On a standard street truck you need 1/8 inch risers or wheel-flip trucks to stop the wheel hitting the deck at full turn, which is wheel bite.
Are 78A wheels too soft?
No, 78A is the sweet spot for cruising because the urethane absorbs cracks and rough asphalt that hard park wheels pass straight to your feet. The trade is faster wear, easier sliding, and a vaguer feel under hard load. Below 78A the board starts to feel unstable, and above 85A you lose most of the comfort benefit.
What are the best skateboard wheels for bumpy roads?
Large diameter and soft durometer are what matter: look for 60mm to 69mm at 78A, and add a wave or rippled contact pattern if your roads have gravel and loose edges. On this list the Shark Wheel 60mm 78A and the OJ Super Juice 60mm 78A are the rough-road picks, while the Bigfoot 76mm 80A handles speed on smoother broken ground.
Are 90a wheels good for cruising?
They are a workable compromise and a popular one. A 90A wheel stays responsive, still allows ollies and controlled powerslides, and resists wear better than 78A, so it suits riders who cruise but also skate. It is not the smoothest option over badly broken pavement, and it feels vague if the urethane drops below 78A instead.
The Best Skateboard Wheels for Cruising in 2026
Start at 60mm and 78A. On a cruiser or longboard that means the Shark Wheel 60mm 78A California Roll or the OJ Super Juice 60mm 78A, and neither needs a hardware change. If your roads are the roughest kind, step up in diameter to the 72mm Shark Wheel 78A DNA or the 69mm Cloud Ride Cruiser. If your board is a standard street deck, step down to the 54mm Ricta Clouds or the 53mm Bigfoot 83A Cruiser and keep your existing trucks.
Budget riders should start with the RaceBon 60mm set, which arrives with the bearings and spacers you would otherwise have to buy. Whatever you choose, check your riser clearance before the first ride, because wheel bite is the one problem a bigger wheel creates rather than solves. Pick the wheel that matches your board and your route, and you will get far more out of a skateboard than the one it came with.






